Gazette Daily News Podcast: Monday, Feb. 26, 2024

–Few scores could spell big change to Iowa AEAs

–DNR confirms gray wolf found dead on Interstate near Davenport

–Mount Trashmore opens for unseasonably warm days

Episode Transcript

Welcome to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast for Monday, February 26, 2024. This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I’m Becky Lutgen Gardner.

Up first,

The scores of less than 1 percent of the Iowa students in special education are being cited by the governor as the primary reason she is proposing to overhaul the state’s area education agencies.

The proposal is based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores of a small sample of 265 students with Individualized Education Plans who took the national test in reading and an additional 265 students with IEPs in math. Those scores are being used to represent about 70,000 Iowa students in special education.

Educators and the National Center for Education Statistics statistician say these scores represent relatively few students nationwide and should not be the sole factor when proposing education policy changes.

Area Education Agencies argue they provide crucial services, and the limited data shouldn’t justify such a drastic change.

Critics argue the scores alone don’t capture the full picture. They highlight improvements in graduation rates, which were 80% in 2020 and reduced dropout rates, 17% in 2020.

Educators also suggest using a broader range of data, including IEP goal progress and post-graduation outcomes, to assess student achievement.

Two bills based on the Governor’s proposal are still progressing through the Iowa Legislature, one in the Iowa House and one in the Senate.

Next up, The DNR confirms a gray wolf was found dead on the interstate near Davenport.

The animal's markings resemble a wolf caught on a trail camera in November.

The wolf was found by a State Conservation Officer last Monday. According to the Iowa DNR, it was lying in the median of I-80, near the interchange with I-280.

The dead animal was taken to the Iowa State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Ames. An autopsy confirmed it was a male gray wolf about two years old.

The wolf had parasites, including tapeworms, which could infect people. The DNR says this serves as a reminder for hunters, trappers, and wildlife rehabilitators to take care when handling coyotes and foxes.

The DNR plans to send tissue samples for DNA testing to verify whether the animal is a true wolf or a hybrid and where it originated.

The Great Lakes wolf population is the closest to Iowa and has grown recently. Over the past five years, Iowa has averaged one to five wolves roaming through the state. Wolves are protected in Iowa, and there is no open hunting season for them.

Finally, another sign of spring is arriving early with the recent unseasonably warm weather: a limited opening of Mount Trashmore.

The Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency announced last week that it will open the former landfill turned recreation site’s trails to pedestrians today and tomorrow. High temperatures in Cedar Rapids today and tomorrow are forecasted to be in the 70’s, according to the National Weather Service.

The trails also were open last Thursday when the high temperature in Cedar Rapids reached 61 degrees. The average high temperature for late February in Eastern Iowa is mid- to upper-30 degrees.

Mount Trashmore’s Overlook and Stumptown trails will be open to pedestrians 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. The downhill bike trail will remain closed due to wet conditions, the agency stated in a news release.

Before accessing the trails, all Mount Trashmore visitors must check in at 2250 A St. SW.

The site known as Mount Trashmore is a former landfill that contains 6 million tons of garbage. The trails are usually open to the public from April to November.

Our weather for today in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Sunny with a high near 74. Breezy. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Tuesday has a 20 percent chance of rain after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 71.

You can find a link to each of the stories featured in today’s episode in this episode’s description or at the gazette dot com.

Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. I’m Becky Lutgen Gardner.