DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Western Community College is offering a pilot housing program that aims to help transgender students feel more comfortable. The Des Moines Register reports students were given the option this year of joining the program, which assigns them to a roommate based on their gender identity or expression rather than their legal sex.

This housing option appealed to Mikey Fletcher. The 23-year-old student at the college lives in the community with a male roommate. Fletcher says he wishes “other schools would recognize that they would get a larger student base” by becoming more gender-inclusive.

The U.S. Department of Education issued a guidance last year that clarifies that transgender students are protected from discrimination under federal civil rights legislation Title IX.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say a man from Jasper County was arrested Sunday morning on a drug charge, southeast of Macksburg. 20-year old William Patrick Smalley, of Sully, was arrested just before 6-a.m. at the intersection of 338th Street and Fawn. Smalley was taken into custody for unlawful possession of prescription drugs. He was later released from the Union County Jail on his own recognizance.

Social science research shows boys are more prone to injury than girls and a new report from the University of Iowa suggests a contributing factor could be the way children are socialized after an injury. Elizabeth O’Nell, a graduate student in the UI department of psychological and brain sciences, says her research found that parents are four times more likely to tell a daughter, than a son, to “be more careful” after a trip to the emergency room. O’Nell says while this advice might be protecting girls, there is also a potential negative side.

“It’s important for kids to sort of push themselves, a little bit, so that they can develop new skills and by telling girls to be more careful, they may be hampering them,” O’Nell said. Social science research also shows that parents generally expect and encourage boys to take more risks, according to O’Nell. Her research is published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

(Radio Iowa)

A San Diego company that claimed it was helping Iowa students find ways to pay for college has agreed to stop doing business in the state. Assistant Attorney General, Steve St. Clair, says Student Financial Resource Center would send out letters to high school students that were designed to look important. “The solicitations were easily mistaken for some sort of official communication from some sort of governmental or educational authority,” St. Clair says.

He says an Iowa school teacher complained after getting such a letter and paying a fee. “They charge 65 dollars for information that for the most part — a student just going on-line or checking with the high school guidance, or other resources at the school or the college they were interested in — could get for free,” St.Clair says.

He says the letter could easily have been mistaken as being connected to Free Application for Federal Student Aid, know as FAFSA that students fill out to get financial aid. St. Clair says the company would take a few facts from the return letter sent by people and send back some paperwork that had limited personalization for the student. He says the 65 dollars was presented as an official communication and the money was called “a processing fee,” instead of a payment for service.

The company has agreed to stop sending the letters to Iowans. “They also agreed to make refunds to any Iowans who stepped forward and said that they lost money in this manner. And they also agreed to pay 25-thousand dollars the state consumer education fund,” St. Clair says. He says you can get a refund if you answered the letter. St. Clair says you can contact their office, with the easiest way being online at www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov.

You can also call the Consumer Protection Division at 515-281-5926, or toll free at 1-888-777-4590 (outside the Des Moines area).

(Radio Iowa)

A Red Flag Warning is posted statewide today (Monday), for all but a few counties in northwest Iowa. The National Weather Service says the risk of wildfires is high due to strong winds, low humidity and dry vegetation. Farmers need to be especially cautious as they harvest dry crops. Iowa State University Extension ag engineer Kris Kohl says a recent survey found strong winds are the most common cause of combine fires.

File photo (area field fire March 2014)

“Wind is the number-one factor, especially when you’re above 25 miles an hour, to having fires,” Kohl says. “If we are harvesting, be very careful about bearings and stuff sitting on it because if we get a fire going, it’ll really take off.” He says farmers might be wise to give their equipment frequent breaks to cool off and for clean up.

“Stop every two or three hours and take a leaf blower and blow all of the chaff off of things,” Kohl says. “Check bearings to make sure nothing is getting hot. Bearings and exhaust are the two things that are prevalent when we have fires from combines.”

Two years ago, there were two major combine fires in northwest Iowa, which prompted the survey. Last week’s windy conditions contributed to several large fires in North and South Dakota. Forecasters say there’s a chance for some showers in Iowa tomorrow (Tuesday) though some areas of the state haven’t had significant moisture in several weeks.

(Radio Iowa)

An Audubon man turned himself-in to the Sheriff’s Office Saturday evening. The Sheriff’s Department says 36-year old Nathan Ray Johnson was wanted on a warrant. He faces charges that include Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd offense, False Imprisonment and Child Endangerment. The charges stem from an investigation into an incident that took place in Hamlin, on Oct. 11th. Johnson was released from custody after appearing in front of a magistrate.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Dept. reports a woman from Nebraska was arrested on drug charges, early Saturday morning. 29-year old Heather Lee Docken, of Omaha, was taken into custody at around 1-a.m. on Highway 71, near 160th Street. She was transported to the Audubon County Jail and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. Docken appeared later in front of a magistrate, and was released. Her preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 5th.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency is asking local fire departments and businesses in the county who possess “Fire Danger” signs, to place those signs in the “Extreme” category. High wind, low humidity, and significant crop left in the field will make for extreme fire danger this week. Any fires that start will be difficult to control and could spread rapidly. No burning is allowed during this period.

The next update will be Thursday Morning.

Police in Glenwood arrested four individuals on separate charges, recently. Sunday, 50-year old Kelly Merksick, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000. On Saturday, 34-year old Jeremy Carnes, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $3,300.

Last Friday, 24-year old Shialea Cozad, of Omaha, was arrested in Glenwood, for Violation of a No Contact Order. Her bond was set at $300. And, last Wednesday, 24-year old Dyson Tobin, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Shoplifting charge. His bond was also set at $300.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Department reports five, recent arrests. Officials say 19-year old Marcus Anthony Pierce, of Glenwood, was arrested Sunday evening for Violating a Protection Order. Pierce was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. Also arrested Sunday, was 27-year old Tanya Rachel Diekman, of Erie, CO., who was taken into custody at around 6:30-p.m. following a traffic stop on Highway 275. Diekman was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $1,300.

Saturday, Mills County deputies arrested 54-year old Shelly Ann Elsen, of Randolph, for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $1,300.

And, last Friday,55-year old Lonnie Lee Baker, of Malvern, was arrested in Mills County, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000. That same day, 41-year old Ladeena Marie Green, of Glenwood, was taken into custody at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree. Her bond was also set at $1,000.

(9-a.m. News)