(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.

(IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH)- Animal-welfare advocates say that while one of Iowa’s biggest puppy-mill operators is no longer licensed, he is still selling dogs and has ramped up the illegal practice of puppy laundering. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claims in a court filing that one of Iowa’s most prolific violators of the Animal Welfare Act, Steve Kruse of West Point, hasn’t ceased operations with the loss of his license, but has actually expanded the “illegal activities” intended to facilitate the sale of puppies and dogs. In September 2024, the ASPCA filed a seven-count civil complaint against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal agency that polices animal breeders and brokers at the national level.

The ASPCA alleged the USDA has knowingly allowed illegal activity to occur through its issuance of licenses to Kruse and two of his associates, Brian Lichirie and Wuanita Swedlund, and by failing to revoke any of their licenses. The case centers on the USDA’s alleged failure to act in response to its own written findings that Kruse has used Lichirie and Swedlund to engage in puppy laundering – the practice of routing dogs to retailers through intermediary breeders, allowing Kruse’s dogs to be sold even in states that restrict the sale of animals originating from kennels owned by repeat violators. Aside from a USDA motion to dismiss the lawsuit, there was very little activity in the case until Oct. 8, 2025, when U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb noted that so much time had passed that Kruse’s three-year USDA license had expired. The judge asked the USDA and the ASPCA to each submit briefs as to whether the expiration of Kruse’s license rendered any part of the case moot.

In its filing, the USDA recently suggested the five claims concerning enforcement against Lichirie and Swedlund remained live, while the two counts specific to Kruse were moot and should be dismissed. Without a license, the USDA argued, there is no issue of enforcement the court can address. Last week, the ASPCA filed its own brief, contending all seven counts should proceed, arguing the USDA “did not offer any indication that they had conducted an inquiry or investigation as to whether Mr. Kruse continues to participate in the venture even without his license, still owns the land on which the kennels operate, or otherwise maintains involvement in the ongoing enterprise.” The ASPCA alleges that while Kruse is no longer licensed, its investigation suggests he “remains actively involved in regulated activity under the Animal Welfare Act, despite the cancellation of his license.”

The APCA notes that days after Kruse’s license was canceled in August 2025, the USDA approved Christine A. Snakenberg for a license to do business at the same West Point address where Kruse has for years operated a large-scale kennel. The USDA’s pre-license inspection report for Snakenberg indicates there were 142 adult dogs on the property when the inspector visited and the federal agency agreed to grant her a license. Kruse still owns that property, the ASPCA says, and Snakenberg, who is not a co-owner, owns a single family, owner-occupied home 19 miles away in Danville. In addition, the ASPCA says, an Illinois Bureau of Animal Welfare inspection report dated Nov. 26, 2025, shows that Kruse himself “continues to supply dogs” to Ray Duckmanton, an Illinois-licensed breeder doing business as Racore Inc.

In its brief to the court, the ASPCA alleges that the USDA has historically failed to act even when its own inspectors have confirmed that a previously licensed individual is still engaged in breeding or brokering. The organization adds that the USDA, in its brief to the court, has not argued that the alleged illegal activity has halted and has instated stated only that Kruse is no longer licensed. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks a court order that would force the USDA to void all current licenses issued to Kruse and his associates.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s the time of year when many Iowans like to pack the family into the minivan at dusk, switch the radio to Christmas music, and drive around town taking in the colorful holiday light displays. Triple-A-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says if you’ll be making the rounds, remember to follow the rules of the road — and don’t stop dead on the street to take selfies. “You want to remain focused on driving. A carload of family is definitely fun, and you want to enjoy the lights, but make sure you’re not stopping in traffic to take pictures,” Ortner says. “Some of those displays are pretty amazing, and while driving slow is great and the lights are beautiful, they can also be a distraction, so pull over to a safe place and take your photo.”

Some spectacular holiday displays across Iowa may rival the fictional Clark Griswold’s house, but while the lights are stunning to look at, they can also be a dangerous distraction. “Make sure everybody in the car is buckled up. You’re still on the road, things can happen,” Ortner says “As the driver, stay focused on the road. Just like we talked about at Halloween, there’s going to be extra people walking the streets, driving the streets, young children who may be playing in the snow. Make sure if you are taking photos, that you’re one, you’re not driving — make sure the driver is not the person taking the photos.” Many Iowa communities have professionally-lit, drive-through light displays, but those shows demand drivers stay vigilant so the jolly mood isn’t wrecked by a fender bender.

“There’s parks, golf courses, neighborhoods, some are walk-through, but if you’re driving, stay vigilant on avoiding those distractions,” Ortner says. “Make sure you’re taking the time, and if you are the driver, take time for yourself. Pull over. Get out. Enjoy the lights, just like your passengers are.” Ortner says it’s important for drivers to keep their mind and their eyes on the road. “When you leave those drive-through parks, turn your lights back on. A lot of times, they tell you to turn those off as you drive through to see the holiday lights a little better,” Ortner says. “Make sure you wear the appropriate winter gear in the car in case of an emergency, and keep your roadside emergency kit handy: blankets, water, snacks, flashlights, the things that if you do have to stop for a while and the temperatures drop, you can stay warm, hydrated and fed.”

For more tips, visit www.aaa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University Extension is going to hold its home gardening webinar series again in January. Alicia Herzog leads the Master Gardener Program and the webinar series. “I really want it to be open to anyone who is interested in gardening, so I try my best to make it that way. Try to make it very accessible. I allow people to join on zoom or on Facebook live,” she says. Herzog says there are 10 different topics and she normally likes themes. ” This year was a little bit harder because I do look at past participant data about what topics people are wanting to see in the upcoming year and they didn’t fit as nicely into little theme boxes as I would normally like them to,” she says. Herzog says she likes the variety they will present.

“So they’re going to be a few sessions where we talk about gardening for wildlife, using native plants, pollinator gardens kind of in that realm, more of that conservation and gardening, meeting that realm. Then we’ll also have some that are very specific about vegetables and edibles,” Herzog says. She says one will focus on recommended vegetable cultivars for Iowa, specifically about growing garlic. She says they also will cover issues of what you plant in and where. “Soil health monitoring and testing, growing specialty cut flowers. And then we always do a few that are about design and kind of helping people be creative with how they design their spaces,” she says. Herzog says you can pick and chose topics.

“People don’t have to sign up for all of them, if there are only certain ones that are of interest to them, that’s fine,” she says. “If they’re interested in all of them, that’s fine as well. We would love to have people join us for all ten sessions, but it’s not required,” Herzog says. The Home Gardening Webinars will be Thursday evenings from 6–7 p-m central time from January 8th through March 12 th. Go to the Iowa State University Extension website to register.

Here’s the full webinar schedule:

• January 8: Gardening for Wildlife
• January 15: Recommended Vegetable Cultivars for Iowa
• January 22: Growing Great Garlic
• January 29: Right Perennial, Right Place
• February 5: Green Roofs for Home Gardeners
• February 12: Do-it-Yourself Soil Health Monitoring for Your Garden
• February 19: Why Choose Native Trees and Shrubs?
• February 26: Growing Specialty Cut Flowers in Iowa
• March 5: From Sight to Scent – Selecting Species for Sensory Spaces
• March 12: A Place for Pollinators

(Red Oak, IA) – A woman from Griswold was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Montgomery County. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 54-year-old Lisa M. Metheny was arrested at around 2:30-p.m. in the 2500 block of Highway 48, following a brief investigation. Metheny was charged with Child Endangerment -an Aggravated Misdemeanor-  and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash-only bond.

(Council Bluffs) — A committee tasked with filling a vacancy seat on the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday afternoon, elected to appoint Keith Jones to fill the seat remaining on the Board, following the removal on December 4th of former Supervisor Scott Belt. The committee included the county auditor, county treasurer, and county recorder.  Once formally accepted by the Board, Jones will receive the Oath of Office at the next Pott. County Board of Supervisor’s meeting, and begin serving immediately thereafter.

Assuming there is no petition for a special election, Jones will serve the remainder of Belt’s unexpired term, which runs through December 31st, 2026.

Earlier this month, a district judge ruled that Belt could not return to his seat on the board after a legal petition was filed by County Attorney Matt Wilber against Belt in November. Wilber cited Belt’s actions at a town hall meeting in Carson on November 5th and other incidents of alleged drunken conduct.