Governor Signs E911 Communications Bill in Adel
Dozens of first responders, including dispatchers, deputies, police officers, state troopers, firefighters and EMS personnel gathered in Adel for a bill signing Wednesday.
Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate Bill 2336 into law in the Dallas County Board of Supervisors meeting room.
Branstad says the bill was 15 years in the making and not without controversy because it is relatively expensive. However, he feels it’s beneficial due to the potential to save lives.
“You never know when you’re going to have an emergency, and we’ve had our share of them. So this is going to be something that is going to be a very effective tool for law enforcement and firefighters and first responders. So we’re very excited about it and we want to congratulate Dallas County for being the first, and we’re looking forward to seeing this happen all over the state of Iowa. I know there’s a lot of interest, a lot of anticipation and a lot of excitement about this.”
The bill will create and fund a statewide interoperable communications system.
The project comes with a $40 million price tag for infrastructure and costs around $58 million total. It will be paid for through the emergency 911 fund which comes from charges Iowans pay on their land lines and cell phones.
Auditor Encourages Voters to Register Before the Primary Election
The primary election is now less than four weeks away and those wanting to vote are encouraged to register early if they have not already done so.
Dallas County Auditor and Elections Commissioner Gene Krumm says residents need to be registered in order to vote and though you can do so on election day, he encourages everyone to register before May 27th to avoid needing extra paperwork on election day.
In order to register on June 7th, voters need to show proof of identity through a document such as a driver’s license, passport or ID issued by an employer, school or the military. Proof of residency is also needed, which can be accomplished with a property tax statement, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document.
The auditor’s office is open weekdays from 8am until 4:30pm Monday through Friday.
Wet Spring Continues
It was another wet week in the Raccoon River Valley.
According to the National Weather Service, Perry added another inch to their monthly total, which is now over 3.1 inches so far.
Guthrie Center saw another almost 1.2 inches since last week for a total of 2.3 inches in May.
Normal monthly rainfall totals are just 1.7 inches for both areas.
Perry Schools Continue Plans to Implement Standards Based Grading
The Perry middle and high schools are in the process of making plans to implement standards based grading in the next couple years.
High School Principal Dan Marbuger says it’s something they feel will help teachers, students and parents.
“One of the things that we’re most happy about in implementing standards based grading is that the reporting out of what kids know will be so much more clear than what they have now. Right now if a student gets an A in chemistry, that’s all it tells the student and all it tells the parent. It really doesn’t tell them what they know and what they don’t know. With standards based grading we’re going to be able to be more exact with that they do know. Do they know how to describe the causes and effects of the Civil War? Instead of in American History, you got an A”
The middle school will be implementing the system during the 2017-2018 school year and the high school implementation will come a year later.
Dallas County Hospital Announces DAISY Award Winner
Dallas County Hospital has announced their 2016 DAISY Award winner.
Registered Nurse Jody Hollar has been selected for the extraordinary nursing award. It’s part of the national DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the superhuman efforts nurses perform every day.
Hollar has been with the Dallas County Hospital team for the past 10 years. She was nominated for being an “excellent team player, patient advocate, compassionate and quality focused.”
Chief Clinical Officer Tonya Summerson says she’s proud of Hollar “from her commitment to being a patient advocate, to the relationships she has developed with everyone she works with, Jody is truly an inspiration to nurses everywhere.”
Hollar will be honored next month during the Mercy Health Network Luncheon.