(Audubon County, Iowa) – The Audubon County Secondary Roads Department reports effective today (August 20th, 2025), Yellowwood Road (along the Shelby/Audubon County Line), between 110th street and 120th street, is closed to thru traffic until further notice, for a bridge replacement project.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, today (Wednesday), announced an investigation into a reported shooting last weekend turned out to be a “swatting” call. According to a press release, at around 11:43-p.m. on August 16th, it was reported to the Creston Police Department by Jackson Elkhorn, that he had shot his mother in the face with a revolver several times, after they had been in a fight, and [he] was planning on shooting law enforcement when they arrived, because he “had nothing else to live for.”

Creston Police officers, Union County and Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in blocking-off the area of 500 West Prairie. One of the officers on the scene knew the resident that lived at the address given, and several attempts were made to contact them by phone, but were unsuccessful.

Authorities say as officers approached the residence, a man stepped-out the front door and was given commands by officers, which he followed. The situation was explained to him and the other resident of the home, and according to police, it was confirmed that everyone in the residence was okay, not no one had called 911.

The incident is currently under investigation.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Cass County Auditor’s Office this (Wednesday) afternoon, released the results of Tuesday’s Special Election to fill a vacancy on the Lewis City Council. The results show David J. Raymond was the winner, with 55 votes. His challenger, Russell Miller received 47 votes. Out of 241 registered voters, there were a total of 102 ballots cast. The results are unofficial until canvassed by the Cass County Board of Supervisors.

Voters will head back to the polls on November 4 for the regular election to fill the same council seat. The winner of that race will begin a new term in 2026.

While President Trump met in recent days with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine seeking a ceasefire, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says one key element in the long-running war demands more discussion. Grassley says Russian President Vladimir Putin has been ordering Ukrainian children captured and transported to holding facilities in Russia — for years.

Grassley is appealing for international attention to what he calls “Putin’s outrageous abduction of Ukrainian children.” Reports say only about 15-hundred children who were either deported or forcibly displaced by Russian forces have been returned to Ukraine since the war started in 2022.

During their Oval Office meeting on Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky gave President Trump a letter of gratitude from Ukraine’s First Lady that was addressed to the United States’ First Lady, who wrote her own letter.

Grassley says the war has lasted three-and-a-half years and is now the largest war in Europe since World War Two, causing the deaths of thousands of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Court of Appeals is upholding a ruling that suspends the license of a central Iowa plastic surgeon. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  September is Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month and Cass Health’s Senior Life Solutions team is committed to raising awareness about mental health and preventing suicide. With local partners, they are hosting a free community walk on Thursday, September 11, 2025, beginning at 7:00 pm at City Park in Atlantic.

Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month is a time for communities across the nation to come together to educate, support, and spread hope. Each year, organizations like Senior Life Solutions work to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, improve access to care, and educate the public about the warning signs of suicide and how to help those in need.

“Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month is a critical time to remind everyone that help is available, and that mental health is just as important as physical health,” says Karmen Roland, RN, Program Director of Senior Life Solutions. “By starting conversations and providing education, we can all play a part in breaking the stigma and supporting those who may be struggling.”

Attendees of the event will have the opportunity to learn more about mental health and suicide prevention, hear from local speakers, and connect with others in the community who share a commitment to saving lives. After the program, the walk will take place around the City Park.

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately. If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call, text, or chat the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

The walk is co-hosted by Cass Health, Healthy Cass County, and the Cass County Coalition for Mental Wellness, with additional support provided by Atlantic Parks & Recreation and Atlantic Bottling Company. For more information about the walk, call 712-250-8100.

Cass Health’s Senior Life Solutions is an outpatient program designed to meet the unique needs of older adults experiencing depression and/or anxiety related to life changes that are often associated with aging or a chronic diagnosis. This program is managed in conjunction with Psychiatric Medical Care (PMC). Founded in 2003, PMC is a leading behavioral healthcare management company focused on addressing the needs of rural and under served communities. PMC manages inpatient behavioral health units, intensive outpatient programs, and telehealth services in more than 30 states. The company’s services provide evaluation and treatment for patients suffering from depression, anxiety, mood disorders, memory problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other behavioral health problems. For more information or if you or someone you know could benefit from this program, please call 712-250-8100.

The dean of the University of Iowa’s College of Pharmacy spent the past week touring two-dozen pharmacies across the state, from Sioux City to Mason City to the Quad Cities. Dean Jill Kolesar (co-LESS-er) says the goal of the tour was to build relationships and get feedback to see how the college can support local pharmacies and the services they provide to Iowa’s communities.

There are only two pharmacy colleges in the state, at the U-I and at Drake University in Des Moines. The Iowa City institution sees between 80 and 120 pharmacy students graduate each year, while she says Drake graduates about 55. Kolesar says that’s far too few.

She says only about one in five newly-graduated U-I pharmacists leave the state.

A Wisconsin native, Kolesar was named dean at the U-I in July of 2024, after a stint at the University of Kentucky and 20 years on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin. She was recently named to Forbes’ 2025 “50 Over 50” list, which honors visionary women whose work is shaping industries and changing lives.
https://pharmacy.uiowa.edu/news/2025/08/dean-jill-kolesar-named-forbes-50-over-50-list

(Radio Iowa) – A majority union workers at the Kemps dairy plant in Le Mars have voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations falter. Adrian Macias, secretary for Teamsters Local 554, says union representatives have been negotiating with the company since March.

Employees at the Kemps plant in Le Mars voted to join the Teamsters in December. Macias says the company’s most recent contract offer for its 200 employees in Le Mars is disrespectful and the union has given Kemps an ultimatum.

Macias says. Kemps took over the milk plant in Le Mars nearly five years ago after Dean Foods declared bankruptcy. Kemps is a subsidiary of the Dairy Farmers of America cooperative. Teamsters president Sean O’Brien, who met with union stewards in Omaha earlier this month, says Dairy Farmers of America controls nearly one third of milk production in the U.S. The Kemps dairy plant in Le Mars produces milk, cottage cheese, cream and sour cream as well as dips and ice cream mix. The two other dairy plants in Le Mars that make ice cream were sold to Italy-based Ferrero in 2022.

(Radio Iowa) – The state climatologist’s report says last week was the first week since mid-June where statewide precipitation was below normal. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.