DES MOINES— Today, Governor Kim Reynolds authorized a disaster proclamation for Calhoun County, Iowa effective immediately through November 1, 2025. The USDA has confirmed a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock.

This proclamation allows state resources from Iowa Homeland Security, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and other agencies to assist with tracking and monitoring, rapid detection, containment, disposal, and disinfection. The proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.

The recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern, and it remains safe to eat poultry products. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.

(Radio Iowa) – The chair of the Iowa House Oversight Committee says the arrest and evolving details about former Des Moines superintendent Ian Roberts are a great embarrassment for the state — and citizens expect lawmakers to respond. Republican Representative Charley Thomson of Charles City has sent the Des Moines School Board a letter, telling the board to keep every document related to the situation, including email and voice mail messages. “We’re going to have to reconstruct a lot of what happened and see where the points of failure were,” Thomson says. The Des Moines School Board hired a search firm that recommended Roberts, paid another firm to review his credentials and hired a Des Moines law firm to review his payroll application, which included a drivers license and Social Security card. Roberts also submitted fingerprints and other materials to the Iowa Board of Examiners two years ago and was granted a state license to serve as a superintendent.

“There are several gaps that we’ve identified in the process and we’re going to dig into every one of those,” Thomson said. “There are so many permutations that happened with this case that it’s going to keep us busy analyzing exactly what happened.” The Associated Press has reported the Des Moines School Board hired Roberts after learning he had been enrolled at Morgan State, but did not receive the doctorate in urban educational leadership listed on his resume. Roberts’ attorney and a spokesman for the school board say Roberts has a doctorate from Trident University International, a for-profit school that has not responded to media requests to confirm that. “It’s hard to imagine how this series of errors could occur with otherwise rational people running the show,” Thomson said. “It’s a stunning situation — unprecedented, and I hope it’s one of a kind, but we’ll find out.” Thomson has not scheduled a committee hearing at this point, however.

State Representative Charley Thomson (R-Charles City) is chairman of the House Oversight Committee (official photo)

“There is so much information coming out really every day, almost every hour, on what’s going on,” Thomson said. “We’d like the news to slow down a little before we can get a full focus of what the hearings would be, if we do have hearings.” Thomson says nothing is off the table in terms of legislation that would address whatever lawmakers discover, but he says they have to develop a timeline based on the established facts of the case first. Thomson, who is an attorney, says it’s important that the constitutional rights of those involved are respected — and he wants to ensure the committee’s work doesn’t interfere with any federal prosecution of Roberts. “This is an area of significant concern on a bunch of levels for the taxpayers and my constituents…are absolutely fed up with this,” Thomson said. “It’s a great embarrassment for the state and maybe a wake up call.”

The Woodbury County Sheriff announced this (Thursday) morning that federal authorities had taken custody of Roberts.  He was booked into the Polk County Jail Friday afternoon, and held on a U-S Marshal’s Service hold. Roberts had been held in the Woodbury County jail in Sioux City since Sept. 26th.

(Radio Iowa) – Leaders of the 21 businesses that make up the Iowa Business Council have a positive outlook for the third quarter of the year in the latest survey. I-B-C president Joe Murphy says the survey overall index was up more than two points. “That being said, you know there does seem to be a great deal of uncertainty with respect to tariff policy, trade policy and even at the Federal Reserve level trying to determine what the Fed will do with respect to interest rates,” he says. A 50 on the survey scale is positive and the latest survey is at 60 — or about even with the historical average.

“That tells us that they’re holding steady. They’re cautiously optimistic about the future of the economy. There’s not a lot of responses saying that they’re drastically cutting back on anything,” he says, “but again, you know, keeping their powder dry.” Murphy says hiring expectations in the survey increased, despite the concerns about the business climate, showing some hope things are going to improve.  “More than 30 percent of our members are actually looking to increase their employment base here in the state, which is great news. And so I think as we look. towards the future, shoring up some of this uncertainty that will allow business leaders to make decisions with respect to hiring and move forward in a in a positive way,” he says. Murphy says federal tariffs are one thing that could turn out to be very key for businesses.

“Everybody is closely monitoring the situation, even if a company is not directly impacted by tariff policies, it’s impacting the economy and therefore their business decisions,” Murphy says. “The folks who are definitely watching this with a great deal of urgency are those in the agricultural sector, so specifically getting this deal done with China is hugely important.” Murphy says the members know the business climate has a lot of room to get better if some of the issues are solved.  “There are some opportunities here, I think in the next, you know, three to four months for some action to be taken that will clear up some of that uncertainty and help and hopefully launch us into the new year with a burst of momentum and positivity,” Murphy says. You can see the full survey at: iowabusinesscouncil.org.

I-B-C member companies include: Alliant Energy; Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company; Casey’s General Stores, Inc.; Collins Aerospace; Corteva Agriscience; Deere & Company; Fareway; HNI Corporation; Hy-Vee, Inc., Iowa Bankers Association; Kent Corporation; MercyOne; MidAmerican Energy Company; Pella Corporation; Principal; Ruan Transportation Management Systems; The Weitz Company; UnityPoint Health; Vermeer Corporation; Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa; and Workiva.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man was arrested this (Thursday) morning on a warrant for Failure to Appear. 41-year-old Cory Ross Smith, of Elliott, was arrested on the warrant out of Adams County at around 8:10-a.m., in the 200 block of Cherry Street, in Elliott. He was turned-over to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and was being held on a $500 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa’s congressional delegation are calling on U-S Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to relocate U-S-D-A research projects to central Iowa. Iowa was not included in the plan released in July that would shift most U-S-D-A employees out of the Washington, D.C. metro to cities in five other states. Senator Chuck Grassley says Ames is a prime location. “Ames has the means and the USDA relationship needed to provide a very smooth transition since it’s already got a large concentration of USDA facilities and employees,” Grassley said. Secretary Rollins plans to start shifting functions at the Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, to other sites and permanently close the facility in a few years.

“The current facility in Maryland is named after a native Iowan and former Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace,” Grassley said. “Seems very fitting, because of Henry Wallace, locate some of that facility’s ag research to its namesake’s home.” Four units of the Agricultural Research Center are already located in Ames, including its National Animal Disease Center. Grassley says Iowa State University works closely with those facilities and U-S-D-A researchers use I-S-U’s high-performance computing services. “Ongoing projects at the Beltsville Research Facility in Maryland, right outside of Washington, align with the efforts that have been happening at Iowa State University for decades,” Grassley said.

Grassley, the governor, Senator Ernst and all four Iowans who serve in the U-S House signed onto a letter to the ag secretary. It cites Iowa’s low cost of living for employees who might move from the nation’s capitol to Iowa as well as the real-world experience U-S-D-A research would find in Iowa’s fields.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna reports the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse Board Room, 105 E Coolbaugh Street, Red Oak, Iowa at 9:15 a.m., on October 21, 2025, to discuss a proposed Floodplain Management Ordinance. All written and oral comments will be heard, and action may be taken regarding this ordinance by the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors at this meeting.

The public is invited to attend said hearing to express their views concerning the proposed ordinance. The proposed ordinance can be viewed in the Auditor’s office or on the County’s website www.montgomerycountyia.gov.

Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna

All written comments must be delivered to the County Auditor’s office at 105 E. Coolbaugh St., Red Oak, IA 51566 or by email auditor@montgomerycountyia.gov prior to 8:00 a.m. on October 21st, 2025, if they are to be presented to the Board.

(Radio Iowa) – The calendar says October but Iowa’s forecast says August. The National Weather Service predicts much of the state will see high temperatures in the upper 80s today (Thursday), low 90s likely Friday and Saturday, with cooler weather moving in on Sunday. Highs the next few days may be 20 degrees hotter than average. State climatologist Justin Glisan says the just-ended month of September rounded out much warmer than usual, too. Glisan says, “If you look at the average temperature for all stations in Iowa, it’s 67-degrees, and that’s about three-and-a-half degrees above normal.” Along with the warmer weather, he says Iowa ended the month short on rainfall.

“The driest conditions were found in eastern Iowa and in pockets of northwestern Iowa,” Glisan says. “Overall, the preliminary average total for September was one-point-seven inches, and that’s almost one-and-three-quarter inches below average.” The month ends as the 25th warmest and driest September in Iowa history, based on 153 years of record keeping. As for the month ahead, Glisan predicts more of the same, at least for several days. “If you look at the short term outlooks through the middle of October, we’re seeing an elevated warm signal for much of the United States,” Glisan says, “but the warmest signal is centered across the central part of the United States, including much of Iowa.”

The forecast models also show the chances of rain picking up during the second week of October.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ weekly Fall Colors report, says Cottonwood and black walnut tress are starting to change color in north central and northwest Iowa. Red maples in town are starting to change colors. Early fall colors have started in central Iowa, but are still very spotty with only about 10-15 percent of the foliage showing color. Reds are beginning to appear on some maple trees, especially in towns. Maroon colors are appearing on sumac, dogwood, and Virginia creeper vines. Walnut, cottonwood, basswood, elm, and hackberry trees are turning yellow.

It’s early in the season in southeast Iowa. Mostly bottomland species are starting to change colors and lose leaves. Cottonwood, walnut, and elm trees are showing a little yellow and brown. Some dogwoods and roadside shrubs are starting to show fall colors. Walnut and cottonwood trees are starting to show a little yellow in south central Iowa. Shrubs and vines are showing some purples and reds.

Cottonwood, white ash and red maple trees are starting to change color in southwest Iowa. Upland shrubs (sumac.dogwood, plum) on south/west slopes are starting to turn red and purple.

Read more and sign-up for the weekly e-mail update, HERE.

(Radio Iowa) – A state legislator from north-central Iowa is being named the new executive director of the Iowa F-F-A Foundation. Shannon Latham of Sheffield says she brings 30 years of experience spanning business, government and communications to her F-F-A responsibilities. Latham says she’s thrilled to be giving back to an organization that had a profound impact on her life. “In fact, my FFA advisor is the one who led me toward an agricultural career path,” she says. “He took me to my college visit at Iowa State. He introduced me to the major of agricultural journalism just because he knew all of the things that I was interested in when I was in high school.”

While some people may not be familiar with the foundation itself, Latham says many people in central Iowa will recognize the F-F-A Enrichment Center on the DMACC campus in Ankeny. “A lot of groups come here, have conferences all throughout the year, and the foundation helps raise money actually for Team Ag Ed,” Latham says, “and Team Ag Ed is a bunch of partners that include the Iowa FFA Association. That is what our chapters across the state belong to.”

In addition to her F-F-A duties, Latham says she will continue in her role as a state representative. There are 20-thousand-500 members in the Iowa F-F-A program in some 270 chapters statewide.