By Trudy Balcom

Rebecca Ann Dysart, 48, of Garnavillo, was accidentally killed last Thursday at the Pattison Sand Co. mine in Clayton.

According to the Clayton County Sheriff’s report, at about 8 a.m. Dysart and two others were walking in the same area where a front-end loader was being operated by Barry Brinkman, 32, of Cassville.

Dysart was caught behind the vehicle and was accidentally run over. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Dysart worked as a truck driver and equipment operator.

The accident is currently under investigation by the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Field Office, based in Fort Madison, Iowa.

While no details from the investigation have been released yet, MSHA administrator  William Owen said the process has been initiated.

A memorial for Dysart was held Sunday at the Tuecke-Allyn Funeral Home, Garnavillo. She leaves behind a daughter in Marquette, Ashley Scotti, and a fiancee’, Paul Gallagher

New one-cent statewide sales tax could improve the bottom line for MFL MarMac Schools

By Trudy Balcom

 After six years of grassroots advocacy and thousands of phone calls and e-mails to the Statehouse, Iowa school officials and the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) celebrated the passage of HF 2663, the SILO Repeal/Penny Replacement and Property Tax Equity bill.

“This is a wonderful result of the collaborative efforts of our school boards and their districts across the state. If the governor signs this bill, it will be an exciting time for Iowa students as well, who will surely benefit from the equitable funding of school infrastructure regardless of their zip code,” said Jack Hill, IASB president, in a press release.

The bill passed the Senate April 22 with strong bipartisan support. Previously, the House passed the same legislation by a narrow margin after some debate, 59 to 41.

The lobbying efforts behind the bill were large-scale and relentless. More than 215 school districts ranked the passage of a state penny as a top legislative priority this year. The IASB Delegate Assembly unanimously approved it as a priority in November, 2007.

The aim of the bill is to equalize funding generated by school infrastructure local option sales (SILO) taxes across the state by repealing SILO and replacing it with a statewide one-cent sales tax that will be divided up equally among all school districts.

Under the former SILO law, rural area school districts with fewer retail centers received less in sales tax revenue compared to more urban districts.

Gov. Culver has indicated he will sign the bill. According to his staff, he is currently reviewing a number of pieces of legislation to be signed, but he is expected to give final approval to HF2663 next week.

The bill is scheduled to take effect July 1. Funds from the tax can only be used for infrastructure projects.

Under the new law, all schools in Clayton County will see a boost in per pupil funding. Current SILO per pupil funding in Clayton County is at $536, which includes state supplemental funding. Funding under the new law will gradually rise, with an estimated bump to about $585 per student this fall.