(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has directed the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to convene regular meetings with food banks and pantries since federal food assistance for over 130-thousand Iowa households will likely be delayed due to the government shutdown. Federal officials already directed states not to issue SNAP benefits in November. Iowa food pantries and food banks are preparing for a spike in demand. Annette Hacker is chief communications and strategy officer for the Food Bank of Iowa.

“All of us are doing everything we can to meet the need, but…the charitable food system cannot fill this gap,” Hacker said. “For every meal the charitable food system provides, SNAP provides nine.” Kathy Underhill is C-E-O of the Des Moines Area Religious Council, which runs a network of 14 food pantries.  “November is always the busiest month in the food bank and food pantry world,” she says, “and if SNAP benefits do not go out on time in November, the capacity of food banks and food pantries will be pushed to their very limits.”

Governor Reynolds says she’s reviewing the food insecurity response plan the state developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March of 2020, Reynolds appointed a Feeding Iowans Task Force after tens of thousands of Iowans were furloughed, laid off or saw a significant drop in their income. “If the Democrats would pass a clean CR, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation,” Reynolds said. “They need to come to the table and they need to pass a clean Continuing Resolution.”

Republicans in the U-S House passed a Continuing Resolution last month that extended current federal spending plans through November 21st. The legislation needs 60 votes to pass the U.S. Senate and Democrats in the Senate are pressing to add an extension of health care-related tax credits the package.

(Radio Iowa) – Leaders in Iowa’s most populous county say they’ll funnel 200-thousand dollars to the Iowa Water Quality Information System to help keep a network of river and stream sensors operating next year. The University of Iowa program lost state funding in 2023, and supplemental dollars from the Walton Family Foundation and I-S-U Nutrient Research Center are expected to run out next year. Matt McCoy is chair of the Polk County Board of Supervisors.

“While I personally would like to see the state and federal government play a big role in helping us fund these data sets,” McCoy says, “unfortunately, they’ve made decisions at the legislative and at the federal level to not do that.” McCoy says the county has an obligation to ensure the water its residents rely on is protected. The funding from Polk County represents one-third of the annual budget for the water monitoring network. McCoy says the hope is that other counties will contribute funding to operate dozens of sensors across the state.

Rich Leopold, director of Polk County Conservation, says long periods of data are key for tracking trends and knowing whether certain water quality practices, like adding wetlands, are effective. Leopold says, “We’re investing time, energy and money into all these practices, and if we want to make sure that we’re doing something to make things improve, are things improving?”

The sensors collect real-time data for things like nitrate, flow and temperature. The Iowa division of the Izaak Walton League recently launched a GoFundMe page for the program.

(Radio Iowa) – The nonprofit that runs statewide homelessness assistance programs is expecting significant funding gaps due to the federal government shutdown and the Trump administration’s shift in housing priorities. Courtney Guntly, director of the Iowa Balance of State Continuum of Care, says the agency is running out of the time to figure out if it will receive enough funding to cover the cost of programs. Guntly says more delays in the application process could affect services.

“The state is just not in a place that they would be able to fill in that gap if federal funding does significantly change or is significantly reduced,” she says. Guntly says she hasn’t received any information on how to apply for federal funding in months. Guntly says the leaders of some programs in Black Hawk County are concerned they won’t receive new funds in time before their current funds run out. “These projects are going to lose their funding to be able to provide rental assistance, which means that those projects will no longer be operational,” she says.

The agency disperses more than eight-million dollars to fund homelessness assistance programs across Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Experts say they’re seeing higher than usual cases of hand, foot and mouth disease that mostly affects kids under the age of five, but it can hit everyone. Doctor Christine Davis at UnityPoint says parents should look out for low grade fevers, low energy and rashes that commonly start on the buttocks. “When kids are around each other, it’s typically spread, you know, either fecal, oral or oral, oral or respiratory contact,” she says. And so good hand washing, you know, making sure that you know if someone is sick, that you’re not sharing food and drinks and other things like that.”

Davis says the infection can be treated at home with over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and Tylenol.  “So a lot of times, because they do have these sores in the back of their throats, they’re not wanting to eat or drink very well,” Davis says. “And so signs of dehydration, especially in really young kiddos, would be, you know, less frequent wet diapers, you know, and just refusal to take any oral intake in.”

Figure, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Virus, Lesions. MidgleyDJ, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons ] – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf

Davis says symptoms include a low-grade fever and low energy. She says the rash for children commonly starts on the buttocks. It’s believed the increase in cases is due to the warmer temperatures this summer and fall.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Vision Atlantic, today (Thursday), announced family of Doug and Jill Leonard have donated $25,000 to Vision Atlantic’s transformative project, which will bring a housing development, new child development center, and YMCA expansion to Atlantic. Doug Leonard said “We are very happy to support the goals of Vision Atlantic in Jill’s memory. She understood the value of quality childcare from raising our children Cooper and Reagan and her work with the Parents as Teachers program through Cass Health.”

Vision Atlantic, through extensive research and surveying of the community and surrounding region, identified three areas that will help increase Atlantic’s population: expanded childcare, quality housing and quality of life amenities. Infrastructure for the 142 mixed unit Camblin Hills housing development and 300 capacity child development center is almost complete, with construction of 48 homes currently underway. Construction of the child development center and YMCA expansion is slated to begin early 2026.

Vision Atlantic has a fundraising goal of $39 million, which will be used to construct the YMCA expansion and child development center. To date, they have raised $26.5 million of that goal, thanks to an $8.6 million lead grant from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and significant support from local donors. In addition to their grant support, the Lakin Foundation has created a separate investment fund of $23 million that will be used to construct homes in the Camblin Hills housing development. The capital will be used as a line of credit, and as the dollars are paid back, the Foundation will donate up to 5% of the interest paid back to Vision Atlantic, who will use those dollars to operate the child development center.

Vision Atlantic’s Project Committee is actively working to secure the remaining $12.5 million needed to meet their fundraising goal. If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com. Visit www.visionatlantic.org and follow on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates and in-depth information of the project scope.

Vision Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower growth, enhance lives, and build a thriving community together through the economic development of Atlantic, Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Demolition work is underway to tear down the entire East Wing of the White House to clear the way for a new 90-thousand square foot ballroom President Trump wants to build. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says Trump isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been done by previous residents of the executive mansion.

“Past presidents have decided to change things at the White House,” Grassley says. “I don’t recall any objections through history of the times where it’s been changed from time to time.” Trump estimates the new ballroom will cost 300-million dollars, up from an estimate of 200-million just days ago, but he insists it’s all from private donations, not taxpayer dollars.

Reports say several corporations have contributed to the project, including: Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Google, Comcast and Meta. As for the ballooning nine-figure price tag, Grassley says “hardly anything” gets done at the original estimated cost.

(Audubon, Iowa) –  The Audubon County Secondary Roads Department reports, beginning Monday, October 27th, 2025, MidAmerican Energy will begin roadway construction along 300th St from Littlefield Drive (Co Hwy F58) to Thrush Ave, and on Thrush Ave, approximately 1 mile north of the Thrush Ave./300th St intersection. The widening is necessary for access to the Eclipse Wind Energy Farm site.

Construction will consist of widening the intersection at 300th St and Littlefield Dr. and widening the intersection of 300th St. and Thrush Ave. The project should be completed by Friday, November 7th.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senate candidate Jim Carlin says the government is hurting rather than helping the American people right now and it’s time for major reform. “Big government and big business got married,” Carlin says, “and the happy couple has given us the credit card bill.” Carlin says government policies have created monopolies in all sectors of the economy — particularly in health care, banking and agriculture.”There’s a reason why politics is big business. They invest hundreds of millions of dollars in politicians,” Carlin said. “We all know that.”

Carlin supports term limits for members of congress. And he’s calling for a ban on so-called “Super PACs” that can spend unlimited amounts of money on elections, while keeping the names of donors secret. “These businesses want to monopolize our political system to where with the hundreds of millions that go in, our voices get silenced and they own the game,” Carlin said, “and I think that has a lot to do with where we are.” Carlin says the country won’t have election integrity until there is campaign finance reform.

Carlin made his comments at the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale, a group that regularly hosts Republican candidates for state and federal office. Carlin challenged Senator Chuck Grassley in the 2022 Republican Primary and he’s now competing against Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, who’s running for the Senate in 2026.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – [**updated 10/24] The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, Wednesday, announced community Trick-or-Treating in Atlantic, will be held on Thursday, Oct. 30th, instead of the previously announced date of Oct. 31st. The change is being made because, according to Chamber Executive Director Kelsey Beschorner, “Our hometown football team has made it into the playoffs (go Trojans!), and to ensure everyone can enjoy both the big game and our beloved Halloween traditions.” The Chamber, City, and community partners, she said have agreed to move festivities up by one day.

Here’s the updated schedule for Thursday, October 30th:

Cass Health Trick-or-Treating**
2:30–4:00 PM

Atlantic News Telegraph / South O Roofing Costume & Coloring Contest
Registration: 3:15–3:50 PM
Judging: 4:00 PM

Downtown Trick-or-Treating
3:30–5:00 PM

City-Wide Trick-or-Treating
5:00–7:00 PM

Beschorner said, “We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as our town rallies together to support our kids. If your business is not located Downtown, please feel free to come and join the festivities on Chestnut Street!”