(Atlantic, Iowa) – Spring is in the air, and plans are underway for gardening projects in Cass County. Local groups planning community gardening, beautification or education programs will again be eligible for assistance from the Cass County Master Gardeners. The group is offering grant money to be used in the 2025 growing season, to encourage gardening to grow food for donation, for gardening education, and/or for gardening projects to improve local communities.

The Cass County Master Gardener Memorial Grants are offered in remembrance of the many years of service to the community provided by long-time Master Gardener volunteers who have passed. Funds are raised by Master Gardeners at events like their spring plant sale, set for Saturday May 10, and summer events such as a bus trip and garden walk.

Any Cass County not-for-profit group may apply. Schools, libraries, 4-H clubs, Scouts, churches, or other organizations/individuals working to improving their communities can apply for money to begin or improve gardens or landscaping for community benefit, or to provide education for their members or the public.

To ensure the money is helping a wide variety of community organizations, those who were funded by 2024 grants will not be eligible to apply in 2025. Each grant has a maximum value of $300. Applications must include plans for teamwork and sustainability. All grant recipients will be expected to submit a report at the end of the growing season, detailing how the money was spent. Recipients will also be given a sign to place in their garden area for the 2025 growing season.

Applications must be received by 4:30 PM on Monday, April 14 for guaranteed consideration. They may be submitted by mail or email. Grant recipients will be informed of their application status no later than Thursday, May 1 so they can make plans for the growing season. For more information, or with questions, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email  keolson@iastate.edu. Application forms can be printed from the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. You can also call or email the office to request a form be mailed or emailed to you or stop by 805 West 10th Street in Atlantic to pick one up.

The Master Gardener program trains volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in horticulture. These volunteers then give back to their communities through gardening service and education. The program is available in all 50 states and Canada through land grant university Extension programs such as Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Information on upcoming opportunities such as the grant, scholarships and spring plant sale can be found on the Cass County Extension Website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. For more information on the program, contact Cass County Extension Director Kate Olson, at 712-243-1132 or keolson@iastate.edu. You can also follow the Cass County Master Gardeners on Facebook (@CassCoMG) for gardening tips and information on upcoming events!

(Radio Iowa) – A member of the Iowa Senate has announced she is dealing with a medical issue and is awaiting surgery. State Senator Claire Celsi, a Democrat from Des Moines, issued a brief written statement today (Friday), announcing she is unable to be at the Capitol in person at the moment due to circumstances beyond her control. Celsi did not reveal her diagnosis, but said she looks forward to returning to the senate as quickly as possible.

For the past few weeks, Celsi has been not been present and listed as excused from voting on bills that have passed the state senate this month.

(Radio Iowa) – More than 100 people attended a town hall meeting held by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley today (Friday) at the Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton. The meeting, which became heated at times, with one man questioning Grassley about where Congress is as President Donald Trump takes actions.

“We have three branches of government run this country and determine our policy on the big issue. Are we going to turn Canada into the 51st state? Are we going to take over the Great Lakes? Are we going to impose tariffs throughout the world and hurt our Iowa manufacturers, who happen to sell five billion dollars every year of farm equipment, road equipment to the Canadians,” he says. Another person asked about the same subject.

“Seems to me that Trump and his people are moving very rapidly toward a dictatorship and overdosing very, very serious matter,” he says. “Our country is in serious jeopardy. It seems to me, cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and whole lot of other programs, even though they deny they’re going to do it, and firing people at will and just randomly isn’t solving anything.” Grassley said afterwards that taking the questions is part of his job.

“Well, I think you can draw the conclusions, I win by landslides, but I don’t win by 100 percent of the vote, so having people disagree with you is what democracy is all about,” he says. Grassley talked was asked about what is going to happen with the U-S Department of Education following the president’s executive order to dismantal it. Grassley says closing the department won’t harm education.

Senator Grassley answers questions at a town hall meeting in Hampton. (KLMJ photo)

“Because since the Department of Education has been set up, test scores have gone way down. It hasn’t contributed to anything to the education of our kids, because that’s all done at the state and local level, and it will still be done at the state and local level, and that’s where it should be done,” Grassley says. Grassley says the Ed Department will not go away.

“The Department of Education can’t be done away with because Congress created it, and Congress can only do away with it, and you never get 60 votes in the United States Senate to do that.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee recently advised Republicans against holding public town halls due to anger from speakers over Trump’s administration policies went viral. The U-S House Speaker said he believes the speakers showing up to challenge Republicans are being paid to do so.

(Radio Iowa – Students at a central Iowa school are learning an important lesson about saving for their futures in a program that’s the first-of-its-kind in the state. Every student at Harding Middle School in Des Moines is being given money to invest in a 5-29 savings account run by an education nonprofit. Nalo Johnson, C-E-O of the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, says she wanted to invest in the success of the youngsters as she attended Des Moines Public Schools, too.

“It was through the thoughtful care and investment of my DMPS teachers that planted the seed for my future attainment of a PhD,” Johnson says. Mid-Iowa Health donated 140-thousand dollars to the By Degrees Foundation which will manage the accounts. She says the money is meant to help students think about life after high school. The program received the donation for all students to access once they hit academic and personal milestones. Johnson says those milestones look different for everyone.

“But we know that it is incredibly important that each student has the tools and the support to explore wherever your scholarly journey may take you,” Johnson says. Students can use the funds to pay for any postsecondary education.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that’s cleared the Iowa House would mandate that Iowa’s public school districts let local private school students join the district’s sports teams if the private school isn’t offering the sport. Representative Henry Stone, a Republican from Forest City, says kids should be allowed to compete in sports, whether they’re enrolled in a public or a private school.

“The impetus of this bill is not to show favoritism or to elevate non-public schools,” he said. “It’s being brought about because school districts started severing longstanding athletic agreement with non-public schools once non-public schools entered their accreditation process or after we passed ESAs.” E-S-As are state-funded Education Savings Accounts to cover private school expenses. Stone says the Clear Lake and Garner School Districts are no longer allowing students from the private Clear Lake Classical school to play sports.

“We have got to quit looking at every issue as a public versus a non-public school issue,” Stone said. “…What we’re talking about today are issues that are affecting our kids and affecting our grand-kids. My two grandsons live in the Garner School District. In my opinion, we need to push past our differences and squabbles as adults and not take those differences out on our kids.” The bill passed with the support of 63 House Republicans. The 33 Democrats in the House opposed it.

Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, says public school officials should be able to make local decisions based on serving students from families who’ve chosen to send their child to the public school. “Our schools are in survival mode. Iowa also has a teacher shortage,” she said. “We cannot assume this requirement won’t be a problem.” Matson says the bill applies to middle school as well as high school students.

“Public schools will be required to have agreements on every sport they offer to those private school students who don’t have the sport at their school, regardless of capacity,” Matson said. “…If the team is full, would new sections be required? What about finding additional spaces to practice? The cost of adding staff members? The fact that it is already difficult to find volunteers to coach?”

The mandate in the bill also applies to other extracurricular activities. If the bill becomes law, private school students would have to be allowed to join competitive groups like show choirs or marching bands if their private school doesn’t offer it.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency, Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), National Weather Service (NWS), and Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA) have joined together to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 24-28, 2025.

Preparedness starts with you. Each of us must take steps to know when severe weather threatens our families, schools, businesses, and institutions and what to do when severe weather impacts our communities. The more informed and prepared we are, the more resilient and safer our communities are. Severe Weather Awareness Week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of being aware of, and prepared for, severe weather through a different focus each day:
• Monday – Lightning Safety
• Tuesday – Tornado Safety
• Wednesday – Preparedness & Statewide Tornado Drill
• Thursday – Hail and Wind Safety
• Friday – Flood Safety

The annual statewide tornado drill will take place on Wed., March 26, beginning at 10 a.m. Outdoor warning sirens will sound in each community around the county. Everyone is encouraged to practice their family or facility emergency sheltering plans during the drill. Additional information about the tornado drill can be found on the emergency management website.

For more preparedness information, and a daily video release on each of the week’s topics, visit the web page https://www.pottcounty-ia.gov/emergency_management/severe_weather_awareness_week/. Videos will also be posted on the emergency management X, Facebook, and YouTube sites. Remember to sign up for free severe weather and emergency alerts at https://www.pottcounty-ia.gov/emergency_management/alert_iowa/

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate are alerting voters that they may be receiving important mailers in the coming weeks as part of annual voter registration list maintenance and ongoing audit processes. Voters in Montgomery County may receive notices from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office as part of the National Change of Address (NCOA) process as well as ‘No Activity” notices. Both mailers are expected to reach affected Iowa voters in late March or early April.

As part of the annual NCOA process, voters who have filed a change of address with the U.S. Postal Service will receive notices to update their voter registration. Iowa’s election officials encourage voters to respond to these mail cards quickly, confirm their correct address, and return them to the county auditor’s office.

This mailing establishes compliance with the National Voter Registration Act, which requires periodic contact with voters to confirm the most accurate information is on file.

A separate mailer regarding voter activity may also be sent to voters in Montgomery County Registered Iowa voters who did not participate in the 2024 General Election have been transferred to an “inactive” status and will receive a notice in the mail to confirm their current residential address. Voters can reactivate their activity status by simply responding to this notice—voters who do not respond will remain in “inactive” status.

Registered voters who are “inactive” can also return to “active” status by requesting an absentee ballot, voting in an election, submitting a new registration, or updating their voter registration. This procedure is part of the Secretary of State’s ongoing voter registration list audits and maintenance processes and is required under a state law passed in 2021.

“Ongoing voter registration list audits and maintenance processes are critical to keeping Iowa voter rolls clean and accurate,” said Secretary Pate. “While we encourage Iowans to keep their voter registrations up-to-date, Iowa’s Same-Day Voter Registration safeguard ensures Iowans can register and vote on Election Day—ensuring every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot.”

Voters who have any questions regarding their voter registration status should contact the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.

Iowa voters can check or update their voter registration status at any time at VoterReady.Iowa.Gov.

(Radio Iowa) – Webster City police searched a home Thursday to investigate allegations of animal neglect. During the search, authorities rescued 11 animals from the property. The living conditions within the residence were determined to be unsanitary and unsuitable for animal welfare. As a result of the investigation, 58-year-old John Alan Harper of Webster City was charged with Animal Neglect, a Simple Misdemeanor.

The animals were taken to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa to receive proper care. Harper posted bond with a court appearance set for April 1st in Webster City.

(Radio Iowa) – Book lovers from across the state and best-selling authors from around the world will gather in central Iowa this weekend for the annual Des Moines Book Festival. Organizer Jan Danielson Kaiser, from Beaverdale Books, says it’s an ideal place to hear from and meet some top writers, and even get an autograph and a selfie. She says, “We have four headlining authors, including Claire Lombardo at 10 o’clock; Alexis Coe, a historian; and then we have Hanif Abdurraqib at two o’clock; and ending the headliners at 4:30 with C.J. Box as part of the AVID author series.”

The event promises to be a haven for readers to mingle with fellow readers, and for aspiring writers to visit with publishers. “We also have panel discussions throughout the day. We have Tim Johnston, who is the All Iowa Reads author this year,” Danielson Kaiser says. “We’ve got romance writers. We also are working with DMACC and they’re bringing in some folks from the Iowa Writers Workshop.”

In addition to the four headliners, dozens of authors from around the region will be at the festival, working to build their fan bases. “We have a total of 74 authors who are going to be there selling their books,” Danielson Kaiser says, “as well as merchants selling book-related items, some non-profits, kids’ activities, things like making puppets out of paper bags and story time.”

There will also be six food trucks so attendees can spend the day. The festival runs from 9 AM to 6 PM on Saturday at the Franklin Event Center in Des Moines. Admission and all events are free.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would make state employees with a new child eligible for paid parental leave.  “Maternity and paternity for state employees who currently have zero hours of paid family leave.” That’s Representative Taylor Collins of Mediapolis, who briefly explained the plan during House debate. It would give four weeks of paid leave to state employees who give birth and one week to the other parent. Adoptive parents would get four weeks.

Representative Sami Scheetz, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says good benefits help make state employee positions more attractive, since salaries aren’t competitive with the private sector, and paid parental leave is a good first step. “They need leave,” he said. “They need to be able to spend time with their newborns. I am hopeful as I’ve said throughout the process, too, that the governor will be able to use her considerable influence to get this through the Senate this year.”

This is the third year Governor Reynolds has proposed paid maternal and paternal leave for state employees and the first time it has won House approval. It passed on an 87-to-two vote. Both no votes were from Republicans in the House. Currently, soon-to-be parents who are state employees save up vacation days so they can take time off to care for a newborn or a newly-adopted child.