National Weather Service says slippery conditions are expected tonight in parts of Iowa – Iowa Public Radio

Tuesday, December 25

3 p.m. - National Weather Service says slippery conditions are expected Tuesday in parts of Iowa

11:42 a.m. California law banning sale of some pork could reach the Supreme Court, Grassley says

A California law banning the sale of pork from pigs confined in small spaces will take effect Jan. 1. But U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley says a related appeal could soon reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Californias Proposition 12 sets housing restrictions for breeding sows. It prohibits businesses from selling pork that doesnt meet those standards and that includes many Iowa producers.

In July, an appeals court rejected a challenge from farm groups that argued the law is unconstitutional because of a commerce clause that says states cant regulate commerce in other states.

Grassley says California shouldnt be telling Iowa farmers how to raise their livestock. Other states do not tell California how to grow grapes or almonds and, for instance, how much water they can use to produce their wine and almond butter.

Grassley says the Supreme Court could decide in the next few weeks whether or not to review the lower courts decision.

11:40 a.m. Grassley says hell focus on free trade agreements in 2022

Free trade is a top priority for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley heading into 2022.

Grassley says hell be pushing for the Biden administration to negotiate more free trade agreements. Those are agreements between countries to import and export goods with reduced or no tariffs.

I'm going to be using my speeches and my activities and interviews like this to push the administration to negotiate more free trade agreements, because free trade agreements are very important for prosperity and agriculture, because we export so much.

Beside trade, Grassley also hopes to get a bill hes led on transparency in the cattle market through a Senate ag committee hearing. He says committee Chair Sen. Debbie Stabenow has indicated there could be a hearing on that bill next month.

9:11 a.m. Online game from U Iowa researchers designed to teach kids about the flu

As Iowa continues to experience a more severe flu season this year, University of Iowa researchers have developed an online game to teach kids about influenza called Flus Clues.

University of Iowa researchers teamed up with the nonprofit Families Fighting Flu to create the interactive online game.

It takes kids around the world to India, Nigeria, Argentina and Taiwan to identify influenza outbreaks. They then help to design a vaccine to save lives.

Maurine Neiman is a biology professor at the University of Iowa. She says the game is designed so no one loses. So we wanted them to get the message that any vaccine, even if imperfect, is still going to be better than not doing anything at all. So that's why we set it up the way that we did.

Neiman says the game also features a variety of scientists from different backgrounds and cultures to show kids anyone can be a scientist.

The game is available to play online.

8:50 a.m. Iowa task force looks to address lack of diversity among state educators

A legislative task force is suggesting ideas to recruit teachers of color and address a lack of diversity among Iowa educators.

About a quarter of students in Iowa schools are members of racial and ethnic minorities, compared to only about 3 percent of teachers.

Brittany Garling is the dean of the education department at Buena Vista University and was on the task force. She says growing teacher diversity is important in order for students to see themselves represented in the classroom.

And thats the biggest thing, is what does it look like to have someone that has a Hispanic background, has Punjabi background, has all the different types of ethnicities we have in school districts, and see themselves in a teacher thats in the field.

The task force says Iowa lawmakers should consider ways teachers could complete certification without having to pass the licensing exam known as Praxis.

The task force is also recommending an apprenticeship program that would allow 11th graders to become classroom aides and earn academic credits while working with licensed teachers.

But Ain Grooms, an education professor at the University of Iowa, says not only are there very few teachers of color, theyre also more likely to leave the profession often in response to racism they encounter on the job. Grooms says state and district officials must deal with that, too.

Whats the point in creating a pipeline program if youre not also trying to address the problems of what happens when people get into the schools and live in those communities.

8:40 a.m. Sioux Citys downtown continues to grow

Sioux City is seeing positive growth in its downtown after the completion of four major city renovation and construction projects. City officials say they are just beginning to scratch the surface on the impact of the revitalization.

In just four years, the city has completed two hotels, an Expo center and a square of industrial buildings.

Economic development director Marty Dougherty says the pandemic has slowed down some of these projects impact, but he says theyve spurred on increased tourism and brought new business to the area.

Success builds on success. And you know you see investment in properties. Were seeing an investment in those areas and the assessed value of those properties increasing tremendously.

One of the projects was the reopening of the Warrior Hotel in 2020. In 2020, the city reopened the historic hotel after more than 40 years of vacancy.

Lila Plambeck is the director of sales and marketing at the hotel. She says even with the pandemics toll on business, theyve accommodated 25,000 people for stays and events. We turned the lights back in this building and all the sudden we saw the lights go on in Bluebird Flats across the way, down the street Copper Flats, so a lot of downtown living is happening.

7 a.m. - Iowa officially became a state on this day in 1846

Tuesday marks Iowas 175th anniversary of statehood.

The Iowa State Historical Society is celebrating with programs featuring Iowa history available both in-person and online.

State Historical Society curator Leo Landis says one of the first celebrations of Iowas statehood anniversary was in Burlington in 1896. It was marred on its first day by a tragedy of a collapse of the reviewing stand that was being used. Former Gov. Buren Sherman broke his leg at that event. So our 50th anniversary of statehood started off on a little bit of a dark note, but then the celebration through the rest of the programs at Burlington went well.

Landis says this years celebrations include pop-ups sent to each county in Iowa, as well as a virtual tour of the State Historical Museum of Iowas People and Places exhibit.

Iowa officially became a state on this day in 1846.

Landis says Iowa joined the union at a tense time in American politics. The issue of slavery is becoming more and more prominent. There are concerns about what working life is like, who should be able to vote. Women are starting to agitate for equality.

5 p.m. - State reports 10.6% 14-day positivity rate

7 a.m. - Ag guest workers will get a pay bump come the New Year.

Tens of thousands of agricultural guest workers are getting a raise in 2022.

Thats thanks to a lawsuit filed by farmworker advocates against the Trump administration which had effectively frozen farmworker pay.

Eriberto Fernandez, with the United Farmworkers Foundation, says if employers are priced out of hiring temporary H-2A visa workers because of the wage increase, they should try looking local.

What growers should really consider is increasing the benefits package that they provide to local farmworkers. I think it might be less expensive than what they are paying H-2A workers.

The wage increase depends on where farmworkers are employed but will be about a six percent increase on average.

Entry via Harvest Public Media

7 a.m. Farmers will soon have access to more mental health resources in Iowa

Iowa State University Extension is expanding their mental health outreach to a particularly vulnerable population: farmers. The organization is using a $500,000 grant to make mental health resources more accessible to rural communities.

Farmers across the state can access free programming on suicide prevention and mental health first-aid throughout the year.

Demi Johnson, the programs coordinator, says that farmers face unique barriers to receiving mental health care. Thats why the organization has designed the classes to tackle problems specific to those in the agriculture industry.

Weather uncertainty, long hours, a lot of isolated work, supply chain shortages and knowing how those can add to distress if somebody is already at a breaking point.

Moore says its important for those who interact with farmers to recognize signs of distress, so they are working to train rural physicians, pastors and bankers to identify the signs.

Dr. Mike Rosmann is a psychologist and farmer in Southwest Iowa. We don't control the weather or farm prices. But we can control how we manage ourselves and handle stress.

8 a.m. A Refugee resettlement center in Cedar Rapids is looking for literacy tutors

A refugee resettlement center is looking for more tutors to help new Afghan arrivals read and write. Anne Dugger is the director of education services at the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids. She says the majority of the new Iowans they have assessed are emerging literacy learners. That means they cant read or write well. Working with one-on-one tutors is one way to help them.

This is how we build our community. You become a friendly face in a crowd, you become just a friend, as a person moves about their week, whether or not you see each other out in the community, they have somebody that they know is there for them.

The Center plans on conducting more than 90 literacy assessments around the holidays.

11 a.m. - State reports 10.7% 14-day positivity rate

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National Weather Service says slippery conditions are expected tonight in parts of Iowa - Iowa Public Radio