(Radio Iowa) – D-N-R state deer biologist Jace Elliott says hunters took just shy of 102-thousand deer through the various seasons this year, which is similar to last year. He says the numbers varied quite a bit through each region. “Some places that stand out are the Cedar Valley in east central and northeast Iowa. We continue to see increasing harvest rates there, likely due to increasing deer populations. But then much of the rest of the state, central, southern, and western Iowa, were behind the five-year average,” he says.  “It’s safe to say that in most of the state, we’re seeing population declines. Certainly the western third of the state, as well as much of southern Iowa and central Iowa for that matter,” Elliott says.

He says disease is likely the biggest issue with deer populations. “Population declines are likely a combination of multiple factors, but one thing that we can’t rule out is the E-H-D outbreaks that were reported in 2023 and 2024,” he says. “Those certainly played a big role in some of the population impacts that we’re still dealing with today.” Elliott says it will take some more time to recover from the outbreaks. “It really is situational, over the past we’ve seen some counties bounce back in two to three years after a severe outbreak. But that’s kind of the best case scenario,” Elliott says. “Counties with limited habitat and therefore limited deer populations are likely going to take longer to recover.”

Elliott says one thing that hasn’t changed is the number of people who put on some orange and head out to hunt deer here. “We have very stable hunter numbers in Iowa, which is unique because most of the Midwest and Eastern U-S in general is declining. each year. And we have a relatively stable number of deer hunters, I think likely due to the high quality deer population we have throughout much of the state,” he says. Elliott says the D-N-R will continue to analyze the deer numbers and base the various license allocations on the population of deer in each county.

The D-N-R does an annual spotlight survey every spring to get a handle on the number of deer in the state.

(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowa farmers can expect to pay slightly more to plant, maintain and harvest a crop in the year ahead, according to a new report from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Ann Johanns, an ag decision maker program specialist with the extension, says producers will face tight margins in the 2026 growing season. “So on corn production, overall, it was about 4% higher than last year, and then the soybean total costs were about 2% higher, and it ranged within the different categories,” Johanns says. “Labor was just a little bit higher at 1%, and then machinery costs were around 3% to 4%, depending on kind of what type it was.”

The extension’s report, called Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa 2026, takes into account that average market prices for corn and soybeans are projected to stay below production costs, making for a challenging situation. On the plus side, Johanns says the projected land costs came down slightly. “We take data from the cash rent survey that Iowa State does every spring and then, we take input from our specialists and people that we survey for the estimated cash crop production and take that all into account,” Johanns says. “They did all project a slight decrease in the land costs that we use, and of course, every farm operation is going to be different.”

Johanns says opportunities for profit are expected to be limited this coming year, underscoring the importance of careful cost tracking and farm-specific planning, which is where the extension can help farmers to plan.”We have corn and soybean budgets, but there’s a low till budget, there’s a strip till budget, and so they can look at multiple types of production,” Johanns says. “There’s also some budgets in there for hay, for alfalfa ground, there’s choices within these budgets, so we have some tools online to help people do the calculations themselves.” Johanns says the report’s figures should be used as planning benchmarks, not exact estimates for individual farms, adding, farm-level cost data is vital information for producers to track.

(Onawa, IA) – A fire on the Monona County Fairgrounds is being called suspicious, and a possible case of arson, according to the fire chief in Onawa.  The blaze at the grandstand was reported at around 6:15-p.m., Wednesday. The more than 100-year old structure made of old timber, had a kitchen under the bleachers, aluminum stands, and an eating area. 

The Monona County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who saw anything suspicious or has cameras anywhere near the area or any area that leads to the fairgrounds please review them if you are able, and to report what you find to the sheriff’s office.

Any information anyone may have of any activity you think is suspicious in the area, should also contact the Monona County Sheriff’s Office at 712-433-1414, or 712-423-2525. The State Fire Marshal was requested to help investigate the blaze which destroyed the landmark fairgrounds.

Two other fires in Onawa on Monday night are being investigated as suspected cases of arson.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would force ALL chatbots to inform users that it is not a human has cleared a House subcommittee, but lawmakers intend to narrow the proposal. As currently written, it would require a chatbot to disclose it’s not a human at the start of an online interaction and to remind the user it’s not human every half hour after that. A company could be fined up to 100-thousand dollars each time its chatbot fails to make those statements.

Republican Representative Austin Harris of Moulton — the bill’s sponsor — says chatbots are an unregulated new frontier in technology. “Artificial Intelligence chatbots, mental health chatbots posing as such are encouraging kids to commit suicide or do harmful things to themselves and so we’re bringing this bill forward to be able to start a discussion and see where it goes,” Harris said.

Amy Campbell is a lobbyist for the Iowa Behavioral Health Association and the Iowa Psychological Association. “This is a patient safety, public protection, transparency bill,” Campbell said. Lobbyists for Google, Verizon and other businesses told the subcommittee they’ll make suggestions for narrowing the bill, to ensure it doesn’t apply to “everyday business tools,” like chatbots that help someone find a new flight or schedule an oil change.

(Radio Iowa) – A Senate subcommittee has advanced a bill that’s a response to the case of Ian Roberts, the former Des Moines Superintendent who was arrested by immigration agents in September and has pleaded guilty to falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners granted Roberts a professional license in 2023.

The bill says applicants for teaching and administrative positions in Iowa schools must provide proof to the state’s licensing board and the local school board that they are lawfully present AND authorized to work in the United States. Groups representing school boards and school administrators are suggesting the bill solely require proof a person is authorized to work in the U.S., since that’s the standard Iowa schools are using based on federal requirements.

Senator Lynn Evans, a Republican from Aurelia, says the bill would make state law stronger. “It takes some statements that would be interpreted as may or even directly labeled as may and changes those to a shall,” Evans says, “so that we’re not having things slip through the cracks.”

In October, Governor Reynolds issued an executive order requiring state agencies use federal databases to verify citizenship and immigration status of job applicants. The bill requires those checks for the initial application for a teacher’s or administrator’s license AND for renewing that state license.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Two Davenport residents were sentenced to federal prison on January 28, 2026, for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Lloyd Demico Franklin, 44, and Michelle Collins, 40, sold cocaine base (“crack cocaine”) in the Quad Cities area for several years. From June 2022 to December 2024, law enforcement conducted 20 controlled purchases from Franklin and Collins and purchased a total of more than 500 grams of crack cocaine.

Franklin was sentenced to a 25-year prison term for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Collins was sentenced to a three-year prison term for one count of distribution of a controlled substance, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The FBI Quad Cities Resident Agency of the Omaha Field Office, Moline Police Department, and Scott County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

(Cass/Audubon Counties, IA) – Officials with  The 10-42 Project, today (Wednesday) said they are proud to announce a $1,500 donation from Landus Cooperative, supporting programming that serves former and current first responders and their families. The contribution will directly aid in the creation of the organization’s “Belonging Bags”, serving as a meaningful resource given to individuals as they officially enter the 10-42 Project community.

Belonging Bags are designed to provide comfort, encouragement, and connection, reinforcing to first responders that they are seen, supported, and valued as part of the 10-42 family. Each bag serves as both a practical and symbolic welcome, representing the organization’s commitment to restoring and supporting those who serve on the front lines.

Landus Cooperative’s donation aligns with its pillar of community reinvestment, which prioritizes support for fire and EMS personnel,  a shared mission that closely mirrors the heart of the 10-42 Project.

Featured in the image:
Miranda Olson, Jeremiah Thompson, Dan Defenbaugh, Christina Defenbaugh (Photo & story submitted)

According to Sarah Heineman, Director of Community Engagement at Landus, “Landus’ community engagement priorities include championing the needs of first responders who selflessly serve our communities every day. This includes supporting their well-being, and we’re honored to walk alongside efforts like the 10-42 Project.”

The 10-42 Project works to equip, restore, and repurpose first responders by providing programming, community, and resources that address the mental, emotional, and physical toll of the profession. Support from partners like Landus Cooperative allows the organization to continue expanding its reach and deepening its impact. Dan Defenbaugh, Founder of the 10-42 Project, said in a news release, “This gift from Landus Cooperative will have a direct and immediate impact on the men and women we serve.”

Officials with the 10-42 Project extend their sincere gratitude to Landus Cooperative for investing in the well-being of first responders and for standing alongside those who dedicate their lives to serving others.

The 10-42 Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to serving first responders and their families by fostering connection, restoration, and purpose beyond the uniform. Through intentional programming, community-building experiences, and practical support, the 10-42 Project equips first responders to navigate the challenges of service while rediscovering belonging, resilience, and hope. Learn more at 10-42project.org.

(Radio Iowa) – The annual Winter Dance Party starts today (Wednesday) at the Surf Ballroom and Museum in Clear Lake, the site where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and “The Big Bopper” J-P Richardson played their final concert before dying in a plane crash just north of Clear Lake in February of 1959. Jeff Nicholas is the chair and president of the nonprofit that runs the Surf Ballroom and says people from all over the nation — and world — will converge on Clear Lake through this weekend to celebrate ’50s era rock-and-roll.

“Buddy and Ritchie and The Bopper influenced so many artists like the Beatles and The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen, and just anybody that was a big time artist back in the day, and even in the current times,” Nicholas says. “It’s just really a part of American music.” Nicholas says organizers of the event appreciate the people who come each year to honor the fallen rockers and that era of music.

“We have what we have here in Clear Lake and we think it’s pretty special, but it really doesn’t mean anything until people from around the country come, and they’re really the ones, they think that we inspire them, but we think that they inspire us,” he says. “So if we put on these events and nobody came, then all of a sudden we’ve just got a building of bricks and mortar and it’s not that special, it’s not that different than anywhere else, but it’s just the history that we have here.”

Winter Dance Party participants this year will also be able to — for the first time — see the Surf’s new Music Experience Center next to the ballroom. Nicholas says it’s a combination of traditional museum space with displays and memorabilia, as well as an immersive visual experience. “You come in and it’s a surround sound and a surround video. It’s an immersive space, so there will be videos and projections on the floor and on the walls. It’s just a multi-sensory situation,” he says.

“You’ve got the music and your heart beating fast and you’ve got goosebumps. We just tell the musical story of the Surf Ballroom and wind it together with the big bands, and the country-western, and then of course that fateful night that the guys played here.” Part of the festivities include bringing students in from across the region to learn more about the ballroom and the ’50s era rock-and-roll.

“We feel, not empowered, but very significant, that very significant time in music history when the music did die for a brief moment,” he says. “We’ve taken upon ourselves to be one of many people and many venues and many organizations that continue and will continue this the legacy of this music.” For a full list of events taking place at the Surf, head to https://surfballroom.com/wdp/

(Radio Iowa) – House Republicans are proposing longer sentences for violent offenders with previous convictions and new restrictions in the bail system. Representative Steve Holt of Denison says the mandatory sentences would be for serious crimes that endanger public safety.

“I think if you talk to any law enforcement officer, they will pretty much tell you a small number of people commit the majority of crime in our communities,” Holt said. “There are a number of people that simply aren’t willing to be rehabilitated.” A member of the Iowa Board of Parole has raised concerns about tougher sentencing laws, suggesting prison overcrowding may force early releases for some inmates.

Holt say that’s unlikely. A The bill about bail would remove much of the discretion judges and magistrates have in setting bail for people charged with a crime. It also says only those charged with simple misdemeanors or crimes that are non-violent, non-drug crimes would be eligible for release without posting bail. Representative Mike Vondran of Davenport says the bail system desperately needs change.

“We have too many victims that are taking a second seat to the individual that’s committed the act,” Vondran said. “Too often we’re seeing these sometimes violent offenders being able to walk very quickly.” A third bill would create a state-run website with information about how judges have ruled on criminal cases, the sentences they impose and how often their decisions are reversed by a higher court.

Representative Charley Thomson of Charles City says it would be a state-run website, but Republicans in the House haven’t decide which branch of state government would be responsible for creating and maintaining it. “But make it available to the public so the public knows is this judge acting appropriately or inappropriately,” Thomson said. Thomson says the information could be accessible to voters making decisions about judicial retention elections.

Iowa governors appoint judges, but judges must periodically get a majority of votes in Iowa General Elections to keep their jobs.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has denied the second appeal of a man serving life in prison for the deaths of two Iowa State Fair vendors. Rodney Borushaski was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his mother and father-in law Bobby and Marilyn Blewer at the State Fair campgrounds in August of 1996.

Prosecutors said he was part of the plot by his wife Jamie Blewer to hire hitman Jeremy Sneed to kill her parents to steal money from their Fair funnel cake business. Borushaski argued there was new evidence to show he was not involved, but the Iowa Court of Appeals ruled all the evidence had previously been considered and dismissed his appeal.

Jamie Blewer and Sneed are also serving life sentences for the murders.