(Radio Iowa) – Garner mayor Tim Schmidt says a preliminary review of the way they handled a sudden influx of stranded motorists during last weekend’s blizzard shows several positives. Schmidt says they got a call on the 28th that the hotel in Garner had quickly filled up and more people need a place to shelter.

He says they decided to take people to the Veterans Memorial Recreation Center and ended up with 24 people there. Schmidt says local businesses brought in warm food for the stranded travelers.

Schmidt says local law officers did a good job of making sure everyone was safe.

Schmidt says they are working with the Hancock County Emergency Management team to study how everything was handled so they can learn if there are things that can done better the next time there is this type of emergency.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa families who put up a live Christmas tree in their houses back on Thanksgiving weekend are likely ready for it to come down now, and instead of hauling it to the curb to go into a landfill, they might consider ways to repurpose it. Chip Murrow, an urban forestry program specialist with the Iowa D-N-R, says folks with acreages might be able to “tree-cycle” that evergreen back into the great outdoors, somewhere on their own property.

Smaller songbirds will like having a place to get out of the wind and to seek refuge from predators. Murrow says you can also decorate the tree outside.

An old Christmas tree that’s sunk in a farm pond could become an excellent fish habitat, but he cautions, it has to be under certain conditions.

For best results, he suggests sinking it with a cement block secured to the trunk, so it sits upright at the bottom of the pond. For Iowans who are crafty, you could trim the branches to make a fragrant sachet, wreath, or garland to enjoy in the weeks ahead.

Another option would be to find a local Boy Scout troop that could use the tree for outdoor firewood, though with the creosote, it should -not- be burned indoors in a fireplace. A final option, use the needles as an effective mulch on perennial plants, in your garden, and to keep weeds in check next spring.

(Radio Iowa) – Some farmers in Dickinson County who were enrolled in one of the U-S-D-A’s largest commodity support programs for the 2024 crop year believe they were significantly underpaid. Scott Titterington, who farms near Milford, says they’re holding a meeting next week in Spirit Lake.

The Agricultural Risk Coverage program provides payments when a farmer’s revenue for a specific crop falls below the historical average. Titterington says it appears A-R-C payments to farmers in neighboring Emmet and Kossuth Counties were around 90 dollars an acre.

Titterington says they’ve learned just over 98-thousand acres of Dickinson County farmland was enrolled in the ARC program in 2024. Based on the estimates for Emmet and Kossuth Counties — the U-S-D-A would have paid all the Dickinson County farmers who got A-R-C payments MILLIONS more.

The meeting to plot strategy will be held Tuesday, January 6th at 10 am in the Dickinson County Expo Building in Spirit Lake. If the weather doesn’t cooperate on Tuesday, Titterington says they’ll meet Wednesday at the same time and in the same place in Spirit Lake.

(Clarinda, IA) – Page County Attorney James Varley’s office, today (Friday) released reports case outcomes in Page County District Court, for the week of Dec. 22nd, 2025. 

Aundrea Theresa Clay, age 32, of Red Oak, appeared with counsel and pled guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine. The defendant was sentenced to a term of incarceration not to exceed two years. The sentence was suspended and the defendant was placed on probation for one year and was ordered to reside at the Residential Correctional Facility until maximum benefits are achieved. Defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $855, plus court costs and surcharges.

Dallas Levi Head, age 36, of Shenandoah, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Driving While Barred. The Defendant was sentenced to 5 days in the Page County Jail and ordered to pay a fine of $855, court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Christopher Russell Marsh, age 40, of Clarinda, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Driving While License Revoked. The Defendant was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Nalea Ann Nothwehr, age 48, of Clarinda, appeared pro se and pled guilty to Operating While Under the Influence, 1^st Offense. The Defendant was sentenced to 2 days in jail and fined $1,250. Defendant was ordered to pay court costs, penalties and surcharges.

Dalton Justin Olenius Robberts, age 30, of Yutan, Nebraska, appeared with counsel and pled guilty to Operating Under the Influence, First Offense. The Defendant was sentenced to 30 days in jail with all but 2 days suspended. A fine of $1,250 was imposed and the defendant was placed on probation for 1 year. Defendant is required to complete a 12-hr Drinking Drivers Course and a Substance Abuse Evaluation, following up with any recommendations for treatment. Court costs, surcharges and fees were ordered to be paid.

Richard Daniel Rodriguez, age 28, of Clarinda, appeared with counsel and pled guilty to Count I: Possession of a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine, With Intent to Deliver and Count IV: Child Endangerment. On Count I, the defendant was sentenced to a term of incarceration not to exceed 10 years and on Count IV, defendant was sentenced to a term of incarceration not to exceed 5 years. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively for a total of 15 years. The sentences were suspended and defendant was placed on probation for 3 years. As a condition of probation, the defendant is to reside at the Residential Correctional Facility until maximum benefits are achieved and complete a substance abuse evaluation. Fines of $1,000 on Count I and $1,025 on Count IV were imposed and suspended. Defendant was ordered to pay court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.

Michael Lee Rose, age 50, of Clarinda, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Count I: Possession of a Firearm or Offensive Weapon by Domestic Violence Offender; Count III: Possession of a Short Barrel Rifle/Shotgun; and Count V: Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. On Counts I and III the defendant was sentenced to a term of incarceration not to exceed 5 years on each count. On Count V, the Defendant was sentenced to a term of incarceration not to exceed 2 years. These sentences were ordered to run concurrently. A fine of $1,025 was imposed on Count I and Count III and $855 on Count V. The fines were suspended and the defendant was ordered to pay court costs and court-appointed attorney fees up to $350.

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak have arrested a woman on an Assault charge. According to the press release, officers this (Friday) morning, arrested 40-year-old Holly Jo Anderson, of Red Oak, for Simple Assault.

Anderson was arrested in the 700 block of Sunset Avenue and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where her bond was set at $300.

(A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The Iowa Board of Nursing has issued a warning to a nurse suspected of being intoxicated at work and failing to report two arrests for drunken driving.

In 2020, the Board of Nursing charged Mandi Irlbeck of Harlan with excessive use of alcohol that might impair a licensee’s ability to practice nursing with reasonable skill and safety. The board alleged that in May 2020, Irlbeck came to work in a condition unfit to work. The board did not disclose the nature or place of her employment. In addition, the board said it received information that Irlbeck “excessively uses alcohol.” In a settlement, Irlbeck agreed to have her license placed on probation for 18 months, during which she would not use alcohol and would enroll in a chemical screening program.

In July 2025, the board received a complaint that Irlbeck’s coworkers suspected she had been intoxicated while working as a nurse. While looking into that matter, the board learned Irlbeck had failed to report a 2024 conviction for drunken driving during a period when she worked at a MercyOne medical facility.

The board also learned Irlbeck was then facing a charge of second-offense drunken driving that was still working its way through the courts. That charge stemmed from a May 2025 incident in which Irlbeck was pulled over near Logan and, according to police, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.235% — almost three times the legal limit for driving.

Court records show Irlbeck subsequently pleaded guilty to the second-offense drunken driving charge and, according to the board, she was fired from her place of employment due to concerns with her use of alcohol. The Board of Nursing charged Irlbeck with being convicted of an offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the nursing profession, and with engaging in behavior that is contradictory to professional decorum.

The board and Irlbeck recently agreed to a settlement that calls for Irlbeck to accept a warning that states any future infractions may result in some form of discipline. As part of the settlement, Irlbeck also agreed to enroll in the Iowa Practitioner Health Program. Her nursing license remains in full effect.

(Radio Iowa) – Several changes are in the works in this new year for Iowa’s casino industry, including more casinos leaving the water for land. Racing and Gaming Administrator Tina Eick (Ike) says things have moved right along and the new casino in Cedar Rapids should open in December of this year.

The Racing and Gaming Commission recently approved the purchase of the Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington by Elite Casino Resorts.

Elite Casinos also owns the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort in Riverside, the Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport, and Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood. They plan to rename Catfish Bend as the Great River Casino Resort. The Casino Queen in Marquette was purchased last year by Ballys, and Eick says they are making a change to the state’s smallest casino.

Eick says another casino boat will also be going away this year.

Casinos were only allowed on riverboats when the law was first enacted, and those boats had to take cruises on the water. That has slowly changed through the years, leading to boats being replaced by land-based casinos.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their annual organization meeting in Atlantic, Friday morning. The Board elected to retain Supervisor Steve Baier as Board Chair, and Supervisor Mark O’Brien as Vice-Chair. They also approved the schedule of their monthly meetings, which are unchanged from last year, and will take place at 9-a.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

On a related note, the Board approved continuing with the use of Zoom as an electronic means of broadcasting their meetings to the public.

Cass County Board of Supervisors meeting, 1-2-26 via Zoom

The Cass County Supervisors named the official County newspapers for publishing of notices and legal information. They include the Anita Tribune, Atlantic News Telegraph, and Griswold American. County employees’ reimbursement rate for mileage was set at 72-cents, as per the current IRS allowable rate. The Board left the medical examiner fees unchanged at $200. And, the dates the Courthouse will be closed were left unchanged.

The Supervisors agreed to let the courthouse department heads determine Christmas Eve hours for those employees who are not covered by bargaining agreements. The courthouse will otherwise remain open as usual that day. In other business, the Board approved use of the Master Matrix, with regard to the construction of livestock confinement facilities. Chairman Baier explains:

The Cass County Supervisors approved the re-appointment of Dennis Vogl as County Weed Commissioner. Baier stated:

They also approved a lease for 601 Walnut Street by the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, and a letter of support for a grant application being submitted by Cass Health, for a PET/CT machine.

(Red Oak, IA) – A man from Red Oak was arrested following a traffic stop New Year’s Day. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 44-year-old Jesse Donald Trost was taken into custody for driving under suspension. Trost was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on bond amounting to $491.25.