(DES MOINES) – Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise today (Thursday) announced the next group of school districts chosen to launch local teacher leadership plans through Iowa’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation System. Ninety-seven school districts have been added to the state system, bringing the total number of districts in the teacher leadership system to 295 (88 percent of Iowa districts).

Among the 97 newly accepted districts is:

Ar-We-Va; ; Bedford; Boyer Valley; Coon Rapids-Bayard; Corning; Denison; Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton; Griswold; IKM-Manning; Logan-Magnolia; Missouri Valley; Mount Ayr; Shenandoah; Sidney; South Page; Treynor; Tri-Center; Villisca; Walnut; West Harrison and Woodbine.

Director Wise said “This system is about supporting teachers to do their best work so that our students can do their best work. Students and schools today face higher expectations, and we must support the critical and complex work of teaching in order to improve instruction. We’re doing that through Iowa’s teacher leadership system, and it’s exciting that so many school districts share this commitment.”

Iowa’s teacher leadership system, which taps into the expertise of top teachers to improve classroom instruction and raise student achievement, is the centerpiece of Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds’ landmark education reform package passed by the Legislature in 2013. It is the nation’s most comprehensive teacher leadership system. About 25 percent of Iowa teachers will be in leadership roles when the system is fully phased in.

As of this fall, all 336 Iowa school districts had applied to join the teacher leadership system. The 97 newly accepted districts will implement their teacher leadership plans in the 2016-17 school year. The remaining 40 school districts will have an opportunity to refine and re-submit their plans for approval in the next two months.

School districts are chosen for the system based on recommendations of the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation, which evaluates applications. The teacher leadership system cost nearly $50 million in fiscal year 2015. That amount is expected to grow to about $150 million annually by fiscal year 2017, which would enable all districts to participate.

(Update 12:55-p.m.)

Authorities are on the scene of a plane crash off of Interstate 29 near the 58-mile marker, north of Council Bluffs. The Iowa DOT says the plane crashed into the median not far from Omaha’s Epply Airfield. All lanes of I-29 were blocked as of 12:45-p.m.

Video from the scene shows the plane is a small, single engine aircraft. There is no official word on injuries.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A panel of state budget experts has lowered Iowa revenue projections for the current fiscal year and next year. Citing falling farm income resulting from lower corn and soybean prices, the Revenue Estimating Conference on Thursday predicted the state will take in about $7.04 billion for the fiscal year that began July 1. That’s nearly $9 million less than the group’s estimate in October.

Department of Management director David Roederer says state economic growth is slowing after several years of faster growth, fueled by high commodity prices that caused rising farm incomes. For next year, the group says state revenue is likely to grow 4 percent to $7.33 billion. That’s about $21 million less than earlier projections.

The governor will use the numbers to craft the next state budget.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest today (Thursday), of 21-year old Joshua Udo Laubert. The Glenwood man was taken into custody at around 2-a.m., following a traffic stop on the Highway 34/Interstate 29 on-ramp. Laubert was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,300.

Arrested Wednesday evening in Mills County, was 20-year old Jacob Nicholas Thorne, of Sidney. Thorne was taken into custody at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Harassment in the 1st degree, and for being a Fugitive From Justice. He was being held without bond on the latter charge, while the Harassment charge carries a $2,000 bond.

And on Monday, deputies in Mills County arrested 25-year old Patrick Neil Jack, of Emerson, for Driving Under Suspension and having No SR-22 Insurance. His bond was set at $1,300.

Some Iowans may be rocking shorts and t-shirts this (Thursday) afternoon as they wash their cars or rake leaves, a rare treat for December. Forecasters are predicting unseasonably warm weather with possible new record high temperatures. Meteorologist Frank Boksa, at the National Weather Service, says parts of the state will see highs that are 20-to-25 degrees warmer than the norm. “Mainly southern Iowa is on tap for seeing some very warm temperatures, possibly record-breaking temperatures,” Boksa says. “We’re looking at highs near 60, mainly for locations south of Highway 30.”

Most of northern Iowa will see highs a bit cooler. For example, Mason City may reach 50 this afternoon, still not bad, considering the normal high is only 30. The Facebook page of the National Weather Service’s Des Moines bureau features “remember when” pictures from December 8th and 9th of a few years ago, when huge snowdrifts coated much of the state. “That was 2009 that we were advertising,” Boksa says. “That was a blizzard. It was an event that came through in about a 24- to 36-hour period and the Des Moines area had 15 inches of snow.”

While he refused to try and predict whether Iowa will have a “white Christmas,” Boksa did say the chances are rising for snow on the ground by December 25th, as a cold front will be rolling into the state in about a week’s time. Boksa says, “After seeing highs in the 50s and 60s, by next week, mid-to-late week, Thursday-Friday timeframe, we’re looking at highs in the mid-20s across the north and only around freezing for Des Moines and southern locations.”

The weather center at a television station in eastern Iowa is boasting a chart that claims northern Iowa has a 75-percent chance of a white Christmas, 50-percent for central Iowa, and about a 33-percent chance for the state’s southern third.

(Radio Iowa)

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Police in Ames are considering adding cameras along a street that experiences persistent issues with assaults and other crimes. The street is in the Campustown area, just south of the Iowa State University campus. Police say their chances of solving cases, like a recent attack that happened in February, would increase significantly if they had video evidence.

Authorities say the cameras would not be monitored 24 hours a day, but video footage would be looked at if a crime is reported. KCCI-TV reports that authorities recently went to the Campustown Action Association with the proposal. Police had proposed the idea in 2012, but the city council was not on board. The association is seeking input from the public about adding cameras through an online survey.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker is pleased to announce that this Saturday, December 12, the Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with Target at Metro Crossing, will hold the 17th annual “Shop with the Sheriff.” The event begins at 6:30-a.m.

17 years ago, Lt. Larry Brown had the idea to start helping residents of Pottawattamie County that are in need during the Christmas season. With Lt. Brown’s idea in mind, Sheriff Jeff Danker began the ‘Shop with the Sheriff’ campaign. Over the last 17 years, the Sheriff’s Office has had the privilege of bringing joy to over 400 children living in Pottawattamie County. Last year employees both sworn and civilian from the various Sheriff’s Office Divisions shopped with 36 children.

Shop with the Sheriff (Pott. Co. S/O photo)

This year, 45 children will be shopping for outerwear, clothing and toys with employees and family members from the Sheriff’s Office. Each family of the participating children will also receive a food basket for the holiday season. The  Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office “Shop with the Sheriff” event is made possible by the generous donations from citizens, organizations and businesses throughout the area.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office said today (Thursday), a Creston man was arrested Wednesday evening on a Union County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. 30-year old John David Foster was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held without bond until his appearance before the Magistrate.

And, authorities say three people, including two infants, suffered minor/possible injuries Wednesday morning, after a van went out of control, and swerved back and forth, before entering a ditch and rolling over several times before coming to rest on its side.

The accident happened at around 8-a.m. Wednesday, as 21-year old Brittanee Short, of Osceola, was traveling east on 130th Street in a 2000 Toyota Sienna van.  Short, and her passengers, one-year old’s Mayclynn McKinney and Aydon Parrigo, both of Osceola, complained of pain or possible injury, but were not transported to the hospital. The children were secured in their child safety seats.

The vehicle sustained $4,500 damage. No citations were issued.

The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday evening, passed an Early Retirement Plan and a policy pertaining to the use of unmanned aircraft (or, drones) over school property. Superintendent Mike Amstein said the opportunity to take early retirement won’t be offered again for another three-years, and the Board capped the number of retirees who would be eligible, at 10. He says the offer includes a $25,000 insurance payment over a period of three-years to lessen the tax liability for any participant in the program. The District pays that money to a Third-party vendor, who handles the funds for insurance.

The Administration will meet with any eligible persons next week, with regard to filling out the necessary paperwork. And, the Board passed a policy on the flying of drones or other, unmanned aircraft over school property. Amstein said “School Districts across the country have been experiencing more situations with them and incidents with them. We actually had an incident this fall, where we had an unauthorized drone fly over the football field while we had a game in process.”

The drone was operated by a former student. Amstein said the District’s insurance representative explained the liability risks of allowing drones to fly overhead. That was all it took for the School Board to pass on the first reading and waive the second reading of the policy, which is now in effect. The policy basically states the use of unmanned aircraft over school property is not allowed without express, written permission from the Superintendent.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board discussed but didn’t take action on, the use of online course for high school students. And, the Board approved an exclusive vendor contract with the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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