In an update to our previous reports, the Iowa State Patrol early this (Friday) morning, said two of three people who were injured in a crash Wednesday evening on I-80 in Adair County, have died from their injuries at a hospital. Two passengers in the vehicle, 85-year-old Harold Willey, and 68-year-old Faye Frolic, both from Rock Springs, Wyoming, died from injuries they sustained when the 2013 Toyota Camry the were in struck the rear of a semi-tractor trailer at around 7:52-p.m. Wednesday, on I-8 eastbound, near mile marker 75.

The driver of the car, 68-year-old Pamela Willey, also of Rock Springs, was injured in the crash and transported by LifeFlight to Methodist in Des Moine. None of the crash victims were wearing a seat belt.  The driver of the semi was not hurt.

(Radio Iowa) – Recent rains have helped with dry conditions — but they have been spread out and some areas of the state could use much more rain. The Iowa D-N-R’s Tim Hall says severe drought conditions expanded in June from 12 counties in northwest Iowa across nearly all of northern Iowa. “Sixty-two-percent is now severe drought — up from only about eight percent at the beginning of the month,” Hall says. “So that is a significant uptick in coverage of the D-2 drought.”

While the severe drought has spread across the state — the rain we did get in June was beneficial. “June was drier than normal. Normally we get about five inches of rain. We ended up getting about three inches. That three inches of rain certainly has helped to push off any of the real severe conditions that we might otherwise be seeing right now,” according to Hall. Streamflow conditions across approximately half of the state remain in the below normal condition. Hall says other states are in worse shape coming out of June.

“As dry as it is in Iowa, it gets progressively worse as you go north and west into the Dakotas and Montana,” Hall says. “And the prediction in the Missouri River basin is that the runoff north of Sioux City could very well be the tenth lowest on record, going back to the late 1800s.” He says that is a big contrast to the flood fears on the Missouri River in the last couple of years.

)”The Missouri River is in as bad a shape as anything we’ve got here in the state. And it does not look like they are going to come out of that anytime real soon,” Hall says. Hall says the crops need continued moisture as they grow and there is hope we can get more rain as we move through July.

(Radio Iowa) – While many Iowans are relieved most of the “Masks Required” signs have come down, there are some who will continue keeping their faces covered well after the COVID-19 pandemic fades away. Epidemiologist Ajay Sethi says the U-S may be on the verge of joining other countries where mask use by those who are sick is much more commonplace.

Sethi says, “There are already people today who are more likely to wear a mask simply because they had the experience of the previous year of witnessing what the benefits can be.” In addition to helping prevent the spread of coronavirus, Sethi says masks work just as well with other respiratory illnesses like the flu or the common cold.

“Maybe folding mask use into ordinary cough etiquette that we already had before COVID,” Sethi says. “To cough into your elbow, to wash your hands frequently, to keep your distance from others if you have symptoms.” Sethi says the extremely low rate of influenza cases during the pandemic can be credited to social distancing and the use of masks.

“Mask use consistently every year will prevent the spread of things like influenza,” he says, “and I think that’s not a bad thing to do particularly since influenza is a virus that is very dangerous for people, particularly the elderly.” While not everyone will be wearing masks all the time, Sethi says you can expect masks to become part of a basic routine for the sick.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne says she’s working to make the temporary federal child tax credit permanent. The new credit was included in the pandemic relief package passed in March and starting next week low and middle income parents of kids under the age of six will get 300 dollars a month through the end of the year, while parents of kids who’re six through 17 years old will get 250. Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says almost 200-thousand Iowa families qualify.

“This isn’t just a handful of people. Eighty-five percent of Iowa families are going to see support on a monthly basis to help them out,” Axne says. “…This is four out of five Iowa children who will qualify for this benefit.” The last federal child care tax credit payment will be made in December. Axne held a news conference outside a Des Moines preschool to tout the program’s potential to help current and future parents.

“We know too many people are deciding not to have kids just because of the cost, so it’s time to support young people. It’s time to support working families and ensure that they can raise their kids successfully and be prepared for the world,” Axne says, “and this tax credit will directly support that.” Tiffany Welch of Clive and her husband have two children. She brought her 13 year old son to the news conference.

Rep. Cindy Axne

“If these expanded tax credits had been available 12 years ago when he was a baby and I was trying to afford child care, I would have been able to keep working in the job that I loved,” she said. “Instead, I had to quit to stay home because it was taking two-thirds of my pay to keep paying child care.” Reverend Robyn Bles, pastor of the Wakonda Christian Church in Des Moines, is a single mom who may use some of her tax credit to pay for swimming lessons.

“It also means for my daughter but also for other single parents households, we can now afford better quality food for our children,” Bles said, “…the apples that my four-year-old will just grab and walk around eating as she is playing.” Some critics have questioned making these tax credits permanent based on the cost, while others say there may be better, more targeted ways to spend the money to improve the economic prospects for low income adults and children.

DES MOINES – More than 200 Iowa organizations and individuals working in arts and culture, film and media, and history and historic preservation will receive a boost from $2.3 million in grant awards announced today (Thursday), by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Among the Arts and Culture Grant recipients, is The New Century Art Guild in Elk Horn received $5,000 to develop a series of public art exhibitions, called “Walls of Honor,” created by military veterans.

Elk Horn, New Century Art Guild

The grants are funded through the annual appropriations passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed into law by Governor Reynolds, effective July 1, 2021. The state’s investment is enhanced by funding from two federal agencies, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and administered by the department’s three divisions: the Iowa Arts Council, State Historical Society of Iowa and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production.

“The annual funding has never been more important than this year’s investment, which will help fuel the resurgence of Iowa’s arts, film, heritage, humanities and creative sectors,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “Audiences and visitors are eagerly returning to museums and historic sites, concerts and cultural festivals this summer, even as our industry continues to rebound from substantial financial losses from the pandemic.”

In this round of funding, the department made 244 grant awards for community initiatives and creative projects across the state, arts and cultural organizations, individual artists and filmmakers and historic preservation efforts in 46 counties and 71 communities. The department also designated 58 of Iowa’s leading arts and cultural organizations as Cultural Leadership Partners, a competitive process that occurs once every three years. Cultural Leadership Partners receive annual operational support in recognition of their role as community and cultural anchors that maintain high standards of excellence, generate tourism and support high-quality jobs.

The grants are divided into the following three general categories:

• Arts & Culture Grants – This year, the Iowa Arts Council awarded $1,632,495 in grants to 192 projects across the state.
• Film & Media Grants – Produce Iowa, the state office of media production, awarded $164,870 to five Greenlight Grants for film and digital media productions that will be produced in Iowa.  Now in its third year, this program encourages Iowa filmmakers to build a more robust film and media industry in Iowa. The grants can be used to produce features, shorts, pilot episodes or proof-of-concept videos to help propel a script to the screen. Eligible projects must be ready for production and demonstrate public value.
• History Grants – The State Historical Society of Iowa awarded $550,946 in 47 grants for research projects as well as other projects supported by the Historical Resource Development Program, funded through the state’s Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) funds, to preserve historical collections, invest in communities through historic preservation and promote Iowa history.

More information is available HERE.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Nishna Valley Family YMCA Staff and the Park and Recreation Staff would like to inform the public of a change in the meeting date/location for a community input session pertaining to the future of splash pad or aquatics facilities. The original meeting date was July 13^th but that date conflicted with several community meetings.

In order to accommodate everyone, the new date/time/location for the discussion on aquatics will be Tuesday July 20th, at the YMCA, and it will take place at 6:00pm. Anyone interested in future aquatics facilities is encouraged to join the public discussion and give input.

For further information, you may contact the Park and Recreation Office at 712-243-3542 or Dan at the YMCA at 712-243-3934.

Trent Casey was diagnosed in March with Pre B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  On July 29^th, Trent celebrated his “rebirthday” which signifies the day of his blood stem cell transplant. Trent and his family feel so fortunate that were able to find a matched donor for Trent right away, and now to give that gift to other patients in need! The Be The Match Registry is the national blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant registry that matches patients in need with willing donors! Over 70% of patients do not have a matched donor in their family, and thus must rely on strangers joining the Be The Match Registry to offer hope and the chance for a cure.

Trent Casey (in the blue, seen here with his family)

Joining the registry is free, simple, and fast. If you are 18-44 years old, you can visit my.bethematch.org/CaseyStrong or text “CaseyStrong” to 61474 to register and learn more!! The Casey family and friends are hosting a benefit golf tournament and live auction for Trent and his family with a live auction on July 11^th, 2021 at the Griswold Golf and Country Club.

For thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases, such as Leukemia and Lymphoma, a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor is their best or only hope for a cure.  These patients depend on the national Be The Match Registry to find a match – and a second chance at life.  While many patients do find the life-saving match they need each year, currently there are Iowans in need of a transplant who have no matched donor.  They are waiting for someone new to register.  More donors are needed to help increase the likelihood that all patients will find a match.

A simple cheek swab is all that is needed to determine if you could be the one to save one of the thousands of patients in need of a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant.  You’ll only be contacted if you’re a match for someone in need.  We are seeking 18-44 year olds, in good health, that are willing to donate to any one in need to come out and join the Be The Match Registry. This event is open to the public.

If anyone is interested in registering but cannot attend the donor drive in honor of Trent, you can join the registry online at my.bethematch.org/CASEYSTRONG. A swab kit will be mailed to your home with instructions and a confirmation sent to you once completed.

ABOUT BE THE MATCH AND THE IOWA MARROW DONOR PROGRAM

Be The Match is the national blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant registry. This registry matches patients in need with willing and life-saving donors to cure over 80 different diseases like Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Sickle Cell Anemia. The Iowa Marrow Donor Program (IMDP) is Iowa’s Donor center for Be The Match. IMDP works with Iowan patients and donors to facilitate bone marrow and blood stem cell donations and to also recruit new potential donors to the Be The Match Registry. The Iowa Marrow Donor Program is located at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

CRESTON, Iowa – July 8, 2021 – The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston Construction Office reports a bridge deck and joint repair project on U.S 34 west of Red Oak between Iowa 48 and Montgomery County Road M-37 will require reducing traffic to one lane controlled with temporary traffic signals beginning on Monday, July 19, until Nov. 4, weather permitting.

Work will begin on the westbound lane of U.S. 34. A 15-foot height limit and 10-foot width limit restriction will be in place during this project.

(Radio Iowa) – A Webster County woman and her boy are home safe. Twenty-five-year-old Maria Towne and her three-year-old son Nylez Styler Towne of Moorland were reported missing July 1st. A family member posted on social media saying the boy had been originally turned over to DHS early Wednesday morning but by late Wednesday morning was safe with his family.

The family member went on to say, “I hope Maria gets the help she needs.” The post then commended the Gowrie Police Department for its help. The Gowrie PD issued an update Wednesday confirming both the mother and son were found safe and they thanked the public for their assistance.

(Radio Iowa) – An Ankeny man arrested after cleaning staff saw guns and ammunition in his hotel room in downtown Chicago proposed to the woman who picked him up from jail. Thirty-two-year-old Keegan Casteel has been charged with two felony counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

A hotel employee called police on the 4th of July after seeing a rifle and a semi-automatic pistol on the window sill of Casteel’s room. The 12th floor window overlooks Chicago’s popular Navy pier on Lake Michigan. Casteel was released after posting bond and video broadcast by Chicago TV station WLS shows Casteel, who was wearing a Kum N Go t-shirt, kneeling and making what appears to be a proposal to the woman who picked him up.

The couple did not speak to reporters and drove away.