(Radio Iowa) – State and local officials joined executives from one of the world’s largest meat processing companies at the groundbreaking for a new sausage plant in Perry. J-B-S expects the plant will start production by the end of next year and eventually employ 500. Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham notes Perry has been through a rollercoaster after a tragic school shooting in early 2024 and the closure of the Tyson pork plant in mid-2024.

“This community embodies the idea that you are more than your circumstances,” Durham said. “With every unforeseen challenge, unthinkable tragedy or business setback, you show us what you are made of – hard work, heart and optimism.” Nearly 13-hundred people were laid off when Tyson closed its Perry plant on June 28th of last year. Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh says the new plant will help his community recover from last year’s set backs.

Groundbreaking for new sausage plant in Perry on Oct. 14, 2025. (Photo courtesy of JBS USA)

“It will bring good jobs back to Perry so our residents don’t have to commute to work. It will attract new businesses and residents to our community. It will also give a boost to our existing businesses.” J-B-S operates plants in Council Bluffs, Marshalltown and Ottumwa and the new plant in Perry will be the company’s first sausage production site in the United States.

J-B-S recently purchased a shuttered Hy-Vee facility in Ankeny, where it plans to produce ready-to-eat bacon and sausage — and some of the raw ingredients for that sausage will come from the Perry plant.

(Lee County, Iowa) – Two juveniles on an electric bike were injured Tuesday afternoon in southeast Iowa, when the bike failed to stop at an intersection and was struck by a car. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened at around 4:45-p.m. in Fort Madison.

The report says a 2020 Honda Civic driven by 19-year-old Jordyn Burch, of Ft. Madison, was traveling eastbound through the intersection of Avenue E & 20th Street, when a southbound e-bike operated by a 9-year-old failed to stop. The bicycle struck the front driver’s side area of the car. The 9-year-old and a 12-year-old passenger on the bike were ejected during the collision.

The younger child was flown by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospital. The 12-year-old was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Fort Madison. The names of the juveniles were not released.

CARROLL – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a hog manure release into a tributary of Elk Run Creek in Carroll County.

On October 14, the DNR Field Office in Atlantic was notified by Eric Baumhover, manager of B&B Custom Pumping, a certified manure applicator business, of a manure spill which occurred in the evening hours on October 13.

Staff from the DNR Field Office in Atlantic responded to the incident. Further investigation revealed that approximately 5,000 gallons of manure was spilled when a hose blew while land-applying manure from the Brady Boell hog confinement site located at 25510 120th St in Carroll.

Field staff reported the applicator took immediate action after the incident by placing dams in several locations to contain the manure while continuing to pump it out of the creek, which prevented it from flowing to Elk Run. Corn stalks were also used to soak up the manure on the ground.

Cleanup efforts continue while on-site crews pump the manure-laden water out of the creek. Soil will be excavated as needed. No dead fish have been observed. Samples have been collected and will be submitted to the State Hygienic Laboratory for testing.

The incident remains under investigation. The department will determine if further enforcement action is warranted.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

(Radio Iowa) – Deer hunting is underway in Iowa with the first two seasons requiring hunters to use a couple of the older methods of hunting. D-N-R state deer biologist Jace Elliott says the bow and early muzzleloader seasons have started slowly. “So far, we’ve had pretty average, perhaps a bit below average harvest in the early part of this year, but that’s easy to attribute to the warm weather,” Elliott says. Elliott says unseasonably warm weather limits deer movement.

“Cold weather, especially cold fronts, get deer up on their feet in the daylight hours better. They are going to be traveling more during daylight hours in the early season when weather is a little colder. We just haven’t had much of that yet,” he says. He says hunters understand the impact of weather on deer movement, and that impacts their decision on when to sit in their stands. “It’s also hunters that are choosing to maybe wait until it gets a little bit colder,” Elliott says, “as you know, handling venison and things like that can be an improved experience once that that weather gets colder as well.”

(Iowa DNR photo)

The bow hunting season is the longest one, so there is plenty of time for those hunters to get a deer. “So far we have several thousand deer that have been registered across the state, which shows that you know, we’re off to a good start. But for an average year, we have another hundred thousand deer harvests to go,” he says. The early muzzleloader season runs through this coming weekend. There have been around five-thousand deer taken already. The most deer are taken during the regular gun seasons that don’t start until December.

(Radio Iowa) – The Manchester City Council has approved the site plan for a proposed custom meat processing facility in the city’s industrial park. Todd Summers owns and operates a meat locker in Earlville, but Manchester City Manager Tim Vick says that facility needs some upgrades. “He’s looking at maybe just doing a much larger facility here in Manchester,” Vick says, “and so there are multiple phases that we are looking at.”

Site plan for proposed Manchester Locker (provided by City of Manchester)

Vick says phase one of the plan would be to develop 15 acres and build a 26-thousand square foot facility.  “Animals would come in. They’ll be slaughtered, processed and out of the door,” Vick said. Vick says the business — which would be called The Manchester Locker — would also have retail space to sell meat directly to customers. Summers — who’s planning to operate a meat locker in Manchester — bought Dan’s Meat Locker in Earlville last year. It offers custom meat processing of beef, pork, lamb and deer and makes retail sales of everything from steaks to homemade sausage.

U-S-D-A records show there are nearly 150 licensed processing plants for meat and poultry in Iowa.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a pursuit early this (Tuesday) morning, ended with the driver of the vehicle taking his own life. According to the report, Mills County Deputies located a vehicle parked dangerously on the Interstate 29 overpass just south of Highway 34, at around 1:08-a.m. After conducting a welfare check, deputies located a man inside the vehicle. The subject took-off in his vehicle and later stopped at different overpasses at Rist Avenue over I-29.

When deputies arrived, the male subject was outside of his vehicle. Despite assistance from Mills County Deputies, the man took his life. Efforts by deputies and Glenwood Fire and Rescue personnel to save him, were unsuccessful. Charles Webb, of Shawnee, KS, was declared deceased at the scene.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating the incident at the request of the Mills County Sheriff’s Office.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report the arrest Monday night, of 20-year-old Christian Nathaniel Caskey, of Glenwood. Caskey was arrested for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $2,000.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on arrests that took place from Sept. 8th (2025) to Oct. 8th (2025). Beginning with the most recent arrests:

• 39-year-old Brandy Nicole Strange, of Farragut, was arrested Oct. 8th in Coin, for Public Intoxication.
• 24-year-old Raymond Rex Gist, Jr., of Des Moines, was arrested Oct. 6th in Clarinda, on an outside agency warrant.
• 45-year-old Matthew Ross David Buckridge, of Wall Lake, was arrested in Clarinda, for Violation of Probation.
• On Oct. 1st, Page County Deputies in Clarinda, arrested 30-year-old Alex Junior Rivera, of Osceola, for Domestic Assault w/Bodily Injury-1st offense.
• And, on Oct. 29th, 50-year-old Brian Keith Huseman, of Coin, was arrested in Clarinda on two-felony counts of a Controlled Substance Violation. He plead guilty and was sentenced to serve time at a Residential facility until maximum benefits are achieved.

Other arrests in Page County include:

• On Sept. 29th: 20-year-old Hannah Jean Hall, of Clarinda, was arrested in Clarinda, for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree.
• On Sept. 24th: 53-year-old Bradley J. Woodruff, of Shambaugh was arrested in Braddyville, for DUS, OWI/1st offense and PCS 3rd or subsequent offense.
• On Sept. 23rd: 45-year-old David Alfonso Clark, of Red Oak, was arrested in Clarinda for Harassment in the 3rd Degree.
• On Sept. 16th: 52-year-old Matthew Robert Howie, of College Springs, was arrested for Domestic Assault w/Bodily Injury-1st offense.
• And on Sept. 8th, Page County Deputies arrested 46-year-old Shaun Joseph Goines, of Villisca, for Probation Violation.

DES MOINES – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, today (Tuesday), said 21-year-old Lemuel James Hamilton Jr., who was convicted of Robbery 2nd Degree in Polk County, failed to report back to the Fort Des Moines – Bldg. 68 as required on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.

Lemuel James Hamilton Jr.

Hamilton is a 5′ 11″, 391-pound American Indian male. He was admitted to the work release facility on Aug. 14, 2025. Persons with information on Hamilton’s whereabouts should contact local police.

For more information on the state’s work release program, please see Iowa Code 904.901-904.910.

(Radio Iowa) – The Sioux City School Board has voted to hire a Cedar Rapids law firm to conduct an investigation of a school employee without revealing the name of the employee or the reason for the investigation. The item was on the consent agenda, but was moved to the regular agenda, and during public comments Kristi Macanamy spoke. “This is unprecedented. I can’t remember a time when this has happened in the past and been posted in consent agenda as it was tonight,” she says. After discussion, board member Jan George said he requested the item be put on the agenda.

“This is the best way that gives everyone protection in a safe environment,” he says. “And I know you guys want to know all the dirty details, but that’s not going to happen. That protects everyone, and that’s all I can tell you.” The move to hire the law firm for the investigation passed 4-1 with one member abstaining.

The cost of hiring the investigator was not revealed, but the agenda item says the cost will be paid from the district’s general fund.