Iowa Lawmakers Pass School SAVE Bill
(Le Mars) — The Iowa legislature gave school districts across the state some good news this week when it decided to extend the SAVE program. House member Chuck Holz, a Republican from Le Mars, says the measure will insure school districts will have money available for building and capital improvements until
2049.
Holz says it is a good program that benefits many schools within northwest Iowa.
Le Mars Community is able to receive approximately $1.9 million dollars annually from the state through the SAVE program. Holz says the legislature did approve an exception as to how the money can be used.
Holz says the measure offers schools with a smaller property tax base an opportunity to compete against larger schools with a large property tax base.
The Le Mars House member says the bill passed through the House on a 95 to 3 vote.
Holz and Carlin To Hold Legislative Forum Town Hall Meetings
(Le Mars) — House Representative Chuck Holz and State Senator Jim Carlin will hold two legislative forum town hall meetings scheduled for Saturday. The two meetings will be held at Hinton and at Le Mars.
Both of those legislative forums are open to the public.
Democratic State Senate Candidate Dawson To Hold Meetings
LAWTON, IA – Dave Dawson, a Democratic candidate for the Iowa Senate, is launching a series of town meetings for Senate District 3 in Plymouth and Woodbury Counties. He will be hosting Saturday morning meetings in towns throughout the district over the next several months. These meetings will be an opportunity for residents in Senate District 3 to meet Dawson, express their
legislative priorities, and ask him questions.
Dawson is a former two-term State Representative from Woodbury County. He currently works as a prosecutor for the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Dawson’s priorities include providing adequate resources for Iowa students, increasing wages for Iowa workers, and reducing income tax rates for Iowa families.
Dawson has scheduled a meeting at Akron, for this Saturday, April 14th. He will be at the Jo’s Cafe in Akron beginning at 8:00 a.m. and he will be at Kingsley on Saturday, April 21st, and on May 12th he will visit Remsen.
Legislature Passes Concussion Bill
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – School districts would be required to adopt return- to-play rules for students who may have concussions under a bill that is headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The Iowa Senate approved the bill 46-0 on Thursday, days after it was approved by the House.
Jean Berger, executive director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, says the legislation wouldn’t be a substantial change for most Iowa schools. Her organization, along with the Iowa High School Athletic Association, developed a medical review protocol in 2013, but schools aren’t required to
follow it.
The legislation doesn’t require schools to have a health care provider present at games, but it limits legal liability if they do.
The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency says the bill would have “minimal” costs for local school districts.
Senate Turns Thumbs Down On Medical Board Nominee
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Senate has declined to confirm a doctor to the Iowa Board of Medicine because of an online comment she made about the LGBT community.
The Des Moines Register reports that Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ appointment of Katherine Asjes failed Wednesday. All 18 votes against the appointment were cast by Democrats.
Democratic Sen. Tony Bisignano says Asjes’ supportive comment on an online article in the Catholic World Report that criticized the LGBT community is concerning.
Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen says the comment raises concerns about whether Asjes would protect the health of all Iowa residents.
Asjes says that while she expressed agreement with the author, her comment was made seeking additional information.
The state Board of Medicine regulates physicians and surgeons, osteopathic physicians and licensed acupuncturists.
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Searchers Narrow Their Focus On Finding Missing Teen With Autism
LA PORTE CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have switched to a surgical approach in their search for a missing 16-year-old boy in eastern Iowa.
Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson said Wednesday that volunteers are no longer being sought because search operations for Jake Wilson now will be carried out by personnel with specific skills. He says the broad net formed of hundreds of searchers is being followed by “a very surgical approach.”
Police say Jake, of La Porte City, was last seen at 9 p.m. Saturday going for a walk. A search began less than an hour later, when he didn’t return home.
His mother, Megan Neiswonger, has said Jake has autism with a mild intellectual disorder and functions at the level of a 9-year-old.
She told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that the situation is “running us down.”
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One Million Dollar Lottery Ticket Sold At Nevada Convenience Store
NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Lottery officials say a Powerball ticket bought at a central Iowa convenience store is worth $1 million.
The ticket bought at a Casey’s store in Nevada (nuh-VAY’-duh) matched the first five numbers drawn Wednesday night but not the Powerball number. No one won the nearly $90 million jackpot in the multistate lottery. The figure is expected
to reach $106 million for Saturday’s drawing.
Prizes of $1 million or more must be claimed at the Iowa Lottery
headquarters in Clive.
