The Iowa House has overwhelmingly passed a plan to provide extra state money to about 40 percent of Iowa school districts to help cover transportation costs. Some rural districts spend nearly a thousand dollars a year to bus students to school. Representative Tedd Gassman, a Republican from Scarville, says four school districts have merged into one in his area. “There used to be about 1600 students in all of those districts. Today it’s down to about 450 students,” Gassman says. “The cost of transportation has increased exponentially around the state after all of these reorganizations.”

The money spent on busing in districts like his takes away from what could be spent educating the students once they get to school, according to Gassman. “There’s left work to be done with both the transportation and state aid equity,” Gassman says.  Republicans in the SENATE last year voted for a permanent fix, but the House plan that emerged last (Monday) night is a one-time allotment to address the transportation issue, plus extra money for address inequities in the formula that distributes general state aid on a per pupil basis. Representative Cindy Winkler is a Democrat from Davenport who argued for at least a three-year funding commitment. “Give some predictable and sustainable funding…for our school districts,” Winckler says. “…Bring true equity to every student in the state.”

Davenport’s superintendent is using cash reserves to make up for a state funding inequity. He’s been notified by state officials he could lose his professional license for using more of his district’s reserves than is allowed by law.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak, Monday night, arrested a man on an assault charge. 58-year old Thomas Oscar Anderson, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 10:25-p.m. in the 2000 block of Sunnyslope Drive, in Red Oak. Anderson was arrested for Simple Assault. He was also cited for Trespass. Anderson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man accused of attacking two people during the commission of several crimes was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Sioux City Journal reports 36-year-old Eric Bishop was sentenced Monday for first-degree burglary and willful injury. As part of a plea deal last month, prosecutors dropped 10 other felony charges against Bishop.

Bishop must serve a minimum of three years in prison before he’s eligible for parole. Bishop pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman after a break-in at a home Aug. 2 and to stabbing a man with a sword during an Aug. 5 altercation at a different Sioux City home. Bishop also was charged with burglarizing South Sioux City’s Animal Control site in August, stealing a truck and leading police on a chase before crashing the vehicle.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CST

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man accused of attacking two people during the commission of several crimes was sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Sioux City Journal reports 36-year-old Eric Bishop was sentenced Monday for first-degree burglary and willful injury. As part of a plea deal last month, prosecutors dropped 10 other felony charges against Bishop.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — When asked whether she supports further restrictions to Iowa’s gun laws, Gov. Kim Reynolds said the federal government needs to take responsibility in discussing gun legislation. Reynolds told reporters Monday “the federal government has to play a role” in deciding possible firearm restrictions. That includes examining background check requirements. She declined to comment more specifically on Iowa’s gun laws, calling them reasonable and responsible.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Some Iowa City elementary students are urging the school district to recognize Muslim holidays, and board members say they’re willing to consider the request. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports several students proposed the idea at a school board meeting last week. They suggested the district schedule days off for the holidays of Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. Board member Ruthina Malone says the board can consider accommodating major holidays celebrated by Jewish and Muslim students.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Dozens of high school students have left their Iowa City classrooms to send a message: School shootings must stop. Students from at least three schools walked Monday to a gathering spot in downtown Iowa City. Speaking through a megaphone, a student speaker read the names of the 17 victims of last week’s Parkland, Florida, shooting. The other students repeated the names in unison.

A woman from Odebolt died from injuries she suffered during a collision Sunday evening, in northwest Iowa’s Ida County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 22-year old Destiny Rain Gritten died after being transported from the scene by helicopter to a hospital. The accident happened at around 5:30-p.m., when a 2004 Chevy truck driven by Gritten, failed to stop at the intersection with County Road L-51.

Her truck was struck by an eastbound 2017 Freightliner semi, driven by 40-year old Daniel Anderson, of Firth, ID. Anderson was not injured in the crash. Both vehicles came to rest east of the intersection.

Court records show former Cass County 9-1-1 Director Rob Koppert is tentatively scheduled to appear in U-S District Court in Council Bluffs on April 9th, with regard to an alleged Child Pornography charge. Robert “Rob” D. Koppert was charged with Possession of Child Pornography, after agents with the FBI visited his home on Plum Street July 24th, and executed a search warrant. Koppert tendered his resignation that same day.

Court Records for U-S District Court in the Southern District of Iowa, allege Koppert, knowingly possessed one or more matters which contained visual depictions that had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, by any means including by a computer, the producing of such visual depictions having involved the use of a minor, i.e., any person under the age of eighteen years, engaging in sexually explicit conduct and said visual depictions of such conduct, and involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years of age.

Koppert had served as the Cass County 9-1-1 Director since the mid-1990’s.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — When asked whether she supports further restrictions to Iowa’s gun laws, Gov. Kim Reynolds said the federal government needs to take responsibility in discussing gun legislation.

Reynolds told reporters Monday “the federal government has to play a role” in deciding possible firearm restrictions. She says that includes examining background check requirements. She declined to comment more specifically on Iowa’s gun laws, calling them reasonable and responsible.

Reynolds announced a suspicious activity reporting campaign at the state Capitol press conference following last week’s school shooting in Florida. Iowa public safety agencies will partner with the federal government to promote the campaign.

Reynolds says preventing mass shootings cannot be only about guns and should happen in “a holistic manner,” including reporting suspicious activity and improving mental health care.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Dozens of high school students left their Iowa City classrooms, Monday, to send a message: School shootings must stop. Students from at least three schools — City High, West High and South East Junior High — walked Monday to a gathering spot in downtown Iowa City. By 11:45 a.m., an estimated 200 students were chanting in front of the Old Capitol building. Some carried signs decrying gun violence.

Speaking through a megaphone, a student speaker read the names of the 17 victims of last week’s Parkland, Florida, shooting. The other students repeated the names in unison.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa State Patrol has some helpful tips for motorists with icy weather moving across much of the state over the next couple of days:

• Reduce your speed to the condition of the road;
• Increase your following distance;
• Use extra caution in the areas accelerating/decelerating (on ramps, off ramps, intersections);
• Anticipate – look up the road when traveling;
• Speed limit(s) are designed for ideal conditions: Traveling 70 mph on dry pavement, requires an overall stopping distance of around 350ft.; Travelling 50 mph on dry pavement, requires an overall stopping distance of around 198ft.

Accident info.: Feb 5th pile-up near Ames involved 70 vehicles.; Feb 12th pile-up south of Huxley involved over 90 vehicles.

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson is reporting four recent arrests. On Friday, officers arrested 23-year old Samantha Jensen, of Atlantic, on a Cass County warrant for Probation Violation. And, 23-year old Justin Patton, of Liberal KS., was arrested on two counts of  Interference with Official Acts, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Under Suspension.

On Friday, Atlantic Police arrested 24-year old Jacob Sweeney, of Atlantic, on a Cass County warrant for probation violation. And, 46-year old Jennifer Heath, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI. All subjects were brought to the Cass County Jail, and booked-in.

(12-p.m. News)