(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak report a woman was arrested this (Thursday) morning, on an OWI charge. Authorities say 41-year-old Chandra Christine Baggett was arrested in the 700 block of East Oak Street, for OWI/1st offense (A Serious Misdmeanor) and Interference with Official Acts ( Simple Misdemeanor). Baggett was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Hospers, Iowa) – Officials with the northwest Iowa city of Hospers, posted to social media earlier this week, asking community members to “Please keep our Hospers Fire & EMS volunteers and families in your thoughts and prayers, following a training exercise” Monday night, during which two Hospers firefighters were injured. Officials were conducting a live burn simulation when the fire flashed over, leading to the injuries.

One of the firefighters – identified in a fundraising post as Phil Zeutenhorst- was reported to be in a burn unit in Lincoln, Nebraska, for treatment of his injuries. The second firefighter suffered minor burns. The number of firefighters who participated in the exercise is unclear.

The social media post from the City of Hospers said “We are all so thankful for these men and women from our town and all area volunteer Fire & EMS departments. Every time their pagers go off, they leave their families and loved ones to go and try to save someone else’s life or home. This Thanksgiving, may we all pray for their safety and recovery—both physical and mental. May we remember to appreciate all that they give.”

The incident is still under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – If it’s been a while since you’ve seen an older relative, Iowans may be noticing certain signs over the Thanksgiving weekend in how they’re acting that might indicate the start of a problem. Megan Benzing, program manager for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says it’s supposed to be a joyful time of year, but it’s also an opportunity to take note of potential warning signs which may warrant further action.

Some of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s, especially early on, include forgetting recently-learned information, challenges planning or solving problems, and difficulty completing familiar tasks. It can be troublesome to watch a loved one struggle with what should be a simple chore.

She says the association offers a 24-7 helpline at 1-800-272-3900, with a wealth of information at alz.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who are up early to start fixing the family feast need to be cautious, as studies show there are more cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year. Fire prevention expert Amanda Swenson says all Iowans should know how to use a fire extinguisher before there’s a sudden flare-up on the stove. “That’s a scary situation and that’s not the time to learn how to use an extinguisher,” Swenson says, “so be familiar with how to pull out the pin, how to unhook a nozzle if there’s a hose with the nozzle attached.”

According the Iowa Fire Marshal’s Office, 40 lives have been lost in house fires across the state so far this year, which is three more than at this time last year. Whenever you’re cooking on the stove, whether it’s in a pot, saucepan or skillet, Swenson suggests you have a big metal lid nearby that could fit over any of them. “Plan ahead of having a lid close by to the stovetop,” she says, “because the easiest thing to do is if there is a fire on the stovetop, just slide a lid on, turn off the burner and let it sit.”

While Thanksgiving is the worst day of the year for cooking fires, officials with the National Fire Protection Association say Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are a close second and third.

(Radio Iowa) – A few iconic Iowa State Fair items in a Washington, D.C. museum are giving state fair officials some ideas. Iowa State Fair C-E-O Jeremy Parsons says it’s fascinating to see a replica of the Butter Cow inside the Smithsonian Museum, “but professionally displayed in a museum setting. We definitely need to up the bar on how we display things.” Parsons, though, isn’t ready to say what display changes may be in store on the fairgrounds in Des Moines.

The Smithsonian’s year-long exhibit features what are described by the museum’s curator as works of art from state fairs around the country, including some quilts entered in Iowa State Fair competitions. Forbes magazine includes the life-sized butter cow as one of the exhibit’s show-stopping spectacles. Parsons agrees.

By comparison, the Iowa State Fair’s refrigerated display case for the butter cow is along the east wall of the Agriculture Building. People wait in line to look through windows at the butter sculpture of a life-sized dairy cow.

Sculptor Sarah Pratt and one of the butter cows she has created at the Iowa State Fair. (Iowa State Fair photo)

The Smithsonian’s exhibit of State Fair folk art runs through next September and is one of many events to mark America’s 250th anniversary. Parsons says the 2026 State Fair will mark the occasion, too.

And Parsons and his team are making big plans for the 2029 Iowa State Fair.

The center will be built near the north entrance to the fairgrounds and will explain crop development, Iowa soils and farm equipment as well as jobs in agriculture. Parsons says it’s about thinking strategically about the Iowa State Fair’s role in the future, since data suggests the number of Americans who have NO connection to agriculture will continue to grow.

Parsons recently released a study suggesting year-round activities on the Iowa State fairgrounds in 2024 had a 629 MILLION dollar statewide economic impact. Parsons says while the economic impact is massive, the State Fair is still about the people.

Parsons grew up in Leon and was a high school English teacher before he was hired to direct the Missouri State Fair Foundation. Parsons was director of the the Clay County Fair in Spencer for 12 years before he took on the role of Iowa State Fair C-E-O in 2023.

(East of Humboldt, IA) – A single-vehicle accident in northern Iowa’s Humboldt County, Wednesday afternoon, claimed the life of the vehicle’s driver. According to the Iowa State Patrol, an SUV was traveling east on Highway 3 at around 1:10-p.m., when for reasons unknown, the 2020 Ford Edge crossed the center-line of the road. The driver over-corrected, sending the SUV into a ditch, where it struck a driveway and rolled over a few times before coming to rest.

The driver – who  was wearing their seat belt – died from their injuries. Their name was being withheld pending notification of family, and had not been released as of early this (Thursday) morning.

The State Patrol was assisted at the crash scene by Humboldt Fire Department and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who will be flying over the Thanksgiving holiday need to follow a few basic rules to smoothly navigate through bustling airport security lines. Jessica Mayle, regional spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, says passengers should arrive at the airport two hours before the flight is scheduled to depart, and she says to pack your carry-on and checked luggage with care.

Updated Iowa driver’s licenses have a gold circle and star in the upper right corner, signifying they’re a certified Real I-D.

Des Moines International Airport photo

Mayle says you’ll need to show one of those or a valid passport.

Passengers who didn’t pay extra for the T-S-A Precheck status have had to remove their shoes before passing through security since shortly after the Nine Eleven attacks, but that shoe removal requirement is no longer being enforced.

When packing for the big trip, she says there’s one other important item to bring along:

The T-S-A estimates it will screen nearly 18-million people nationwide during the Thanksgiving week, with three-million-plus expected just on Sunday, which should be the busiest day of the holiday.

(Radio Iowa) – John Deere’s sales slump continues. John Deere’s fourth quarter profits fell seven percent and the company’s C-E-O is warning 2026 may be another tough year for the world’s leading farm equipment manufacturer. John Deere closed the books on its fiscal year November 2nd and the company reports worldwide net sales and revenue dropped 12 percent during that 12-month period. There was an even bigger 17 percent drop in sales of John Deere combines, tractors and other large farm equipment from the company’s Production and Precision Agriculture division.

John May, the president and C-E-O of John Deere, says the company has taken steps to manage inventory and production to weather uncertainty in the ag sector, but the pressure from tariffs will remain in 2026.