Latest news with #MarshalltownHighSchool
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Marshalltown teacher arrested for alleged embezzlement from teachers' union
DES MOINES, Iowa — A Marshalltown High School teacher is on administrative leave after being charged with first-degree theft for allegedly embezzling money from the teachers' union. A release from the Marshalltown Police Department said Rachel Nelson-Loupee, 48, turned herself in to police Monday. Lt. Anthony Accola confirmed Nelson-Loupee is accused of embezzling more than $10,000 from the Marshalltown Education Association, the bargaining entity for the district's teachers. Police said the investigation began on December 3rd, 2024, after the union reported the theft of funds. A criminal complaint filed in the case claimed Nelson-Loupee admitted to taking the funds. What to know about I-35/80 ramp closures that start Monday She was supposed to turn herself in on April 17th, but failed to do so, court records reveal. The Marshalltown School District issued a statement following the announcement of Nelson-Loupee's arrest. 'Marshalltown Community School District is aware of allegations which have resulted in charges involving a high school teacher who also serves in a leadership role within the Marshalltown Education Association. While the matter is related to union activities and falls outside the scope of the district's operational authority, we remain committed to maintaining a professional and ethical environment for all staff and students. Upon learning of the allegations, the district placed the employee on administrative leave pending further review. We will continue to cooperate fully with any ongoing investigations. We appreciate the public's patience as the process moves forward and direct any further inquiries relative to the investigation to the Marshalltown Police Department.' Marshalltown Community School District A preliminary hearing for Nelson-Loupee is scheduled for May 9th. Marshalltown teacher arrested for alleged embezzlement from teachers' union Iowan attempting to finish his 30th Boston Marathon Easter Sunday rain kicked off an unsettled week Forecast: Rain ends, but more is on the way One person injured in Sunday morning crash in Beaverdale neighborhood Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Foreign exchange student inspires Marshalltown students to support foster kids
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — A foreign exchange student is teaching elementary students about perseverance through a service project benefiting foster kids in Marshalltown. Anamaria Phkhaladce is a junior at Marshalltown High School, but she is from Georgia, a country in Eastern Europe. Before the start of this school year, she came to the United States through World Link, a non-profit based in Iowa that helps place international students across the country. Anamaria was randomly placed with a host family in Marshalltown, and her experience inspired her to give back. 'I wanted to give back to the community that has welcomed me so warmly,' she said. Street Collective offers advice on prepping your bike for spring As a result, in late February, she started a service project to make care packages for foster kids in the community. 'I found out that we have many foster care kids in Marshalltown community and so I think that a project dedicated to them is really important right now,' said Anamaria. According to data collected by the State Library of Iowa, in 2022 there were 95 foster kids in Marshall County. Each care package will have snacks, coloring books, toys, and more, including hand-written notes from students at Hoglan Elementary School. On Wednesday, students made cards during the school's monthly Bobcat Buddies program. 'Bobcat Buddies is just a time once a month that we spread our kids across all grade levels and they interact with adults as well, and we do a project every month and it's usually focused on a character trait, something that we're working on,' said Principal Amy Williams. The students were working on perseverance that day. They watched clips from Disney's Finding Nemo to help them identify what perseverance is. Then, they were given sea-themes cards to decorate and write. 'I wrote 'you are important,'' said fourth-grade student Sky McCulley. 'Everybody in the community does a part to make it happen and does a part to make it a community.' The cards will help share some smiles. 'I think it's really important to like show and remind kids that they're loved, they're valued, and cared, and that's the reason why I chose to do that,' said Anamaria. She collected the cards and is finishing the care packages. She is creating around 100 packages, and any leftovers will be saved for the future. They will be sent out by April 1st. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iowan makes Broadway debut in musical '& Juliet'
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — A Marshalltown native made their Broadway debut in October in the jukebox musical, & Juliet. Nicholas Cooper was introduced to show business as a child when they started performing in Christmas musicals at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshalltown. They fell in love with performing and continued honing their craft at Miller Middle School, Marshalltown High School, the Marshalltown Community Theater, and many more stages across Iowa. 'There were a lot of opportunities for us. Even being able to do show choir, I mean, a lot of my friends from surrounding communities were in a lot smaller schools and that wasn't an option for them,' they said. In 2017, they graduated from Marshalltown High School and began studying drama at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Cooper's rise to Broadway took hard work. They worked as a professional dancer on cruise ships in Alaska and even did regional theater across the country. In 2024, Cooper was working a benefit concert for the Trevor Project, called 'Night of Life.' At the concert, they was scouted by the talent agency CESD. With the help of their new agents, Cooper was able to expand their horizon, booking a Broadway audition for & Juliet. After much anticipation, Cooper received a call in September where they was offered to be a swing in the musical. Swings play a pivotal role in productions because they learn multiple different parts and can step in whenever someone is injured or sick, sometimes with little notice. 'It was a call that I never thought I would receive,' said Cooper. 'To go into work everyday into a show that celebrates life and love in all of its forms, it's truly something beautiful.' & Juliet made its Broadway debut in 2022. The jukebox musical shows what would happen next if Juliet from Shakespeare's famous play, Romeo and Juliet, didn't end it all over Romeo. Despite not being a fan of most jukebox musicals, Cooper said & Juliet was an exception. They also said it was the best fit for them as a performer. Seeing a diverse cast with a Black female lead and having a gender nonbinary character play a principal role in the musical was what drew Cooper to work for it. 'I just remember being blown away and remember hearing about it and just being so interested by that,' said Cooper. 'Especially right now when trans people are being attacked on all sides… it feels necessary and important for me to be doing this right now.' Cooper officially made their Broadway debut on October 29th at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, less than four weeks after they found out they got the gig. 'It's nerve wracking because they're [the audience is] expecting a show that's like solid because it has been running for two years now, and like we have only known it for like four weeks,' said Cooper. However, they weren't the only new faces to the musical, or to Broadway. According to Cooper, a plethora of their castmates were making their Broadway debuts that day. 'The new cast actually outnumbered the returning cast, so it was a really beautiful experience learning the show alongside half of the cast,' they said. 'It felt like there was so much joy and love on the stage.' They're now even working with celebrities like Tiktok star Charli D'Amelio and NSYNC's Joey Fatone. 'Both of them are super fun humans. Joey turned his dressing room into a club, like Club Joey Fatone. And they're both super down to earth, chill and bring in a lot of people,' said Cooper. Cooper said it took a village to get to Broadway, and it started in Marshalltown where they had the opportunities to succeed. They will be on Broadway at least until September 2025. Click here for more information on & Juliet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Iowa STEM teachers and programs honored at State Capitol
DES MOINES, Iowa – Governor Kim Reynolds honored STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs from across the state at the Capitol on Monday. Among the honorees were six educators, who were given STEM Teacher of the Year awards. The recipients are: Alex Spooner, 8th grade math teacher and STEM Director at Okoboji Middle School Tara Gray, agriculture science teacher at Marshalltown High School Dan Kuchera, science teacher at Clarksville High School Dustan Kern, STEM teacher at Lewis Central Middle School Maddie Kampf, science teacher at Irving Elementary Chuck Tonelli, science teacher and STEAM Academy Coordinator at Metro Alternative High School Before the awards ceremony, the Capitol rotunda was packed with students from across the state, eager to talk about STEM and what it means for their futures. 'For me STEM is a place where I am able to be myself and be able to connect to other people and help me find the person that I want to be in the future,' said Sam May, junior at Metro High School. Sam added, 'I'm going to be an engineer and maybe a foreman, hopefully in construction and also hopefully start my own robotics team.'Quinlan Akin, a senior at Metro High School, said 'I would like to be a software programmer, so that is my plans for the future. Eventually go to college, get a degree in software programing and become a software programmer.' Eight STEM BEST programs and 10 STEM Scale-Up programs were on display throughout the event. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
