(Shelby, Iowa) – Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc. will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at the Shelby Community Hall in Shelby, at 7:30 pm.  Out-going Carstens Board President Mel Hursey says “While we know that the last thing anyone wants to think about is another election, we encourage everyone to come out and vote!”  Members of Carstens Farm will be voting for two director positions. The following board members’ terms are ending as of the date of the meeting:  Harvey Ferris of Missouri Valley, Mel Hursey of Shelby, Bill Johnson of Avoca and Meryle Osborn of Crescent.  Incumbents Harvey Ferris and Bill Johnson are running again.

Gerald McCool of Minden and Terry Torneten of Harlan are candidates seeking the open spots on the board.  Continuing board members are Ben Ausdemore of Minden, Charlie Leaders of Minden, Dale Schroder of Avoca, Rick Newland of Portsmouth, Stan Kern and Doug Martin all of Shelby and David Dittmer of Minden.

Results of the election will be announced following the meeting. Hursey said  “We are throwing around ideas for projects for 2022. We want to continue our focus on more building upkeep and repair.” Reports will be given on the 2021 Carstens Farm Days.  Hursey adds, “I hope to see many members as well as the general public who care about the farm at the meeting.”

Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc. members as well as members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend.  Those attending will have the opportunity to renew their memberships or to purchase new memberships.  Memberships are important for sustaining the farm’s operations. Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc., a non-profit group of local volunteers, oversees this working farmstead museum exhibit located south of Shelby, Iowa.  The farmstead hosts several thousand people annually during Carstens Farm Days which is held the first weekend after Labor Day.  For more information visit www.carstensfarm.com

(Radio Iowa) – You might be seeing more of those radar speed signs when the construction season ramps up again in the spring. The D-O-T’s Dave Lorenzen, says the signs already in use in some construction zones show how fast you are going. “They are effective — in fact, we are hearing more from people driving in work zones that that is probably one the most effective tools to bring their attention to the fact that they are going too fast, they are going past the posted limit,” Lorenzen says. He says people usually slow down when their speed is displayed. “I’ve heard them referred to in some law enforcement circles as shaming boards, because all of a sudden you look down and it’s like ‘Oh my gosh I am going that fast’,” he says.

Lorenzen says they are looking to use more of them. “We are in the process of securing additional units — and you will see those more readily deployed on mobile maintenance and construction sites that we are involved in,” Lorenzen says. He says it makes sense to use more of them. “We do know they are effective, they are not overly expensive,” according to Lorenzen.

Lorenzon says one thing the signs don’t do is take a picture and send you a ticket. He says their purpose is to remind you of your speed and the need to slow down in work zones.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests from over the past week:

• On Monday (12/27), 36-year-old Aron Lee Camenzind, of Kennard, NE, was arrested at Highway 34 & I-29 at around 3:12-a.m., for OWI/1st offense, Driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway, and Reckless Driving. His bond was set at $1,000.
• On Christmas Day, 69-year-old Gary Paul Kennedy, of Omaha, was arrested for Interference with Official Acts and on a warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Bond was set at $600.
• On Dec. 22nd, 20-year-old Deven Anthony Hatfield, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at Cass County Corrections, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. His bond was set at $3,000.
• And, on Dec. 20th, 51-year-old Bryan Allen Dennis, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at I-29 & Highway 34, for Public Intoxication. Bond was set at $300.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports also, a woman from Plattsmouth, NE., was transported to the hospital by Silver City Rescue, following a single-vehicle accident Monday afternoon. 73-year-old Dianne Stewart was in a 2021 Subaru, in the West Oak Park parking lot off 195th Street. She got out of her vehicle to walk her dog, but leaned back in through the driver’s side door, to retrieve her cell phone. Authorities say Stewart either failed to put the vehicle in park, or hit the gear shifter, causing it to move to “Neutral.”

She was hit by the vehicle as it began to roll downhill. After the car became stuck on the driveway embankment, Stewart attempted to free the vehicle from the embankment, but only “Made it worse.” The Subaru had three wheels on the ground and appeared to be in danger of rolling over. Stewart complained of a possible broken left arm. She also had a visible laceration/bruise, to the right side of her face, near her eye.

The broadcast News at 8:06-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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Our 7:07-a.m. broadcast area/state News, with Ric Hanson.

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(Washington, D-C) – An Iowa man and his son charged in connection to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol are expected to plead guilty. KCCI reports Daryl Johnson of Saint Ansgar and his son, Daniel Johnson, of Minnesota, were seen on video entering the Capitol during the attack — and later bragged about it on social media. The two face numerous charges, including violent entry and disorderly conduct.

Court documents filed last week show a plea hearing has been scheduled for the afternoon of Jan. 4. Court documents also show that in January, investigators said someone tipped them off to a Snapchat video taken by Daniel Johnson showing him inside the Capitol during the attack. Then, on Jan. 18, another tip, regarding a Facebook post made by Daniel Johnson, saying “I was one of the first ones inside the capitol building.” A March 1 tip implicated both of the Johnsons and investigators said they were able to identify the two from video taken inside the Capitol.

The records say Daryl Johnson was wearing the same puffy navy blue jacket on Jan. 6 that he had in public Facebook photos and made Facebook posts about being at the Capitol. After obtaining private messages, investigators accuse Daniel Johnson of telling someone “We stormed capitol hill” and “Lol Dad and I were one of the first ones inside.” They say he sent those messages on the Jan. 6, soon after the attack.

So far, six Iowans face charges connected to the riot.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest at around 9-p.m. Tuesday, of a woman following a traffic stop. Authorities say 55-year-old Barbara Darlene Wilson, of Red Oak, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. Her bond at the Montgomery County Jail, was set at slightly more than $491.

(Radio Iowa) – Smoking has been banned in public places in Iowa since 2008, but there’s been an exception that has allowed smoking in the gaming areas of Iowa casinos. Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, notes the state’s tribal casinos and some state-licensed casinos temporarily moved to ban smoking to prevent the spread of Covid-19.  “I do think that may be one silver lining of this horrible pandemic that we’ve been living through is we’ve seen casinos across the state make the decision to eliminate smoking on their premises,” Petersen says, “and it is time for the legislature to just put that policy in place.”

In 2008, Petersen was a member of the Iowa House and chairwoman of the commerce committee that led the effort to pass the Iowa Smokefree Act. At the time, Iowa’s casino industry argued it would lose customers to casinos in the Illinois Quad Cities where smoking was allowed, but smoking is now banned in casinos in Illnois and South Dakota — and gambling regulators overseeing construction of new casinos in Nebraska have just proposed a smoking ban.

“I really see the competition argument is weakening because of the states surrounding us,” Petersen says, “as well as the tribal casinos eliminating smoking.” There’s been a no-smoking movement in casinos run by Native American tribes nationwide. Wes Ehrecke is president and C-E-O of the Iowa Gaming Association, which represents the 19 state-licensed casinos.

“Casinos probably have some of the best filtration and ventilation systems around. We have to accommodate both smokers and non-smokers in a very acceptable and quality indoor environment and we do that,” Ehrecke says. “…We’re bringing in fresh air several times every hour and that’s really helped during this Covid.” Ehrecke says it’s not a workplace safety issue — and he says adults should be allowed to make adult decisions in adult venues.

“It’s still legal in this country to (smoke)…but we want to be proactive with it and we are,” Ehrecke says. “…The employees don’t seem to have complaints that I know of because we are doing such a proactive effort with our ventilation and filtration.” Ehrecke made his comments during a recent appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says if you are confused by all the talk about COVID — there’s one thing to do. “Listen to their own doctor — particularly on vaccinations — be as cautious as you can. Don’t listen to the politicians,” Grassley says. The Republican from New Hartford says Democrats have politicized the issue, and cites President Joe Biden’s recent statement that there is no federal solution to the pandemic.

“If Trump had said that same thing, he would be lambasted. And that’s what Democrats were saying, that we’ve got to have a federal solution to it. Now their president comes along and says it’s up to the individual states,” he says. Grassley says he agrees that the solution should be left to the states. “Because we have such a geographically vast country. New York is so different from Des Moines Iowa that you shouldn’t pour this country into one mold and expect everything to be done in Washington D-C is going to fit all parts of the country the same way,” according to Grassley.

He says Biden’s statement wasn’t criticized even though it was the opposite of what his party has been pushing. “It’s completely different from the message he gave during his campaign that it’s all Trump’s fault and the federal government is going to solve all these problems,” Grassley says. Grassley says Iowa — and fellow Republican Governor Kim Reynolds — has done a good job of handling the pandemic.

(Radio Iowa) – Seven states have passed laws in 2021 that restrict transgender athletes from participating in girls sports activities in schools. House Speaker Pat Grassley says many House Republicans have an interest in passing similar legislation here, but he says the key is ensuring what’s passed could be enforced by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association. “We shouldn’t just pass something so we can go home and say: ‘We passed something.’ If we’re going to pass policy, it has to be a policy that they can implement,” Grassley says. “…We’re trying to come up with a way that gives the clarity that’s needed because, ultimately, they’re the ones that are going to have to make sure who’s participating in what.”

Grassley says while there’s no bill ready on day one of the 2022 legislative session, that doesn’t mean one won’t emerge before the end of the 2022 legislative session. “I spend about four days a week of mine in a gymnasium, watching my two daughters play a lot of extracurricular activities,” Grassley says. “This is an issue that I hear a lot about.” Grassley says he’s also hearing from school board members who’re asking for a statewide policy on books in schools that some parents complain have pornographic content. Grassley says ensuring parents get input in their child’s education is a huge topic nationally right now.

“A bill that goes in and says: ‘You’re going to ban X, Y, Z book’ — a very hard piece of policy to craft, obviously,” Grassley says, “but the conversation itself will continue.” House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights, says these types of conversations are not helpful in addressing Iowa’s workforce shortage. “In the last session, Iowa had the most LGBTQ bills of any state in the country introduced and none passed. Even the introduction of those bills sends a hateful message to people who are looking to live here or stay here after they graduate from college,” Konfrst says. “We need to be doing things to make Iowa more inclusive, not less.”

The 2022 Iowa legislative session starts on Monday, January 10th.