News
FINALISTS:
• Thursday Night in the Park
Mosaic is hosting the Thursday Night in the Park event 6 to 8 p.m. today on the courthouse lawn in Osceola.
The 2016 South Central Iowa Athlete of the Year finalists are revealed. page 6 www.osceolaiowa.com
156 YEARS • NO. 31
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016
SINGLE COPY PRICE: $1.00
Meet Your Merchants
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Pictured is a stop sign on a Clarke Community School District school bus.
Just ‘STOP’
Clarke to add cameras to school bus stop arms to find violators of the law By AMY HANSEN
Kadyn’s Law
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa. com
On May 10, 2011, Kadyn Halverson, 7, of Northwood, was struck by a pickup while trying to cross the road to board a school bus. According to Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), Kadyn’s Law was enacted in 2012, and it increased the criminal penalties and administrative sanctions for those convicted of such violations. Here are the penalties for a first offense from the DOT: • Criminal citation under Iowa Code 321.372(5)(b) (1) — Unlawful passing of school bus first offense, simple misdemeanor • Fines — At least $250 but not more than $675 • Imprisonment — The court may order imprisonment not to exceed 30 days in lieu of or in addition to a fine • Driving privilege suspension — Iowa DOT will impose a 30-day suspension The penalties get higher and harsher for second, third and subsequent offenses to the law.
It should be common sense. If a stop sign is extended from a school bus, you stop your vehicle. However, officials from Clarke Community School District have noticed a growing problem. “Even though the sign is out, the bus is stopped, the lights are lit — they blow through the stop s i g n , ” Seid Clarke Superintendent Steve Seid said. The school district has decided to be proactive to fix the situation — and find the violators. During a Clarke Community School Board meeting Monday, July 11, the board approved to start adding cameras to the school bus Clarke cameras stop signs. At Clarke, two cameras They’ll find you for the school bus stop signs The school district has have been ordered to see how been collecting data for a effective they are as they are couple of years on the school put into use. The stop arm cameras are bus issue. $743 per camera. They will go Now, when the stop signs into effect at the beginning of are engaged and the lights the 2016-17 school year. are on, if someone doesn’t Seid said the district is lookobey the stop sign, the caming into what buses will get eras will capture the image the cameras but declined to of the vehicle and potentially say specifics. the license plate. The reason for this is for “We thought it would be drivers to be vigilant around beneficial for the communi- all the school buses and to ty to know, just to be aware treat them and their occuthat it’s a very dangerous sit- pants with safety and respect. uation, obviously,” Seid said. “It seems like people are The school district is also not obeying those stop signs adding more cameras for in- at a higher rate,” he said. “So, side the school buses, he said. this is just our way of trying The state places a high pri- to protect the kids at a higher ority on the safety of its stu- level before somebody really dents. gets hurt.” SINGLE SINGLECOPY COPYPRICE: PRICE:$1.00 75¢
Copyright 2016
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Sugary sweets: Casey Spoelstra, right, and Michelle
OST photo by AMY HANSEN Jameson make cotton candy at the Homestead Assisted Living booth during Meet Your Merchants Thursday, July Crowd pleaser: Diana Upton-Hill, a nationally recog28, on the square in Osceola. Derek Lumsden with Osceola nized recording and touring artist, sings during the Meet Your Chamber/Main Street said it was the first year for the cotton Merchants event Thursday, July 28, on the courthouse lawn in candy machine. Osceola.
Sen. Ernst makes stop in Osceola during 99-county tour By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Clarke County was the next stop for Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, during her 99-county tour of the state. The Red Oak native toured the Valley of the Moon Commercial – Turkey Hatchery Friday, July 29. Media was invited to attend a one-on-one session with Ernst at Clarke County Farm Bureau after the tour. “It’s an incredible, incredible industry, and I’m glad it’s based right here in Iowa,” Ernst said. Years ago, when Ernst was in the Iowa Senate, she represented the Clarke County area. She was at the facility when it first opened. On the July 29 tour, Ernst said she enjoyed listening to employees explain their jobs and how the factory runs. “It was really interesting to see it from when it first opened to actual full production today,” Ernst said. “I learned so much going on that tour today. It was really great to see all the employees and the folks in the different departments.”
great overall. “It was a lot of fun, I think, for our Iowa delegation to go out and hear the speeches from a wide variety of people and their perspectives, whether it was national security, jobs and employment opportunities that we should have here in the United States RNC In late July, Ernst gained a nation- and there’s just a lot of excitement, I al spotlight when she gave a speech think, about the convention,” she said. Ernst added, there was a lot of exduring the Republican National Concitement about Trump in general. vention in Cleveland, Ohio. Republicans nominated business Veterans issues mogul and reality star Donald Trump When it comes to local issues, vetto their presidential ticket. erans affairs and national security Even though there were a few remain top priorities for Ernst, who glitches, like Melania Trump’s report- retired from the military in 2015. ed plagiarism of a Michelle Obama Ernst stressed the importance of speech and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz not providing adequate and timely care endorsing Trump, Ernst said it went for veterans. The next U.S. Senate
Index Church Directory .........7 Classifieds ...................9 Editorial ........................4 Neighbors ....................5
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, discusses local issues during a stop at Clarke County Farm Bureau.
Weather
Obituary .......................3 Public Notices .............8 Record .........................2 Sports...........................6
Local 3-Day Forecast Thu
Fri
Sat
8/4
8/5
8/6
92/67 Plenty of sun. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the upper 60s.
81/61 Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 60s.
76/61 Considerable cloudiness. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the low 60s.
Sunrise: 6:14 AM
Sunrise: 6:15 AM
Sunrise: 6:16 AM
Sunset: 8:27 PM
Sunset: 8:25 PM
Sunset: 8:24 PM
“IT WAS really interesting to see it from when it first opened to actual full producation today. I learned so much going on that tour today.” SEN. JONI ERNST
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R-Iowa On Valley of the Moon Commercial - Turkey Hatchery
session in Washington, D.C., will be scheduled for after Labor Day. “We do have very good VA facilities in Iowa, but it seems we’re still struggling with some of those priorities,” she said. “So, we’ll keep working on those issues.”
Don’t Forget
Clarke County Farmers Market
Clarke County Farmers Market is 8 a.m. to noon Saturday on the courthouse lawn.
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