DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A civil trial alleging former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad discriminated against an ex-state official because he’s gay has been moved 35 miles east to Newton.
An order entered by Judge Brad McCall on Thursday says attorneys for both sides agreed to move the trial to the Jasper County Courthouse. The trial began June 5 and is expected to last a month. The order says the same Polk County jury will continue to hear the case.

Former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey is suing Branstad , the state and two of Branstad’s former staff members. Godfrey alleges discrimination and retaliation based on sexual preference and political affiliation.

The order to change locations doesn’t say why but Godfrey’s lawyer, Roxanne Conlin, has complained about the air quality in the historic courthouse, which is under renovation.
Her son, JB Conlin, was arrested on June 10 on charges that he resisted an officer’s request to leave the courtroom, where he was attempting to test the air quality.

(Radio Iowa) — Three dozen flood victims in southwest Iowa have said they want to live TEMPORARILY in mobile homes provided by FEMA, but state officials suspect many more need to move into a FEMA trailer. Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management director Joyce Flinn says FEMA has had difficulty negotiating leases with the owners of mobile home parks in southwest Iowa. “Two units were installed in a commercial park in Glenwood and six other pads have been leased at that location,” Flinn says. “The problem that FEMA is running into with a lot of these pads or these locations is the electric is not up to standard, so they’re going to have to redo the electric before they can put units in there and be sure that they’re going to provide the support to the citizens that they need.”

FEMA has identified OTHER parking spots for its trailers in mobile home parks in Red Oak and Shenandoah, according to Flinn, but the trailers aren’t yet installed. Flinn says 333 Iowans are eligible to live in a FEMA trailer, but they’ve told FEMA they’re living in a “safe” situation — like a relative or friend’s home — so they are automatically disqualified from getting on the list for a FEMA trailer. Flinn says flood victims need to tell FEMA their “situation has changed” if they want to live in the temporary housing FEMA can provide. Larry Winum, president and C-E-O of the Glenwood State Bank, says there’s uncertainty about what federal help may be available to rebuild or buy-out flooded properties that are condemned. “Nobody knows what the guidelines are,” Winum says.

Southwest Iowans who were flooded out of their homes in March are still waiting for officials to determine if their homes can be rehabilitated — or are so damaged they must be destroyed. This past Monday, inspectors from the state Fire Marshal’s Office began to assess 150 structures in Pacific Junction.

SHELL ROCK, Iowa (AP) — Officials expect ground to be broken next month for a new rail car maintenance facility in eastern Iowa’s Butler County. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that TrinityRail plans to have the facility in full operation by the end of next year, providing more than 250 jobs on a capital investment of $60 million. It will occupy 230 acres (93 hectares) at Butler Logistics Park, 2 miles northwest of Shell Rock.

A company official says the community was chosen for the project because of Iowa’s pro-business climate, well-trained workforce and operational flexibility. The Iowa Economic Development Authority board awarded $3.45 million in tax credits and tax refunds to the company in May. TrinityRail is a division of Dallas-based Trinity Industries.

(Iowa DNR News) — As much as we love fireworks displays, drifting smoke can cause breathing problems for some. “If your family or friends suffer from asthma or respiratory difficulties, it’s important for them to stay upwind, a safe distance from fireworks smoke,” says Brian Hutchins, DNR air quality supervisor. “The elderly and children are also vulnerable to higher levels of smoke.” Sensitive people are most likely to have trouble breathing when air is stagnant. With no breeze, fine particles can be trapped near the ground and build to unhealthy levels.

Smoke contains fine particles and gases, which can be hard on the lungs. Fine particles in fireworks’ smoke are produced from black powder used to shoot fireworks skyward along with the metals that produce brilliant colors. Those unable to avoid areas of dense smoke should limit outdoor activity and contact their health care provider if they experience difficulty breathing.

In 2017, Fourth of July fireworks in Des Moines gave rise to fine particle levels that exceeded national standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Learn more about fine particles (PM2.5) and how fireworks displays can affect sensitive populations.

Finally, play it safe and dispose of your unused fireworks safely.

The Harlan Community School District Board of Education, this week, narrowed the search for an interim Superintendent to four candidates. The complete list of 13 applicants was presented to the Board by the search firm Grundmeyer Leader Services, on Tuesday, in a closed session. The pool included 2 female and 11 male candidates. After a thorough review of application materials, references and licensure the following candidates have been invited to the district on Friday, June 21st for formal interviews.

• Brad Anderson-Mr. Anderson currently serves as the Woodward-Granger Superintendent. Prior to being named superintendent in 2011 Brad served the district as the PK-5 Principal. On top of his superintendent duties, Brad also serves the district as Special Education Director, Curriculum Director, Transportation Director, Title I Coordinator and CRISIS Coordinator. As the district leader, Brad was responsible for adding both voluntary pre-school and after school care for students, among other notable accomplishments. His prior experience includes serving as an elementary principal for United Community Schools, 3rd grade teacher in Earlham and 5th grade teacher in Gilman City, MO.
• Jody Gray-Jody currently serves at the Superintendent for St. Ansgar Community Schools in St. Ansgar, IA. She has served the district since 2011 in this capacity. Her prior experience includes serving as the Woodward-Granger Superintendent and Tri-County Superintendent/Principal and also Curriculum Director. Her recent efforts led to a $14.6 million bond referendum for new elementary and high school gym in St. Ansgar and securing a $315,000 grant to help complete update of outdoor district facilities. Jody has also led the district through strategic action planning.
• Lynn Johnson-Lynn currently serves as the Arlington, NE District Superintendent and is retiring at the end of the academic year. She has served as the district superintendent for the past 10 years after serving the district as the Secondary Principal. Some of her notable accomplishments include oversight of an $8 million dollar addition/renovation project and $3 million dollar HVAC project. She also successfully helped pass a bond issue for the district. Instructionally, she implemented Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) and expanded course offerings for students.
• Steve Hanson-Steve was the superintendent for the West Liberty School District from 2011-2017. He is currently serving as a mentor coordinator. His previous administrative work included 15 years as associate principal and principal at Ottumwa High School, and three years as secondary principal at an international American school in Brazil. Two notable accomplishments Steve led were increased financial stability for the West Liberty School District and efforts to increase graduation rates. He also supported a Dual Language program with over 60% of students K-8 enrolled.

The successful interim superintendent will begin their duties on July 1st or soon thereafter. The long-term superintendent hiring process will begin in November with more stakeholders involved in the process.

(Radio Iowa) — Researchers at Iowa State University are studying why an antioxidant that protects the brain is also associated with deterioration in areas of the brain that are susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease. Auriel Willette, an I-S-U professor of food science and human nutrition, says the focus was on what’s called SOD-1, an antioxidant produced in the brain. Willette says, “On the one hand, it had or was related to some protective effects but on the other hand, it seemed to be in a clash of wills with this toxic protein called tau, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Willette says the study involved nearly 300 people participating in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, while the I-S-U research zeroed in on the impact of SOD-1 on the brain in combination with the toxic protein. “As levels of tau were higher, levels of this antioxidant were also higher,” Willette says. “Eventually, if you had high enough tau levels, the antioxidant didn’t seem to do anything and so, progressively, its usefulness just diminished and then disappeared.”

While the protective SOD-1 is produced naturally in our brains, he says it’s possible to supplement what we already have through certain foods. “You can look at antioxidant levels of SOD-1 in blueberries, they’re particularly high, strawberries as well, non-oily fish, olive oil, things of that nature,” he says. I-S-U researchers say more study is needed to determine if increasing the production of the antioxidant through diet or medication might delay the progression of Alzheimer’s.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed a former lawmaker and state Republican Party chairman to run the Iowa Department of Administrative Services. Reynolds announced today (Thursday), that Jim Kurtenbach will begin work July 1 as director of the agency, which handles human resources, maintains the Capitol grounds and buildings, buys state vehicles and manages state payroll. The department has been without a director since last month when Janet Phipps Burkhead left after failing to win Senate confirmation to continue in the job.

Kurtenbach served two terms in in the Iowa House, losing in the 2006 general election. He was Republican Party of Iowa chairman from 2009 to 2011. He resigned as chief information officer of Iowa State University in November 2017 after some questioned his appointment to the $250,000 a year job without a typical hiring search.