(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with Cass County ISU Extension and Outreach in Atlantic, report Jacque Wickey was inducted into the 2025 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 17. Ninety-two Iowa counties participated this year and selected 122 inductees for their outstanding service and dedication to 4-H. Inductees or their surviving family members were presented a certificate by the Iowa 4‑H Foundation President, Don Timmins, and State 4-H Program Leader, Mitchell Hoyer, as they were introduced on stage.

Wickey participated in 4-H from 1964-1972 and belonged to the Massena Champions, Massena Merry Maids, and the Massena Merry Maids/Victoria Volunteers.  She also was a member of the “Boys” Club so she could show livestock where she showed cattle and horse. Other memories include building a Cass County team and attending the State Fair and AKSARBEN livestock shows.  She always enjoyed dressing in the calves for shows.  She even got her start as a beautician at the rear end of a steer.  She could make the tails bigger and fluffier than anyone else.  Skills learned there have yielded her career as a licensed Cosmetologist for 50 years now. Other 4-H member activities include a Jr Leader, Jr Superintendent, and holding all offices in her club.

Jacque Wickey (Photo submitted)

She attended the State Conference and Camps at the Iowa 4-H Camp, in addition to State Fair and AKSARBEN.  After graduation, Jacque Wickey volunteered to chaperone at the Girls Dormitory at the State Fair.  This allowed her to help out and stay connected with the people from Cass Co.  Upon moving back to Cass County, she served as Secretary of the YAC committee in the early 2000’s in addition to helping Great Nieces learn to sew or simply sat in the stand cheering them on. She is deeply involved in her community and church and is always willing to plan and volunteer for events.  She is a pretty amazing aunt, and a friend to everyone.

Many inductees serve as club leaders, youth mentors, fair superintendents or fair board members, County council members, county youth council members, fair judges, financial supporters, chaperones or ISU Extension and Outreach staff members. The inductees have demonstrated dedication, encouragement, commitment and guidance to Iowa’s 4-H’ers through the years.  “We are honored to recognize these special individuals, for their advocacy and dedication to the Iowa 4-H program,” shared Iowa 4-H Foundation Executive Director, Emily Saveraid. “This is a great way to honor the volunteers and staff across the state of Iowa that generously give their time and talents to foster positive partnerships with our 4-H youth,” said Tillie Good, Iowa 4-H staff and volunteer development manager.

Information about previous inductees to the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame also is available on the Iowa 4-H Foundation website, organized by year and by county. Go to www.iowa4hfoundation.org/ and under the heading “What We Do” select “Recognizing Service” then “Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.” Cass County 4-H Hall of Fame past recipient list can be found at https://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/what-we-do/recognizing-service/iowa-4-h-hall-of-fame/iowa-4-h-hall-of-fame-inductees/categories/cass

(Anita, Iowa) – When the CAM School Board met Monday evening at the high school in Anita, one of the things they discussed, was payment for improvements to and mainenance of, the Massena City Park. Superintended Dr. Pam Stangeland told KJAN News, the school district shares the playground with the Park, and they Board wants to make sure they have an appropriate partnership with Massena City Hall, and the District is doing its fair share.

The Board discussed also, the gifting of McIntyre Road in Anita, from the City of Anita, as it pertains to the demolition of the North Elementary Building in Anita.

The road, Dr. Stangeland said basically leads to nowhere. She said the plan is a win-win for both parties.

She said also, the CAM School Board, Monday, discussed room ventilation at the Massena building.

And, as we mentioned in a separate report, the Board discussed this weekend’s Homecoming Coronation. They also discussed Board/District Goals, and the School Board Election Process, as well as Open Meeting training.

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa Transportation Commission, Tuesday, approved more than $8 million in funding to replace 40 public transit vehicles past their intended useful life. In southwest Iowa, Region 13 (Based in Atlantic), seven light-duty buses will be replaced, along with one minivan. In Region 14 (Based in Creston), funds will be used to replace two light-duty buses with video surveillance systems, and a minivan with a video surveillance system. Elsewhere in western Iowa, Region 12 (based in Carroll), will receive funds to replace a conversion van equipped with a video surveillance system.

Funds are granted through the Federal Transit Administration’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Formula Program as well as the Federal Highway Administration’s Carbon Reduction Program. Vehicle replacement projects were approved for 16 different public transit systems.

The complete list of funded vehicles can be found at https://iowadot.gov/modes-travel/transit/transit-funding-programs/current-projects-updates.

(Radio Iowa) – An actor who may be best known for his role in a movie that was released more than 30 years ago will appear in central Iowa this weekend at GalaxyCon Des Moines. Brian O’Halloran was cast in the role of Dante in “Clerks,” which followed a day in the lives of two convenience store clerks. It was his first film and it launched O’Halloran on a long, successful acting career. When fans come to his booth at conventions, he’s typically remembered for that film — and its director. “Usually it’s the Kevin Smith movies, although lately, this past March, I was on a game show on Fox called ‘The Floor,’ hosted by Rob Lowe,” O’Halloran says, “so I have a lot of people now coming up to me who had watched that show.”

Brian O’Halloran (Photo courtesy of GalaxyCon)

Since “Clerks” hit movie screens in 1994, O’Halloran has been featured in at least eight films that were written and directed by Smith, and he tells Radio Iowa several more Smith movies are in the works.”He’s a really chill and funny man and a terrific storyteller, so I always love working with him,” O’Halloran says. “You know, he could tell me to show up on the platform of the A Train in New York City in Times Square and not tell me what we’re doing and I’ll just show up, just because I know whatever he’s going to do is going to be something incredibly creative or incredibly funny.” The 55-year-old O’Halloran is a New York native and since “Clerks” and two sequels, he’s added at least 55 film credits to his resume, yet he’s still remembered for the Dante role from 1994.

“I don’t mind it, and find it a really great honor to be a part of it,” O’Halloran says. “I mean, the original ‘Clerks’ is a film that’s now part of the Library of Congress, so if it’s good enough for the government to certify it as worthy, then it’s good enough for me.” O’Halloran says when “Clerks 3” was released a few years ago, he spent 28 weeks on the road promoting it, and now he’s doing conventions like GalaxyCon once or twice a month. Besides his roles in more than 50 movies, he’s also an accomplished stage actor. “I love performing in front of a live audience,” he says. “You know, you have that moment, you have that energy, and you’ll have that immediate gratification of hearing the audience. If you’re doing something funny, especially hearing the laughter, or if you’re in a suspenseful kind of situation, hearing the pin drop, that’s how much of the attention you grab.”

Beyond the meet-and-greets for autographs and photos, O’Halloran says he’ll be hosting a live burlesque event at this weekend’s convention. GalaxyCon Des Moines runs Friday through Sunday at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

(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.