In reference to the manhunt for escapee from the Clarinda Correctional Facility, Rodney Eugene Long:

Any residents in Adams County and/or surrounding counties be on the lookout for possible suspicious persons or activity. If you happen to locate any suspicious activity, do not approach them and contact your local Sheriff’s Office, Law Enforcement Agency or dial 911. Person may be armed and dangerous.

Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced they will be hosting the second Governor’s Bullying Prevention Summit, to be held on Nov. 4 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines.

This year’s theme is “Mission Possible: Stepping Up the Response,” and is a follow-up to the governor’s sold-out inaugural 2012 Bullying Prevention Summit, which drew about 1,100 students and adults to focus on community involvement in preventing bullying.

The purpose of this year’s summit is to explore the practical next steps to better address the pervasive problem of bullying.

The 2012 Iowa Youth Survey reported that 57 percent of students said that in the last 30 days they had been bullied at school in a variety of ways. That was up from 50 percent in 2010. Growing awareness that bullying should not be tolerated may be behind the increase, as well as new challenges presented by the Internet and social media. Despite this, the governor says we all need to work together to reverse the trend.

“We still have a lot of work to do to eliminate bullying within our schools and ensure our children feel safe at school,” said Gov. Branstad. “Iowans share a commitment to helping young people act responsibly and treating others with respect and dignity. Those are core values that shape the culture of Iowa, and we all need to work together to instill these values within our young people.”

The summit’s keynote speaker is Emily Bazelon, who is the author of “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy.”

The summit will include sessions on how both students and adults can make a difference. Participants will explore what makes for good legal policy, plus other kinds of support schools need to better deal with bullying.

The governor’s office is partnering with the Iowa Hall of Pride in promotion of the summit, which includes a video contest. Each school in Iowa is invited to submit a video. Videos should reflect the theme “Mission Possible: Stepping Up the Response,” and should show how schools and communities have created or will create a campaign to stop bullying, and demonstrating how everyone deserves to feel safe and supported at school.

Further details on the video contest and registration for the summit can be found at http://preventbullying.iowa.gov. Registration opens Aug. 26, 2013.

w/ Marissa Hovde

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The Iowa Pork Producers Association, in cooperation with the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University and ISU Extension and Outreach, has developed a new series of conferences for hog farmers in response to current swine health issues impacting the industry.

The IPPA Swine Health and Animal Well-being Committee will hold four “free” management conferences around the state later this month and in early September. The sites and dates are:

Aug. 26, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Northwest Iowa Community College, Sheldon
Aug. 28, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Carroll Co. Extension Office, Carroll
Aug. 30, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Chickasaw Co. Extension Office, New Hampton
Sept. 3, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Washington Co. Extension Office, Washington
Dr. Rodney “Butch” Baker of the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University will share what is currently known about the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) that has proven deadly to piglets across the country this year. Baker will explain how producers can manage employees and visitors relative to PEDV, how hog farmers can protect their herd when most packing plants and trailers are testing positive for the virus, and what can be learned from Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) and the practices that should be effective against PEDV.

“Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) has caused great economic harm to the industry for years and now we’re facing the devastating impact of PEDV,” said Dr. Craig Rowles, committee chairman and a pork producer from Carroll. “We’re offering these conferences to provide the latest information on these issues and try to help producers deal with or avoid these swine health concerns.”

ISU’s Dr. James McKean will discuss how producers can avoid residues and a U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspection. His presentation will include changes in residue testing at packing plants, the impact of detected residues and practical steps to avoid chemical residues.

Rounding out the list of presenters is Dr. Lee Schulz, ISU livestock economist. He will explain how pork farmers can survive with a short corn supply, prospects for continued hog demand and 2014 opportunities.

“FDA has introduced new residue limits and testing procedures and we want to make sure hog farmers are aware of these changes,” Rowles said. “Also, the current and future economic impacts of the swine health issues are critical to producers’ success, so we feel it’s important to include this discussion as well.”

Producers will not be required to register to attend any of the conferences. Interested farmers simply need to attend the conference of their choice.

Any questions should be directed to IPPA Public Policy Director Cody McKinley at (800) 372-7675 or cmckinley@iowapork.org.

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Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

An Iowa student won first place in her age division at this summer’s National Braille Challenge. Fourteen-year-old Lauren Thomson of Adel (who attends school in Earlham), was one of over a thousand students who participated in the competition. Carrie Thomson, Lauren’s mother, says the students were given four tests, with 50 minutes allotted to complete each test. “The whole program was created to promote braille literacy and promote braille for visually-impaired and blind kids throughout the country,” she says. “And so each test is just to promote that and to really encourage the Braille reading.”

One of the three tests graded the speed and accuracy of the competitors. “It’s kind of like dictation. You have to Braille-out what you hear,” Carrie Thomson says. “Then charts and graphs — you read the questions and you find on the chart the answers.” The other tests gauge reading comprehension and spelling accuracy. Lauren started learning braille when she was three and a half years old. She won first place in the “junior varsity” division for seventh, eighth and ninth graders.

“When they tell you your daughter’s blind when she’s four months old, you have all these fears,” Carrie Thomson says. “And then you watch her grow and see everything she’s capable of — she’s just a great kid.” Carrie Thomson says Lauren is an “active” teenager and her blindness has been just a “minor inconveniece” according to her mother. “She’s in choir. She’s in band. She’s played volleyball in seventh and eighth grade with her team. She’s able to serve the ball and did amazingly well,” Carrie Thomson says. “She was in the school play this last year. She loves to water ski, snow ski. She loves to ride her bike.”

Lauren is starting ninth grade at Earlham Community Schools and Lauren’s mother says she and her husband set “high expectations” for Lauren. “We ususally push Lauren a little bit harder than we might even push her sister, who is sighted, just because we always say that she is setting an example and setting the bar, showing people that you’re capable of doing everything they are,” Carrie Thomson says. “It just might a little extra work, a little extra adaptation to make it happen.”

All of the students in Lauren’s class in Earlham have computers. Hers is an iPad equipped with special software that allows her to “speak” to her teachers and classmates using the iPad. Lauren used what’s called a “Perkins Brailler” during the competition this summer in Los Angelos. It’s a lot like a manual typewriter, with a key for each of the six dots of the braille code, plus a space key, a backspace key and key to advance to the next line.

(Radio  Iowa)

Police in Audubon have released a report on recent arrests. On Sunday (Aug. 18), 28 year old Trevor Joe Beckendorf of Audubon, was arrested for Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated, Open Container, and Speeding. Beckendorf was transported to the Audubon County Jail for processing and was released on cash bond.

On Aug. 12th, a juvenile from Audubon was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree. The juvenile was released to the parents and will be referred to the Juvenile Court District. On Aug. 7th, Audubon Police  arrested two juveniles from Audubon on charges of Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree. The juveniles were released to their parents and will be referred to the Juvenile Court District.

On Aug. 5th, 29 year old Richard Lenard Chickering III of Audubon, was taken into custody for Burglary in the 1st Degree and Public Intoxication. Chickering was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held to be seen by a magistrate. And, on Aug. 4th, Audubon Police arrested 53 year old Mark Daniel Dormer of Audubon, for Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated. Dormer was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held to be seen by a magistrate.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 32-year-old man died inside a northwest Iowa jail this weekend. The man was found dead Saturday in his cell at the Woodbury County jail in Sioux City. Authorities did not immediately release the man’s name, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations is looking into the man’s death.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board of Directors will meet Monday evening at City Hall. Among the items on their agenda for discussion and/or possible action, is a Smoke Free/Tobacco Free Policy for Sunnyside Park. During their meeting last month, a public hearing was held with regard to the proposed policy, but the matter was tabled, in favor of obtaining more information and input from the public, as well as looking more closely at Iowa’s Smoke Free Air Act.

The Board will also hear regular updates on the Schildberg Recreation Area campground, Sunnyside Tennis Court reconstruction project, Park Maintenance building construction, and other projects. Discussion and old business includes a request from the Cub Scouts to camp overnight at the Camblin Shelter area on Sept. 7th & 8th, and information on a Bike Racks Project. The meeting in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall, begins at 5:15-p.m.