The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports six separate arrests over the past week. Two people were arrested Wednesday: 47-year-old John Duane Anderson, of Cumberland, was arrested for violation of a no contact order and control of a firearm by a domestic abuse offender.  Anderson was taken to Cass County Jail where he later posted bond. And, 39-year-old Ryan Michael Paul, of Adair, was arrested in Cass County on a Hardin County warrant for failure to appear.  Ryan was transported to Cass County Jail and was released after posting bond.

There were two arrests in Cass County Monday, as well: 22-year-old Nailah Chanel Sawyer, of St. Paul, MN, was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant for controlled substance violations and drug stamp violation.  Sawyer was held at Cass County Jail and was later released on her own recognizance. And, 43-year-old Anthony Karns, of Wiota, was arrested for violation of a no contact order.  Karns was transported to Cass County Jail and was released the following day after posting bond.

On August 8th, Cass County Deputies arrested 26-year-old Casy James Curnyn, of Denison, for OWI 1st offense and possession of controlled substance-marijuana 1st.  Curnyn was transported to Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance. And, as we’ve previously mentioned, 53-year-old Julian Joe Gallegos, Jr., of Albuquerque, NM, was arrested at around 10:40-p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8th, after Cass County Deputies and Atlantic Police Department were called to an incident of shots fired at the Turkey Creek Lodge on E 7th St., in Atlantic.  As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested Gallegos, Jr.,  for reckless use of a firearm and going armed with intent.  He was remains held in the Cass County Jail.

In an update to previous reports, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Friday (today), said a woman from Polk County was injured during a collision east of Wiota Thursday morning. The accident happened at around 8:50-a.m. at the intersection of White Pole Road and 690th Street. Officials say Jovanna Marie Yenchi, of West Des Moines, was driving a 2013 Ford transit van traveling westbound on White Pole Road.

When Yenchi slowed to turn left onto 690th St. her vehicle was struck from behind by a 1983 Freightliner dump truck, driven by Tyson Blane Edwards, of Fontenelle.  Both vehicles crossed into the south ditch and came to rest east of 690th St.  A third vehicle, a 2019 Chevy Colorado, driven by Paul James Hohenberger, of Atlantic, was traveling eastbound on White Pole Rd when his vehicle was struck by flying debris from the collision.  Yenchi was transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The broadcast News at 8:07-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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Sioux City, Iowa (8-am News)  – The Iowa Dept. of Corrections reports 27-year-old Harley Lowell Merrick, who was convicted of Assault while Participating in Felony and Theft 1st Degree in Woodbury County, failed to report to Sioux City as required, Thursday. Merrick is an American Indian male, height 5′ 6″, and weighs 180 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on 07/15/2021.

Persons with information on Merrick’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Harley Merrick

The broadcast News at 7:06-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Some two-dozen members of Congress are asking the Biden Administration to reimburse dairy producers for losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa State Dairy Association Executive Director Mitch Schulte says that aid is critically needed as dairy producers were just starting to climb out of several years of economic losses prior to the pandemic. “We’re really trying to help these farmers that, due to COVID, suffered severe losses out on their farms and they need this income to help them maintain their operation and keep moving forward,” Schulte says. “I see this as a benefit to our farmers.”

Schulte says nearly 725-million dollars in skim milk revenue was lost due to the pandemic.  “That’s a very large hit as we’ve seen some of our other markets do well,” Schulte says. “Cheese and butter are having fantastic sales. Fluid milk is extremely important to our industry and as we look at the amount of revenue that’s been lost due to closures of businesses and closures of restaurants, that continues to add up.” Most large dairies have been able to weather the pandemic, but Schulte says the rest are in need of federal aid if they’re going to be around to see 2022.

“Their margins are quite a bit tighter and their business is run a little bit different and they’re not marketing quite as much milk,” Schulte says. “It definitely plays a role when you’re looking at those small and mid-sized guys. When a pandemic or something happens to shift that marketplace, it does play a dramatic role in the amount of revenue they’re bringing in.” The U-S-D-A had estimated the drop in milk prices would cost the dairy industry two-point-eight billion dollars.

(Radio Iowa) – A proposed amendment to Iowa’s Constitution on the subject of abortion isn’t eligible for the Iowa ballot until the 2024 election at the earliest, but the campaigns for and against it have already begun. In 2018, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that under the state’s constitution, Iowa women have a fundamental right to an abortion. Earlier this month, at a gathering of 12-hundred Christian conservatives, Chuck Hurley of The Family Leader praised Republicans legislators for proposing an amendment to nullify that ruling and asked the crowd to take a look at a card they’d been given. “Please, please, study this card and then go to the website that is on the card,” Hurley says. “…It has resources like (church) bulletin inserts, more of these cards and then a video.” The Family Leader, Iowa Right to Life and other organizations have formed a coalition to lobby legislators to advance the proposed amendment again in 2023 or 2024 so it can be put to a statewide vote.

“We can turn the tide and win and defeat Planned Parenthood and the abortion lobby and protect unborn children in Iowa,” Hurley said. Jamie Burch Elliott is Iowa director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood North Central States. She says Planned Parenthood is building a coalition of organizations that will oppose the amendment. Burch Elliott points to the increasing number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in Iowa after G-O-P lawmakers moved to shut Planned Parenthood out the government program that provides birth control to poor women. She expects that to be one of many factors in the upcoming debate.

“But what we’re working on now is a statewide strategy to educate and inform Iowa voters,” she says, “and then mobilize them to take action.” A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll taken this spring found about a third of those surveyed support the proposed amendment, but the poll also shows the amendment is favored by 55 percent of Republicans and opposed by 82 percent of Democrats.

“It’s important to keep that in mind,” she says. “It also means that it’s going to be a long, tough and expensive fight.” In 2020, Louisiana voters passed an amendment that’s similar to the one being proposed in Iowa, stating that if Roe v Wade is overturned, their state’s constitution does not secure the right to an abortion. Also last year, Colorado voters rejected an amendment to ban abortions after the 22nd week of a pregnancy.

(Radio Iowa) – People were lined up to get into the Iowa State Fairgrounds Thursday as the event returned from the pandemic layoff.The fairgoers were anxious to get back to the familiar sights, sounds, and tastes of the fair. And everyone had the same opinion on the year without it — one woman saying it “was kind of a bummer.” Denny Reichardt of Corning says last year was “bad, but safe.” He and his wife Betsy had been to the Iowa State Fair for some 30 years straight before last year’s cancellation.

Reichardt says everyone appeared as anxious as they were to get in. He says they ended up waiting on Grand Avenue to get in and cars were backed up about a quarter-mile. They like to get to the fair early and on opening day. “Absolutely, we are first-dayers all along,” Denny says. Betsy was asked what her favorite thing is to do at the fair and she responded “Just look.”

ISF Grand Concourse

Denny says their strategy is to get there early and leave after lunch before things get too hot.

(Johnston, Iowa) – The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, Johnston, Iowa, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating its new Operation Desert Storm/Global War on Terror exhibit on Saturday, August 14 at 1 p.m. Iowa native Gen. (retired) Charles “Chuck” Horner will be  the featured speaker. The public is invited to attend this event.

The exhibit begins with Desert Shield/Desert Storm and transitions to the Global War on Terror operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. With more than 2,000 square feet of exhibit space, the new Desert Storm/Global War on Terror exhibit features numerous pieces of equipment and artifacts used for training and combat during these conflicts, including an AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter, an M113A2 Armored Personnel Carrier, an M1025 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (“Humvee”), and a U.S. Marine Corps M1030B1 motorcycle. Display cases contain U.S. uniforms, weapons, and equipment used by Iowa veterans of both conflicts.

Examples of Iraqi-issued equipment and weapons obtained by Iowa military personnel are also on exhibit. The exhibit contains numerous artifacts from Iowans, including a uniform worn by Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, a quick-feeding machine gun ammunition “Ironman Pack” constructed by Iowa Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division in Afghanistan, and a Purple Heart medal awarded to 1st Lt. Sonya Brekke as a result of wounds sustained in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Iraq.

Featured aviation artifacts include military flight gear and support equipment, including an F-16C Fighting Falcon flight simulator that visitors can experience firsthand. The aviation section also features the story of Iowa native Gen. (retired) Chuck Horner’s role in coordinating the Allied air campaign for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Horner, originally from Davenport and a University of Iowa graduate, commanded the U.S. Central Command Air Forces and led all U.S. and allied air operations during the conflict.

Prior to Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Horner flew more than 110 combat missions in Vietnam in the F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber. He retired from the Air Force in 1994 after 36 years of service. According to State of Iowa and Census Bureau statistics, more than 30,000 Iowans served on Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard duty in support of Desert
Shield/Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror from 1990-1991 and 2001-2021. More than 100 Iowans were killed in action or died from injuries or illness during the conflicts.

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Established in 1985, the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is the only federally-recognized repository for military artifacts in the state of Iowa. The mission of the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is twofold: to preserve Iowa’s military history and honor the military service of all Iowans. The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum’s permanent exhibits tell the stories of Iowans who have served in defense of their state and nation, from the early settlement of the state through the Global War on Terror. The museum also contains one of the finest military small arms collections in the Midwest.

Additionally, an exhibit detailing the history of the Iowa State Patrol is also on display. The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is located on Camp Dodge, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston, Iowa. Admission is free. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The museum is closed Sunday and Monday. Please use the NW 70th Ave. entrance, which is open 24 hours a day.

Photo identification is required for adults (age 16 and older) to gain admittance to Camp Dodge (a driver’s license is acceptable). Group tours are welcome and guided tours are available by appointment. For additional information or questions about this event or the IGSMM, contact the museum at 515-252-4531 or visit the museum website at www.goldstarmuseum.iowa.gov or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HonoringIowaVeterans/ .

(Radio Iowa) – A program that focuses on the many abilities of people with disabilities is holding its national competition this week, with an Iowa woman among the 30 contestants. Heidi Kriener is Ms. Wheelchair Iowa. She’s a teacher in the Turkey Valley Schools in both the ESL and TAG programs. Kriener says it’s a thrilling experience to be a part of this year’s Ms. Wheelchair America competition, even if it’s being held virtually.

“We go on Zoom all day from 11 until 4 and we have workshops that are very informative, I’ve learned a lot so far,” Kriener says. “And then later, we’re able to have a social hour so we get to talk with the girls and meet them and hear their stories. It’s been a phenomenal experience. I’ve learned so much!”

Ms. Wheelchair Iowa Heidi Kriener

As this year’s Iowa titleholder, Kriener says her platform focuses on three words, “Everybody plays together.”

“What I’m hoping to go for is having more inclusive playgrounds in rural areas,” Kriener says. “We have them in bigger cities, but in rural areas, like where I live, I don’t feel we have anywhere for these kids to play. Being a teacher, I see a lot of schools that don’t have places for kids to play — on a playground.”

Kriener, who lives in Alpha, was born with spina bifida and has been in a wheelchair her entire life, but says she grew up in a household where she wasn’t allowed to use the word “can’t” and was able to try everything her brothers did. One of her biggest accomplishments is becoming a teacher, while in her spare time, she focuses on something you might not expect.

“My favorite activity is horseback riding. I own my own horse,” Kriener says. “I love to horseback ride and I know that’s hard for some people to comprehend. How does a person in a wheelchair get on a horse? There’s ways to do it.”

The final speeches from Kriener and the rest of the contestants will be webcast live starting at 5 PM/Central on Friday, with the crowning event at 5 PM on Saturday.