(Radio Iowa) [UPDATED] – Governor Reynolds says in light of the situation surrounding the former superintendent of Des Moines public schools, all state government departments hiring employees will soon start using federal systems that verify whether an applicant is eligible to work in the United States.

Immigration agents arrested Ian Roberts in Des Moines nearly two weeks ago and he’s facing deportation along with federal gun charges. Reynolds says her staff is working with U-S Citizenship and Immigration Services to set up state government access to two systems. One is called E-Verify, to check if a job applicant is eligible to work in the U.S. The other is called SAVE and it verifies immigration status or citizenship.

Some state agencies have voluntarily used the E-verify system, but the governor’s executive order will require both federal systems be used in all of state government. Reynolds says she hopes to have all the details arranged by the end of the year.

The new screening procedures will be required for all applicants for state licenses. The Iowa Board of Educational examiners issued a professional administrators license to Roberts — the now former Des Moines superintendent — in July of 2023.

(Radio Iowa) – The Mississippi River Bridge from Lansing into Wisconsin will be shut down on October 20th so work can move forward on the new bridge. D-O-T engineer Clayton Burke says they will start removing pieces of the bridge deck and various steel beams and preparing the bridge for the explosive implosion sometime in mid-December. “The demolition will only start with the center portion, and the eastern portion of the bridge. And we have to leave the Iowa portion in place because it’s over a roadway and a railroad, and next to houses. So they will carefully take that apart piece by piece,” he says.

Demolition of the old bridge should be completed by spring of 2026. Burke says there will be a car ferry, but it will take some time to build the access along the river. “We are actively constructing the landings on both the Iowa and the Wisconsin side. That’s going to take about four weeks, so by the end of October, those landings should be complete,” he says. “And then we have to build a roadway on the Wisconsin side that connects the landing on the river bank to the Wisconsin highway.” Burke says they should be ready to start moving cars across the river on the ferry by November. Burke says they should be able to operate the ferry through the winter months.

“Our contractor has kept the river channel open throughout the past two winters by breaking ice with their tugboat and barge. So, we’re just asking them to break the ice a little further to the north to keep the channel open for the car ferry,” Burke says. He says commercial trucks and large vehicle won’t be able to use the ferry. “We’re hoping to focus the ferry on commuters and people who need the crossing for essential services like medical services or groceries or getting to other businesses on each side of the river,” he says.

Burke says they’ve been able to make some good progress on the new bridge. “We’ve set some of the first steel beams for the for the new trust and the contract is making good progress. We’re staying on schedule to this so far for the spring of 2027 opening,” he says. Burke says the existing bridge carries about 22-hundred vehicles per day on average throughout the year.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Attorney James L. Varley’s office today (Wed., Oct. 8th) issued a report on activities in the Iowa District Court for Page County for the week of September 15, 2025:

Kaleel Howard Coleman, age 30, Saint Joseph, Missouri, appeared with counsel and pled guilty to two counts of Theft in the 4^th Degree. The defendant was sentenced to 365 days of incarceration on each count, to run concurrently, and fined $430 for each count. The fine and term of incarceration were suspended, and the defendant was placed on probation for 9 months. The defendant was ordered to pay court costs, surcharges, victim restitution and court-appointed attorney fees.

Dylan Seth Harris, age 28, Glenwood, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Criminal Mischief in the 4^th Degree. The defendant received a deferred judgment and was placed on probation for one year. The defendant was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $430, court costs, surcharges, victim restitution and court-appointed attorney fees.

Misty Dawn Nolan-Myre, age 51, Shenandoah, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Driving While License is Denied or Revoked. The defendant was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Lauren Renee Offenbacker, age 30, Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Driving While License is Denied or Revoked. The defendant was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Lauren Renee Offenbacker, age 30, Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and previously entered a plea of guilty to Operating While Intoxicated-1^st Offense and received a deferred judgment. The deferred judgment was revoked, and the defendant was sentenced to 45 days in the Page County Jail. The term of incarceration was suspended, and the defendant was placed on probation for 9 months. As a condition of probation, the defendant is to obtain a drug/alcohol evaluation and follow through with any recommendations and attended and successfully complete the Drinking Driver’s School. The Defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $1,250, court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Jeremy Jack Scarpello, age 40, Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to two counts of Domestic Abuse Assault-2^nd Offense. The defendant was sentenced to two years of incarceration on each count, that will run consecutively to one another for a period not to exceed 4 years. That sentence was suspended, and the defendant was placed on probation for two years and was ordered to reside at the Residential Correctional Facility until maximum benefits are received. As a condition of probation, the defendant is to participate in and successfully complete the Iowa Domestic Abuse Program and obtain a substance abuse evaluation. The defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $855 on each count, plus court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Gavin Allen Sickler, age 25, Shenandoah, Iowa, appeared with counsel and pled guilty to Operating While Under the Influence-2^nd Offense. The defendant was sentenced to 30 days in the Page County Jail, with all but 7 days suspended, and received credit for time served. The defendant was placed on probation for one year and assessed a fine of $1,875. Defendant was ordered to complete a 12-hour drinking-driver’s course, substance abuse evaluation and ordered to pay all fines and surcharges.

Melissa Jean Wiechman, age 26, Villisca, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Operating While Under the Influence-2^nd Offense. The Defendant was sentenced to 45 days of incarceration, with all but 7 days suspended, and placed on probation for one year. As a condition of probation, the defendant is to obtain a drug/alcohol evaluation and attend and successfully complete the Drinking Driver’s School. The defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $1,850, court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

• On October 3rd: 37-year-old Christina Marie Stevens, of Anita, was arrested for Driving While Barred. Stevens was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on bond; and, 21-year-old Taylor Thomas Montgomery, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. Montgomery was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released on his own recognizance.
• On October 5th, 2025, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 30-year-old Kray Mathew Lukehart, of Atlantic, on charges of OWI – 3rd Offense, Driving while Barred, and Operation without Ignition Interlock. Lukehart was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and released on bond.
• And, on October 6th, 2025, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 36-year-old Alysha Anne Buell, of Council Bluffs, on two Bench Warrants for Failure to Appear. Buell was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County (IA) Sheriff’s Department reports former Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, 33-year-old Bailey Linn Smith, of Atlantic, was arrested today (Wednesday) on multiple charges, after she turned herself-in on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant. She was booked into the Cass County Jail, with bond set at $100,000. Smith was released (Oct. 8th) after posting a $10,000 (10%) cash bond. She is set to appear in Cass County District Court on Oct. 14th, at 9:30-a.m.

According to online court records, Smith faces charges that include:

• Ongoing Criminal Conduct – Unlawful Activity – A Class B Felony (Alleged Offense date 1/1/2020)
• And, three Class C Felonies that include: Fraudulent Practice 1st Degree (Alleged Offense date 11/14/22); Theft 1st Degree, and Unauthorized Use of Credit Card Over $10,000 (Alleged offense dates 1/1/2020).

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Board issued a statement this afternoon with regard to Smith’s arrest. The statement said:

Atlantic, IA— Officials with the Cass Health Nurse Apprenticeship program have announced that they are opening 16 slots for students to begin the Cass Health Nurse Apprentice LPN program in late summer 2026, with an anticipated RN graduation in May 2028.

The Cass Health Nurse Apprenticeship is a highly competitive nurse training program that provides students with a variety of clinical experiences, alleviates the financial burden of higher education, and provides a support system to students before and during nursing school.

Through a partnership with Iowa Western Community College, the apprentices are students of IWCC through a unique hybrid format that allows their classes to be taught online. All in-person coursework is completed at Cass Health, so that the apprentices do not have to travel to Council Bluffs for classes.

Director of Education Brittni Schmidt (BSN, RN, CEN) says “Not only are we offering these students a pathway to an RN career without tuition expenses, this apprenticeship also provides paid employment with on-the-job training, giving these students far more hands-on experience than a traditional nursing student receives.”

As employees, the apprentices work as occasional employees giving them flexibility to manage classes, homework, and studying. By the end of the apprenticeship, each student will have completed 2,000 hours of on-the-job training, and they are eligible for pay increases as they reach milestones throughout the apprenticeship program.

Applications will open on January 12, 2026, and close on March 13, 2026. Applicants must meet the entrance requirements to be considered for the program. Those who qualify will be interviewed in March and April, with the selection process ending in April. The new apprentices will begin working at Cass Health in July 2026 ahead of their fall semester.

For more information on the Nurse Apprenticeship, visit casshealth.org/apprenticeship or call Human Resources at 712-250-8022.

(Radio Iowa) – The head of a trade association for biofuel producers says Iowa is no longer the best place to produce ethanol. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association executive director Monte Shaw says Nebraska has that position now because a pipeline started capturing carbon from Nebraska ethanol plants last Friday. “Iowa has worn the crown,” Shaw says. “We have been the world’s best place to turn corn into ethanol and we’ve held that crown for 25 years and last week we got knocked off. The world’s best place to turn corn into ethanol is now the plants hooked up to the Trailblazer Pipeline.”

That pipeline had been used to transport natural gas through Nebraska, but has been converted to collect carbon and ship it to underground storage in Wyoming. Shaw says it’s just Econ 101 that investments will shift to Nebraska if Iowa officials slam the door here on the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. “We are asking the Iowa legislature…to help avert what I personally feel is a pending farm crisis,” Shaw says, “…and all we’re asking for is to have access to the tools we need, like carbon capture and sequestration.”

The Iowa House has passed several bills since 2021 that would have affected the operation of Summit’s project, but only one has gotten Senate approval. It’s the bill Governor Reynolds vetoed in June. This past weekend group of G-O-P lawmakers said they’d introduce more pipeline-related legislation in 2026. Seth Harder is C-E-O of Husker AG, an ethanol plant in northeast Nebraska that may connect to the Trailblazer Pipeline. Harder says ethanol production will shift to Nebraska if it has the only carbon sequestration pipeline in the Midwest.

“Watching some plants farther east start to struggle…I think that could get worse and some of those plants I know are on the cusp of shuttering,” he says. “Some have…and that’s going to bring the production down in Iowa.” Harder is also the C-E-O of the Lincolnway Energy plant near Nevada.

The Trailblazer Pipeline project in Nebraska is currently designed to collect carbon from up to 11 ethanol plants, one of which is near Council Bluffs. In May, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy’s manager said the company had secured voluntary agreements from local property owners so the plant can connect to the Trailblazer pipeline.

(Creston, Iowa) – The driver of a van was injured this (Wednesday) morning in Creston, when her vehicle collided with a 2016 Peterbilt semi tractor-trailer. According to the Creston Police Department, the accident happened at around 7:55-a.m. at the intersection of Highways 34 and 169. Authorities say the semi, driven by 60-year-old Robert Reidlinger, of Clyde, MO., was westbound on Highway 34, and a 1996 Chevy Sportvan driven by 54-year-old Robin Smith, of Leon, was southbound on Highway 169.

Smith stopped at the posted stop sign and looked east, but due to sun glare, failed to see the approaching semi. Reidlinger saw the van pulling into the intersection and tried to avoid hitting the vehicle, but the van struck the trailer and dual wheels on the semi’s trailer. The semi stopped on the north shoulder of Highway 34. The van spun out of control until it came to rest at the intersection stop sign.

Robin Smith was injured in the crash and transported by Medic 1 to the Clarke County Hospital in Osceola. Damage from the crash amounted to $25,000. No citations were issued.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s a fear among some organizations that a prolonged federal government shutdown could have significant consequences for Iowa’s food banks and pantries that serve low-income families. Those organizations get a substantial amount of food from U-S producers through the U-S-D-A’s Emergency Food Assistance Program. Kim Guardado is director of HACAP Food Reservoir, a food bank serving seven eastern Iowa counties. She says food banks often order food through the program months in advance.

“As long as it’s a brief shutdown, we’ll be fine,” Guardado says. “If it goes too far, then there won’t be staff that will be able to place those orders for the future, so then we would see a disruption in the future.” Guardado says food insecurity is on the rise in Iowa, and a long government shutdown could also disrupt programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which already faces significant budget cuts. A federal report estimates two-point-four million people will lose benefits in an average month.

Kaitlyn Scheuermann, the dietitian for nutrition services in the Waukee Community School District, says families that lose access to SNAP benefits will also lose automatic eligibility for free and reduced-price school meals. “It’s really important that we’re communicating with families and making sure that they know they may have to apply,” Scheuermann says, “because we don’t want them to end up in a situation where they start to accrue a negative balance.”

Scheuermann and Guardado spoke during a recent virtual town hall hosted by the Iowa Food System Coalition.

(Van Meter, Iowa) – An Adair County man died Tuesday, after falling 30-feet from the roof of a building under construction at the school in Van Meter. Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield confirms 33-year-old Brandon McVay, of Greenfield, died from injuries he suffered during the accident. Services for Brandon McVay are currently pending. According to reports, the accident happened at around 1-p.m., Tuesday. Authorities say a School Resource Officer (SRO) performed CPR on McVay until medics arrived on the scene. A helicopter was called-in but McVay died before he could be flown to a hospital.

Brandon McVay

The accident is under investigation. An account has been established to help his family at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/amberly-mcvay-and-kids?attribution_id=sl:4e9e0dd3-9ad6-4819-b988-b014fe4faba4&lang=en_US&ts=1759966334&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp13_c-amp17_control&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link