(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says there have been exceptional gains in the reading, writing and math skills of Iowa’s K-through-12 students.

Tests scores show there was an 11 percent increase in reading proficiency among last year’s third graders who are now 4th graders. That’s after year one of a state law that requires all early elementary students to have their reading skills screened every other week. Tens of thousands of students got on-line tutoring to improve their ability to read. Iowa Department of Education director McKenzie Snow says science proficiency rates rose in all tested grades.

The number of students who were chronically absent has dropped nearly six percent in the past year. And 45 percent of high school seniors had some sort of outside the classroom experience about a potential career.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – One person died during a fiery crash Tuesday night northeast of Atlantic. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the accident happened at around 11:39-p.m., on Highway 71 just south of Fayette Road.

The Patrol says a 2008 Chevy Cobalt was traveling north in the southbound lane of Highway 71 when it collided head-on with a 2016 Kenworth semi driven by 59-year-old Michael Conn, of Maryville, MO.

Following the collision, both vehicles came to rest in the east ditch off of Highway 71. The driver of the car died at the scene. Their name was not released, pending identification by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny. The semi driver was uninjured.

The road remained closed for several hours following the crash. It finally opened at around 9:40-a.m., Wednesday. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Cass EMS and Atlantic Fire and Rescue. All Atlantic units had cleared from the scene a little after 6:30-a.m. (Wednesday).

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A separate accident with minor injuries happened just before midnight on I-80, near the Cass/Pottawattamie County line, at mile marker 53 eastbound, where a semi rolled into the ditch. The truck was hauling construction equipment. The driver complained of pain, but was not transported to the hospital. A Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy assisted rescue crews at the scene. No other information is currently available.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa City Police have arrested three people on multiple charges in a human trafficking investigation involving two massage parlors. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.

(As said) – Iowa City Police say the investigation and found the owners of two Paradise Spa locations, 60-year-old Zhenshi Liu and 56-year-old Junping Ren provide sex to male clients. They also required numerous female workers to provide sex to the clients while working more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Police say the two laundered two-point-six million dollars in cash from the massage parlors by buying two residential properties. They also face charges of pandering for prostitution and pimping. Zhenshi Liu is also accused of sexually assaulting a customer. The couple’s son 33-year-old Yang Liu of Hoover, Alabama is accused of assisting in laundering the money his personal accounts.

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The Iowa D-C-I, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the F-B-I assisted Iowa City Police in the investigation, along with several local and county law enforcement agencies.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is hoping negotiations among the leadership of both parties can find an agreement before the federal government shuts down on September 30th. The Republican from Red Oak says the Senate Democrat leader is threatening a shutdown if changes aren’t made to the House funding bill.

Ernst made her comments at an Iowa National Guard groundbreaking ceremony in Sioux City Tuesday. She expects there will be some type of plan to keep the government going once everyone gets back from their break.

Ernst says the American people are the ones who will be hurt by a shutdown.

Ernst’s fellow Republic U-S Senator, Chuck Grassley, says he believes there will be a compromise with Democrats. He says Democrats have always in the past approved a continuing resolution that keeps funding the government at the same level to give them time to finish work on budget bills.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has set December 9th as the date for a special election to fill the House seat Republican Mike Sexton of Rockwell City resigned from on Friday. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.

(A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The former Elgin city clerk, originally charged with theft in the alleged misuse of $131,213 in taxpayer money, has been fined $430 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor offense. In March 2023, former Elgin City Clerk Rhonda Dales was named in a state audit report that identified $131,213 in improper disbursements by the city and an additional $7,532 in disbursements for which there was no supporting documentation.

The questionable spending cited by the auditor included:

— Excess payroll payments to Dales: $60,726.

— Unauthorized comp time for Dales: $27,451

— Unauthorized paid time off for Dales: $9,863

— Improper reimbursement payments to Dales: $19,204

The report noted that much of the questionable spending was tied to pay and benefits collected by Dales in violation of city policies. However, the report also noted that regardless of the policy, city council members did not agree as to whether Dales, as a part-time employee, was entitled to such payments.

According to the auditor’s office, its investigation stemmed from a May 2021 Elgin City Council meeting at which Dales was informed she was being fired due to concerns with her job performance. Because of the concerns, city officials asked state auditors to review the city’s financial records from 2017 through June 2021. According to the auditor’s report, the findings of wrongdoing were based on the benefits being contrary to city policy. The report highlighted several deficiencies in financial oversight by the council, noting that the city didn’t follow its own personnel policies and, as a result, Dales “periodically paid herself” for more hours worked than the council had ever authorized.

Within days of the auditor’s report being released in 2023, Fayette County officials criminally charged Dales with felony first-degree theft. Dales pleaded not guilty, and the case was initially scheduled for trial in July 2023.

Court records show that over the next two-and-a-half years, judges granted 14 continuances in the case, and on Aug. 22, 2025, Fayette County prosecutor Jason Dunn reduced the charge from felony first-degree theft to misdemeanor fourth-degree theft, alleging Dales stole no more than $750 worth of property from the city.

Dales pleaded guilty to the charge and on Sept. 3, 2025, was fined $430 and placed on informal probation for one year. There was no restitution ordered in the case.

(Audubon, Iowa) – Officials in Audubon County have released a list of the candidates whose names will appear on the November 4th City and School election ballots.

Candidates for City Offices

City of Audubon

Mayor (vacancy term ending 2027)- (vote for no more than one)

Palle Lansman

City Council – (vote for no more than three)

Brooke Wegner

Bruce A. Christensen

Jeff Jacobsen

Rodney Benton

City of Brayton

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

Cally Lee Christensen

City Council – (vote for no more than two)

David L. Hansen

Garrett Wilson

City of Exira

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

Mike Huegerich

City Council – (vote for no more than two)

Dory Schrader

Christina Nelson

Matt Long

City of Gray

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

NO Candidates Filed

City Council – (vote for no more than two)

NO Candidates Filed

City of Kimballton

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

Ramadasa Jivatma

City Council – (vote for no more than three)

Sheila Partridge

Dirk Wasson

Peggy Mortensen

Thomas Lake

School Board candidates

Audubon School Board Member

(vote for no more than two)

Laurence H. Frakes Jr

Haillie Bruch

Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board Director

(vote for no more than three)

Anna Schleimer

Nick Fredericksen

Eric Konecne

Deborah King

Beth Larsen

Emily Paulsen

Abby Rasmussen

Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board Director

(vacancy term ending 2027)-(vote for no more than one)

Anthony L. Hough

Cally Lee Christensen

POLLING SITES

Audubon Agri Hall – 412 N Division St W (fairgrounds) Audubon: All Audubon County registered voters in the following townships: Lincoln-Cameron-Viola-Douglas-Leroy and Melville; IKM-Manilla & Coon Rapids Bayard voters will also vote HERE!

Exira Event Center – 106 N Jefferson: All Audubon County registered voters in the following Townships: Sharon-            Hamlin-Greeley-Oakfield-Exira and Audubon Twp.

Audubon School District voters in Sharon-Hamlin and Greeley will go to the Exira Event Center to vote, as do Guthrie Center-Adair-Casey- CAM and Atlantic Schools in Audubon County.