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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – Two Iowa men have been sentenced to federal prison after tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Thirty-seven-year-old Eric Salter of Clinton has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of receiving child pornography and trying to get a 16-year-old girl to send him sexually explicit material. In the other case, court records show investigators determined 55-year-old Douglas Harsh of Adel was in an online chat group in which members shared pictures and videos depicting child pornography.
In both cases, the U.S. Justice Department credits the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for providing “CyberTips” to law enforcement about online activity related to child sexual abuse that was ultimately linked to the two Iowa men. The 55-year-old from Adel was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for what prosecutors called transportation of child pornography and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution. The 36-year-old from Clinton who got the 30 year prison sentence was ordered to pay $8000 in restitution for victims.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she is sponsoring a bill to increase penalties against those who attack ICE agents. “Instead of standing with law enforcement, the radical left continues to side with dangerous illegal aliens and even wants to strip ICE agents of the gear that helps to keep them safe. They also have referred to ICE as a terrorist force, and that’s absolutely unacceptable. I’ve had enough. These agents are real people, they have families, they come home to each and every night,” she says. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, is sponsoring a bill called the “Respect and Protect ICE ACT.”
“Anyone who assaults an ICE agent must face the harshest possible punishment, and that’s why I am fighting to double the federal penalty for attacks on ICE agents,” she says. Hinson says the bill will provide the necessary deterrent as the agents carry out President Trump’s immigration agenda. “We will never back down in defending our law enforcement in doing their jobs. We will never tolerate unhinged assaults on ICE and. We will not stop. Until these dangerous illegal aliens are deported and our communities are safe,” Hinson says.
Hinson represents the Second District, but announced she is running for Senate after fellow Republican Joni Ernst said she would not run again.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man was arrested on a felony charge Tuesday night, in Red Oak. According to the Red Oak Police Department, 49-year-old Michael Lee LaFollette, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 9:45-p.m. in the 100 block of E. Prospect Street. He was charged with Theft in the 5th Degree (A Simple Misdemeanor), and Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree, a Class-D Felony. LaFollette was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
(UPDATED by Radio Iowa) – Glenwood Fire Chief Matt Gray is praising three construction workers for rescuing a family from their burning home early Tuesday afternoon. “These guys are heroes, no other words that can describe what they did. They sacrificed themselves to go in and save these four people in this house,” Gray says. “It was a fast moving fire — hot fire, too.” Gray says the men entered through the front door, realized the fire was spreading quickly in that area of the house, so they helped three of the people inside get out through the back.
“Once they got out there, the mother told them that her son was on the second story. They tried to make entry, could not get back in due to the heat and the fire,” Gray says. “…There was a trampoline. He was over by the window. They were able to use the trampoline, push it up against the house and get the child out.” A mother, her son and daughter and the grandmother of the children were rescued. The mother and son were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. All three of the construction workers suffered burns and two of them — Gabe Record and Damien Pond — went to the hospital in someone’s personal vehicle for treatment. Gray says the third rescuer — John Lewis — has minor burns. Gray says the fire spread into the walls and attics of the home quickly. Flames had reached the roof when Glenwood firefighters arrived. “It was strong work done by all of the departments that were there — Oak Township, Silver City, Malvern,” Gray says. “They did a heck of a job.”
Gray says it appears an electrical issue sparked the fire and the home is a total loss.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man late Tuesday afternoon, on a drug charge. 21-year-old Tanner Ray Pierson, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 4-p.m., in the 1500 block of Tormey Street. Pierson was charged with possession of marijuana/2nd offense. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.
(Radio Iowa) – State Treasurer Roby Smith says short term investing of unspent state funds has yielded over a BILLION dollars for the State of Iowa since he took office in January of 2023. “You’ve heard of purchasing power. This is investing power and so we invest it and we have received over $1 billion in the last two and a half years, which is a record amount,” Smith says. “We’re excited about that.”
Smith says a number of people in his office and outside money managers are investing pooled money the Iowa the Veterans Fund and the Road Use Tax Fund. That’s the fund where gas taxes are deposited and used to fix and build Iowa roads and bridges. Any investment earnings go back into those funds. The four BILLION dollars in the Taxpayer Relief Fund where state budget surpluses have been funneled for the past 14 years is also being invested.
“We do a ladder approach where we’ll do investing every month, but a certain amount, so every month it comes due, so you’re not sitting around and waiting for two years,” Smith says. “You’re just having them come due every 30 days.” Smith says the state has enough liquidity to pay its bills on time — meaning there’s money in the checking account, but money that’s not yet spent should be invested.
“If we know a school aid payment goes out the 18th of every month, we can put that money in a short term investment for a week,” Smith said. “Granted, it’s only a week, but if it’s on $100 million, $200 million that’s a lot of money you can bring in and then we move it back right before we have to send it out to the school districts and when you do that kind of investing, that’s what gets you these kind of returns.” The average return on investment has been around four-point-four percent.
“Records are made to be broken. We’re going to see what next year brings,” Smith says, “but what we do is keep the money safe, we keep it liquid, but we also get a competitive rate of return and we put that money to work for the taxpayers.”
State law for the past five decades has required this sort of short term investing. And the law says both state employees and outside financial experts are to handle the deals so it’s a diversified investment team.
(Sioux County, Iowa) – A collision between a semi and an SUV Tuesday afternoon in northwest Iowa, resulted in the death of one teen and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2007 Cadillac Escalade driven by a 17-year-old, stopped on Highway 18 west of Hull, but then pulled-out from the stop sign, and into the path of a semi that was traveling north on Highway 75. The crash happened at around 2:35-p.m.
After the semi struck the SUV, the Cadillac came to rest in the east ditch. The semi stopped in the middle of the intersection. A 17-year-in the SUV was transported to the Sioux Center Hospital and pronounced deceased. A second 17-year-old in the vehicle was transported to Hegg Memorial Health Center in Rock Valley, before being flown to Avera Hospital in Sioux Falls. The names of the teens were not immediately released. Both were from Rock Valley.
The driver of the semi, 53-year-old Michael Bembenek, of Rosholt, WI, was not injured.
KANSAS CITY- Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) Driver Max Smelser was recognized as an Operator Champion during the 2025 Midwest Transit Conference in Kansas City. Officials with Atlantic, Iowa-based SWITA say Smelser has been a stalwart of the SWITA operator team for over 16 years. He is the Lead Driver for Pottawattamie County and is integral in keeping the Council Bluffs bus barn facility running smoothly.
Photo Caption: (Pictured L-R: Mark Lander, SWITA Transit Director; Max Smelser, SWITA Driver; Autumn Smelser, Max’s Wife; Kristen Templeton, SWITA Transit Coordinator.
The Midwest Transit Conference brings together transit professionals from across the states of Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska every two years for training, networking, and recognition. The Operator Champion Awards are crafted to recognize operators across the Midwest region that provide exceptional service to their riders and agencies. The awards were handed out during the Breakfast of Transit Champions on Friday, September 5, 2025, at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott.
SWITA Transportation Director Mark Lander said, “Max is a true one-of-a-kind driver and team member. He does so much to keep operations running smoothly from the Council Bluffs facility and is always willing to help other drivers. We are very fortunate to have Max on the team, and he is very deserving of this recognition.”
Mike Ames, SWITA Driver of the Year, was also recognized during a slideshow at the event for his contributions this past year along with other top drivers from the region.
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SWITA transportation is accessible to everyone in the eight-county region, including the disabled and elderly. SWITA offers several transportation options including work routes, medical trips, student transportation, taxi service in six communities, and special trips. SWITA vehicles are equipped with wheelchair accessibility and one personal attendant rides free.
SWIPCO is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Auditor’s Office said two candidates had filed nomination papers Tuesday (Today) to run for the City Council in Griswold. Two seats are open on the Council for the November 4th election. The latest filings were from Troy Nicklaus and Jesse Doty.
As previously reported, these candidates have filed nomination papers for election (or re-election, as noted), for City offices in Cass County.
The deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers is 5-p.m.Thursday, September 18th.
(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Transportation Commission approved funding today (Tuesday) for roadway improvements to help two major businesses planned in Perry. The D-O-T’s Deb Arp says the money is from the Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy or RISE fund. Part of the money is for the proposed Perry sausage plant. “J-B-S U-S-A will invest 135 million dollars toward a new 150-thousand square foot sausage manufacturing facility, creating 250 jobs and up to 500 jobs within five years,” Arp says. The other company wants to build in the Perry Industrial Park.
“The Italian company A-D-R group will invest nearly 15 million dollars toward a 54-thousand square foot facility that will serve as its A-D-R Axles U-S-A North American headquarters and production facility, creating 35 new jobs which may double within five years,” she says. Arp says the RISE request falls under the categories that help improve access to businesses, and allow for the immediate creation of new jobs.
“In total, the rise eligible project cost of both components for the city of Perry’s application is six-million-836-thousand-19 dollars. Based on the capital investment, job creation commitments and potential for future job creation, staff recommends the Commission award arise grant of four-million-825-thousand-266 dollars from the city share of the RISE fund,” Arp says.
She says this represents Rise support for 71 percent of the projects. The proposed Perry sausage plant has also received 12 million dollars in tax benefits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority board. The A-D-R plant was also awarded state tax benefits for the promise of creating new jobs. Arp says both companies plan to break ground soon and be operational by the end of 2026.
The Transportation Commission also approved funding for roadways to an area in Spencer where businesses could relocate after the flooding of 2024. The D-O-T’s Deb Arp says multiple businesses have expressed interest in relocating after the flooding. She says Spencer does not have many industrial lots and over the next five years the city will have very limited capital to invest in development.
“These rise roadways will open up ten lots and 52 acres for development, and this application meets the requirements of the proposed Business Relocation and Job Retention Local Development Program as presented,” Arp says. The estimated cost of the project is around one-point-one million dollars. “The recommendation then is the RISE grant of 833-thousand-125 dollars from the city share of the RISE Fund, or of the 70 percent of the total rise eligible project costs, whichever is less,” she says.
Design of the roadway is expected to be complete by January 2026 and construction is expected to be complete by November of 2026.
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