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Groups lobby for action on water quality

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Dozens of people calling for state action on water quality rallied at the statehouse Thursday. Alison Barnhill of Huxley, is a member of Food and Water Watch. “I’m here for two groups that can’t be here today, who can’t speak up for themselves,” she said. “And one is my sister and all the other people like her who are ravaged by chemotherapy and radiation and are too immuno-suppressed to be here.” Participants placed flowers on a table in the rotunda in honor of Iowans who’ve died of cancer.

Jen Sinkler, a communications organizer with Progress Iowa, told the crowd her mom just completed treatment for her second type of cancer. “Even though she is now dealing with permanent alterations to her daily life, she’s going to be O.K.,” Sinkler said, “But we are not O.K.”

Sinkler and others at the rally called on House members to oppose a bill that would shield the makers of Roundup from lawsuits that claim the company failed to warn consumers of health risks, as long as the pesticide’s label follows federal guidelines. The bill passed the Iowa Senate last year.

FEMA offer to repair Iowa dam falls millions of dollars short

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa county is still struggling to get federal dollars to make repairs after flooding in 2018 and ’19. FEMA initially offered four-and-a-half million dollars to restore the Linn Grove Dam and a nearby park in Buena Vista County. The agency later offered seven-and-a-half million, then pulled all funding, though it was restored through arbitration. County conservation director Greg Johnson says the latest offer still isn’t enough money to repair the dam and popular fishing spot. “We as a community just want to move forward and make the repairs that are needed to protect the property into the future,” Johnson says.

“We’re sitting here six, seven years later, and it would be really nice to get this project completed.” In 2022, it was estimated the project would cost more than 12-million dollars, while Johnson says it’s likely higher today. At one point, FEMA claimed the project wasn’t eligible for any funding, but Johnson says both sides went through arbitration with the Civilian Board of Public Appeals. “We had the CBPA ruling deeming the dam as an eligible project a year ago, the expectations that it would be scoped to today’s, 2025 costs, and that’s not what had happened,” he says.

County officials have until April 1st to appeal FEMA’s most recent offer, and Johnson says that -will- likely happen.

2 arrested for OWI in Cass County

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, IA) – Two people were arrested on separate OWI charges in Cass County. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, 62-year-old Louie Mitchell Hahn, of Atlantic, was arrested February 12th for OWI-1st Offense. And, on the 17th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 25-year-old Logan Daniel Calkins, of Corning, for OWI-1st Offense.
Both men were transported to the Cass County Jail, booked-in, and later released on their own recognizance.

Donation fund set up to support Iowa Lakes Community College players, their families after bus crash

News, Sports

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A relief fund has been set up for members of the Iowa Lakes Community College Baseball team and their families. One player was killed and a dozen other players were hospitalized when a bus carrying the team and coaches crashed February 11th. Estherville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lexie Ruter says the chamber has set up an account for donations and will send the money to the college to distribute.

Ruter says it may be used to help cover families’ travel costs to get to the 12 players who were hospitalized or to attend the funeral for Carter Johnson, the 19-year-old outfielder who was killed in the crash.

Johnson’s funeral was held Wednesday in Rapid City, South Dakota. There’s a link on the Iowa Lakes Community College website to make donations.

2 injured when an SUV strikes a snowplow in Page County Friday morning (2/20)

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Clarinda, IA) – Two people were injured when an SUV hit the rear of an Iowa DOT snowplow Friday morning, in Page County. According to the Page County Sheriff’s Office,the accident happened at around 5:55-a.m. on Highway 2 at F Avenue,

Authorities say an investigation into the crash determined that an Iowa Dot snowplow, a 2011 International truck, driven by 37-year-old Daniel Meie,r of rural Clarinda, was clearing roadways on Highway 2 and F ave. The snowplow was traveling west bound on the Highway with its emergency lights activated. When the driver of the snowplow slowed down to turn onto F Ave., the plow was hit from behind by a 2004 Hyundai SUV driven Zavier Jay Huntley. The Sheriff’s Office said Huntley attempted to slow down, but lost control of his vehicle on the icy roadway before collided with the snowplow.

Both drivers were transported to the Shenandoah Medical Center following the collision.

The SUV sustained heavy damage in the crash, while the Iowa DOT snowplow sustained only minor damage.

Tennessee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, reports a Powell, Tennessee man was sentenced Thursday, February 19, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor. According to public court documents, 52-year-old Shawn Christopher Powell, communicated with a person he believed was a 13-year-old female between May and August 2025. Powell sent messages about wanting to engage in sex acts with the minor. In August 2025, Powell traveled from Tennessee to Iowa with the intent to meet up with the minor to engage in sex acts, and had condoms, sex toys, prescription pills, and children’s clothing in his possession at the time of his arrest.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Powell will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

Cass Health Named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, IA) – Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic have announced the facility was recently recognized as a 2026 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The award marks the tenth year in a row that Cass Health has achieved national recognition. The Top 100 awards program celebrates outstanding performance annually among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®.

Brett Altman, Cass Health CEO, noted, “For the past 10 consecutive years, this honor has served as a powerful vote of confidence from our neighbors. We are deeply grateful to the communities we serve for trusting us with their personal health care needs. While we strive for perfection every day, we are never complacent; we remain committed to challenging the status quo and delivering the meaningful improvements our patients deserve.”

“The delivery of care within rural communities is perhaps more complex today than at any point in recent memory. This year’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals have emerged as true leaders – committed to their mission through a powerful combination of resilience, dedication and innovation,” said Michael Topchik, Executive Director of The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We’re delighted to recognize this year’s winners and celebrate their Top 100 status.”

Now in its 16th year, the INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is utilized nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations, quality, patient perspective and finance.

2026 Class 1-A State Wrestling Friday Quarterfinals/3rd & 4th Round Consolation

News

February 20th, 2026 by Jim Field

State Wrestling Coverage on KJAN presented by:

QUARTERFINALS

106

  • #2 Karson Wuebker (South Central Calhoun) beat #7 Hunter Hussing (Missouri Valley) vs.  TECH FALL 18-1
  • #3 Josh Nelson (Nodaway Valley) beat #6 Cooper Sampson (North Mazhaska) FALL 3:07

113

  • #2 Ian Maize (WACO) beat #7 Leyton Elmquist (Audubon-Exira/EHK) TECH FALL 16-1

120

  • #5 Crosby Yoder (Logan-Magnolia) beat #4 Joe Hackett (Columbus Catholic) 7-1

132

  • #2 Riley Watts (Lawton-Bronson) beat #10 Ryan Fletcher (Underwood) MAJ DEC 9-1

138

  • #1 Drew Anderson (Riverside) beat #9 Trace Huisman (St. Ansgar) TECH FALL 18-3

150

  • #4 Lincoln Linden (Woodbury Central) beat #12 Mason Houser (Riverside) MAJ DEC 16-6
  • #18 Sam Raymond (St. Albert) beat #7 Aydan Groom (North Mahaska) FALL 4:08

157

  • #1 Boston Peters (Westwood) beat #9 Jaxon Gordon (Riverside) TECH FALL 15-0

165

  • #3 Ryan Groom (North Mahaska) beat #6 Treynor Cose (Coon Rapids-Bayard) 8-5
  • #4 Holden Koele (Woodbury Central) beat #5 Max Shanno (Riverside) FALL 2:43

190

  • #2 Caleb Christensen (Nodaway Valley) beat #23 Karson Hoogendoorn (BH/RV) MAJ DEC 13-1

215

  • #4 Kamdyn Kraklio (Durant) beat #5 Carson Edney (Logan-Magnolia) FALL 5:31
  • #3 Carter Wright (Woodbury Central) beat #11 Carter Richter (AC/GC) FALL 1:59

285

  • #1 Ashton Honnold (Nodaway Valley) beat #8 Will Howes (MFL) FALL 1:44

THIRD ROUND CONSOLATION

106

  • #11 Landon Thayer (Logan-Magnolia) beat #19 Micah Skogen (Lake Mills) FALL 3:25

113

  • #13 Zakari Willems (Sumner-Fredericksburg) beat #12 Brodie Johnson (Logan-Magnolia) FALL 1:38

120

  • #10 Jacob Rauch (North Linn) beat #18 Chase Slaybaugh (AC/GC) MAJ DEC 18-5

126

  • #20 Walker Riggan Louisa-Muscatine) beat #21 Owen Fletcher (Underwood) MAJ DEC 12-1
  • #13 Tatum Honda (Cascade) beat #5 Caleb Hoffman (Coon Rapids-Bayard) TECH FALL 18-0
  • #18 Cason Fitch (Colfax-Mingo) beat #10 Owen Becerra (Missouri Valley) 11-4
  • #9 Kingston Carrigan (Riverside) beat #15 Tacoma Thompson (MFL) MAJ DEC 15-5

132

  • #7 Ty Strode (Nodaway Valley) beat #18 Luke Zwanziger (Nashua-Plainfield) FALL 1:44
  • #8 Ryder Eklund (Ogden) beat #17 Johnny Cortez (Coon Rapids-Bayard) FALL 1:46

138

  • #13 Luke Schroeder (Missouri Valley) beat #5 Jett Kramer (Lynnville-Sully) FALL 5:15

144

  • #12 Kacyn Watson (Central Decatur) beat #19 Jett Sornson (Treynor) FALL 2:35
  • #11 Charlie Christensen (AC/GC) beat #3 Parker Glassmaker (MMC/RU) FALL 5:22
  • #15 Chance Christensen (Riceville) beat #10 Wade Hawkins (Logan-Magnolia) 10-5

150

  • #9 Ryder Cline (AC/GC) beat #17 Jariyah Bowles (AGWSR) MAJ DEC 14-6

165

  • #9 Bradyn Yates (Emmetsburg) beat #16 Gavin Wetzel (Southwest Valley) 9-5

175

  • #10 Kaleb Nelson (Underwood) beat #18 Connor Murdock (Woodbine) FALL 3:59

190

  • #4 Lucas Olson (Woodbine) beat #12 Evan Carrier (West Monona-Whiting) 6-2

285

  • #13 Maverrick Kalb (Treynor) vs. #21 Josh Young (Central Springs)
  • #16 Jack Sheeder (AC/GC) vs. #9 Cozyn Rozeboom (BH/RV)
  • #12 Roman Scheffler (AHSTW) vs. #20 Brody Harris (South Hamilton)

FOURTH ROUND CONSOLATION

106

  • #7 Hunter Hussing (Missouri Valley) vs. #11 Landon Thayer (Logan-Magnolia)

113

  • #7 Leyton Elmquist (Audubon-Exira/EHK) vs. #19 Dakota Aney (Columbus/WMU)

126

  • #9 Kingston Carrigan (Riverside) vs. #12 Waylon Logue (SE Warren/Melcher-Dallas)

132

  • #7 Ty Strode (Nodaway Valley) vs. #3 Matthew Mintle (Lynnville-Sully)
  • #10 Ryan Fletcher (Underwood) vs. #14 Maddox Morrison (North Butler-Clarksville)

138

  • #13 Luke Schroeder (Missouri Valley) vs. #9 Trace Huisman (St. Ansgar)

144

  • #11 Charlie Christensen (AC/GC) vs. #2 Aiden Timm (Belle Plaine)

150

  • #9 Ryder Cline (AC/GC) vs. #12 Mason Houser (Riverside)

157

  • #9 Jaxon Gordon (Riverside) vs. #19 Keegan Wiggs (West Monona-Whiting)

165

  • #6 Treynor Cose (Coon Rapids-Bayard) vs. #15 Calvin Harvey (Kingsley-Pierson)
  • #5 Max Shanno (Riverside) vs. #9 Bradyen Yates (Emmetsburg)

175

  • #10 Kaleb Nelson (Underwood) vs. #11 Landen Schnuelle (South Winnishiek)

190

  • #4 Lucas Olson (Woodbine) vs. #8 Lincoln Blickenderfer (Central Springs)

215

  • #11 Carter Richter (AC/GC) vs. #10 Adam Marsh (Pocahontas Area)
  • #5 Carson Edney (Logan-Magnolia) vs. #16 Carter Ites (Hudson)

Bills limiting Iowa governors’ authority during disasters emerge

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Three bills that would limit the power of Iowa governors have advanced ahead of today’s (Friday’s) deadline for committee approval of policy bills — and all three bills involve actions Governor Reynolds took during the pandemic. One bill would prohibit governors from closing a place of worship, even during a disaster. Another bill would restrict a governor’s authority to decide how long a state of emergency or public health disaster may last — and Iowa governors wouldn’t be allowed to order businesses to close, change election procedures or stop in-person visits at health care facilities. Republican Representative Samantha Fett of Carlisle led debate on that bill in a House committee.

“House Study Bill 726 is a bill that strengthens constitutional liberties, preserves essential public health tools, and clarifies the proper roles of the executive and legislative branches.” A third bill would make it harder for the executive branch to move forward with certain administrative rules. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames, voted against the bills. “I don’t love the idea of closing down places of worship and certainly that needs to be a last resort,” she said, “but in the case of an emergency I do believe that we need that flexibility in the state.”

Republican legislators are considering the bills now that Governor Kim Reynolds is not seeking re-election and voters will choose Iowa’s next governor in the November 3rd election.

Creston man arrested on a drug charge Thursday evening

News

February 20th, 2026 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, IA) – Police in Creston arrested a man on a drug charge, Thursday evening. Authorities say 44-year-old Timothy Robert Hudek, of Creston, was arrested at around 5-p.m. in the area of Montgomery and Walnut Streets. Hudek was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/1st offense. He was transported to the Union County Jail and posted a $1,000 cash or surety bond, before being released.