(Radio Iowa) – Motorists in some Iowa cities can’t miss the fact that gasoline prices have risen more than 60-cents a gallon since New Year’s Day, but one expert says it appears to be more the exception than the rule. Brian Ortner, at Triple-A Iowa, chalks it up to isolated fluctuations in certain metro areas of the state, as he says the major factors that typically influence big gas price swings just aren’t appearing. “We look at the usual suspects: markets, demand, refineries being shut down for maintenance or if there’s an emergency situation at a refinery or production plant — none of that is taking place,” Ortner says. “The thing we can see today is the markets are up a little bit from what they were in the last two weeks.”

Crude oil has been trending around 60-dollars a barrel the past few weeks and it’s slightly above that now, but he says it’s not so high that it would trigger drastic price hikes. “If we look at trends, we’re sitting almost 30-cents lower than we were a year ago, which is great,” Ortner says. “I know when you see a 50- or 60-cent increase over two weeks, you’re like, ‘What the heck’s going on?’ but when you look at the larger picture in the trend, we are sitting in a better spot than we were last year.”

Ortner wouldn’t speculate on whether the U-S military actions in oil-rich Venezuela have had an impact on gas prices in Iowa, as there haven’t been any significant jumps in the national figures. Still, some Iowa cities are seeing big bounces in pump prices. For example, regular unleaded was selling in Des Moines for a dollar-87 a gallon on January 1st, but now the average price in Iowa’s largest city is over two-50.  “Nothing is standing out to be significant in making those changes as drastic as some may have seen,” Ortner says, “and it may be just adjustments for changes that are taking place in the communities and in the markets as they move each day.”

Triple-A says the cheapest gas in Iowa is now in Council Bluffs at two-29 a gallon, while it’s the most expensive in Ames at two-66. The statewide average is two-50, which is 34-cents below the national average.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill on the fast track in the Iowa House would ban the use of eminent domain to seize property along the proposed Summit Carbon pipeline route. The bill cleared a House committee on a 19-to-two vote yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon and is eligible of debate in the full House next week. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says House members have been trying for five years to find a way to protect property owners who don’t want the pipeline on their land.

“This year the language is as simple as it can be,” Holt said. “No eminent domain for CO2 pipelines in Iowa.” Representative Ross Wilburg, a Democrat from Ames backed the bill in committee, but he says there’s been no signal this approach will break through the statehouse impasse — or that the governor would sign it into law. “The conditions haven’t changed on this,” Wilburn said.

Holt says he, along with what appears to be a majority of House members, are ready to take a stand and pass the bill. “The House does not control the Senate and the governor, but what we do is do what is right and we move forward,” Holt said, “And who knows what dynamics might change based upon the actions that we take.”

The top Republican in the Senate is proposing an alternative that would let Summit re-chart the path of its pipeline, to go around landowners who haven’t signed voluntary easements. Holt says that’s a non-starter because Summit could still use eminent domain in some circumstances.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday, approved several personnel matters, including (the previously mentioned) retirements or resignations of:

• Ashley Mosier, Boys Track Assistant Coach (effective 1/14/26); Matt Best, Asst. Football Coach; Gentri Meier, Mental Health Professional (effect 2/6/26); Elizabeth Herrick-Williams, HS Art Teacher (effective at the end the school year, 2026); Tracy Daugherty, Elementary Title 1 Math Teacher (effective at the end the school year, 2026); and Steve Andersen, Transportation Director (effective June 5, 2026)

Atlantic School Board, 1-14-26

The Board also approved the following Recommendations to Hire:

• Ashley Mosier, Girls Track Asst. Coach (effective 1/15/26); Hunter Khongmaly, Vocal Music Activity Sponsor; Jordan Zarbano, Boys Wrestling Volunteer Coach (effective 1/15/26); and Lexie Trotter, Special Education Paraprofessional.

In other business, the Board received a Special Presentation with regard to the Home School Assistance Program, which currently has 95 enrolled students, and serves 55 families. Home School Director Tina Olson and Cara Andersen spoke to the Board. Olson said the program has been very successful, and while they enjoy their space at the Achievement Center, they would love to have a permanent classroom.

In her report, Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen gave an update on the District Facilities building project.

The District’s attorney’s have reviewed a multitude of documents related to the project, so Johnsen said she feels good about their thoroughness efforts. The Board then acted on approving an “Agreement between Owner and Architect, and Proposal for Design Services from SVPA,” and a “Snyder and Associates Topographic Survey Services Agreement.”

Resigning Atlantic School Board member Laura McLean.

Their final order of regular business was to approve the retirement of Board Director Laura McLean, effective Jan. 15, 2026. McLean explained she is moving out of the area along with her husband.

The Board accepted her resignation and thanked McLean for her enthusiasm and diligence in serving the District. Board Chair Josh McLaren said moving forward, the IASB (Iowa Association of School Boards) recommends is to publicize the vacancy and accept applications to fill the position, followed by interviews and Board action to act on McLean’s replacement to fill-in until the term expires. There is always the possibility a petition could be filed to call for a Special Election.

(Radio Iowa) – Five of the six states that border Iowa have a significantly higher minimum wage and Democrats in the Iowa House say Iowa’s minimum wage should be raised to 15-dollars an hour. That would equal the minimum wage rates in Nebraska and Missouri. House Democrats are also calling for a five-year freeze on electric and natural gas rates for Iowa homes and for more state help for first-time home buyers.

Representative Dan Gosa, a Democrat from Davenport, is a member of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and president of the Quad City Federation of Labor. “Our plan is built on a simple belief: if you work hard in Iowa, you should be able to afford a good life,” Gosa said. House Democrats are also proposing that Iowa become the 14th state to require that private sector employers offer paid family leave.

Representative Larry McBurney, a Democrat from Urbandale, notes Governor Reynolds approved four weeks of paid parental leave for state employees.  “Now it’s time to go a step further and ensure that every Iowan has the opportunity to take time from work and spend time building their family,” McBurney said.

Republicans occupy 67 of the 100 seats in the Iowa House and are unlikely to advance any of these ideas

CORALVILLE, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports a man serving a sentence for crimes out of Pottawattamie County has died. 81-year-old Robert Kenneth Hammond was pronounced dead at 9:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026 in a hospice room of the Iowa Medical and Classification Center.

Hammond’s sentence began on April 16, 1963.

(Radio Iowa) – The Linn County Board of Supervisors has given the go-ahead for NextEra Energy to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant by rezoning nearly 400 acres in Palo for nuclear power production and storage. Board chair Kirsten Running-Marquardt says the rezoning gives Linn County residents a seat at the table

“This has been a lot of work for many people here at the county for Duane Arnold, for different communities, Palo included. I think this is a good reflection of us working as a good partner and a good community member moving forward,” she says. Running-Marquardt says there are still state and federal approvals needed.

“Linn County does not have the authority to make the final approval or disapproval, nor do we have authority over nuclear waste. But through this rezoning, this gives Linn County residents a seat at the table,” she says. NextEra has agreed to supply Google with a majority of the power generated by the plant if it reopens.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the final say on the plant. NextEra hopes to have it open by late 2028. The board approved an agreement last week requiring NextEra to pay the county for costs related to hosting the nuclear plant. The first payment will be for one-point-nine million dollars with a five percent increase each year the plant operates.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa governors deliver the annual “Condition of the State” address on the first Tuesday after the Iowa General Assembly convenes on the second Monday of January. The next governor of Iowa will — as is tradition — be sworn into office on the first Friday during the legislature’s first week.

For example, in January of 1999, Governor Terry Branstad delivered his final “Condition of the State” address on a Tuesday and Tom Vilsack took the oath of office and became Iowa’s governor the following Friday.

The explanation for this is the speech is considered to be a report on the condition of the state, which means it’s a review of the previous year. However, it has also given past governors and the current governor a chance to reveal their forward-looking priorities for the legislature.

Iowa governors have the authority to deliver a “budget address” in late January around the deadline for presenting a budget to the legislature, but Branstad abandoned that practice in the late 1980s and it has not been revived. Branstad, Vilsack, Culver and Reynolds have all presented their proposed budgets to legislators at the same time as their “Condition of the State” message.

(Radio Iowa) – A small town in Mills County has a new mayor, and she’s now one of the youngest mayors in the country. Twenty-year-old Eva Fipps was elected mayor of Henderson by a 30-to-19 vote over Scott Schondelmeyer in November. Fipps graduated from Treynor High School in 2024 and was dual enrolled at Iowa Western Community College. She also attended Iowa Girls State and served as a page in the Iowa Legislature. Fipps explains why she decided to run for mayor.

“Every morning I’d go for runs or walks with my dogs,” said Fipps, “and I would stop in at City Hall to see our city clerk, Candace (Knop), and we’d get to chatting. We’ve done this for years, probably since around COVID time, and she recommended that I run for mayor. I never actually thought about because of how young I was, but she said I could. I said, ‘Why not?’ Even if I lost, I’d still be learning something.”

Fipps is part of the youth movement in Mills County government, which includes 19-year-old Mills County Supervisor Jack Sayers and 21-year-old Joseph Jaworkski, recently elected mayor of Silver City. Fipps says there’s a learning curve involved with becoming mayor of a small town and she’s taking a class on open meetings next week.

“It will really help me understand my role and how to properly do it,” she says. “I also have been in communication with a lot of different people, from other mayors to other city clerks, our board members. It’s a lot of communication and a lot of learning, and I’m trying every step of the way to get as much of the information in as I can.” As mayor, Fipps hopes to spark more community involvement and more activities.

“We’re working on a couple of different events that we’re going to be doing come this summer,” said Fipps. “I would love to see more than just townspeople in Henderson. I would love to see those who used to live in Henderson, those who live around us, come together to build up the community — not just Henderson, but in Mills County in general.”

Fipps also hopes to fill some of the community’s empty store fronts, and renovate the city’s playground. She was sworn into office December 29th.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man on a Montgomery County warrant for Parole Violation, this (Wednesday) morning. 47-year-old Ronnie Eugene Reynolds, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9:20-a.m. in the 1700 block of 206th Street.

Reynolds was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.