DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Education will establish a task force to review whether to adopt new science standards for students.  Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the creation of the task force today (Wednesday). The group will review the Next Generation Science Standards, science learning goals for K-12 students developed in a multi-state process.  The task force will make a recommendation on whether those standards should be part of the Iowa Core curriculum.

Iowa was one of 26 states that worked to develop the science standards. The goal was to set standards that help prepare students for college or the workforce. The standards were released in April.

Iowa’s cold, rainy weather may be less than ideal for two-wheeling it this morning, but the National Bike Challenge opens today (Wednesday). Iowa placed in the top ten in the competition last year. Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says it’ll be nice out soon and Iowa’s cycling enthusiasts can start adding up their miles. “We’re going to be working to try to boost Iowa to the top,” Wyatt says. “This is a state-by-state and a bicyclist-by-bicyclist and a community-by-community challenge to see who can ride their bikes more.” There are many different ways Iowans can take part in the countrywide contest and there’s an online leader board.

“You can look at individual riders and see who’s amassing the most points,” Wyatt says. “You can form a team of a group of people that can work together and encourage each other. Your workplace can compete against other workplaces and communities can compete against other communities to see who has the most bicycling in the state.” To take part in the challenge, log on to the website: Iowa Goes By Bicycle-dot-com.

“That will take you to the sign-in page,” Wyatt says. “It will ask you a few simple questions or you can log in with Facebook. There’s even a smartphone app so if you really don’t like typing in your miles, you can just pull out your phone and hit ‘start’ and it will record when you’re riding your bike.” The event kicks off National Bike Month. To learn more, visit: www.iowabicyclecoalition.org.

(Radio Iowa)

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With the month of May underway, let’s look back at the weather stats for Atlantic last month. In April 2013, the average High temperature in Atlantic was 57 -degrees. The normal average High is 62. The average low for the month was 32, which is slightly cooler than the norm of 37. Precipitation for the month was more than an inch above normal, at 4.55-inches, which included melted snowfall (and that amounted to only a “Trace”). Normal precipitation in April here in Atlantic, is 3.43-inches.

The hottest days of the month were the 29th and 30th, both of which topped out at 82. The coolest day was 13-degrees, which occurred on April 1st. Looking ahead to the month of May, our records indicate the average high is 73, while the average low has been 49. Precipitation for the month typically amounts to 4.32-inches.

KJAN is the official National Weather Service reporting site for Atlantic.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Senate plans to debate a bill that would require people convicted of certain aggravated misdemeanors to submit DNA samples for a federal databank.   Lawmakers are set to debate the measure today (Wednesday).  Under the proposal, adults convicted of crimes like aggravated assault and theft would submit a DNA sample. Under current Iowa law, only convicted felons and sexual offenders are required to submit samples.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is supporting the bill, saying it will help police solve more cases. The American Civil Liberties Union is campaigning against the measure, calling it invasive and excessive.  Republican senators stalled the measure from being debated Tuesday in order to file amendments to the bill.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwest and Plains states dropped last month but continues to suggest improving economic growth for the region. The Mid-America Business Conditions index hit 56.8 in April, compared with 58.2 in March.  The confidence index rose to 59.9 last month from 58.2 in March.

Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the supply managers surveyed “expect the upturn in housing to remain an important ingredient of the economic expansion.”

The survey uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor.  The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

The family of the Sioux City man who’s wanted in the shooting of a Sioux City police officer is pleading for him to turn himself in. Lee Dean is the father of 22-year-old Jamal Dean, who is facing an attempted murder charge in Monday’s shooting of Officer Kevin McCormick. He apologized to Officer McCormick and his family for Jamal’s actions, and asked his son to turn himself in safely, “So that nobody else will be hurt.” Lee Dean is also a friend of Sergeant Mike McCormick, the father of the officer who was shot.

Dean’s mother, Mary Hogan, made an emotional plea for her son to surrender, and Jamal’s aunt, Barbara Dean, wants him to know the family is there to help him. The family members are asking Jamal Dean to contact them immediately when he hears their plea.

(Radio Iowa)

The Sioux City police chief says an officer acted quickly and saved his own life after a known gang member opened fire on him during a routine traffic stop for a seat belt violation. Chief Doug Young says officer Kevin McCormick stopped the car on the city’s west side and then Jamal Dean jumped out of the passenger side of the car and started firing at the officer with a .22 rifle. “A total of eight rounds impacted the windshield of the patrol vehicle,” Young says. “Officer McCormick had not exited his vehicle and was pinned down. The officer’s instincts and training kicked in. Officer McCormick laid down in the front seat of the patrol vehicle — put it in reverse — and floored it to get out of harm’s way.” McCormick was hit with one shot.

“Officer McCormick maintained his composure throughout the ordeal. Even after realizing that he had been hit, he was broadcasting his status and a physical description of the suspect who had fled to the south from the shooting area,” Young says. McCormick is the son of another Sioux City officer and has been on the job about 15 months. Young says he is going to be okay.

“Officer McCormick was transported to Mercy Medical with a wound to the forehead above the right eye. The bullet was surgically removed and officer McCormick will make a full recovery,” Young says. The chief says there were two women in the car and three children ages one, five and six. The children have been turned over to D-H-S. Jamal Dean, who is 22-years-old, is charged with attempted murder and remains at large. Young says Dean has a long record and is a suspect in several shootings. Police are asking anyone with information on Dean’s whereabouts to call the police department.

(Radio Iowa)