The 8:07-a.m. broadcast news from Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department reports two arrests and an incident of vandalism. Authorities say Thursday afternoon, 27-year-old Zakary Arthur Titus, of Creston, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 cash-only bond. And, 43-year-old David Carlson Wallander, of Thayer, was arrested Thursday afternoon in Creston, for Driving While Suspended. He was taken to the Union County Jail and later posted a $300 bond.

Creston Police said also, a man residing in the 400 block of Livingston Avenue reported on May 21st, that multiple vehicles he owns, were vandalized. The front driver’s side window of a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander was broken out, and scratches were made on the rear driver’s side quarter panel of a 2013 Nissan Titan. The total amount of damage was estimated at $1,000.

With Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – The Powerball and Lucky for Life games are adding more drawings later this year. Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer says Powerball is going to add a Monday drawing along with the Wednesday and Saturday drawings — while the Lucky For Life game will move from two drawings to a drawing every night.” Powerball is nationwide, while the Lucky For Life game involves Iowa and 15 other states. Neubauer says the changes are in response to the feedback they’ve been getting. “Players are looking for bigger, faster-growing jackpots in games like Powerball and MegaMillions. And so, the change in Powerball is designed to help deliver those bigger, faster-growing jackpots,” Neubauer says. “When you have another drawing in the mix every week it would mean more tickets being sold and that way the jackpot would grow more quickly.”

The big jackpots in the games have lagged since the pandemic.”We’re an instant gratification society — and this is a way to speed up the pace of the games a little bit,” she says. Neubauer says more drawings don’t change your odds of winning a jackpot. “Even though extra drawings are being added in the game — it does not change the rest of the specifics in the game, ” according to Neubauer. “So the prize levels are staying the same, the odds of winning, the ticket price is all the same, it’s just that there will be more drawings per week.”

The Lucky for Life game will change first. “The first daily drawings in that game begin on July 19th. And then the changes in Powerball will occur in August — with Powerball moving to three drawings a week. The first Monday drawing in that game will happen on August 23rd,” she says.

You can win the Powerball jackpot by matching all six numbers selected in the drawing, while the Lucky for Life game gives players a daily shot at winning its top prize of one-thousand dollars a day for the rest of their lives.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University study finds a recent federal court decision forcing the line speeds at meat processing plants to slow down could result in a two-and-a-half percent loss in pork packing capacity nationwide. I-S-U economist Dermot Hayes says without any changes, the ruling will lead to a cut of more than 80-million dollars in income for small pork producers. “We were expecting those plants to be at capacity this fall so those extra hogs are going to have to find a home,” Hayes says. “Packers will have to cancel contracts with producers and push those hogs out and they’ll be transported a couple hundred miles to a plant that is willing to take those hogs, but of course, at a discount.”

Hayes says the new regulations go into effect July 1st, but plants won’t start reaching capacity until September, October or November — which is when the forced slowdowns will hit. “Four or five of the plants have been running at these line speeds for 20 years,” Hayes says, “so it’s not a short-term decision that caused this. It’s one of those laws of unintended consequences. We’ll see it this fall when we traditionally get the most hogs going through the pipeline.” Hayes says if the agency plans to appeal the court’s decision, it’ll need to act quickly.

“The decision that the U.S. Department of Agriculture made to allow higher line speeds under the Clinton administration, the judge just didn’t think they had done a good enough job documenting the impact on worker safety,” Hayes says. “One outcome would be for the USDA to appeal and ask for some time to document the impact on worker safety, if any.”

The National Pork Producers Council is urging the U-S-D-A to appeal the decision. N-P-P-C president Jen Sorenson says the lives of many hog farmers will be upended if the ruling takes effect.

DES MOINES – On Thursday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new Public Health Disaster proclamation that extends critical regulatory relief for an additional 30 days to those on the frontlines of COVID19 recovery.

The proclamation also continues to extend the waiver on transportation restrictions for overweight loads.

The proclamation can be found online here.

(Radio Iowa) – A report on local health finds nearly one in five Iowa households do not have broadband access. The report, from the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute, uses more than 30 measures like adult obesity and air quality to rank counties on their overall health. Researcher Anne Roubal says internet access helps people apply for jobs and stay socially connected for their mental health during the pandemic. “And then also just access basic health care things like telehealth, especially in rural or even frontier areas across our nation,” Roubal says.

Iowa fell short of the report’s top benchmark of having at least 86-percent of households with broadband access. “Iowa as a state is only at 81-percent,” Roubal says. “That’s still five-percent less than what we would want them to be at.”

The report found the percentage of households with broadband access in Iowa varies from as high as 89-percent in Dallas County, down to 65-percent in Davis County. This is the first year the report has included access to broadband as a factor in health.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

Former Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer — the Democrat who lost her bid for a second term in the U.S. House last year — is reportedly considering a run for the U.S. Senate.

Finkenauer lost her 2020 race in Iowa’s first congressional district by about two-and-a-half percent or a little less than 11-thousand votes. According to Politico, two unnamed sources indicated Finkenauer is laying the groundwork for a U.S. Senate race in 2022.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley’s seventh term ends in early 2023. The 87-year-old has said he won’t announce until this fall whether he plans to run for an eighth term and put his name on the 2022 ballot. Finkernauer, who lives in Cedar Rapids, would face a Democratic Primary if she does run for the Senate.

Western Iowa farmer Dave Muhlbauer of Manilla launched his 2022 U.S. Senate campaign this week. Other Democrats are considering the race, too. State Auditor Rob Sand recently told the Carroll Times he will not run for the U.S. Senate, but is still considering a race for governor or for re-election to a second term as state auditor.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s governor has joined with the governors of Montana, Oklahoma, Nebraska and the Dakotas in calling for a public update on any federal investigation of the meatpacking industry.

Governor Kim Reynolds and the five other governors have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. The group says decades of consolidation have led to anticompetitive behavior from the four major meatpackers that threatens the existence of independent cattle producers. Tyson, J-B-S, Cargill and National Beef controll about 80 percent of the beef market. Reports from June of last year indicated the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice had initiated a civil investigation of those meatpackers. The Republican governors, including Reynolds, are asking the Biden Administration’s Justice Department to provide regular updates to the public, where appropriate.

President Biden has appointed a commissioner to the Federal Trade Commission who is well known for her criticism of anti-competitive practices in the poultry industry. The F-T-C also has the power to file lawsuits over monopolies.

ATLANTIC, IA (May 27, 2021) – Produce in the Park is working to make fresh, local produce accessible for all people in the area, regardless of income. The Thursday evening farmers market is now accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments, as well as Double Up Food Bucks. SNAP provides food benefits to needy families. Double Up Food Bucks is a related program to encourage the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. For every SNAP dollar a customer spends on fresh fruits and vegetables, they receive another $1 in Double Up Food Bucks to spend on fresh produce (up to $10/day).

Fareway in Atlantic has been distributing and accepting Double Up Food Bucks since summer 2020, and Fareway Assistant Manager Mitch Millius says the program is going well. He says Double Up Food Bucks is, “a great opportunity for the community.” According to the latest Health Indicators Report from the Iowa Department of Public Health, approximately 15% of households in Cass County receive SNAP benefits. Cass County residents looking for information on SNAP and other food assistance programs available in the county can contact West Central Community Action in Atlantic at 712-243-5421.

Produce in the Park is a community-oriented farmers market held every Thursday evening (4:30-6:30 PM) from June through September in the Atlantic City Park. Shoppers can find fresh produce, baked goods, meats, farm-fresh eggs, a variety of crafting products such as candles, soaps, and lotions, and dinner for purchase on-site. The market also offers live music and will feature community organizations in 2021.

Produce in the Park 2021 summer farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, First Whitney Bank & Trust, Cass County Tourism, Camblin Mechanical, the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Cass Health, and the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

Stay up to date on the latest with Produce in the Park by signing up for the Produce in the Park newsletter at http://www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com, and following Produce in the Park on Facebook @ProduceInThePark and Instagram @ProduceInTheParkAtlanticIA.

Additional information:

Event: Produce in the Park Opening Day 2021

Date: Thursday June 3^rd

Time: 4:30 – 6:30 PM

Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W 7th St., Atlantic, IA 50022)

Details:

Farmers market shoppers will find fresh produce including radishes, green onions, lettuce, and zucchini, in addition to farm-fresh eggs, honey, local meats, jams and jellies, syrups, granola, baked goods, and dinner at the park. Home gardeners won’t want to miss starter vegetable plants, herbs, and flowers. Expect live music, community organizations, and a guest chef with food samples.

Pre-order online starting June 1 at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com/. Orders must be submitted by midnight, Wednesday, June 2^nd for drive-through pick-up at the market on June 3^rd.

NEW and Notable:

1. Park Packs: $15 boxes of produce from Brun Ko Farm and Erickson Foods. This week’s box includes zucchini, green onions, radishes, and lettuce. Pre-order or buy at the park.
2. Produce in the Park is now accepting SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks!
3. COVID-19 Vaccines will be available at the Park Opening Day Cass County PublicHealth nurses will be at the park offering COVID-19 vaccines. No preregistration is required. These will be Johnson & Johnson vaccinations, one dose and you’re done!