SUPREME COURT RULING IN PLYMOUTH COUNTY JUVENILE CASE
The Iowa Supreme Court issued a ruling today which says the Plymouth County Juvenile Court cannot take back a case they had earlier waived to district court. The case involved a 17 year old charged iwth sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography. The case was waived to district court, where the juvenile would be tried as an adult. The juvenile resisted the district court waiver, saying rehabilitation is possible under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. After two hearings on the matter in juvenile court, that court reversed itself, and sought a waiver to bring the case back to juvenile court. The matter was appealed to the State Supreme Court. They ruled that there is no provision in Iowa law for taking back a case that had been waived to district court. The Supreme Court ruled that the case be tried in District Court.
EMS REPORT TO COUNTY
Recruiting and equipment were the focus of a report from the Plymouth County Emergency Medical Services to the county Board of Supervisors. Mike Wise of Le Mars is the chairman of Plymouth County’s EMS.
Wis is seeking new ways to attract EMS volunteers in Plymouth County.
Part of the County’s support for EMS services is money to provide training to volunteers. Wise says county EMS is taking training to the volunteers.
Plymouth County is also part of Service Area 3, a group of eight northwest Iowa county EMS services.
The Service Area encourages each county to work toward a assisting a common need. Wise says in Plymouth County, that ‘s medical training equipment.
Equipment updates are a bigger burden for all EMS squads, especially in the smaller communities of Plymouth County.
More than ever EMS crews must plan ahead to procure equipment.
Wise requested the Board of Supervisors provide a four percent increase in their support to the County EMS. That’s around 110-thousand dollars in the next fiscal year.
COMMUNITY DAY CARE
Le Mars Community Daycare has announced they’ve acquired the city’s largest child care center, Building Blocks.
Richard Zeittlow, president of the Le Mars Community Day Care, says they are working to close a shortage of day care spaces in Le Mars.
There is the potential for growth at the Building Blocks site.
The Crittendon Center of Sioux City will be brought in to provide childcare services. Zeittlow says LCDC will act as an umbrella organization for child care in Le Mars.
The acquisition is part of a 5 year plan to expand and improve child care services in Le Mars.
TRUMP RAMPS UP IOWA CAUCUS TURN-OUT PITCH
Former President Donald Trump is urging his supporters to guard against complacency after a recent poll found his lead in Iowa is growing. During an event in Coralville last (Wednesday) night, Trump cited the Des Moines Register/N-B-C News/Mediacom “Iowa Poll” which found him leading his closest rival by 32 points. Trump warned that sometimes polls are wrong — but he also laughed and said it would be record setting for him to lose given the state of the race. Trump will return next week for a similar “commit to caucus” event in Waterloo.
IOWA’S CONGRESSMEN BACK BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY
The four Republicans who represent Iowa in the U-S House have voted to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Second district Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says there are credible allegations that may connect Biden to his son Hunter’s business dealings. Third district Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant says the inquiry gives congress the power to effectively conduct oversight and will show whether the president’s conduct merits impeachment. Fourth district Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull says Biden has been uncooperative and evasive with congressional committees and the impeachment inquiry brings congress one step closer to uncovering the facts about the Biden family’s foreign business dealings. First district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks says the impeachment inquiry is next necessary step in the methodical process Republicans have taken to investigating the president. Biden says Republicans are choosing to waste time on a baseless political stunt rather than focusing on the urgent work that congress needs to get done.
GRASSLEY SAYS NEW COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID FORMS MAY HURT FARM FAMILIES
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is criticizing the U-S Department of Education for delays in releasing the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA (FAF-sah). Grassley, a Republican, says bureaucrats at the ed department have failed to offer clear guidance to students, families and universities on how to navigate the application form, which he says could impact access to aid for many thousands of students, while also penalizing farm families. Due to the inflation of land prices, he says it may appear farmers have a lot of wealth, but they may not have the income to send their kids to school. Grassley says the new FAFSA was made possible through bipartisan legislation Congress passed in 2020. He says that was three years ago and we’re still waiting.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA SEES LARGE DROP IN ENROLLMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The number of international students attending the University of Iowa has fallen for eight straight years, only in part due to the pandemic. Russell Ganim, the U-I’s dean of international programs, says the trend really comes from changes other countries are making by investing in higher education. One of the largest international student groups at the U-I is China, which had roughly 25-hundred international students in Iowa City in 2015. Now, that number has dwindled to just 432, a drop of 83-percent. Ganim says the U-I has increased recruiting efforts in India and the Middle East to lure more international students. The overall number of international students has dropped 56% since 2015, but Ganim says the numbers are now moving in the right direction.
