(Red Oak, IA) – The Red Oak Police Department reports a woman was arrested at around 5:25-p.m. today (Thursday), for Driving While Revoked – OWI related (A Serious Misdemeanor). Authorities say 41-year-old Chandra Christine Baggett, of Red Oak, was taken into custody in the 200 block of Maple Street, in Red Oak. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on a $1,000 bond.

(Atlantic, IA) – Two people were injured during a rollover accident northeast of Atlantic, this (Thursday) evening. The accident was reported at around 5:55-p.m.  It occurred near 640th Street and Fayette Road. Both occupants of the vehicle were outside of the vehicle. One reportedly was suffering from head pain.

Cass EMS transported both individuals to Cass Health. Additional information is currently not available.

(Calhoun County, IA) – The Iowa State Patrol has released more information on the crash Wednesday in northwest Iowa, of a bus carrying 33 people to Arkansas for a series of college baseball games. Authorities say 19-year-old South Dakota baseball player Carter Johnson died, after a bus carrying the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team crashed near Twin Lake, in Calhoun County.

The Patrol says the bus was traveling southbound on Highway 4 near Marengo Avenue. The unidentified 74-year-old driver failed to negotiate the curve as the bus started to enter the gore area between the two roads. When he over-corrected, the bus left the road and rolled onto its side into a ditch. The Iowa State Patrol said the S-curve where the crash happened is known to be dangerous. Four people have died in crashes there in the last 10 years.

32 people on the bus were injured in the crash. Two people were ejected and were trapped under the bus as it came to rest.  Student-athletes in a school van traveling behind the bus gave CPR to Johnson after the crash, but he died at the scene. Everyone taken by ambulance to the hospital with injuries has been released, according to the Iowa State Patrol. The condition of athletes who were life-flighted to Des Moines was not immediately available.

Multiple surrounding area law enforcement and fire departments assisted at the scene. Iowa Lakes Community College canceled classes Thursday and Friday but campuses remain open with counselors available to talk to students.

(Radio Iowa) – House Speaker Pat Grassley says on Monday House Republicans will unveil their counter offer in negotiations over how much the state’s per pupil funding of K-12 students should grow next year. It will be at least a two percent increase, which is what the governor proposed in January. And Grassley says House Republicans will propose addressing some other school funding issues.

“Things like the $14 million that we’ve talked about for paraeducators,” Grassley said. “That’s something that continues to be important.” Today (Thursday) is the legal deadline for legislators to make this school funding decision. Grassley says pushing negotiations past that deadline is likely to benefit schools.

“What we tell our schools is if it takes us a little longer to get to the destination, know that there’s things within the budget conversation that we’re trying to fight for,” Grassley said. “…We want to try to maximize what we’re getting in some of these negotiations and conversations.”

Advocates for public schools say the general level of state funding of K-12 education must grow far more than Senate Republicans or the governor have proposed. They cite increasing operating costs due to inflation, plus starting July 1st all beginning teachers must be paid a 50-thousand dollar salary and veteran teachers with 12 years of experience must be paid 60-thousand dollars a year.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate Commerce Committee may consider a statewide policy for how retailers that don’t have pennies provide change during a cash transaction. The U-S Mint stopped making new pennies last year and the Iowa Retail Federation says it’s difficult for Iowa businesses to get pennies for their cash registers. If the policy introduced in the state Senate becomes Iowa law, a consumer paying with cash would see their final bill rounded up or rounded down to the nearest nickel.

Michael Gathman, C-E-O of Community Bankers of Iowa, says the scarce supply of pennies is starting to have an impact as people cash checks at Iowa banks and the bill would help.”It’s not a problem, but there’s no standardization,” Gathman said, “so it just gives some meaningful guidance for people to be consistent and be fair to consumers and the retailers.” Tom Cope, a lobbyist for Casey’s General Stores, says the bill addresses the challenge.  “In 2024, 3.2 billion pennies were made each year and they’ve now stopped making pennies and so this legislation makes it easier for the retailers to figure out how to address the situation,” Cope said, “so we appreciate the bill very much.”

The bill won unanimously support in a Senate subcommittee this (Thursday) afternoon. In October, Kwik Star stores in Iowa began phasing out pennies in change and rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel. Canada stopped distributing pennies in 2013 and uses the rounding method when people pay in cash.

(Council Bluffs, IA) – A Judge in the Pottawattamie County case against a man charged in connection with a shooting incident in Avoca on Oct. 9th, 2025, has granted a request by Defense Attorney Joseph Hrvol, to continue the trial of Shaun Patrick McCarthy, of Avoca, until March 10th. The request was granted by Judge Amy Zacharias just one day before the 29-year-old McCarthy was set to stand trial on the charges of domestic abuse assault, attempted murder, reckless use of a firearm, going armed with intent, three counts of child endangerment—substantial risk, and willful injury resulting in bodily injury. McCarthy has pleaded not guilty.

On October 9th, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office took a report at a little after 8-p.m., of a person injured in a shooting in Avoca. The victim suffered minor injuries in the shooting. Deputies arrived on scene and determined the shooting occurred at a rural residence just west of Avoca, that the suspect was believed to still be in the home with minor children, and more gunfire was reported from the rural residence.

The Pottawattamie County Emergency Response Team and Negotiators responded to the scene west of Avoca. While deploying to the residence more gunfire was heard coming from near the home, and a male suspect, identified as Shaun McCarthy, was located outside. After a brief standoff, McCarthy was taken into custody, and the minor children were found to be safe and unharmed inside the home.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill advancing in the Iowa House would make it illegal for public libraries to let anyone under 18 access books or other materials that are harmful to minors due to sexual content — unless the parent provides written consent. Terri Hubbard is a member of the Sioux Center Public Library’s Board of Trustees. “Across Iowa, minors have unrestricted access in public libraries to materials containing graphic depictions of sexual activity and sexual violence,” Hubbard said. “We would not consider that developmentally neutral in any other public setting.” The bill was drafted after a 13-year-old checked out a book from the Sioux Center library last summer that had adult themes. Hubbard says the president of the Sioux Center Library Board has indicated any restrictions on access to books be handled at the state level.

“This bill does not ban books or restrict adult access,” Hubbard said. “It simply recognizes that minors and adults are treated differently when it comes to sexually explicit material.” Patty Alexander of Indianola, a leader in the Warren County Moms for Liberty Chapter, says public libraries should be a safe space for Iowa families. “We don’t allow children under 18 go to sexually explicit movies,” Alexander said. “Why would sexually explicit materials in the public library be any different?” The bill would give parents the right to sue a public library — and any librarian — who provides sexually explicit materials to a minor for damages and the librarian could be charged with a crime and sentenced to up to a year in prison for a first offense. Sam Helmick, a librarian in Iowa City, is past president of the Iowa Library Association and the American Library Association’s current president.

“It seeks to transform our sanctuaries of literacy and learning into sites of surveillance,” Helmick said. “It takes the librarian, often a volunteer..and threatens them with the cold iron of criminal penalties and the crushing weight of financial ruin not only for themselves, but also for their small community.” Leslie Noble, assistant director of the Urbandale Public Library, is a member of the Iowa Library Association’s government affairs committee. She says the bill will create confusion and liability concerns. “The risk of criminal and civil liability will deter individuals from serving their communities on library boards or working in libraries,” she said. “Municipal insurance coverage could become more expensive or unavailable if insurers view these new liabilities as unmanageable.”

Chelsea Hoye, a lobbyist for the Iowa League of Cities, says the risk of litigation could be crippling for small town libraries.) “This legislation waives governmental immunity and makes cities vicariously liable for library decisions,” Hoye said, “exposing taxpayers to statutory damages up to $10,000 per item.” Two Republicans on a House subcommittee voted to advance the bill early this (Thursday) morning and it’s currently scheduled for debate today (Thursday) in the House Judiciary Committee.

(Elk Horn, IA) – The Exira-EHK School Board, in a regular monthly session, Wednesday evening, set the dates and times for Public Hearings on the Property Tax Notice and FY27 Budget. According to the meeting minutes, the latter will take place at 6-p.m. on April 14th, followed by the Board’s regular meeting. The Property Tax Hearing was scheduled for 6:30-p.m. on March 24th, with the regular meeting to follow.

In other business, the Exira-EHK School Board approved:

• The FY27 School Calendar, as presented.
• Participation in the Storm Protection Fund for FY27.
• The 1st Reading of Policy Primer, Vol. 34 #2, and they reviewed the 400-through 403 Policies, followed by a waiving of the 2nd Reading.

Personnel matters included the hiring of:

• Courtney Peppers – JH Girls Track
• Kevin Brown – Head Track (Boys/Girls)
• Trey Petersen & Tyler Petersen – Co-Head Baseball Coaches
• Tom Petersen – Head Golf Coach (Boys/Girls).

Since a JV Boys Track fire was not available in time for the meeting, Wednesday, the matter was tabled until their meeting in March. The Exira-EHK School Board approved the Resignation of Kevin Petty – Elementary Custodian.