The Iowa Department of Education has come up with new proposed rules for when schools can start classes in the fall. Current law says schools can start no earlier than the week in which September 1st falls, but most schools get waivers to start earlier in August. Under the new formula, schools could continue to easily get waivers to start between August 19th and 23rd, but it would be tough to start any earlier. The Education Department’s Mike Cormack says the plan will still leave some people unhappy.

“It’s one side that says schools should be able to make whatever decision they want on this and that’s been the defacto status quo,” Cormack says, “and the other side says the law has a date there for a purpose. Why are we not having a September 1st start?”

The new proposal is considered a compromise between educators who want to set their own calendars and the tourism industry which loses money when kids go back to school earlier in August. Cormack says with their current calendars, 30-percent of school districts would be affected by the new formula, but most would miss the new cutoff date by only a few days. The change means it will be harder to start school before the state fair concludes, which will upset some administrators and parents.

“We’ve had people from both perspectives say if we don’t like how this comes out we’ll sue you,” he says. “We’ve heard that from both elements.” If the board approves the new rules this week and a legislative committee signs off, the change would go into effect for the 2014 school year.

(Radio Iowa/9-a.m. News)

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Department today (Monday), released a cumulative report on arrests and incidents which occurred over the past couple of weeks. Most recently, on July 18th, 38-year old Robert Christopher Greenwood, and 41-year old Phillip Lewis Smith, both of Omaha, were arrested on felony charges of Theft in the 2nd degree and Criminal Mischief, and Trespassing, in association with an incident on property owned by the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad.  Smith was being held on $10,000 bond, while Greenwood posted a similar bond July 24th. Both are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges August 12th.

And, on July 17th, 38-year old Rhonda Sue Booher, of Hamburg, was arrested on an enhanced Possession of Marijuana charge.

w/ Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa motorists who buy gasoline without ethanol could soon see a price jump at the pump.  The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa’s largest pipeline operator, Magellan Midstream Partners, will no longer ship “clear” 87 octane regular gasoline to its Iowa terminals. Instead, the pipeline operator will start shipping 84 octane fuel, which can be blended with more expensive 91 octane fuel to produce the regular 87 octane product. Iowa requires a minimum 87 octane fuel at gas pumps.

The change means that both the new 87 octane and 91 octane fuels without ethanol will likely cost more at the pump. Magellan spokesman Bruce Heine says the change is driven by pipeline customers, including refiners, petroleum traders and petroleum marketers.

Summertime is one of the hardest times of year for food banks as donations drop off dramatically. Brian Barks, spokesman for the Food Bank for the Heartland, says they’re launching a new effort allowing people to “text” donations to the agency. Barks says the signs are clear the economy isn’t getting any better. “Families are having a hard time making ends meet,” Barks says. “If you think, when’s the last time we heard of a company saying we’re adding upper, high-paying jobs? The jobs we’re adding to the economy are lower-level, service-related jobs.”

A recent “Map the Meal Gap” study was compiled by the group Feeding America and Barks says the results were troubling. “The study that’s done each June says 211,000 people in our service area are at risk for hunger,” Barks says. “That number has been pretty much flat the last three years. What that tells us is the issue of hunger isn’t getting any worse but it’s not getting any better.”

It’s hoped the new texting program will lure more people into donating cash to the food bank. They just need to text the word “feed” to 501-501 from a cell phone. “And all you do is type in ‘yes’ and hit ‘send’ and you’ve made a $10 donation,” Barks says. “That will allow us to provide 30 meals to people who need it.”

The Omaha-based facility supplies food items to 325 food pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens in 93 counties across western Iowa and Nebraska. Last year, it provided food to 19,000 families in need, in addition to helping emergency shelters, after-school programs, senior housing sites and rehab centers.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Fair is beginning to wind down, in Atlantic. Today marks the last full day of activities, and it begins at 8-a.m. with the Beef Show, followed by the Best of Iowa at 9:30, where contestants select a recipe using an Iowa product or products, as the main ingredient. The recipes are prepared in front of a judge, and are evaluated on the presentation, the number and use of Iowa products, and the finished product. All finished products will be arranged on a tasting table for the public to sample, and the Union Leaders 4-H Club will provide cookbooks for sale, listing all the recipes. Awards will be presented following the contest.

Other scheduled events include: The Watermelon Feed, beginning at 11-a.m.; The Dairy/Goat show at 12:30; Meat Goat Show at 1-p.m.; Skid Loader Rodeo at 2-p.m., and the Style Show along with building awards, at 4:30.

The evening wraps-up with the Parade of Champions at 6, followed by the Grand Champion Beef Selection at 7, and the finals of the skid loader rodeo, at 8-p.m.

On Tuesday, the Livestock sale gets underway at 8-a.m., along with the release of the static exhibits.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Officials closed Interstate 29 in western Iowa Sunday to check for bridge damage after a fiery semitrailer truck crash that killed one person. A northbound truck flew off an overpass over Avenue G in Council Bluffs around 3:30 p.m. yesterday. I-29 traffic was rerouted Sunday while Iowa Roads Department engineers evaluated the bridge.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several Nebraska and Iowa cities set new record low temperatures early yesterday. The National Weather Service says record lows were set Sunday in Des Moines and Ottumwa, Iowa. In Des Moines, temperatures fell to 51 to break the record of 53 set in 1925. Ottumwa residents saw temperatures fall to 48.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Lottery offers plenty of options, and judging by the operation’s last record-breaking year, state residents are definitely taking their chances. Lottery officials announced last week that during the fiscal year ending June 30th, the Iowa Lottery sold $339 million in tickets, gave out about $201 million in prizes and yielded almost $85 million for the state, most of which now goes into the general fund.

BLAKESBURG, Iowa (AP) — The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the explosion of small bomb in a library book drop in the small southeast Iowa community of Blakesburg. The Ottumwa Courier reports librarian Rebecca Brittain says the “homemade bomb” was found in the Blakesburg Public Library’s book drop on Wednesday morning. No one was hurt, but some books were destroyed.

A man from Marion County in south central Iowa was arrested Sunday evening, in Montgomery County. The Red Oak Police Department reports 46-year old James Edward Stone, of Pleasantville, was arrested in the 100 block of West Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak, at around 4:30-p.m.  Stone was wanted on a Contempt of Court charge for Failure to Appear & Failure to Pay, Child Support. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 cash bond.

(Updated 5-a.m. 7/29)

A bridge along Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs was closed for a little more than 5-hours Sunday while authorities conducted a damage assessment following a fiery semitrailer truck crash that killed one person.  According to Council Bluffs Police, a 2005 Volvo semi was traveling north at around 3:30-p.m., when for reasons unknown, it crashed through the guardrail separating I-29 northbound and I-29 southbound at Avenue G. The truck flew across Avenue G and hit an embankment between the bridges on the north side of Avenue G before becoming fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters contained the blaze and fuel spill in about 10 minutes. Once the flames were extinguished, the body of the male driver was discovered. The man’s identity had not been verified as of early this (Monday) morning, but authorities say they believe they do know who he is. His name will be released pending confirmation through an autopsy slated for today, and notification of family.

While the crash remains under investigation, officials say speed, alcohol and medical reasons could be factors. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call the Council Bluffs P-D’s Traffic Unit at 712-328-4948.

I-29 traffic was rerouted Sunday while Iowa Roads Department engineers evaluated the bridge, which was re-opened to traffic by around 8:30-p.m.