(Creston, Iowa) – A Union County woman was arrested recently for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense-Causing Bodily Injury. Creston Police say 29-year-old Crystal Whitney Jacobe, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 400 block of Livingston Ave. Jacobe was transported and processed at the Union County Jail and then transported to the Adams County Jail and held until seen by a judge, and later released on her own recognizance.

(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of Iowa families will lose access to their childcare providers next week because of the government shutdown. The Head Start program at Community Action of Eastern Iowa runs out of funding on Saturday. C-E-O Daniel Sheridan says the five-year grant is expiring, but no federal approval can be made to renew it. Forty-five staff members will be laid off and some 300 children will lose access to childcare. Sheridan says families are in disbelief. He shared the story of a father who has two kids.

“Because of all the layoffs, he lost his job, and now he’s losing his childcare, and then also with the potential of losing SNAP,” Sheridan says. “You can see fear in people’s eyes. This is deeply, deeply distressing.” Families living in South Central counties will also be impacted by the cuts to Head Start. Lori Ferris, executive director of the Iowa Head Start Association, says these programs are important, especially for Iowans who are living in childcare deserts. “The goal is to break the cycle of poverty, and it really is a multi-generational program,” Ferris says. “So not only do we support the children, but we also empower the parents to better themselves.”

Head Start has been billed as the nation’s leading federally-funded early learning program, with the goal of promoting the school readiness of children ages three to five years.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County are being asked to contribute to a case involving local control of carbon pipeline projects. During the Board’s meeting Tuesday morning in Red Oak, West Township resident Jan Norris asked them to approve the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) request for funding for an Amicus brief in an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case.

Each of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors received a letter from ISAC asking for a donation. An amicus brief is a legal document submitted by a third party who is not directly involved in a lawsuit but has a strong interest in the outcome. Related legal terminology, “amicus curiae” translates to “friend of the court,” and the brief’s purpose is to provide the court with additional information, expertise, or arguments that can help inform its decision. Those briefs are often filed in cases of public importance and can support or oppose a party’s position by offering unique perspectives or legal analysis

Earlier this month, Shelby and Story County officials filed a petition in their case against Summit Carbon Solutions. Both counties seek to appeal the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in June that upheld a lower court’s ruling barring counties from implementing ordinances regulating carbon sequestration projects–such as the proposed Midwest Express CO2 pipeline.

Norris says ISAC is asking each county to consider a $500 contribution or more, to cover the total cost of $25,000 to file the amicus brief and represent counties during the legal proceedings.

The Board acknowledged the matter is worthy of consideration and discussion, and it will be placed on their agenda for Wednesday, Nov. 5th.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa furbearer season opens Saturday, and the D-N-R furbearer biologist Vince Evelsizer says the trapping prospects look good. “Overall the furbearer populations around the state are in great condition. The only two species that are of concern would be muskrats and gray fox. Both have a declining population, or with muskrats, somewhat stable,” he says. Evelsizer says the wet start to the year helped fill up waterways, which benefits furbearers, especially beaver and muskrats. “Having some water out there on the landscape helps them all with litter rearing,” he says, “and then also gives them a place for the winter that doesn’t dry up. And so it just helps with them to do have a better year population wise.” Evelsizer says the fur prices are still in the low category for those who do take part.

“The species that are most popular these days in the current world typically are still raccoons, and to some extent otters, and bobcats have become fairly popular as well,” he says. Evelsizer says we’ve been holding around 15-thousand licensed trappers over the last several years. He says efforts to introduce young people to the sport have been successful. “We’ve partnered with the Iowa Trappers Association and the D-N-R’s Hunter Ed program and the D-N-R’s conservation officers. All have been great to work with and getting more beginner trapper events going, with the Iowa Trappers Association leading several of those beginner trapper events. And what’s neat with that is that we’re seeing quite a few youth and females and males attending those events.”

Evelsizer says the young trappers are getting into it for a lot of reasons. “It’s not just fur market driven, they’re doing it to learn the outdoor skills. They’re doing it to get a few nice tanned pelt, that sort of thing, so neat to see,” Evelsizer says.

You can check the Iowa D-N-R’s website to find out all the rules and regulations for the trapping season.

(Radio Iowa) – As Iowa trick-or-treaters hit the streets this weekend, parents are being reminded about a few of the real-life scares to beware of during the Halloween season. Janna Day, a nurse and education manager at the Iowa Poison Control Center, says kids will be eager to sink their teeth into their bags of loot, but parents need to give those sweet treats a close inspection first. “Make sure that the candy is in its original packaging, and usually we’re not seeing anything weird,” Day says. “Sometimes we hear about these stories where maybe candy is contaminated, but it’s generally not something that is seen.” Speaking of being seen, Day says Halloween masks can pose a visibility problem for kids, so make sure they can see clearly while in costume.

“We’re worried about pedestrian safety during Halloween,” Day says. “It’s getting dark outside, and lots of cars are driving around, and lots of really excited kids are out and about, so if we have a mask over their face, it might be hard for them to see those vehicles driving.” She suggests skipping masks completely and going with make-up or face paints instead, though test those out well ahead of time to ensure there’s no skin irritation or allergies. Also, glow sticks, flashlights and even L-E-D lights attached to their costumes can help make your little goblins more visible. Once they’re home, Day suggests parents pay special attention to the types of items in the trick-or-treat bags.

“If your child has an allergy to any type of candy, make sure you’re being mindful of that,” Day says. “Also remember that pets can have issues with candy, so chocolate could be potentially poisonous to your dogs or to your pets.” The Sioux City-based Iowa Poison Control Center is staffed around-the-clock and can be reached at 1-800-222-1222.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Red Oak was arrested following a traffic stop at around 7:30-p.m., Wednesday, in the 1000 block of Highway 34. Upon further investigation, deputies determined 29-year-old Hailey Marie Waters was driving while her license is denied or revoked. Waters was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Three of the state’s elementary schools and a middle school are in the inaugural 2025 class of “Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools.” Governor Kim Reynolds led a ceremony in Des Moines to honor schools in the Albia, Dubuque, George Little Rock and College Community districts. “Having a strong educational foundation early on sets students up for a lifetime of success,” Reynolds said. “…Congratulations!” Iowa Department of Education director McKenzie Snow says the four schools recognized are models of excellence.

“Providing all students what they need to meet high expectations and realize their incredible potential,” Snow said. Albia’s middle school was recognized for efforts to raise student test scores. The district’s junior high students, for example, exceed the statewide proficiency score in science by 22 points. Albia Superintendent Richard Montgomery says everyone on staff gets credit.

Photo by Radio Iowa: Governor Reynolds, the Iowa Dept. of Education’s McKenzie Snow and Jay Pennington, pose for photos with Albia school leaders

“Cooks, teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries, AEA staff, school board, nurses, med techs, bus drivers, administrators and coaches,” he said, “…they like, other educators across the state are the true difference makers for Iowa schools, recognizing that relationships and culture come before program and curriculum because in every great school, it’s the people make a difference.”

In 2018, George Little Rock’s elementary was identified as one of the state’s lowest performing schools, but state officials say all students are now performing at high levels. Amanda Miller is the district’s superintendent. “Our teachers and staff have worked to meet each student’s individual needs in a way that prioritized their learning and acknowledges and supports their challenges,” Miller said. “This is one of the great benefits of learning and growing in a small district — a personalized student experience.”

Prairie Hill Elementary in the College Community District in Cedar Rapids has been recognized for dramatically reducing chronic absenteeism. That’s 10 points below the state average. Principal Scott Schipper says a few years ago, 17 percent of students had been chronically absent — and it’s now five percent. That’s 10 points below the state average.  “We live by our school motto every day: ‘Work hard, be nice and have fun,'” he said. “This honor validates the notion that when we work hard together, when we are nice and supportive of every student and family, and when we create a fun and engaging learning environment we can achieve transformational results.”

The Dubuque Community School District’s Bryant Elementary is being recognized for the rising reading scores of kindergarten through fifth grade students, as two-thirds of those students are exceeding expectations according to state officials. Megan Richardson is the school’s principal. “We have cultivated a culture of consistency and clarity,” she said. “…Our staff are persistent in making students feel safe, understood and challenged. They go above and beyond to create meaningful growth for our students.”

The Trump Administration ended the national “Blue Ribbon” program honoring high-performing schools this summer. Iowa officials announced the winners of their inaugural Iowa Blue Ribbon Schools program yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.

(Greene County, Iowa) – A crash east of Coon Rapids Wednesday afternoon resulted in three people – all from Coon Rapids – being transported to hospitals in Carroll and Des Moines. According to the Iowa State Patrol, an SUV driven by 34-year-old Robert Edward Everett, III, was traveling south on Apple Avenue at around 4:35-p.m., just south of 320th Street, when for reasons unknown, the vehicle crossed the center line of the road and collided head-on with a Chrysler van.

Following the collision, the SUV continued southbound as it came to rest, overturned. The van entered the east ditch and also came to rest overturned.

The driver of the van – 41-year-old Curtis John Hofbauer, Jr., was transported to St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll. His 76-year-old passenger, Curtis John Hofbauer, Sr., was transported to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines by air ambulance. He was not wearing a seat belt. Robert Everett, III, was transported to the hospital in Carroll.

The crash remained under investigation.

PERRY, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Perry Police Department said Wednesday (today) a Belmond, Iowa woman – 41-year-old Amanda Jean Goff – is charged with one count of Human Trafficking in the First Degree. Goff was taken into custody without incident at the Sac County Jail where she had been held on related offenses. Human Trafficking in the First Degree is a class A felony.

As detailed in the criminal complaint, it is alleged that in January 2025, Goff took a 14-year-old female to a Perry hotel for the express purpose of having the victim engage in commercial sexual activity with another person.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between city, county, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Technical support was provided by the Iowa Office to Combat Human Trafficking (OTCHT). Since 2023, the OTCHT has provided training and resources to educate our communities and businesses on the signs of human trafficking and to law enforcement and prosecutors on the effective investigation and prosecution of human trafficking offenses.

This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.