(Radio Iowa) – The corn and soybean harvest in Iowa is well underway — but since there’s a federal government shutdown, the U-S-D-A’s weekly report on Iowa crops wasn’t issued Monday. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says just driving through the countryside gives you a pretty good impression at the pace of the harvest. “Boy, if it’s fit, folks are really hitting it hard,” Naig said, “and I think we’re really taking a big chunk out of that soybean and corn harvest both.”

Naig says there appears to be variability in yields, as southern rust has appeared in parts of the state. “You’re hearing about some pretty dramatic yield reductions,” Naig said. “There are some areas of the state that were too wet. I’m hearing about some yield impact because of that as well and then I talk to folks that say it’s the best crop they’ve ever had.” Naig is hearing soybean yields are strong.

“Maybe the crop isn’t quite as good as we all thought it was going to be maybe in that mid-July time-frame, but we have a solid crop,” Naig said, “and, in fact, you have a lot of folks talking about: ‘Where are we going to store this crop?'” Iowa farmers typically have about two-thirds of soybeans and one-third of corn harvested by mid-October. Farmers worry the prices for corn and soybeans are being affected because buyers don’t have the weekly U-S-D-A information about harvest progress and conditions.

Naig says it also means the October payments farmers get for enrolling land in the Conservation Reserve Program aren’t going out. “In this tight economy if you’re waiting for a payment of some kind and you just can’t flat out access it because of a government shut down that’s wrong,” Naig said, “and it’s bringing instability…where we need certainty this time of year.”

With Farm Service Agency offices closed, farmers cannot submit the paperwork for operating loans that some might need to buy livestock, farm equipment, fuel or fertilizer. The loans may also be used to cover family living expenses.

(Radio Iowa) – The old Delaware County Jail is coming down. In 2019, Delaware County voters approved a bond issue for a new jail and that facility opened in mid-2021. The demolition of the vacant jail, which started Monday, is part of a larger project that will include a two-story addition on the east side of the county’s courthouse. Delaware County Supervisor Shirley Helmrichs says old the jail is unsafe.

“Part of the building has been there a long time. The old jailer’s house and the connecting wall with the jail, we’ve had architects look at it and they said: ‘You could try to remodel, but it’s going to cost you more,’ and the wall between the two buildings — it’s cracked. There’s not much holding it together,” she said. The jail’s demolition along with the addition to the Delaware County Courthouse is projected to cost between five and six million dollars.

The county treasurer’s office and auditor’s office will move into the addition. Helmrichs says it will improve accessibility to those offices. “We watched those west steps and there are too many near trips and falls on a daily basis,” Helmrichs says. “All the offices have a lot of traffic, but (for the) auditor’s and treasurer’s (office) it’s just a steadier crowd that come in and renew things and get passports.”

The Delaware County Courthouse in Manchester was built in 1894 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

(Glenwood, IA) – The Glenwood Police Department reports two separate arrests took place Saturday. 38-year-old William Ross Cavalieri, Jr., of Glenwood, was arrested at around 5:30-p.m. Saturday, for Failure to Appear. Bond was set at $2,000. And, 41-year-old Brandon John Cutaia, of Omaha, was arrested at around 11:20-p.m. Saturday in Glenwood, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

(Radio Iowa) – The National Weather Service says there’s a high risk of cropland fires in over 50 Iowa counties this (Monday) afternoon through sunrise tomorrow (Tuesday). A combine was destroyed and 12 acres of corn stalks burned in northwest Iowa yesterday (Sunday) before fire crews from Cherokee and Larrabee were able to stop a field fire. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says recent weather conditions have been difficult.

“Ninety degree temperatures, low humidities and 25, 30, 35 mile an hour wind gusts,” Naig said. “That’s a recipe for a field fire.” Safety experts recommend that farmers do frequent weather checks while harvesting and periodically use an air compressor or leaf blower when the machine is off and cooled down to remove dirt, dust, chaff and other accumulate plant residue. Naig says having a fire plan is important, too, because acting quickly is key when a spark ignites a field fire.

“What piece of equipment is already hooked on or what would you hook on? Who would you call?…Being aware of that machine and what smells hot, what looks wrong, where might you throw a spark? Those are just the types of things that you’ve got to be very, very mindful of,” Naig says.

Temperatures have been cooler today (Monday), though, and there’s a chance for sprinkles in parts of the state overnight, with a better chance for rain on Wednesday.

(Radio Iowa) – A lawyer who spent most of his career in Arizona and retired in Iowa four years ago says he plans to seek one of Iowa’s U.S. Senate seats in 2026. Richard Sherzan of Coralville says the government needs to work with businesses, laborers, and colleges to meet America’s 21st century needs.

“We Americans need to create and develop a new, under the U.S. Constitution, a new formal, long-term public-private economic partnership that can compete and win against China particularly, in the 21st century,” Sherzan said. Sherzan calls it a “New West” agenda and he says it will compete against President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. Sherzan says public-private partnerships have helped the U.S. during previous times of crisis.

“The American democratic government intervened to provide the leadership and direction that were needed to realize and to reach goals that were required for the security and prosperity of the American people,” Sherzan said, “and that’s the kind of time we’re in now.” Sherzan, who is 78, is a Vietnam veteran who grew up in Des Moines and got his law degree from Drake University. He worked on Arizona Senator Morris Udall’s 1976 Iowa Caucus campaign and won one term in the Iowa House in 1978. While living in Arizona, Sherzan indicated he’d run for the U.S. Senate twice, but withdrew before the Arizona Democratic Party’s U-S Senate Primaries in 2016 and 2018.

There are five other Democrats campaigning in Iowa for the seat currently held by Republican Joni Ernst, who is not seeking reelection in 2026.

Atlantic, IA— Cass Health is hosting a presentation by volunteers with SHIIP, the Senior Health Insurance Information Program. “Medicare: What to Expect in 2026” will be held on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 2 pm in Cass Health Conference Room #2.

SHIIP Volunteers Marla Anstey, Mary Brasfield, and Sheryl Miller will present and be on hand to answer questions. Their presentation will cover what SHIIP provides, expected updates and important information about Medicare for 2026, tips for preventing fraud, annual reminders, and prescription coverage plans.

SHIIP is a service of the State of Iowa. SHIIP services are free, confidential, and unbiased. SHIIP counselors are trained by the state and do not sell or promote any insurance companies, policies, or agents. Cass Health is a local sponsor for SHIIP in Cass County.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend; no reservations are needed for this free presentation.

To make an appointment to speak one-on-one with a local SHIIP volunteer, please call 712-243-7555.

(Radio Iowa) – Public libraries across the state are scrambling to find new vendors after one of the nation’s largest suppliers of books to public libraries abruptly ended distribution. Iowa City Public Library director Anne Mangano says North Carolina-based Baker & Taylor had a contract with the State of Iowa that negotiated discounts. “They offered the better discounts, they offered those services at a price point that we could afford, we’re probably going to have to spend more money on that, which means our book budget is gonna be stretched.”

Mangano says 84 percent of the library’s book collections were purchased through that company. The library is now relying on its secondary vendor as it explores its options.  “Overall, our selection might be a little bit smaller,” she says. “We might not be buying the amount of copies that we were in the past to fulfill holds and demand. And it comes at a time when library budgets have already been strained.”

Baker & Taylor will end operations by the end of the year due to financial issues. The company had partnered with more than five-thousand libraries worldwide.

(Radio Iowa) – Thirty-seven tornadoes have been reported in Iowa so far this year after over 130 were confirmed in Iowa last year. Tornadoes can strike in any month, but the majority of tornadoes tend to strike Iowa from April through the end of July. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says one factor this year was it wasn’t particularly windy this summer.”We’ve been thankfully on a low point in severe weather, but we’ve gotten rainfall and I’ll take this as opposed to the severe weather season last year,” Glisan said.

A derecho formed in South Dakota on July 28th, then swept across northern and eastern Iowa. “If you go back to 2020, the August 10th derecho, we’ve had six since then,” Glisan says. “You’d have to go back to 2013 for another derecho.” Glisan made his comments during a recent appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

2025 tornado image Via the NWS; Photo credit: @adamorgler

One of the largest tornado outbreaks in Iowa occurred on August 31st, 2014. A year later, experts evaluating satellite pictures from that date were able to confirm 35 tornadoes had touched down and caused damage in farm fields.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Department reports a Polk County man was arrested last week following an incident in Stuart. Authorities say law enforcement responded at around 9:15-p.m. on Oct. 6th to the area of the 200 block of southwest 6th Street in Stuart, after neighbors reported hearing a woman screaming and glass shattering. When officer Daniel Irving arrived on the scene, he made contact with a man later identified as 35-year-old Casey James Johnston, of Des Moines, outside of the residence, covered in blood, out of breath and sweaty. Johnston explained he was out of breath because he had just gotten into an altercation with his father inside the residence. He said also, he had been trying to get his possessions out of the house and leave, but claimed his father was not allowing his to do so. He admitted to kicking in a glass exterior door and to pushing his father.

Upon further investigation, Johnston’s father confirmed there was a physical altercation. Casey Johnston’s girlfriend told police she had been pushed to the ground while holding their 11-month old baby in her arms.

Casey Johnston was subsequently arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense, and Child Endangerment with Bodily Injury. He was released the following night on a $5,300 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the Senate should vote to end the government shutdown now and resolve the debate over extending insurance-related tax credits later. The senate is scheduled to reconvene tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. “I’m open to those discussions,” Ernst said, “and I’ve talked to a number of my Democratic colleagues about what do we do next and how can we come to an agreement to open the government and then come up with a plan to move forward.” Democrats have been demanding that Republicans agree to extend tax credits Americans get when they buy health insurance policies through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Ernst says Republicans want to make sure that people who use the so-called ObamaCare program are supported.

“But what we have to do is make sure that there is fraud and waste wiped out of that program. We have to make sure that the people who need insurance are getting that insurance. We have a broken system right now,” Ernst said. “…The Affordable Care Act was supposed to be affordable, meaning people shouldn’t need subsidies in order to afford it.” In 2017, Ernst voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and start a transition period to ensure people with pre-existing conditions are not denied coverage. This weekend, Ernst told reporters congress is on its way to figuring out a different model.

“I am hopeful we actually get the government open, we actually have serious talks on fraud and waste within the program,” Ernst said, “and then how do we actually make a difference and make health care affordable for those folks that actually need that support.” Over 24-million Americans got their current health care policy through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Starting November 1st, six insurance companies will offer coverage to Iowans through the A-C-A for 2026. Experts predict premium costs will rise significantly for up to 130-thousand Iowans if the tax credits aren’t extended for individuals or families with incomes that are four times or more above the poverty line.