Santa parade Saturday evening; more

Santa parade set Saturday evening

Santa Claus will make his annual Christmas Eve visit to Fairfield, sponsored by the local Rotary Club, Saturday evening.

Just as he has almost every year for the past 80, Santa and his entourage will arrive in Central Park between 5-5:30 p.m. to pass out treats to children and to take their last-minute gift wishes.

The Christmas Eve ritual begins about 4:15 p.m. when parade, including Santa?s tractor-powered sleigh pulls into Fairfield.

According to parade chairman Karl Metcalf, the parade will begin at the Fairfield Armory. It will enter the city from the west on Burlington Avenue, turn south on Sixth Street, east on Adams Avenue, then south on Maple Street. The parade will circle the SunnyBrook Living Care Center; proceed north on Highland Street, west on Burlington Avenue, north on D Street, west on Broadway Avenue, south on B Street, then west on Burlington to the Fairfield square.

The parade will circle the square and stop on the west side of Central Park.

Plans are for each child to sit in the sleigh and chat with Santa for a few minutes before receiving a small, plastic bag full of treats.

Andrew Edlin will be standing in for Santa, and Tena Nelson will be standing in for Mrs. Claus.

Metcalf said once Santa has visited with all the children in Central Park, plans are for him to visit the Living Care Center and Jefferson County Health Center, although he will most likely leave his sleigh behind.

Iowan says he broke Guinness juggling record

MASON CITY (AP) ­? A north-central Iowa man says he?s shattered the Guinness record for juggling three balls as fast as possible in one minute.

Mark Hanson told the Mason City Globe Gazette that his 420 throws on Saturday at the Winter Fun Festival fundraiser in Mason City bested the current record of 339 throws by a Czech man.

Hanson, of Kanawha, says his record is unofficial until confirmed by Guinness officials. Hanson says that could take six to eight weeks after he sends normal and slow-motion video, high-quality photos and sworn affidavits.

Branstad reforms could bring more class time

DES MOINES (AP) ? Sweeping education reforms proposed by Gov. Terry Branstad are likely to include the creation of a task force that would consider extending the amount of time Iowa students spend in school.

Branstad announced in October that he?ll ask lawmakers to approve reforms aimed at improving education for Iowa?s 468,000 students and better the quality of the state?s teachers. Class-time extensions were not included in his original plan.

But Jason Glass, director of the Iowa Department of Education, last week told an advisory group of school superintendents that Branstad is expected to add the creation of a task force to consider such extensions. The task force would likely consider adding 10 days to the school year, lengthening school days and requiring struggling students to go to school on Saturdays or take summer classes, the Des Moines Register reported.

Iowa currently has a 180-day school year. State law mandates that each school day last at least 5.5 hours, but most students are in class an average of 6.5 hours.

The need for more class time was brought up by both parents and teachers during several town hall meetings held this past fall, Glass said.

?It?s such a contentious issue, and there are so many considerations that are at play,? Glass told the newspaper. ?But we really felt the issue is really ripe for discussion in Iowa, and it?s something that the people wanted to talk about.?

The Education Department estimates it would cost $10 million to $15 million statewide for each extra day of school. The cost of adding an hour to the school day is unknown.