(Radio Iowa) – With the Christmas shopping done for this year, Iowa’s State Treasurer says it’s time to think of a more long-term gift for your kids. Treasurer Roby Smith says the latest toy or hot game may soon loose its luster. “Sometimes those gifts, you know, toys get put away in January,” he says. He says you should think about starting or contributing to a college fund for your kids or grandkids. Smith oversees the state I-Save 529 plan that allows you to save money for educational expenses. “This is a way to help pay for college trade, school apprenticeships or other qualified education expenses down the road. So it’s a gift that you’re giving for the future and to make your loved one better opportunities in the future. So we encourage people to do that,” Smith says.

Smith says friends and family can also make a gift to your child’s education account. “Let’s imagine you have an account for your child so you have access to the app so you download the app and then you would receive a you gift code and then you could text or e-mail it to a family member that wanted to give the gift,” he says. “Once they receive that code then they just log in to a secure website and they make the gift. On the website and it goes straight into the I Save 529 account of your child.” Smith says there are several options for how the account invests the money. “They can choose to go with a more aggressive account, they could go with an aggressive return, they could go with a more conservative return. It just depends on what they want to look at as far as their risk tolerance,” Smith says.

Smith says you can deduct contributions to the I-Save 529 plan from your state income taxes. You can find out more about the plan at: ISave529.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowans will be sitting down to fabulous family feasts this holiday weekend. The amount and types of foods you eat can have a big impact on how you feel. Jade Williams, a nurse practitioner at Van Diest (DEEST) Medical Center in Webster City, says it can be a challenge -not- to overeat when you’re surrounded by loved ones and a wealth of culinary choices.

Williams says eating tends to be socially encouraged and if everyone else is noshing, you may find yourself having an extra helping, too.

The holidays can bring a combination of stress, celebration and nostalgia. When those things mix, Williams says it can create a “reward stacking” effect, making treats seem all the more irresistible, and too much of a good thing can upset one’s gut.

Try drinking a full glass of water before the meal, and make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables, in addition to the holiday specialties.

(Radio Iowa) – The head of an organization that stocks food pantries in 55 Iowa counties says along with a surge in food pantry usage, her organization’s food budget has soared. Tami Nielsen started as a regional coordinator for the Food Bank of Iowa in 2016 and has been its President and C-E-O since June 1st.

Nielsen says Iowans can make about anything with a pound of ground beef, but the Food Bank of Iowa has changed its bulk buying due to the high price of beef.

The Food Bank of Iowa is one of six Feeding America food banks in the state — and the largest. It’s the main supplier for 700 food pantries in the state.

Nielsen made her comments during a recent appearance on the “Iowa Press” program on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Researchers discovered high concentrations of the H-5-N-1 virus in the raw milk and udders of infected cows after it spilled over into dairy cattle last year. A study shows the mammary glands of other animals, and humans, could be suitable hosts for the bird flu virus. Iowa State University veterinary pathology professor Todd Bell was part of the research team that discovered the “lock-and-key” mechanism allowing the virus to infect cells in cow udders.

Rahul Nelli (RAH-ool mel-EE) is lead author of the study that found the same receptors in the mammary glands of humans as there are in animals.

Bell says their findings show a potential health risk for farm workers and consumers of raw milk and cheese from goats and sheep.

Bell says more research and widespread testing are needed to understand how the virus spreads across species and through the environment. This could help prevent bird flu from evolving into something more dangerous for people.

(Radio Iowa) – The plane carrying the remains of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in Syria on December 13th landed early Wednesday afternoon at the Des Moines Airport. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.

Howard’s funeral will be held Saturday morning at Marshalltown High School. Torres-Tovar’s funeral will be Monday. The time and location have not been announced. The Iowa National Guard has posthumously promoted both men to the rank of staff sergeant.

(Radio Iowa) – The holidays are a time for family gatherings, and some Iowans might notice changes in a loved ones’ cognitive abilities that warrant further investigation. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says it’s an uncomfortable topic at any time of the year, but there are often clear signs a person may be developing one of the most common forms of dementia.

The association estimates 62-thousand Iowans are living with Alzheimer’s and Livingston says many will show similar symptoms of a failing memory.

They also many not recognize people with whom they’re acquainted. So how do you tell if a loved one’s memory loss is just typical forgetfulness or if it’s the harbinger of a real problem?

The Alzheimer’s Association Helpline is a vital resource for concerns about cognitive changes affecting a loved one. The number, 800-272-3900, is staffed around the clock every day, including holidays.

On the web at” www.alz.org/iowa

(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors received a report,today (Wednesday) from Auditor Mandy Berg, with regard to the Courthouse phone system. Berg said their current provider, Mediacom internet with Access Systems as a phone provider, costs them $940/month, and comes with a year-to-year contract, and they have informed her that they can no longer bundle the phone and internet contract.

Berg said she’s been in contact with Windstream, who would provide Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) internet service, and phones. Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that lets you make voice and video calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines, converting your voice into digital data packets sent via broadband.

The total package price, Berg said, would be $755/month, plus tax.

Berg is waiting to hear from Access Systems to see if there would be a penalty for cancellation of the current contract, before proceeding with an agreement with Windstream. In the interim, the Supervisors approved having Mandy Berg explore more, the possibility of a contract with Windstream.

The Adair County Superisors also heard from County Engineer Nick Kauffman, with regard to the purchase of a motorgrader. He initially reported on the costs associated with an all-wheel drive grader, during the Board’s meeting last week. Kauffman said he preferred an all-wheel-drive system. If they commit to the purchase of the new grader now, he said, it would save about five-percent on the cost, as opposed to purchasing at the beginning of 2026, or about $20,000.

The Board approved purchasing the all-wheel drive graderfor the FY 2027 Budget year, which begins July 1, 2026. Kauffman reported also on Adair County Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater spoke with the Board about the hiring of Greenfield Police Officer Hunter Fry, as a new Deputy. Fry has served the Greenfield PD for about 4-years. The Board approved the request as presented. They approved also, the Sheriff’s request to extend an unpaid leave of absence for a Sheriff’s Office employee out on medical leave.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Alex Dinkla says troopers have stopped motorists traveling at more than twice the posted speed limit on Iowa highways.  “Some of the speeds that we’ve actually tracked here: 164, 151, 142,” Dinkla says. “Those are actual speeds that everyday citizens, not in race cars, in ‘Plain Jane’ automobiles are driving and choosing to drive.” Iowa State Troopers practice driving and stopping at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, but Dinkla says the patrol’s sedans — Dodge Chargers — would never drive 164 miles an hour during a chase. “And so when people are driving that fast, that’s dangerous,” Dinkla says. Dinkla made his comments at Iowa P-B-S for one of this month’s episodes of “Iowa Press.”

Last year state troopers wrote over a thousand tickets to Iowa drivers clocked at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour. A bill to significantly increase the fines for excessive speeding has been introduced in the Iowa House, by a lawmaker who’s a state trooper. Representative Joshua Meggers of Grundy Center says he was patrolling a two-lane highway last summer and stopped a driver going 103 miles an hour. Data compiled by the Legislative Services Agency indicates the Iowa State Patrol, along with Iowa police and sheriff’s departments, are likely to issue between 10- and 11-thousand tickets this year to motorists driving at least 20 miles an hour over the speed limit this year.

(Council Bluffs, IA) – Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department report a man from Nebraska was arrested on Attempted Murder and other charges, following an investigation into a possible home invasion Tuesday, in Council Bluffs. Officers were called to a residence at 3317 2nd Avenue at around 5:43-p.m., Tuesday, and found the victim, 42-year-old Chad Opel on top of the suspect, 41-year-old Antonio Marquez North, of Omaha, attempting to restrain him until officers arrived.

Authorities say their initial investigation showed that the victim, Chad Opel owns 3317 2nd Ave., but it is currently vacant while he is fixing it up. As Opel was exiting his own residence of 3315 2nd Ave., he noticed that someone was inside 3317 2nd Ave. residence.

North, Antonio M.

Opel then entered the residence and confronted the suspect (Antonio North). During the confrontation Opel was stabbed several times by North. Opel was transported to UNMC for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. North was transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs for treatment to a minor cut on the back of his head. Police charged North with Attempted Murder, Assault Causing Bodily Injury and Trespassing. He is currently being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail. Bond was set at $27,000.

The public is reminded that all criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal trial.