(Radio Iowa) – This week is National Agriculture Week and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the pandemic shined a light on the important job ag producers have. I am hopeful that maybe that’s one of those silver linings that come out of what we’ve experienced the last 12 months. Is that there is an appreciation for the fact that, that food just doesn’t magically appear on the grocery store shelf,” according to Naig. He says we realize that agriculture touches us all.  “We had restaurants shut down and people stopped traveling. All the meetings that we would go to and conferences where you would have food served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Really that whole foodservice supply chain just shut down,” Naig says.

And the impact also became evident in grocery stores. “We had some situations where some of the food products we normally expect to find — and I think often times take for granted — weren’t available or weren’t available as readily as much as we normally would purchase,” Naig says. There were also shutdowns at meat processing plants brought on by the pandemic. Naig says food security remains a concern for many families who have had to visit their local food pantries and food banks for the first time during the pandemic. He says, fortunately, many Iowans, including farm and commodity organizations, food companies, and others stepped up to donate much-needed food supplies.

“That’s been one of the things I have been very proud of as I watched the agriculture community respond. And even though there’ve been challenging times and uncertain markets — they’ve stepped up to help their neighbors in need,” he says. Naig says we all need to continue to tell the story of agriculture.

Two men were arrested on separate charges late Tuesday, in Red Oak. Police arrested 22-year-old Dawson Allen Squires, of Red Oak, at around 8:10-p.m., on a warrant for Harassment in the 2nd Degree. Squires was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond. And, at around 5:45-p.m., 36-year-old Randon Daniel Phelps, of Red Oak, was arrested on a Montgomery County warrant for Failure to Appear, on an original charge of Driving while License denied or revoked. His bond was set at $5,000.

(Radio Iowa) – A guard and a nurse were assaulted and killed by an inmate at the Anamosa State Prison yesterday (Tuesday). State officials plan to hold a news conference this (Wednesday) afternoon in Anamosa to discuss the case.

Last night, prison officials said due to the criminal investigation, they can provide only limited information about the incident. Here’s what they have announced: an inmate assaulted staff and other inmates in the Anamosa prison’s infirmary. It happened at about 10:15 Tuesday morning. The inmate was captured by other staff who responded, but the gravely injured nurse and correctional officer died of their wounds.

Governor Reynolds issued a written statement, offering her deepest condolences to their families, friends and co-workers. She promised the state will exhaust every available resource to deliver justice to those responsible. AFSCME Council 61 is the union that represents state prison staff. Danny Homan, the union’s president, says he intends to do everything he can to honor the memory of two staff members who committed their lives to keeping our communities safe. Homan says he’ll have more to say about safety inside the state’s prisons as more information about the incident becomes available.

Over the past few years, the union has been calling on lawmakers to boost staffing levels inside the state’s prison system. Iowa legislators haven’t yet released their plan for next year’s budget for the Iowa Department of Corrections.

(Radio Iowa) The Iowa House has voted to establish new penalties for those found guilty of trespassing to set up electronic surveillance equipment on someone else’s property to secretly capture images or video. For nearly a decade, Iowa legislators have been trying to enhance trespassing laws in response to undercover operations in large scale livestock operations. Republican Representative Jarad Klein of Keota has worked on this latest version.

“Trying to address somebody that has ill intentions, that’s just trying to get access to somewhere where they’ve not been asked to be, they don’t have a reason to be there and then trying to get a video, trying to get a picture that they can then reproduce and use in a negative or hurtful way.” The bill also establishes a new criminal charge for “unauthorized sampling” — for collecting skin or blood samples from farm animals or samples from the soil, air and water on private properties.

The bill passed on a 72-to-24 vote. Critics say the bill could be used to shield those who are mistreating animals or it could prevent reporting of unsafe working conditions in Iowa meatpacking plants. Klein says employees who have a right to be on the property could still be whistleblowers. “All we are saying is that your private property is your property, if somebody comes on without your permission to take pictures and then put it back on the internet, it’s an aggravated misdemeanor up to Class D felony because we value private property rights,” Klein says.

A 2012 state law designed to block undercover investigations of livestock confinements and other farm operations was ruled unconstitutional. In 2019, the Iowa legislature made it a crime to use undercover videos to inflict financial harm on a farming operation, but a lawsuit has prevented that law from taking effect.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa state prisons officials say a nurse and a corrections officer have been killed in an attack by an inmate at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. The Iowa Department of Corrections says the attack happened Tuesday morning, when an inmate attacked several staff members and inmates in the prison’s infirmary. The department said that it was still collecting and confirming details of the assault but it can confirm “an inmate attacked multiple staff members and inmates.” As a result of their injuries, a correctional nurse and correctional officer died. The incident is under investigation by the department and state police.

DeWITT, Iowa (AP) — Police say human remains have been found in a pond in a rural area near DeWitt, about 20 miles north of Davenport where authorities have been investigating the disappearance of a 10-year-old girl since last summer. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, Davenport police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation held a joint news conference Tuesday to confirm that a body had been found Monday by two people fishing. Officials have not identified the body and declined to speculate during the news conference on whether the remains could be those of the girl, Breasia Terrell. However, Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski acknowledged he had been contacted about the discovery of the remains because of his department’s investigation into the girl’s whereabouts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — People could buy firearms and carry a concealed handgun without first obtaining a state permit in the state under a bill the Iowa Senate approved and sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds. The bill was approved Monday with only Republican support. Last week it cleared the House with the backing of only one Democrat. The bill would eliminate current state permit requirements and the accompanying background checks that ensure the person obtaining or carrying a gun isn’t disqualified from ownership due to past felonies or abuses. It now goes to Gov. Kim Reynolds.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo woman faces theft charges after police say she stole nearly $30,000 in unemployment benefits from a relative. The Courier reports that 43-year-old April Ann South is charged with first-degree theft, identity theft and credit card fraud. Police say the theft occurred after the relative asked South for help in applying for unemployment last year. Police say the relative was told she didn’t qualify for unemployment, but was told in January by the Iowa Workforce Development that she had been receiving unemployment payments. Officials say the money was paid into a bank account set up in her name and spent using a pre-paid credit card. Police say surveillance videos show South using the card at different locations to spend more than $28,000 from the funds.

Council Bluffs Police, Monday, responded to a reported robbery at around 1-p.m., in the area of 3201 Renner Drive. A cab driver for Casino Cabo reported she gave two men a ride to the area. Upon arrival to their destination, the men stolen her cell phone and cash, at knife point. The woman was not injured, and the men left the area on foot. Police set up a perimeter and searched for the suspects, but to no avail. Kreft Elementary was placed on a brief lockdown as a precaution.

Police say the suspects were between 25- and 27-years-old. One wore a brown Carhart coat, and was last seen running southbound towards the apartment complexes on Renner Drive. The second suspect was wearing a dark coat with a hat. He was last seen running northbound behind Kreft Elementary School, towards Katie Drive.

Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call the Council Bluffs Police’ Criminal Investigations Division at 712-328-4728, or, to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 712-328-STOP.

Officials with the Stuart Police Department, Tuesday, a juvenile was apprehended Monday, in connection with a string of incidents.  At around 1:50-a.m., officers were sent to the 300 block of Centennial Street in Stuart, for a report of a stolen vehicle. Just before 2-a.m., a Stuart Officer located the vehicle traveling in the 100 block of SE 7th Street. When the officer activated their emergency lights, the vehicle took off and a short chase ensued.

The vehicle traveled north through several blocks of residential streets at a high rate of speed. It traveled recklessly at times through yards and hit a street sign at SW 6th and S. Harrison, before turning into an alley and traveling for several more blocks. The driver jumped from the still moving vehicle in an alley behind the 500 block of S. Gaines Street. The vehicle continued on for several hundred more feet before coming to rest in the alley. The suspect was not located, despite several agencies including a K9 from the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office’ best efforts.

Later that same morning, authorities received multiple reports of vehicle bring broken into overnight, and an additional vehicle being stolen from the 400 block of S. Division Street. The vehicle burglaries took place in various areas around Stuart, with several items stolen. At around 9:45-a.m., Monday, officers located the second, stolen vehicle. It was parked in the 200 block of SE 7th Street.

At around 1:30-p.m. Monday, Stuart Police were able to determine a juvenile male was a person of interest in the vehicle thefts. About an hour later, while collecting evidence in the 200 block of SE 7th Street, Stuart Police saw the juvenile male fleeing the area through a corn field. The male was taken into custody by Stuart Police, and found to be in possession of suspected alcohol, marijuana, nicotine products and drug paraphernalia.

A hotel room at 203 SE 7th Street, where the juvenile had reportedly been staying, was later searched, with evidence discovered that linked the juvenile to several vehicle burglaries. The boy was interviewed with his parents present, and admitted to some involvement in the vehicle burglaries and thefts. Charges against the boy are pending.

Authorities note both stolen vehicles had been unlocked, and had the keys inside. Each of the burglarized vehicles were also unlocked. Police says “This is a great reminder, why vehicles should be locked, and valuables should be removed. Most vehicle thefts and burglaries are crimes of opportunity.”  They said also, the incidents remain under investigation, and additional charges may be filed.

(Radio Iowa) – A gene therapy drug that promises to cure diabetes is being tested on dogs at the Boone Veterinary Hospital in central Iowa and canine volunteers are needed for a second-round study. Dr. Hans Sollinger, founder of the Wisconsin-based biotech company Endsulin, says diabetic dogs will receive a 30-minute intravenous treatment during their first visit, which may last a total of four hours.

Dr. Hans Sollinger.

“We want to take a few hours to make sure that the dog is fine,” Sollinger says. “The dog can go to the playground with the owner, making sure the veterinarian or the vet technician is close, just in case there should be an unexpected reaction to the treatment.” The treatment has proven effective in hundreds of small animals to reduce or even eliminate insulin injections, Sollinger says, and if all goes well with the dog study, human trials may be 18 to 24 months away.

The gene therapy is very similar to what’s being used to treat dogs for hemophilia, a blood clotting disorder. “The DNA which we are giving for the cure of diabetes is just a very small amount different than what the hemophilia dogs are getting,” Sollinger says. “The hemophilia dogs have no side effects or very small side effects, and certainly, to my knowledge, there hasn’t been a death.”

Built on decades of research at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison, Sollinger says the procedure may allow patients to precisely regulate insulin on their own by re-coding a small fraction of their liver to function like a pancreas.  “I’m sure we’ll get it to work, it will take time,” Sollinger says. “From other examples of gene therapy where dogs have been used as a model, if you get it to work in dogs, the chance we will get it to work in humans is excellent.” The ideal dogs for the study are small dogs that have been recently diagnosed with diabetes.

Families must be able to bring their pet to Boone for the one-time treatment and five follow-up visits. Learn more about the study at endsulin.com/pilot-study or contact ENDSULIN directly at ginger@endsulin.com.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports they received a complaint about a school bus violation that occurred on February 26, at approximately 4:15 PM. The violation occurred on Highway 2, between F & G Avenues, while a Shenandoah School Bus was dropping children off at a residence. Bus video from the incident was provided by the Shenandoah School District.

Following an investigation into the allegation, 24-year old Stanna Wellauer, of Yorktown, was issued a Traffic Citation for Unlawful passing of school bus –first offense. She was cited into court as a court appearance is required for this type of violation.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office issued this report as a reminder, that if a school bus lights are flashing, be prepared to stop in EITHER direction on any of the roadways in Page County.

A man from Missouri was transported the hospital in Shenandoah, Monday, following a single-vehicle, rollover accident at around 12:12-p.m.  The accident happened in the 1100 block of 310th Street (J-64), about 10 miles south of Shenandoah.

An investigation determined 38-year-old Travis Lee Kephart, of Westboro, MO., was driving a 2001 Dodge pickup eastbound on 310th street, when he lost control. The vehicle entered the north ditch, continued up a steep bank, struck several trees, and then rolled down the bank several times to the ditch where it came to rest on its wheels. Kephart was ejected from the vehicle during the accident. Kephart suffered undisclosed injuries.

The pickup sustained an estimated $3,500 damage and was considered a total loss. Charges are pending against Kephart.
The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Shenandoah Ambulance service, Shenandoah Fire  Department, Coin Fire and Rescue, and Page County Emergency Management.