(Radio Iowa) – A program in Sioux City provides families a way to track “at risk” members. Project Lifesaver is offered by police and the Woodbury County Sheriff provide a tracking system for those who are prone to the life threatening behavior of wandering due to Autism, Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia or other conditions. Shana Michalski’s son Trey is non-verbal and has had a monitor since 2010. She says it provides peace of mind for her family. “Because if anything were to happen and we couldn’t find him, Trey’s not going to respond to his name. He’s not going to really go with anybody. He could be wandering and there’s absolutely nothing anybody could do because if you’re shouting for Trey, he’s not going to say, ‘I’m here, I’m here’, “she says. She says it has been a concern for some time.

“He did have some issues when he was a lot younger, where he didn’t like where he was at, so he’d up and go,” she says. Those enrolled in the program wear a transmitter on their ankle or wrist that emits a unique radio signal that officers and deputies can pick up with a transmitter. Emily Myers’ 13-year-old Zoey is also on the spectrum and she says Zoey is verbal, but prone to talking to people while not recognizing potentially dangerous situations.”One of the things that we have found is that the thing that causes you to sense that there’s danger or that someone is a dangerous person is not there,” Myers says. “And so when we get into a situation where we feel like we want to go off somewhere, there’s a concern that maybe we would go with someone we shouldn’t go with.”

Officers say search times have been drastically reduced from hours to minutes with Project Lifesaver.

(Atlantic, IA)  – Produce in the Park is hosting their annual Sweetheart Market on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, from 10 AM to noon. The market will be held at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, 1100 Maple St. Atlantic, IA 50022. This holiday farmers market will offer favorite area vendors, all-you-can-eat pancakes from The Pancake Man, face painting, and a free bounce house provided by the Nishna Valley YMCA.

Sweetheart Market will feature the “sweetest” winter vegetable–the sweetpotato. Brun Ko Farm and Bridgewater Farm will both be selling sweetpotatoes at the market. Healthy Cass County will be hosting a “Sweetpotato All-Stars” booth featuring a mini basketball game and sweetpotato snacks. Cass County Conservation will be partnering with vendor Lori’s Unique Cards & Crafts to offer a free Valentines-making craft station featuring sweetpotato stamps, sewing, and more.

Vendors at Sweetheart Market will be selling produce including leafy greens, sweetpotatoes, butternut squash, onions, garlic, carrots, and more; local meats such as chicken, pork, lamb, and beef; farm-fresh eggs; local honey, jellies, and jams; breads including sourdough; and a variety of freeze-dried snacks. Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without dessert, and vendors won’t disappoint. Shoppers can expect heart-shaped cookies, cupcakes, kringle, cinnamon rolls, and additional sweet treats.

Sweetheart basket by Noble & West including body cream, lip balm, soap, and sugar scrub

Craft vendors will be selling bath and body products including goat milk soaps, body creams, lip balms, sugar scrubs, and beard oils, as well as crocheted stuffies, candles and wax melts, seasonal decorations, gifts, and potted plants.

The Pancake Man will be serving all-you-can-eat pancakes during the market. Atlantic Hy-Vee is donating milk and orange juice, and Produce in the Park sponsor Cass Health is donating coffee. Proceeds will be donated to Cass County food pantries. The cost of the meal is $8/adult (age 19+) and $5/child (18 and under).

Admission is free and all are welcome at Produce in the Park farmers markets. The market accepts SNAP/EBT and Double Up Food Bucks for all qualifying food items. Produce in the Park farmers markets are sponsored by the City of Atlantic, First Whitney Bank & Trust, Gregg Young Chevrolet of Atlantic, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Nishna Valley Family YMCA. Produce in the Park continues to accept applications for vendors and sponsors for their 2025-2026 Holiday Market Series. For details and applications, see www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.

For the latest market updates, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark or Instagram at www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/, or sign up for the Produce in the Park email newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill introduced in the Iowa House is sparking a discussion of how to designate and regulate vertiports — take off and landing fields for electric aircraft. Republican Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake says Iowa needs to prepare for battery powered aircraft that can carry people and cargo.

“This is going to be the transportation of the future and if we don’t get in front of it, we’re going to be well behind it,” Wills said. “and we want to be a state this is welcoming to business.” Tim McClung is the aviation director for the Iowa Department of Transportation. He says Iowa’s part of a 37-state group talking about electric aircraft that take off and land vertically as well as battery powered fixed-wing planes that need a runway to take off and land.

“It’s a new generation of aircraft that are being developed with new materials, manned or unmanned,” he said. “Primarily right most of these right now are expected to be electric. It’s expected that they’ll start getting their certifications the next two or three years, then we’ll see a slow ramp up in that arena.” These aircraft will also need battery charging facilities. McClung says Iowa’s smaller airports could be a critical part of the infrastructure for what the manufacturers call advanced mobility aircraft.

“They’ll be electric powered,” McClung said. “They will be flown by trained pilots and initially they will rely on airports as their center of operation.” Jim Obradovich is a lobbyist for the Iowa Public Airports Association, which is monitoring the concept. “We just want to have well-regulated airspace and when you add new technology to traditional technology to technology that’s developing and then to the stuff we can’t even in our minds think of that will be out there in the future that we can’t even think of, we just want to make sure it’s well integrated and safe for everyone,” Obradovich said.

One company that’s producing a battery-powered aircraft that operates like a helicopter may start service in Dubai as soon as this year. A company called Archer is looking to do vertical take offs and landings from O’Hare Airport for travel to and from downtown Chicago.

JOINT FORCE HEADQUARTERS – DES MOINES, Iowa — Approximately 250 Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division are arriving back in the United States this weekend as part of a phased return from
their deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. During their deployment, these Soldiers worked alongside coalition and regional partners to significantly reduce the capabilities of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, helping improve security and stability throughout the region.

Due to progress achieved toward U.S. Central Command objectives, some Soldiers and units have completed their assigned missions and are beginning a phased redeployment home in accordance with higher headquarters guidance. Not all Soldiers return at the same time. Some are returning earlier because their specific mission requirements have concluded, while others will remain deployed to continue essential responsibilities, including partner support and base security.

This phased return is based on mission needs, personnel requirements, and transportation availability. Details regarding welcome home ceremonies are currently being coordinated and are expected to take place within the next 14 days in both Des Moines and Sioux City. Additional information will be released once details are finalized.

(Denison, IA) – A pursuit in Crawford County early this (Sunday) morning resulted in a crash and two people being arrested. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the accident happened at around 2-a.m. as 22-year-old Carlos Gomez-Paz, of Papillion, NE, was driving a 2013 Hyundai Elantra westbound on Highway 30,attempting to elude Denison Police. At the intersection with 12th street, the car struck a southbound 2024 GMC Acadia (SUV), driven by 30-year-old Blake Beymer, of Denison.

Following the crash, the SUV came to rest south of the intersection, while the car came to rest in a parking lot west of the intersection. The Patrol says both drivers and a passenger in the SUV (who was not identified) were provided medical attention for minor injuries at the scene, and released.

The State Patrol says Gomez-Paz was arrested for Eluding, and Beymer was arrested for OWI.

(Red Oak, IA) – Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County have arrested a man from Page County on an asault charge. According to the Sheriff’s Department, 28-year-old Jason Lee Sarabia, Jr., of Clarinda, was arrested just before 2-a.m. Today (Sunday), in the 100 block of W. 3rd Street, in Villisca. Sarabia, Jr., was taken into custody for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.

Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrest.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Democrats will have a chance to make the case to national party leaders that the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses should move back to a lead-off position in the next presidential election. A panel of national Democrats met this weekend and agreed Iowa and 11 other states will be competing for up to five early voting slots in 2028. Minyon Moore is chair of the group that will make the decision and she says they are looking for one thing.

“The calendar that produces the strongest possible Democratic nominee for president,” she said. Iowa will be competing against Illinois and Michigan to host one of the four regional voting events that will kick-off the 2028 presidential election. Some committee members like David McDonald of Washington state are raising concerns about having large states like Illinois host the opening contests for Democratic candidates in 2028.

“We make a trade off if we put one of those states up front,” McDonald said. “It is both more expensive and it is less retail campaigning and historically we have tried to emphasize person-to-person contact as much as possible by using small states up front to get a read on the candidates.”

Two other members of the panel that will consider Iowa’s pitch say Iowa Democrats must make clear in their presentation how they plan to conduct the 2028 Caucuses rather than present a menu with early voting options alongside Caucus night voting.

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is scheduled to meet again in April, but there’s no date set yet for Iowa and other states to make their presentations about hosting early primaries — or the Iowa Caucuses — in 2028.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak report the arrest of a man early this (Sunday) morning, on a Public Intoxication charge. Authorities say 32-year-old  Joshua Dean Jones, of Red Oak, was taken into custody on the simple misdemeanor charge at around 12:18-a.m. in the 1200 block of Senate Avenue, in Red Oak.

Jones was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash or surety bond.