(Radio Iowa) – The annual “University of Okoboji Winter Games” in northwest Iowa begin in less than four weeks — and there’s chili on the schedule. The chili cook-off will be held in the Dickinson County Expo Building in Spirit Lake on Friday, January 23rd. Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce director Blain Andera says due to space limitations, the first 27 teams that enter online can participate. “There’s no registration fee of any sort,” he says. “They just have to provide a lot of chili.” At least 20 gallons of chili.

“We don’t want to run out of chili at six o’clock when it goes until seven, so we certainly want to have enough for everybody to sample every type of chili,” Andera said. “The vendors don’t want to run out either because if they run out, then people won’t be able to vote for them.” Teams are not only competing for the “Best Overall Chili” award, but to win “Best Non-Profit” and “Best Booth” in the contest. “Lights, Camera, Action” is this year’s theme for the booth decorating.

(Image courtesy of University of Okoboji Winter Games)

The news release for the event encourages the chili-makers to key in on “Chili Wonka and the Flavor Factory” and showcase their favorite movie. Organizers expect up to two-thousand people to sample the chilis and cast their votes. All sort of other events — indoors and out — are scheduled for the University of Okoboji games, including a cribbage tournament and a 5-K fun run through the Arnolds Park Amusement Park.

The fictional University of Okoboji, home of the Fighting Phantoms, was founded in the 1970s by three brothers — who printed t-shirts with a University of Okoboji crest.

• Hometown Connections: Builds partnerships to expand health care options in rural areas.
• Combat Cancer: A statewide effort to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes.
• Communities of Care: Supports projects that bring different types of providers together under one roof.
• Health Information Exchange: Makes health records accessible across Iowa so patients can get care wherever they are.
• Community Care Mobile: Invests in telehealth and mobile health care programs, including high-risk maternal transport.

(Radio Iowa) – The price of Iowa farmland has only dropped once in the last seven years and that’s likely because the ownership profile hasn’t changed much. Rabail Chandio oversees the annual I-S-U extension farmland price survey. “Iowa is primarily a market for farmland that is held up by farmers, existing, relocating. Even investors here comprised mostly of farmers, out-of-state farmers who are interested in farmland in Iowa,” Chandio says. She says farmers are in for the long haul.

“Farmland continues to be a very stable, very consistently growing asset, which is why the demand from farmers, the demand from investors, has remained as a top supporting factor for farmland over the last few years,” she says. Chandio says investing in farmland isn’t playing the stock market. “There is very low risk for returns that are pretty much expected, pretty much guaranteed. The returns are low, but they are safe,” she says. Chandio says figures from another survey on farmland ownership show 84 percent of Iowa farmland is owned debt free.

“What we also see in that in that survey is that 66 percent of Iowa farmland is owned by experienced farmers, by late stage farmers, farmers were aged 65 and above,” Chandio says. “So the combination of debt -free ownership and experience is what really helps build up the cash reserves. What really helps keep the strong demand for farmland in the farm sector, even when it’s a loss share even when we are struggling when it comes to income.”

Chandio says the ownership hold on farmland is usually only broken when farmers decides to pass it on to family, or they die. “Overall, retried farmers and estate sales continued to make of the largest categories of sales in Iowa farmland markets. This has been true for quite a long time,” she says. Chandio says she doesn’t see that sales trends changing anytime soon.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports five arrests took place between Dec. 11th and the 29th.

On Dec. 27th, deputies in Cass County arrested 40-year-old Shawna Kay Bolton, of Glenwood, for Possession of Controlled Substance. Bolton was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on her own recognizance.

On the 21st: 51-year-old Brian Lee Carlson, of Elk Horn, was arrested for OWI-1st Offense, and person Ineligible to Carry a Weapon. Carlson was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released on bond; And, 30-year-old Matthew Allen Strong, of Exira, turned himself in on an active warrant for Violation of Probation. Strong was booked into the Cass County Jail and held.

On December 18th, 31-year-old John Mark Topham,  of Griswold, turned himself in on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Theft 3rd Degree, and two counts of Nuisance – Obstructing Land Passage. Topham was booked into the Cass County Jail where he was later released on bond.

And, on December 16th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 27-year-old William Cody Shepard, of Urbandale, on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Theft 4th Degree. Shepard was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released on bond.
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All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Red Oak Police Department reports a man was arrested Sunday evening on a felony charge of Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree (A Class-D Felony). 18-year-old Matthew Kevin Miller, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5-p.m. in the 400 block of E. Washington Avenue. Miller was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

Authorities say six juveniles were arrested for the same violation. Their names and disposition were not released.

(Glenwood, IA) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on arrests that occurred between Dec. 22nd and the 28th. Those arrested include:

• On Dec. 22nd: 53-year-old Adam Michael Blackman, of Malvern, was arrested on felony charges of Failure To Appear (FTA) on original charges in June, that include Child Endangerment and Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine. Blackman posted a total cash/surety bond of $10,000, and is scheduled to appear in court January 5th.
• On Dec. 24th, Mills County deputies arrested 39-year-old Clinton Daniel Wostrel, of Nebraska City, NE. He was arrested on Interstate 29 near Pacific Junction, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.
• Mills County Deputies arrested 31-year-old Cody Michael Fischer, of Omaha, on Dec. 26th. He was taken into custody on I-29 south of Council Bluffs, for Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Bond was set at $2,000.
• The following day (Dec. 27), 55-year-old Dean Allen Drake, of Silver City, was arrested in Henderson for Theft in the 4th Degree (re: property valued more than $300 but less than $750). His bond was set at $1,000; 36-year-old Geoffrey Oliver Johnston, of Lincoln, NE, was arrested Dec. 27th in Glenwood, for: Public Intoxication; Assault w/Bodily Injury, and Disorderly Conduct – Fighting or Violence. His total was set at $1,600; 34-year-old Blake Ryon Cummings, of Glenwood, was arrested at the same location on Garfield Lane, Dec. 27th. He was charged with: Public Intoxication; Assault w/Bodily Injury; Assault; Domestic Abuse Assault; Disorderly Conduct – Fighting or Violence, and Child Endangerment. Bond was set at $3,000.
• And finally, on Dec. 28th, Mills County deputies arrested 27-year-old Sarah Jeanette Croson, of Council Bluffs, for Theft in the 2nd Degree (re: a loss between $1,500-and $10,000). Bond was set at $5,000.

(Greenfield, IA) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a man from southeast Iowa was arrested last week on an Adair County Bench Warrant. 44-year-old Timothy Fernando Manriques, of Knoxville, was arrested Dec. 22nd in Menlo, by an Adair County Sheriff’s deputy. He was wanted on a warrant for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order – Contempt of Court.

Manriques was transported to the Adair County Jail in Greenfield, and released later that same day on a $300 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Health studies project more than 21-thousand new cancer cases will be diagnosed in Iowans next year, while 63-hundred Iowans will die from cancer — and both numbers are rising. Jody Hoyos, C-E-O of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, says the best way Iowans can beat the odds is to get screened every year, and she suggests making a New Year’s resolution to schedule a doctor’s appointment before December ends. “Just 51% of adults in the U.S. have had a routine medical appointment or routine cancer screening in the last year,” Hoyos says. “The challenge with this is we’re seeing a decline in the number of people going to these routine appointments, a 10-percentage point drop from our 2024 survey.”

Studies show that In Iowa, breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers make up roughly half of all cancer cases, while lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer deaths in Iowa, accounting for about one out of every four cancer deaths. “Fundamentally, many people don’t realize they need to be screened, and that’s especially true if they aren’t experiencing any symptoms or they don’t have a family history of cancer,” Hoyos says. Cancer screenings need to be done every year, before you develop any symptoms, as she says early detection can lead to more treatment options, and more time with the people you love.

“Routine screenings are important for everyone, even if you really know your body and you feel like you would know if something’s going on, very often, cancer doesn’t show any signs or symptoms in the early stages, and the vast majority of cancer cases are diagnosed in people with no family history,” Hoyos says. “So everyone, regardless of family history and if they’re feeling great, should be getting screened.”

The Cancer in Iowa Report, released every February, finds Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the country, behind only Kentucky, and Iowa has the fastest-rising rate of new cancer cases. The 2025 report showed 171,000 Iowans are now considered cancer survivors, or about one in every 20 Iowans, and they’ll need long-term medical attention.

On the web – https://preventcancer.org/ or https://shri.public-health.uiowa.edu/

(Council Bluffs, IA) – A man from Council Bluffs was arrested this (Monday) morning, in connection with a fatal collision between the vehicle he was driving and a pedestrian. Police in Council Bluffs, today (Monday, 12/29/25), said in a news release, that 72-year-old Dennis Stark was taken into custody after toxicology test results came back from the lab, showing his Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was .127%. Stark also had marijuana in his system, during the crash, according to the test results. A warrant had been issued for Stark’s arrest, charging him with Homicide by Vehicle while Operating under the Influence (OWI). No bond was set as of the time of his arrest.

Dennis Stark (CBPD photo)

Authorities previously identified the pedestrian as 47-year-old Heidi Divis, of Omaha. An investigation determined Divis was crossing Kanesville Blvd. northbound against the walk signal with 8th Street at around 5:45-p.m. Nov. 6th, when she was hit by a 2009 KIA Sportage driven by Stark, as the vehicle was traveling eastbound through the intersection, as the traffic light was yellow.

(Radio Iowa) – Well over 450 Spencer residents have downloaded a new smart phone app designed to provide a variety of information — including weather alerts. Spencer City Manager Kevin Robinson says it’s part of the ongoing response to the historic flooding that hit Spencer in mid-2024. “One of the takeaways after the flood was people were relying on the messaging from the local government as a definitive direction of what to do,” he says. “For example, how much risk are we exactly in at what particular time? When should we, if we should leave our home?” Spencer sits at the convergence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers. The smart phone app uses data from the Flood Center of Iowa and provides notifications when river levels rise.

“The Flood Center has stream gauges all throughout Iowa and they update information every 15 minutes and then they feed that information into their flood models,” Robinson says. “We wrote the application on the Android and Apple phones so that the Iowa Flood Center information could flow into their phones.” That data is also used for a new three-tiered flood warning system Spencer has developed — and which is also shown on the app. Spencer hired retired Clive Fire Chief Rick Rowe to assess how the city handled the flooding and plan for how to handle future disasters. Rowe concluded the public wanted simple to understand warnings and he helped guide development of the app. Robinson says push notifications are built into the app.

“When we had a snow emergency come up here the last month or so, we were able to push messages out to people. When the derecho came we were able to warn about the weather — and then the app also isn’t just weather,” Robinson says. “It’s essentially an application version in the palm of your hand of our website.” The app is free to download in the Apple Store or Google Play Store. The city pays a small per download fee to the developer and Robinson predicts the company will start offering to build similar apps for other cities in the next few months.