(Radio Iowa) – The former chief academic officer at Iowa Lakes Community College has filed a lawsuit alleging she was fired for being the whistleblower who prompted an investigation of the school’s finances.

Erin Latona began working at Iowa Lakes Community College in the fall of 2022. The Des Moines Register has posted her legal petition online. It indicates Latona noticed financial irregularities at the school almost immediately. In mid-2023, she contacted the FBI and federal officials referred her concerns to the State Auditor’s Office for an investigation.

According to the lawsuit, others at the school figured out Latona was the whistleblower and she was fired this past February. The lawsuit alleges Iowa Lakes Community College inflated student enrollment to get more state aid and either mismanaged or misappropriated college grants to high school students. The lawsuit claims Latona was illegally fired in retaliation for the “difficult” but “necessary” decision to blow the whistle on misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Iowa Lakes Community College is based in Estherville and has campuses in Algona, Emmetsburg, Spencer, and Spirit Lake. The school’s president provided a statement to the Des Moines Register. “The college has been advised not to comment on any details of pending litigation but looks forward to defending the claims and feels confident in its defense,” he told the paper.

(Radio Iowa) – The Immersive Music Experience will open next month in the new Music Enrichment Center beside the Surf Ballroom & Museum in Clear Lake on the late Buddy Holly’s birthday. The center promises to be a permanent, first-of-its-kind experience honoring the legacy of Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.

Surf CEO Brian Luallen says cutting-edge technology will tell the story of the ballroom’s history. “When I say immersive, what I’m talking about is the fact that you are surrounded by incredible original art, archival videos, special effects on all surfaces,” Luallen says. “It really responds to the fact that younger kids just consume information in a different way, and we need to make sure we’re preserving the Surf’s story and legacy for future generations.”

Holly, Valens and Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake in 1959 following a show called the Winter Dance Party at the ballroom. Luallen says new center will allow an array of artifacts from that era to go on display.

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“We’ve also had the original microphone from the very last performance at the Winter Dance Party that Buddy sang into return to the fold, and that’s going to be on display with a brand new jacket that Buddy Holly left after his last performance in San Antonio. These are really powerful items,” Luallen says. “It also gives us a chance to take several things that have been in our collection that are intimately associated with those three stars, and many other musicians, and put them on prominent display.”

Opening festivities start on September 4th with a book signing and a special preview, leading up to the full exhibit debut and ribbon-cutting on September 7th, what would have been Holly’s 88th birthday.

(Radio Iowa) – Shenandoah Police have identified the man killed in the storm that blew in around 3:30 Sunday morning. Shenandoah Police Chief Josh Gray says the man was a rider in the annual Rooster Tail Ride along the Wabash Trace Nature Trail and was camping at Sportsman’s Park. “Around 4 a-m, one of the riders found a scoreboard with a shed that had topped over, and landed on the 42-year-old’s tent that he was sleeping in,” he says.

The man was identified as 42-year-old Brian Seago of Kansas City, Missouri. Seago was found dead in the tent. Chief Gray says about 50 people were camping in the park at the time storm hit Shenandoah and they were offered shelter at the former National Guard Armory, now owned by the city. “We opened up the armory, so they, were able to go inside the armory. But of course, not every single one of them wanted to go inside the indoors,” Gray says.

Riders had ridden the Wabash Trace from Mineola Saturday morning. Officials with the Wabash Trace Nature Trail expressed remorse over the rider’s death, saying some sort of memorial is pending in the future.

(Radio Iowa) – Today (Monday) is August 11th or 8-11 on the calendar, making it the day to highlight the number you need to call before digging. Ben Booth is a spokesman for Iowa One Call. “Eight-one-one is the three-digit abbreviated dialing system for Iowa. One call anywhere in the state. You pick up the phone and dial 8-1-1 and you will be connected to the Iowa One Call notification system,” Booth says. Once you call then Iowa One Call does a check to see what utilities might be in your area. “And it maps what utilities are in the ground. Iowa One Call, then transmits a notice to those underground facility or utility operators who will respond within 48 hours to come out and locate and mark on the ground with paint or flags where they’re underground facilities are located so that you don’t dig into them,” he says. “And they do that about 3 million times annually.”

Booth says it’s a simple step to take before you plant a tree or put in a fence. “It doesn’t cost anything to notify Iowa One Call or to have your utilities located. In fact, it’s a law. It’s a requirement of Iowa,” Booth says. Booth says it could cost you a lot of money if you don’t call and hit an underground utility line. “If you damage an underground facility, you could get a nice bill in the mail and have to pay for the repair on that. And there are some civil penalties for not doing what you’re supposed to do if you’re not compliant,” Booth says.

Booth says not calling can also be deadly if you hit an underground gas line of power line. You can also contact Iowa One Call online at iowaonecall.com

(An article by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Iowa State University is charging up to become a destination for academics and industry dealing in battery fabrication and testing, with new equipment opening doors for expanded study of the power source. Todd Kingston, an ISU researcher and assistant professor of mechanical engineering, said the accelerating rate calorimeter system now housed at the university and used for battery testing will hopefully draw in interested students. It would act as a centerpiece of a “shared facility,” where ISU researchers and collaborators can create prototypes and test these and other batteries.

“Various users across campus will have the ability to come in and use that, but we’re hoping to even extend that to partners outside of the university, ones that maybe necessarily don’t have the capabilities or the equipment, or perhaps also the expertise to do some sort of the testing that they want,” Kingston said. “So we can perhaps even work with them to do that testing, provide that expertise, that training … and those resources to them.”

Iowa State University assistant professor Todd Kingston explains the operations of the accelerating rate calorimeter system on Aug. 7, 2025. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch.

The new equipment was purchased for the university through grant funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Naval Research, which Kingston secured. It took several months to install and integrate into lab infrastructure, he said, but the machinery has been up and running for some time. Both new and used battery cells can be tested with the equipment, Kingston said, allowing researchers to see how they respond under various conditions at different stages of wear. The conditions placed upon the cells can range from electrical to thermal to mechanical, with data being taken on temperature, pressure, voltage, self-heating levels and more in real time.

Batteries are sometimes pushed past their limits as part of testing, Kingston said, leading to their damage or even full destruction. As the batteries are encased in the equipment, researchers can stand just a few feet away and monitor the tests through a computer system. In addition to funding the purchase of the equipment, Kingston said the Office of Naval Research has provided grant dollars to multiple projects that utilize the ARC system and look at metrics associated with batteries and what characteristics can influence their level of safety. One of these projects has ISU researchers testing effects of thermal gradients on battery safety, and another has the university running battery tests to verify predictive modeling for “thermal runaway,” or when a battery goes beyond its limits, developed at the University of Arizona.

There are only a handful of ARC systems currently operating across the U.S., Kingston said, and even fewer are housed in university labs. This allows ISU to conduct research and testing that cannot be done elsewhere due to safety hazards. Joined by other ISU researchers and utilizing internal funding from the Office of the President, Kingston said he is working to create a center where batteries can be crafted and tested on-site. Other equipment is still being installed for the center which will expand the kinds of batteries that can be fabricated. Beyond academic study and potential partnerships with businesses and organizations, Kingston said the new equipment and center for battery testing will be helpful in workforce development, as ISU graduates will head into the world with experiences and skills they would have a hard time finding elsewhere.

More and more students, ranging from their undergraduate to graduate education, are becoming increasingly interested in battery technology, Kingston said, and he hopes the center and its toys will aid in recruitment and retention.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says a man from Omaha, NE, was sentenced on August 6th in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to 72 months (six-years) in federal prison, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in September, 2024, 41-year-old Rafael Rashad Adams was found by Council Bluffs’ police officers passed out in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with front-end damage near South Expressway and 30th Avenue in Council Bluffs. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 31.5 grams of marijuana, scales, drug packaging material, and a stolen, loaded nine-millimeter pistol and a loaded 15-round magazine. Adams’ criminal history includes convictions for drug possession and distribution, unlawful possession of a firearm, and driving under the influence.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Adams will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

AMES, Iowa – Officials with Iowa’s cattle industry say the 43rd annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show continues to make an impact, raising $569,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Including this year’s donations, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer has surpassed $6 million in donations since its inception in 1983. All money raised benefits the three independent Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa, located in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Sioux City. Those three houses have served over 55,000 families from all 50 states and many foreign countries. Families from all 99 counties in Iowa have benefited from the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa.

Officials say the event, hosted this past weekend by the Office of the Governor of Iowa, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council, is another example of the care the beef cattle industry has for our state, rural communities, and those in need. The 43rd Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show was held on August 9th in the Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. Winners in four categories were recognized in the show ring – Community Hero, Grand Champion Showman, People’s Choice, and Judge’s Grand Champion. This year’s event hosted 25 sponsored steers, shown by their youth exhibitor and a local celebrity.

The Community Hero Award – which recognizes the youth exhibitor who goes above and beyond collecting non-monetary donations and creating awareness for the event – was presented to Merritt Moss, of Hull. Merritt collected over three carloads of nonperishable items for the Ronald McDonald House Charities and had a phenomenal online presence to promote the Governor’s Charity Steer Show and Iowa’s cattle industry. Merritt was sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Siouxland.

The showmanship contest focused on the partnership between the celebrity presenter, the youth exhibitor, and the steer. The judges said it was not an easy decision, but in the end, Dr. Dan Grooms and Matt Elbert, along with “Trice,” the steer, took the title of Grand Champion Showman. A fan favorite, the People’s Choice Award went to Tucker Freimuth and Ralph Lents, the president of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Their steer, “Burt Reynolds,” edged out the competition. Tucker, who is from Lytton, Iowa, and his team were sponsored by the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Finally, the most prestigious award of the show, the Judge’s Grand Champion award went to Brenna Thie from Mediapolis, Iowa, and her steer, “Jimmy,” along with celebrity presenter, Jeff Angelo.

A live auction was conducted after the show to raise funds through the sale of each steer and additional value-added items donated by industry supporters and celebrities. Those funds were added to the donations received by each youth participant, resulting in a $569,000 going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested last week on separate charges. At around 12:35-a.m. on August 3rd, Greenfield Police arrested 22-year-old Colin Dean Haynes, of Auburn, NE, for Theft in the 2nd Degree (items valued at between $1,500 and $10,000), for the alleged theft from Lincoln, NE, of a 212 Ford Focus. Both Haynes and a woman in his car denied knowing the car was stolen. The front bumper of the car was missing. Haynes claimed he had been involved in an accident in Omaha. The woman said Haynes disposed of the license plate during their travels. The pair said they were on their way to Des Moines. Haynes was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

And, at around 10:25-a.m. on Aug. 5th, Police in Adair arrested 65-year-old William Solomon Huffman, of Vandalia, MI, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana-1st offense. His arrest followed a traffic stop for speeding. Huffman – who was a passenger in the car – was subsequently released on his Own Recognizance/a Signature bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The busy summer travel season is entering its final weeks and gasoline prices are starting to fall in Iowa. Brian Ortner, at Triple-A-Iowa, says crude oil prices dropped last week to around 64-dollars a barrel, as gas prices came down in the state by about a nickel a gallon. “So we should see those prices continue to build in the direction of downward rather than upward,” Ortner says. Triple-A reports gas prices in Iowa are now averaging 2-89 a gallon, which is down a dime in the past month, and projections show prices should keep gradually falling.

“The larger road trips that people do over the summer, the vacations are slowing down because that back-to-school phrase is coming back very, very soon,” Ortner says, “and we typically see demand for fuel go down, which in turn decreases prices a little bit.” He notes Labor Day is just three weeks away now. “We’re still in the midst — for at least the remainder of this month — hurricane season, which has been relatively quiet for this year,” Ortner says, “and then also on the international scale, we have to keep an eye on the things that are happening across the world that could have an impact, but for now, what we’re seeing is prices should be easing back a little bit.”

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While Iowa’s gas is averaging two-89 a gallon, Triple-A shows the national average is much higher at three-13.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports six recent arrests. Three separate arrests took place Sunday, Aug. 10th:

• At around 1:16-a.m., Creston Police arrested 34-year-old Dakota Shane Gaulden, of Creston, for Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct – Loud Raucous Noise. Gaulden was transported to and held at, the Union County Jail.
• At around 8:34-a.m., Sunday, 20-year-old Jacob Allen Weller, of Creston, was arrested at his residence on an outstanding warrant. The original charge was Child Endangerment – Bodily Injury. Weller was transported to and held at the Union County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. And,
• At around 11:10-p.m., Sunday, Creston Police arrested 53-year-old William Jason Long, of Creston, on charges that include Operating (a motor vehicle) Without Interlock, and Operating While Intoxicated/ 2nd Offense. Long was also cited for Driving on the Wrong Side of a Two-Way Highway, and Open Container – Driver 21 Years Old and Older. He was being held in the Union County Jail.

Saturday night, Creston Police arrested 41-year-old Trisha Jae Johnston, of Creston, in the alley behind the 500 block of Wyoming Ave. Johnston was charged with Operating Without Interlock and Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, 1st Offense. She was transported to and held at the Union County Jail.

Late Friday morning, 35-year-old Chad Sterling Cozad, of Creston, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to report to serve jail time. The original charge was Operating While Intoxicated, 1st Offense. And, at around 8:45-p.m., Friday, 46-year-old Lela Ann Churchwell, of Creston, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct – Loud Raucous Noise, Interference with Official Acts, and Public Intoxication. She was cited and released on a promise to appear in court.