(Radio Iowa) – The panel that meets quarterly to estimate state tax revenue predicts consumer spending will drive state tax collections a bit higher this year — but total revenue will still fall by over a BILLION dollars due to income tax cuts that took effect January 1st. Jennifer Acton — head of the Fiscal Division of the Legislative Services Agency — is a member of the State Revenue Estimating Conference. “The current economic picture for Iowa remains mixed with state and national economic indicators presenting conflicting signals and limited federal data since October’s meeting, some caution is due,” Acton said. “However, it is also noted that total gross receipts growth has marginally increased over the last eight weeks.”

Acton says persistent inflation continues to challenge consumers and businesses, while some tariff impacts have been delayed as large and small businesses boosted inventory at this time last year to try to avoid tariffs. “While Iowa continues to face unique challenges in its agricultural and manufacturing sectors, there has been some good news recently,” Acton said. “China has begun purchasing American soybeans again after a pause, although exports are still not at levels of prior years. In addition, the price of soybeans has risen by over a dollar a bushel since mid-October and corn prices have also increased since mid-October as well.” Iowa Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen — the governor’s top budget advisor — says uncertainty at the federal level makes predicting state tax revenue gains and losses difficult.

“The federal government shutdown did cause a delay in publishing of some economic data and the international trade policy continues to be unsettled,” Paulsen said. “That said, the announcement of the $12 billion in relief payments to farmers will substantially help the agriculture sector and, in turn, Iowa’s economy.” Paulsen says the state has more than enough cash in reserve accounts to cover the drop in state income tax collections. Income taxes from individuals and corporations account for the largest share of state tax revenue, but Paulsen says there’s growth in the state sales taxes despite surveys indicating consumers intend to spend less this holiday season. “There’s conflicting information, but the receipts continue to be strong into the state,” Paulsen said.

Senator Janet Petersen, the top Democrat on the Iowa Senate’s budget committee, says no matter how Governor Reynolds and her fellow Republicans try to spin it, the State of Iowa faces a historic, billion-dollar state budget deficit due to tax cuts.

(From an FFA reporter) – On Wednesday December 10th members of the Atlantic FFA participated in the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation Beef Extravaganza. Team members Lauren Comes, Hayden Kleen and Frank Freund placed 5th overall. The three members of the Beef Extravaganza team thank Chad Comes, Kevin Freund for helping with the team’s preparation, and Cass County Cattlemen for paying the entry fee for the team’s contest. Atlantic FFA member Lauren Comes commented, “Overall this is a very difficult contest and I feel like I learned a lot. I know this will help me in the future as I continue to work in the cattle industry.”

The Beef Scholarship Extravaganza is a unique contest open to high school juniors and seniors that focuses on the student’s knowledge and skills in ten different areas of the beef industry. Teams worked through ten 30-minute stations with 10-minute breaks between each station. In station one, Health and Handling, Team members were tested on effective stockmanship for handling of cattle and proper health related practices included, but not limited to, proper vaccination procedures and protocols, dose administration and equipment selection, parasite control, castration procedures and other health related practices essential for the beef industry and animal welfare.

Pictured from left to right: Frank Freund, Hayden Kleen, Lauren Comes. (Photo courtesy Eric Miller)

During station two, Nutrition, team members evaluated the body condition score of four cows and then assisted the station judge in balancing a feed ration for a real-life scenario. To prepare, students learned about body condition scoring, cattle nutrient requirements, the nutrient values of feedstuffs, and how to use that information to determine what diet will be the best for the exercise.  Station three focused on Marketing. The station required contestants to calculate yield and quality grades for carcasses, determine the value of a carcass, and determine values for lots of cattle. Team members should know the degrees of marbling necessary to achieve a final quality grade, assuming that all marbling calls are derived from A maturity carcasses. Students must also be able to use adjusted fat thicknesses, ribeye areas (sq. in.), hot carcass weights, and KPH% to calculate final yield grades. Team member Frank Freund said, “I really enjoy the marketing section. It’s a complex math problem that has real world applications. I will be able to use this information in the future when I work for the family business.”

Station four was the Seedstock Merchandising station. Team members demonstrated how to incorporate performance information, pedigrees, and phenotypes into a private treaty sales situation. Judges acted as buyers and team members had to identify the buyer’s needs, concerns, and goals in order to “sell” the bull or bulls. Atlantic FFA member Lauren Comes commented, “My favorite part of the contest is the Seedstock Station. I like talking about the genetics of cattle and how to use that information to predict the future of a cattle herd.“ Station five was the Keep-Cull Replacement Heifer station. During the first part of this station team members evaluated expected progeny differences (EPDs) and visually appraised live cattle in order to choose four out of eight heifers to keep that would best fit the production scenario given to contestants. The scenario addressed the objectives and marketing scheme of the operation along with other management information. In the second component teams answered questions about the set of heifers and their EPDs as well as their phenotypical features.

At station six, Job Interview, each student prepared a cover letter and resume and participated in a mock interview with an industry professional. By participating in this station, young people had the opportunity to explore career choices in the cattle industry. Station seven, Beef Industry Issues and Advocacy, gave team members the opportunity to give a presentation shedding a positive light on an area of the beef industry. Subjects may have included Modern Beef Production, Animal Care, Beef Safety, Beef Nutrition, Environmental Stewardship, and The Beef Checkoff. The Reproduction station is often considered the most difficult station of the contest. Students were tested on their knowledge of calving management practices such as pre-calving preparation, process of parturition, dystocia, equipment involved in reproductive practices, synchronization techniques, artificial insemination, embryo transfer and other technologies in this field.

In the Credit and Finance station team members were provided with the experience of organizing, preparing, and participating in a mock loan request. Teams met with financial officers and presented a description of a project along with completed financial data in support of the loan request. The project consisted of selecting one of three scenarios: purchasing 150 head of yearling steers to feed out, purchasing 15 bred cows to start a cow/calf business, or purchasing 75 head of heifer or steer calves. Atlantic FFA member Hayden Kleen commented, “My favorite station is the Credit and Finance scenario. This station will give me confidence when its time for me to get a loan to continue into the agriculture world after graduation“

The final station was the Beef Management Challenge. This station allowed students to tie information gained from the other stations of this competition together. This station was an informal discussion between team members and a judge, who assumed the role of a manager who needed advice about his or her cattle operation. The team members assumed a role of a hired consultant to provide advice for the fictitious beef enterprise.

Atlantic FFA Advisor Eric Miller said, “Overall I was extremely happy with how the team performed. This contest is basically taking ten college sophomore level tests in a row. This contest is very demanding and takes a lot of practice. Thank you to all the parents that helped and a special shout out to the Cass County Cattlemen for funding our team for the past 13 years”

(Glenwood, IA) – The Glenwood Police Department reports two recent arrests.  On Wednesday (12/10), 21-year-old Ashton Andrew Lander, of Treynor, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $300. And, on Tuesday (12/9), 41-year-old Amber Anette Osler, of Malvern, was arrested for Driving While Barred. Her bond was set at $2,000.

(Radio Iowa) – The project to replace the Sioux City runway that’s being used by the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Refueling Wing is included in the defense spending bill the U-S House approved Wednesday. Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says it will protect over a thousand jobs at the Sioux Gateway Airport. “This is probably my number one issue for Sioux City over the last several years,” Feenstra says. The Iowa Air National Guard’s runway in Sioux City was built for lightweight F-16 fighter jets. Twenty years ago the 185th became a Refueling Wing and flies massive KC-135 Stratotankers that weigh 41-and-a-half tons when fully loaded. The Federal Aviation Administration has said it will soon be unsafe for those planes to use that runway.

“I was in one of the KC135s. They took me up in the air and when you come down, it’s sort of like a sponge,” Feenstra said, “so we knew we had to get it done and the time was running out.” The Federal Aviation Administration has set aside 20-million dollars for the project, but that funding would be lost if the Pentagon doesn’t start the project by mid-2027. The estimated cost of replacing the runway and other improvements is nearly 150-million dollars. “It allows the construction of a new runway, aircraft parking apron, and warm up and holding pads for…Stratotankers,” Feenstra said.

The language authorizing the project’s start is included in the massive National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate is expected to soon approve the bill and send to President Trump for his signature.

(Radio Iowa) – The results of this week’s vote to unionize by nearly 18-hundred nurses at the four UnityPoint hospitals in metro Des Moines are still unclear. Over the past three days, 871 nurses voted for the union, while 666 voted against it, but the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which is leading unionization effort, is challenging the validity of another 251 ballots. Carly Olney, a critical care nurse in Des Moines, says a lot of nurses are feeling disheartened right now.

“We can’t take the best care of our patients if we are overworked. We haven’t even eaten lunch all day, and we’re working 12, 13 hours a day,” Olney says. “We’re taking care of way too many patients, far more than what we are able to do.” This results of the election will be undetermined until the National Labor Relations Board can review the challenged ballots to see if they should be counted. Olney says there’s a lot riding on this vote. “We get this contract, and we have every intention going forward of adding on if they would like to join our respiratory therapists, our patient care techs, pharmacy,” she says.

A spokesperson for UnityPoint said it doesn’t believe there is any merit to Teamster’s ballot challenges. The vote involved nurses at four hospitals: Blank Children’s Hospital, Iowa Lutheran Hospital and Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, and Methodist West Hospital in West Des Moines.

(Creston, IA) – The Creston Police Department reports a woman and a man were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday. At around 1:13-p.m. Creston Police arrested 40-year-old Fallon Danielle May, of Creston, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense. May was taken to Clarke County Jail, where she was being held without bond until seen by a Judge.

And, at around 6:34-p.m., Wednesday, Police in Creston arrested 56-year-old James Keith Saufley, Jr., of Lenox, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Saufley was taken to Union County Jail. He was later released on a $300 cash or surety bond.

(Atlantic, IA) — Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic, report in its debut, the Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 list ranks Cass Health as one of three hospitals in Iowa to earn an overall five-star rating. The new ranking out of nearly 5,400 general acute care hospitals eligible, only four- and five-star hospitals made the inaugural list; 253 earned a five-star rating and 509 received a four-star rating.

According to Forbes, “This unique rating system evaluates general acute care hospitals throughout the United States to offer consumers unbiased information on which hospitals can offer top-notch, high-value medical services, no matter where they are in the country … Central to the methodology is its emphasis on clinical patient outcomes (such as rates of mortality, survival, infection and readmissions). These measures were given the most weight and, therefore, had the most influence on each hospital’s overall rating.”

Cass Health received a five-star overall rating based on performance data related to patient outcomes, best practices, value, and patient experience. Hospital CEO Brett Altman says “It is an honor to be recognized by a prestigious institution like Forbes. Our vision is to be the best rural hospital in America, and the data shows our team is fully committed to that goal. We want to deliver the best possible outcomes for our friends, family, and neighbors here in southwest Iowa. While we aren’t perfect, we strive for perfection every day with every patient and hold ourselves accountable to delivering the best possible care with every encounter.”

To create the list, Forbes worked with a team of experts and data extracted from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Provider Data Catalog. Visit www.forbes.com/lists/top-hospitals to see the full list and additional information on each hospital.

(Atlantic, IA) – You’re invited to enjoy free soup and goodies with Santa and The Grinch, Dec. 22nd, in Atlantic. Enjoy live holiday music while you warm-up with the soup meal, served by volunteers. There will also be opportunities to take pictures. The event, sponsored by Cass Health, will be held at the American Legion Building (The Armory), at 201 Poplar Street, in Atlantic, on Dec. 22nd, from 5-until 7-p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.  Eat-in or take-out! Delivery is also available by making arrangements in advance.  Contact Sally Madsen-Richter a 712-249-7709 with any questions you may have, or to schedule delivery. (You may also e-mail Sally at sally.richter9@gmail.com)

(Radio Iowa) – Research predicts more Iowans will die from heart attacks during the last week of December than any other week of the year. Rob Gavora, chief administrative officer at MercyOne-Iowa Heart Center in Des Moines, says there isn’t just one reason for the grim outlook, but several, including the stress of the season. “Many folks are obviously indulging in foods or other activities they might not normally be engaging in. Many folks aren’t quite as active during that time of the year as well, with their exercise and things of that nature,” Gavora says. “Many folks who are constantly taking medications or they’re on some type of medication cycle, they maybe take a break or discontinue (the meds) as they’re spending time with family, or traveling.”

Gavora serves on the board of directors of the Iowa chapter of the American Heart Association. He says we need to be aware of the signs of a heart attack or stroke all year long, but it’s especially critical during the next few weeks. “Obviously, during the time of the year with family, friends, many folks have bigger meals or maybe different types of foods they don’t normally have throughout the year,” Gavora says. “Making sure folks stay on the healthy regimen as best as possible, exercising a few minutes per day as well. The American Heart Association recommends at least 20 minutes of exercise per day to really make sure you’re even just walking or moving and getting your cardiovascular health constant.”

It’s important to maintain routines and keep healthy habits, and Gavora says it’s okay to indulge a little, but moderation is key. According to Gavora, one of the most critical factors might be that people ignore important warning signs of a heart attack or stroke. “In Iowa, just like the rest of the country, about 70% of the cardiac arrests that do occur outside of a hospital or healthcare facility generally do happen at home,” Gavora says. “One piece of advice that we always really, really stress is that it’s super important that at least one person within a family or a group does know how to do hands-only CPR.” Especially in rural Iowa communities, E-M-S responses can be delayed and minutes matter, so Gavora says it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms and seek treatment right away.

Studies show more cardiac deaths occur in the U.S. on December 25th than on any other day of the year, followed by December 26th and January 1st.

(Radio Iowa) – A spokesman for the Iowa D-O-T says air travel has been up, while highway travel has remained steady. Stuart Anderson says the latest data shows people are making more visits to the state’s airports. “October was another big month and another little bump up compared to last month, but still pretty consistently record numbers compared to past years. Anderson gave an update to the Transportation Commission at their meeting Tuesday and says the impact of the government shutdown on Iowa air travel isn’t yet clear.

“The shutdown went from October 1st through November 12th, certainly in October you can see there weren’t really shut down impacts, but that is pretty consistent. November, I think we’ll see some some influence that’s when we saw more of the impacts on flights being delayed or cancelled across the country. So that might influence the November numbers a little bit,” he says. Anderson says volumes on the state roadways haven’t changed much. “The October ’25 numbers were about one percent higher than October of ’24. Year to date, it’s zero-point-two percent higher than 2024, so pretty flat numbers, but again these are at the higher level where we’re at in recent years,” Anderson says.

One thing on the roadways that has changed is the number of fatal accidents. That number was at 251 through Wednesday (December 10), which he says continues to be a big improvement. “Twenty-three percent lower than the five-year average,” he says. There were 36 traffic deaths in Iowa last December. With the death this (Thursday) morning of a Shenandoah man, to number of confirmed deaths due to accidents this month, is two.