(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

Four Iowans have won U.S. Senate confirmation to posts in the Trump Administration. Leif Olson, a top deputy in Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s office, is now the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. David Waterman, a Davenport attorney who previously worked in a U.S. Attorney’s Office in Florida, is now the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. David Barker of Iowa City is now Assistant U.S. Secretary for Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education. He’s been a member of the board that governs Iowa’s three state universities since May of 2019.

And Iowa native James Holtsnider has been confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Jordan. He served for six years in the Marine Corps and earned a degree in physics before joining the U.S. State Department as a foreign service officer.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he believes congress will have to act to provide the full amount of federal payments to farmers that President Trump has promised to make up for trade-related losses. “I don’t think he has the authority to use tariff money,” Grassley says. “That goes in the treasury and once it goes in the treasury, it’s got to be appropriated by congress.” Grassley says there’s not enough money in the U-S-D-A’s budget today to fund the trade disruption payments the Trump Administration has planned.

“I had a discussion with one of the cabinet members Monday and this very subject came up,” Grassley says. “…They’re thinking about spreading it out over two tranches, use the money that’s available now and then congress gets done appropriating money and supplements the Commodity Credit Corporation, they’d do the remaining of the $10-14 billion.” American farmers got more than 22 billion dollars in payments in 2019, during Trump’s first administration, after China scaled back U.S. commodity purchases. Amid the current trade stand-off between the two countries, China has stopped buying U.S. soybeans.

Grassley says fertilizer prices are another shockwave hitting farm income and Grassley has been calling for a rollback of U.S. tariffs on fertilizer imports. “I don’t have any resolution or opinion from the executive branch where I’ve expressed both in interviews like this and by Twitter and in statements to the cabinet people.”

According to the American Farm Bureau, the U.S. imported 97 percent of the potassium fertilizer farmers used in 2024 — and nearly all of it came from Canada. There’s now a 10 percent tariff on potassium fertilizer imports from Canada.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The auditing firm of Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co., P.C., today (Wednesday) released an audit report on the Cass County Environmental Control Agency (Landfill). The report shows the Agency had total revenue of $1,178,900 for the year ended June 30, 2025, which included solid waste fees of $938,000, county and city assessments of $157, 500, and recyclables fees of $29,400.

Expenses totaled $1,030,800 for the year ended June 30, 2025, which included $375,000 for waste hauling and disposal, $76,900 for administration, $45,800 for recycling, and $198,700 for cover, compacting and scale expense, and $8,700 for closure and postclosure costs.

A copy of the full audit report is available for review in the office of the Auditor of State, and the Cass County Environmental Control Agency.

(Greeenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), approved a 28E (cost sharing) agreement with the City of Bridgewater, for Law Enforcement services. Adair County Deputy Sheriff Mike Algreen presented the agreement to the Board for their approval.

Algreen also updated the Board on the status of the internet, after speaking with the provider, Kinetic High Speed Internet via Windstream for fiber optic service.

In other business, the Supervisors in Adair County received a Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Amendment request from Auditor Mandy Berg. Board Chair Nathan Baier explained what the changes were. Here are a few of them…

Adair County Courthouse, Greenfield, IA

The Board then approved publishing of the amendment as presented. A Public Hearing will be held on the amendment at 10:15-a.m., on October 29^th.

Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board’s approval and Chairman Nathan Baier’s signature, the final voucher for work completed by GovCo, for the W1 Lee (township) Bridge Project. Kauffman also provided his weekly report on Adair County Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

The Board approved a liquor license renewal application for the Greenfield Golf and Country Club, and an amended liquor license for the Wallace Center, which was simply for a corporate name change.

The next meeting of the Adair County Board of Supervisors is Oct. 15^th at 9-a.m.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is launching a major habitat restoration effort at the Meadow Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) north of Greenfield, beginning this month. The project involves the clearing of approximately 37 acres of dense, invasive trees and brush from the center of the area. This essential work is scheduled to take place from October through March 2026.

The primary goal is to restore vital grassland habitat that has been severely encroached upon by aggressive, non-native species such as Eastern red cedar, Russian olive, bush honeysuckle, and others. The clearing process will involve using heavy equipment, including dozers and excavators, to push, pull, and pile the invasive material. Iowa DNR Technician Jacob Ashford says “This is a critical part of a larger plan to improve the entire Meadow Lake watershed. By removing these invasive species, we can restore the native prairie. This will significantly improve the soil’s ability to absorb water, leading to better water quality in Meadow Lake, enhanced fishing opportunities, and a healthier habitat for grassland wildlife.”

Following the clearing, wildlife staff will conduct native prairie seeding to fully restore the area. Future maintenance will be managed under the area’s long-term management plan.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, Tuesday, provided a report to the Board of Supervisors on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and construction projects, including work on the N-28 bridge.

Wolken said Tuesday the temperature makes a little bit of a time difference in allowing the surface to cure.

He said once the shoulders and paving are complete, the project should be finished. Updates on other bridges included one near Massena.

Trent Wolken said there is about 5 ½ miles of resurfacing left to do by Friday. And, as we’ve mentioned, the Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, set Oct. 21st beginning at 9:30-a.m. and 9:35-a.m., as the date and respective times for Public Hearings on vacating the following sections of roadways in Cass County:

• The traveled portion of Keystone Road between 610 and 620th Streets, and,
• an untraveled portion of Jasper Road in the northeast quarter of Section 19 in Washington Township.

They also approved establishing a resolution to vacate an untraveled portion of Buck Creek Road in the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 30 in Pymosa Township. They’ll act on passing the resolution during their next meeting on Oct. 21st.

WASHINGTON, D-C – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for FSIS-inspected ready-to-eat meals produced by FreshRealm, containing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated ingredient, specifically riced cauliflower, that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). Based on current evidence, the products included in this public health alert are not related to any ongoing outbreak investigations. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase.

The following products are subject to the public health alert [view labels]:

• Sold by Blue Apron: 13.05-oz. plastic tray packages labeled “DISH by Blue Apron Cheesy Chicken Mac with Vegetables” with lot codes 25240 and 25247. The product bears establishment number “P-3081.”
• Sold by Marley Spoon: 10.5-oz. packages labeled “BALANCE by Marley Spoon BBQ Sauce Beef Meatballs with Cheesy Cauliflower” with lot code 25255.  The product bears establishment number “Est. 47718.”

The problem was discovered when FreshRealm notified FSIS that the riced cauliflower used in these products tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. Previously, FSIS issued a health alert for these products that may also be contaminated with Listeria:

• 10.1-oz. containers of “HELLO FRESH READY MADE MEALS CHEESY PULLED PORK PEPPER PASTA” with establishment number “Est. 47718” and lot code 49107 or establishment number “Est. 2937” and lot code 48840. This item was shipped directly to consumers by HelloFresh.
• 10-oz. containers of “HELLO FRESH READY MADE MEALS UNSTUFFED PEPPERS WITH GROUND TURKEY” with establishment number “P-47718” and lot codes 50069, 50073, or 50698. This item was shipped directly to consumers by HelloFresh.

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

FSIS is concerned that these products may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

(DES MOINES, IA) – The Iowa Energy Center (IEC) Board, Tuesday, awarded nearly $2.3 million to eight projects through the IEC Grant Program. The competitive grant opportunity, funded by gas and electric utilities across the state, enables eligible applicants to pursue projects that provide a benefit to Iowa ratepayers and align with one of the key focus areas of the Iowa Energy Plan. Those areas include technology-based energy research and development, energy workforce development, support for rural and underserved areas, biomass conversion, natural gas expansion in underserved areas, electric grid modernization, alternative fuel vehicles, and carbon management.

Seven of the grants – totaling $2,011,328 – went to Iowa State University, for:

• Enhancing Iowa’s Energy Resilience Through Anaerobic Digestion-Based Microgrids
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assisted Robotic Mappingof Underground Infrastructure
• Development of New Ultra-Low-Cost, Ultra-High-Performance, All Solid-State Sodium Batteries using All Iowa Resources for Storage of Renewable Iowa Wind Energy
• Fatigue Failure Mitigation in Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) Conductors of Power Grids via Advanced Peening Technologies
• Implementing a GIS Tool for Enhancing Gridline Resilience to Natural Hazards
• CyMath: K12 and College Math Tutoring as a Springboard to Strengthen Statewide Iowa Energy Workforce
• Data-Driven Modeling, Prediction, and Mitigation of Electrification Impacts in Iowa Cold Weather

The eighth grant amounting to $256,509, went to Terenc, LLC, for Distributed Energy Resource Management System for Rural Electric Cooperatives and Municipal Utilities. For more information on the IEC Grant Program, visit the webpage here.