(Radio Iowa) – A Vietnam era military jet got a helicopter ride back to its home Tuesday following a new paint job courtesy of the 185th Iowa Air Guard in Sioux City. The A-7 D Corsair II was flown by helicopter to the Sioux City base in May from Freedom Park in South Sioux City. Freedom Park board member Mary Hogan was excited after waiting for the paint job to get done. “We waited so long for this to get over here. There’s probably at least ten of us out here that were sweating bullets pretty much from the time that we were hearing that the Army was on the way and the sling was being hooked up. And here we are,” he says. “I just can’t tell you how it feels to finally put this down here and bring it to its permanent home.”

(Photo: Vought A-7 D Corsair II via Siouxlandfreedompark.org)

The A-7 had been owned by the American Legion before all the arrangements were made to paint it and move it. The plane did not go overseas and had been used as a trainer for the 185th and other pilots when the unit flew fighters. “When they finished it, we’ve been waiting for decent enough weather and for the museum to bless off on us being able to bring it back over. And this is the time that the Army and the air and the Air Force, we’re all ready to go,” he says. Hogan had served with the 185th in Sioux City and was thrilled to see the plane as it got closer to its new home. “Pretty awesome seeing it from clear over on the horizon coming in and helicopter and the little bitty A-7 underneath it. And as it got bigger, you know that that’s very cool,” Hogan says.

The plane will sit in a permanent display near the Vietnam Memorial Wall replica and the Korean War Memorial at Freedom Park. Hogan says there will be a ribbon cutting opening the plane exhibit in the next couple of months.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Regents could take action at its meeting today against state university employees who celebrated the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

There have been calls in particular for an Iowa State University employee to be fired, and Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson supports that move. “I think Iowa State should fire anyone on their staff who celebrated Charlie’s murder, that’s pretty clear cut to me,” Hinson says, “and I think anyone who celebrated a death like this should face consequences. There’s a pretty clear, I think, value system that we should hold our staff at our universities who are educating our young people to.”

Ashley Hinson. (RI file photo)

The Republican from Marion was asked during her weekly conference call with reporters about those who say Kirk’s rhetoric fueled the polarization of groups. “Well, one thing I think we can all learn from him is that he knew that those we disagreed with politically were not our enemies. And I think he did approach things the right way,” she says. “He went to people he knew, probably disagreed with him, and he started a conversation. That’s what he built his entire organization on and his brand on. And he was civil, he was respectful and yeah, people did disagree with him and he did that again in a very public way.”

Hinson says she’s disturbed by the number of people on the left who cheered the assassination. Hinson says one way to help the problem is to make sure funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities is going to encourage civil discourse. “That I think is where we try to fix this, is that the root of those conversations, and so as a mom, I’m inspired my son wants to go off and start a club at his school and make sure that those conversations are continuing,” Hinson says. “And trust me, I hear what 14 year olds are saying all the time. And my son and all of his friends as they’re having these conversations, they don’t all agree on everything, but they’re doing it in a civil way and then at the end of the day, they hop on and they play their video games together.”

The Board of Regents has a closed session scheduled on their agenda, but does not have a specific discussion item listed for this topic. Personnel issues are often discussed in closed session and then action is taken when the Board returns to open session.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Adair County held their regular weekly meeting Wednesday (Sept. 17), during which they passed a Transfer Resolution, after receiving a brief explanation from Auditor Mandy Berg.

They also approved three appointments to the Adair County Tourism Council. Once again, here’s Mandy Berg…

The Board acknowledged receipt of two Manure Management Plan updates, and then continued last week’s discussion with regard to the Greenfield Swimming Pool project. During their meeting Sept. 10th, the Supervisors in Adair County heard from Renee Schwartz with the Greenfield Pool Steering Committee. She mentioned the Greenfield City Council approved having a one-million dollar Pool bond referendum on the Nov. 4th General Election ballot, with the intention of replacing the current pool which was built 1942 and is in bad shape. Schwartz said it had one-to two-years of life expectancy remaining. If approved by the voters, a new, zero entry-style pool would be built that improves accessibility for persons of all ages and provides a comfortable space for sunbathing or relaxing in the shallow water. The current pool only offers entry by ladders A new pool would cost about five-to six-million dollars.

During today’s meeting (Wednesday) Supervisor Board Chair Nathan Baier had an update on where the county stands legally on the matter.

Mandy Berg discussed the Urban Renewal aspect of the project.

She said there would need to be a joint agreement with the City of Greenfield. The process would take about three-to four months to get it into an amended and adopted Urban Renewal Plan.Afterward, the County could bond for its part of the project, but the earliest would be next Spring or Summer.

She said the cost to the County to petition for a bond would be at least four-to six thousand dollars. Another option is the use of Local Option Sales Tax revenue, but Berg suggested that’s not “really a good option.” No action was taken.

In other business, the Adair County Supervisors approved a Longevity raise for Lee Stewart, who has 25 years with the Secondary Roads Department. They also passed a Resolution awarding the FY26 Crack Sealing Project to Manatt’s, Inc., in the amount of $102,624.

(Radio Iowa) – Some blind Iowans are speaking out against changes to a state program that prepares blind people to live independently, and about two dozen people marched outside of the Iowa Department for the Blind in Des Moines on Tuesday. The agency recently ended the requirement for blind Iowans to use sleep shades — which block all vision and light — while learning to navigate. Helen Mejia, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa, says training with sleep shades helped her learn how to use her other senses and a cane to get around. “We’re all for choice. The problem is…we talked about the person who’s just losing their vision, and they’re scared,” Mejia says. “They don’t know enough to be able to make that choice yet.”

Mejia says Iowa’s program has been successful, and she says the department’s new director should take more time to learn about it before making changes. Jonathan Ice of Cedar Rapids says he’s trained with sleep shades. He says requiring them ensures people are truly learning to use blindness techniques and are building their confidence. “The tendency is to think I can’t do it without that little vision I had,” Ice says. “With the sleep shade requirement, I learned that I could get out, get around all over Minneapolis, all over Des Moines, with my cane without seeing a thing.”

Iowa Department for the Blind Director Stacy Cervenka, who took office in July, says making the sleep shades optional will help more Iowans receive intensive training so they can work and live independently.