Legislators are considering a proposal that would give Iowa schools authority to extend the riding time on bus routes. Under current Iowa law, elementary students may ride no more than an hour on the bus at a time. The length of a single bus ride for high schoolers may be no more than 75 minutes. Senator Ken Rozenboom, a Republican from Oskaloosa, favors allowing longer bus routes. “A Greene County school that has the elementary and high school co-located, if they were allowed to add 15 minutes to the elementary transportation time — taking it from 60 minutes to 75 minutes — it would allow them to eliminate two bus routes and save approximately $100,000,” Rozenboom says. “And that puts money into educating children instead of riding around on a bus.”

A bill that would let ride times for students be 15 minutes longer to school AND 15 minutes longer on the way home has cleared the Senate Education Committee. The legislation also let school boards set EVEN LONGER bus routes if they notify parents at least 30 days ahead of time and hold two public hearings before the change would take place. Senator Tod Bowman, a Democrat from Maquoketa, is skeptical. “I haven’t heard from any parents saying: ‘I want my kid on the bus longer,'” Bowman said. “…Haven’t heard from any superintendents saying they need a longer period of time and I haven’t heard from any constituents saying this is a need and I certainly haven’t heard from any students saying: ‘I want to be on the bus longer.'”

Bowman, though, wound up voting to advance the bill out of committee. The measure is now eligible for debate in the full Senate.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Cass County Health System said Monday, that Amber McCarthy recently delivered a very special donation of 20 fleece blankets to the Emergency Department at Cass County Memorial Hospital. The blankets were made in memory of Ayzlee McCarthy, who passed away in 2014 from the influenza virus. Hospital officials say “On behalf of the patients who will treasure these thoughtful gifts – our sincere thanks to all of the volunteers and to the McCarthy family!”

Amber McCarthy (Center); Jen Morgan, PA-C, (left) and Judi Nelson, RN, (right) are shown with Amber holding a few of the donated blankets.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man was hospitalized after being struck by a train in central Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports that the man was afoot when struck around 2:30 p.m. Monday near an overpass in the Story County city of Nevada. He was taken to a Des Moines hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.

The man’s name hasn’t been released.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former assistant city attorney for Council Bluffs has been sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute a large amount of marijuana. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Monday that 44-year-old Don Bauermeister, of Omaha, was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. Bauermeister had worked since 2003 for Council Bluffs but resigned in June after confirming he’d asked someone to drive from Omaha to Oregon to pick up marijuana.

The matter arose in January 2017 when a Utah state trooper recovered 12 pounds of marijuana and a pound of THC wax during a traffic stop. The driver showed a series of text messages from Bauermeister confirming two such trips.