Le Mars Fire Department Issues Quarterly Report
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department has issued its quarterly report for the months of December, January, and February. All total, the fire and rescue department responded to 98 calls for the three months. The break-down includes 33 fire calls, 20 rescues, 36 investigations, six requests for services, and three mutual aid calls, twice to Merrill, and once to Hinton.
Northwestern College RN/BSN Program Has High Rankings
ORANGE CITY, Iowa—Northwestern College’s online RN-to-BSN program has recently received high rankings.
Northwestern’s program is ranked 25th in Intelligent.com’s list of the Top 50 RN-to-BSN Programs. Only one other Iowa school is ranked, and Northwestern’s program is cited for having the best digital practicum. The Intelligent.com ranking is based on flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost and reputation.
Northwestern’s RN-to-BSN program is also ranked as the third-best program in Iowa by RegisteredNursing.org. The website notes that the degree can be completed in two years or less, practicum experiences are tailored to students’ schedules, and the curriculum is faith-based. RegisteredNursing.org bases its rankings on factors such as accreditation, graduation rate and affordability.
Dr. Karie Stamer, director of Northwestern’s online RN-to-BSN program says, “We are excited to receive these strong external validations of our program.” “They align with what our graduates say about how our program enhanced their nursing skills, prepared them for leadership positions, and strengthened their faith. We strive to meet working nurses where they’re at in their educational journeys and walk alongside them throughout the process. We focus on specific assignments within the areas students want to learn more about, and we help them develop a deeper understanding of holistic care.”
Northwestern’s online RN-to-BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Northwestern is also an approved institution by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, enabling the college to offer online courses and programs to students residing in other participating states. More information on Northwestern’s online RN-to-BSN program can be found at nwciowa.edu/rn-bsn
Iowa House Passes Bill To Protect Livestock Animals In Transport
(Le Mars) — A bill that was passed this week in the Iowa House will help protect farmers from animal rights protesters when transporting livestock animals to market, or other designated premises. State Representative Dr. Tom Jeneary of Le Mars says the state legislature approved House File 655.
The Republican lawmaker tells of the penalties associated with the bill for those people who violate the act.
(pictures contributed.)
Supreme Court Upholds Civil Judgement Against Knoxville Man
(Des Moines) — The Iowa Supreme Court has rejected the request of a Knoxville man to overturn the civil verdict against him in his mother’s death. The 2017 verdict ordered Jason Carter to pay ten million dollars to the estate of his mother Shirley Carter. Jason’s brother and father sued — saying he was responsible for shooting Shirley to death in her home in 2015. Jason Carter was tried in criminal court after the civil verdict and was acquitted of first-degree murder.
Buffalo Bridge Proposed For The Quad Cities
(Quad Cities, IA) — An environmentalist is proposing a unique plan for the Interstate 80 bridge that connects the Illinois and Iowa Quad Cities once it is replaced. Chad Pregracke (prah-GRAK-ee), who leads efforts to clean up waterways, suggests the vacant bridge’s east-bound lane be converted into a National Park. He says that would include a herd of buffalo in the west-bound lane that would become a land bridge for wildlife. Pregracke says he already has 300-million dollars in funding for the proposed Bison Bridge National Park. He says the landmark attraction will highlight the Quad Cities and help the region revive its dwindling population.
Tax Estimating Panel To Meet
(Des Moines, IA) — The state panel which estimates tax revenue will release its projection today (Friday). A good outlook could lead to House Republicans going ahead with a plan approved in the Iowa Senate for tax cuts. House Speaker, Pat Grassley, says there needs to be a projected increase of four percent by law to trigger tax cuts. Grassley says they will consider a proposal by the governor to do away with the tax cut trigger.
Drought Lowers Flood Risk In Missouri River Basin
(Undated) — The ongoing drought has hydrologists predicting an average flood risk in much of the Missouri River Basin this spring. It is the first time in three years the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is not predicting major flooding across the country. The downside is the prolonged and widespread drought is the main driver behind the prediction. Much of the Missouri River Basin is experiencing moderate to severe drought and even has some pockets of extreme drought. National Drought Mitigation Center climatologist Brian Fuchs (Fooks) says soils have a lot of room to take in water from rain and melting snow, which lowers the flood risk.
Iowa Will Receive Nearly $775 Million In New Round of Federal COVID-19 Relief For Schools
DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Education today announced that the state is slated to receive nearly $775 million in federal relief for Pre-K-12 schools through a fund to address costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The amount is Iowa’s share of the more than $122.7 billion in a third round of emergency relief provided in the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (APR ESSER) Fund. The fund is part of the comprehensive $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law on March 11. This third round of funding is more than double the amount the state received earlier this year through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRSSA) Act and roughly 10 times the amount the state received a year ago through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“With Iowa’s schools open for learning, this new round of funding will provide critical support to address current needs and plan for the future,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo. “Schools can use this funding over the next two and a half years to cover a variety of pandemic-related expenses and strategies. This includes addressing disruptions to teaching and learning, meeting students’ social, emotional, behavioral health needs, providing summer school and other extended learning and enrichment programs, hiring additional personnel to keep schools safe and healthy, supporting educators in the effective use of technology and meeting the connectivity needs of remote learners.”
Of the nearly $775 million, 90 percent will be available to school districts. The remaining funds will be used for state-level educational efforts to address urgent issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The law also requires that at least 20 percent of the funds available to school districts be used to address disruptions to learning through the implementation of evidence-based interventions and to respond to the academic and social, emotional, behavioral health needs of students.
The Iowa Department of Education will provide more information soon about how the APR ESSER funding will be allocated.
