IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A state Department of Education review has found that the Iowa City Community School District occasionally sent students to padded seclusion rooms for minor infractions rather than solely to prevent them from harming themselves or others.

After a complaint filed last year, the department reviewed 455 incidents of seclusion in the district from Dec. 22, 2015, to Dec. 21, 2016. Officials also visited two of the district’s school buildings. Each contained two of the roughly 6-by-6-foot, padded, wooden boxes.

Department complaint officer Thomas Mayes wrote in his report that, “Seclusion for minor infractions is not a reasonable response.”  He said the district must review and revise all policies and procedures involving seclusion rooms increase staff training on using the rooms.

There are currently a dozen retailers that can legally sell fireworks in the state of Iowa, though the state fire marshal says nearly 1,000 licenses could eventually be issued. Fire Marshal Jeff Quigle says his staff worked over the weekend to start issuing licenses, which includes an on-site safety visit. “There are requirements as far as the product, the actual fireworks themselves, and how they’re arranged in the tent or structure. And then, we look for the basics; proper exiting, fire extinguisher, and then of course it has to be displayed and very clear that there’s no smoking permitted,” Quigle said.

This is the first year for fireworks sales in the state of Iowa. Retailers were supposed to be able to start selling bottle rockets and roman candles on June 1. But, since the bill was signed into law only last month, Quigle says it’s taken his office a bit of time to figure out the licensing process — which usually could take more than six months to create. “We really ramped up the rules process and the statue did allow us to have emergency rule making authority,” Quigle said.

There are two seasons for firework sales in Iowa. The first is June 1st through July 8th. The second is December 10th through January 3rd.

(Radio Iowa, w/reporting by Sarah Boden, Iowa Public Radio)

A Cass County man was sentenced to serve a term of supervised release (probation) Monday, in connection with the assault of Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Johnson, during an incident that took place April 26^th, in Lewis. Online court records show 41-year old Jeremy Ronald Peterson, of Lewis, was sentenced to five-years in prison, but Judge Jeffrey L. Larson suspended the sentence, and instead placed Peterson on two-years of supervised probation. Peterson pled guilty Monday to charges of Assault on a person in certain occupations with intent to commit injury, and Criminal Mischief in the 4^th degree. An additional charge of Interference with Official Acts with Bodily Injury was dismissed. Peterson was also ordered to pay restitution, court and related costs amounting to a little more than $2,740.

The charges are the result of an incident in Lewis, whereby Peterson, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol, refused to leave a home, and had broken several pieces of furniture. Deputy Johnson was struck in the face when he arrived on the scene and tried to arrest Peterson. Johnson deployed his Taser in an attempt to subdue Peterson. A neighbor noticed the altercation and came to Johnson’s aid, by assisting him in holding Peterson down so he could be handcuffed.