(Radio Iowa) – The interim president of Simpson College in Indianola is now its 26th president. Susan Stuebner was named interim leader of Simpson this summer following the sudden death of Simpson President Jay Byers. The chair of Simpson’s Board of Trustees says faculty, staff and student leaders have been enthusiastic and overwhelmingly positive about Stuebner’s leadership.

She holds degrees from Harvard and Dartmouth and previously served as an administrator at two Pennsylvania institutions — Allegheny College and Lycoming College. She was president of Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire for eight years before her arrival at Simpson.

Stuebner is a Minnesota native. Early in her career, Stuebner served as an admissions counselor and head women’s basketball coach at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. Simpson’s Board of Trustees unanimously named Stuebner Simpson’s president earlier today (Tuesday). Simpson was founded in 1860 as a seminary and is named for a nationally known bishop in the Methodist Church. Simpson’s website indicates about 12-hundred students are enrolled at the school this fall.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says when health care goes up for discussion next month, it’s possible an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits will be on the table. The just-ended 43-day federal government shutdown was centered around extending the A-C-A subsidies, which Republicans — including Grassley — opposed. Now, reports say President Trump was considering the proposal of a two-year extension, but Grassley’s unconvinced.

“I think that we heard the same rumor you heard yesterday and we’ve heard that it was not a correct rumor,” Grassley says. “So the second week of December, the United States Senate has set that week aside to debate that very issue.” Some Democrats agreed to end the government shutdown in exchange for a promise from Republicans to take up the health care discussion and vote during December. The subsidies are scheduled to run out on New Year’s Eve and could mean millions face significantly higher premiums. Grassley says he’s willing to consider options.

“We Republicans will have alternatives,” Grassley says, “that could include some extension of the subsidy, but only with real reforms to the Obamacare healthcare issue.” Grassley says there’s “great dissatisfaction” with how health insurance premiums have skyrocketed under the A-C-A. “When it was passed, it was supposed to reduce the cost of health care by $2,500,” Grassley says. “We’ve seen it go up $5,000 since then, and so the estimates of 2010 were off by $7,500.”

Reports say President Trump was originally going to roll out a framework on Monday to extend the A-C-A. There is now -no- timeline for that announcement. The tax credits that are set to expire December 31st are helping some 22-million Americans to lower their health care costs through the A-C-A marketplace.

The Iowa State Patrol has released information about a crash in northwest Iowa that took place Nov. 21st, and resulted one person dead, three others injured. The Patrol says a 2015 Dodge RAM pickup driven by 21-year-old Austin Ryan Stokes, of Mallard, was traveling east on Palo Alto County Road B-55, just east of Highway 4 between Emmetsburg and Mallard, when the accident occurred at around 5:24-p.m.

The Patrol says a 2006 Infinity M45 was parked in the traveled portion of the road facing east. A 2008 Chrysler Town and County van was parked on the traveled portion of the road, facing west. The drivers of the car and van were outside the vehicles when the pickup struck the car and pushed it into the the van. Following the collision, the pickup left the road and rolled over.

The female driver of the car, 35-year-old Jamee Lynn Weber, of West Bend, died at the local hospital. A passenger in the car, and the drivers of the pickup and van, were injured in the crash. The other injured parties were identified as 64-year-old Carol Ann Harding, and 35-year-old Tyler Joseph Weber, both of West Bend. Carol Harding was flown to a hospital in Rochester, MN, for treatment of a broken back. Tyler Weber was transported to the hospital by Palo Alto Ambulance. Austin Stokes was transported by private vehicle.

(Radio Iowa) – The governor’s annual turkey pardoning ceremony highlights an industry that employs 38-thousand Iowans and produces about 12 million turkeys annually. Governor Kim Reynolds hosted the event at the governor’s mansion in Des Moines as two turkeys roamed the grounds.

There are over 130 turkey producers in Iowa. Josh and Kelli Berg of Early brought the two birds who’ve been given a Thanksgiving reprieve.

Berg’s operation now produces about a million turkeys every year. Iowa ranks 7th among the states in turkey production.

Reynolds says the industry will have an estimated 10-point-six BILLION dollar economic impact on the state this year.

(Des Moines, IA) – Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Tuesday) released a report on a special investigation of the Crossroads Behavioral Health Services for the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024.  Crossroads is a nonprofit organization that provides outpatient mental health and addiction treatment center established to provide support, counseling, and therapeutic services to children, adolescents, and adults in service area 13. The special investigation was requested by Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) officials as a result of concerns Crossroads was misappropriating federal funds.

Sand reported the special investigation identified $167,716.23 of questioned cost incurred, $14,167.91 of improper disbursements and $194.72 of unsupported disbursements. The $167,716.23 of questioned cost incurred includes:

• $74,967.05 under Substance Use and Problem Gambling Services Integrated Provider Network grant for
unallowable expenses and unpaid reimbursements to the subcontractor,
• $65,036.44 under State Opioid Response grant for unallowable expenses and unpaid reimbursements to
the subcontractor, and
• $27,712.74 under ARPA Integrated Provider Network Supplement grant for unpaid reimbursements to the
subcontractor.

The $14,167.91 of improper disbursements identified were disbursements using County Opioid funding. The $194.72 of unsupported disbursements identified includes mileage reimbursements and supply purchases for which Crossroads could not provide supporting documentation for purchases made using County Opioid funding. Sand recommended Iowa DHHS officials implement procedures to strengthen DHHS’ internal controls and operations, such as monitoring of grant and subcontractor payments.

Copies of the report have been filed with the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Division of Criminal Investigation. A copy of the report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website at Special Interest Reports.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, today (Tuesday), received a Secondary Roads Department update from County Engineer Karen Albert.

Engineer Albert said also…

Following her report, the Board approved Chairperson Charla Schmidt’s signing of the final plans for a Low Water Crossing on 210th Street, west of L Avenue, in Montgomery County.

MCBOS Zoom meeting (Still frame image) 11-25-25

The Board also discussed a draft of the County Capital Asset Policy. Each board member acknowledged having read through the policy. Supervisor Alex Burton..

They passed a resolution adopting the policy as presented. Their next regular meeting is set for 9-a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2nd.