CORNING, Iowa – Aug. 12, 2025 – The Iowa Transportation Commission today (Tuesday), approved $9.6 million for the Fiscal Year 2026 State Aviation Program, which includes several subprograms. The sub-programs include:

The Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which will fund $6.7 million for a variety of aviation safety initiatives, system planning, and air service development activities. It will also provide funding for airport development projects at 25 airports in Iowa. And, Aviation vertical infrastructure programs will provide $2.9 million for projects at four general aviation airports and eight commercial service airports throughout Iowa. These programs provide funding for the maintenance and development of airport facilities such as terminal buildings, maintenance facilities, and aircraft hangars.

In southwest Iowa, the following Airport Development Projects were approved:

• Atlantic Municipal Airport: $91,000 toward the $130,000 total cost of the East Taxilane Extension.
• Council Bluffs Municipal Airport: $82,500 toward the $130,00o total cost of Hangar Apron construction/
• Creston Municipal Airport, $158, 100 toward the $186,000 total cost of new General Aviation (GA) Terminal site improvements.

General Aviation Vertical Infrastructure project funding includes:

• Council Bluffs Municipal Airport, $300,000 toward the $1-million total cost to construct a Box Hangar.
• Creston Municipal Airport, $135,720 toward the $226,200 total cost of the new GA Terminal Bldg.

Additional information can be found HERE.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports 32-year-old Brent Monta Munger, of Glenwood, was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning at a location on N. Hazel Street, in Glenwood. According to the Glenwood Police Department, Munger faces charges that include Domestic Assault/Bodily Injury-1st offense, and Interference with Official Acts. He was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two men from Creston were arrested on separate charges, Monday. According to the Creston Police Department, 70-year-old Daniel Leo Hayes was arrested at around 10:34-a.m. at his residence. Hayes was charged with Harassment-2nd Degree/Threaten Bodily Injury. He was transported to the Union County Jail and later released on bond.

And, just before 5-p.m., Monday, Creston Police arrested 36-year-old Blake Joseph Gunter at his residence. Gunter was arrested one two-outstanding warrants on original charges for Parole Violation. He was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.

(An Iowa Capital Dispatch report by Robin Opsahl) – Several Iowa Republican lawmakers have assured Iowans there is not significant interest in making changes to the state’s public retirement system after the idea was suggested last week by members of a task force appointed by the governor. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Terry Lutz, who chaired a work group within the Iowa DOGE task force, said at a meeting Wednesday that one of the recommendations under consideration was “doing away with the current defined benefits program and going to a defined contribution program” for public employees. This change was recommended because compensation packages for government workers through IPERS, the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System, are “way out of whack” with private sector compensation, he said.

The proposal on IPERS and other benefits would apply to new employees, while the compensation would remain the same as it currently exists for current employees, Lutz said. Gov. Kim Reynolds created the task force, modeled after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) program in the Trump administration, to seek government cost-cutting and efficiency measures at the state and local levels. The proposal has sparked significant backlash from public worker groups and others, who have rallied using the slogan “Hands off IPERS” while urging supporters to contact Reynolds and lawmakers to voice their opposition to the recommendation.

Since the DOGE task force meeting, several Republican lawmakers have made posts on social media stating it is unlikely the Republican trifecta will pursue changes to the public retirement system in the upcoming legislative session. Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, wrote in a Facebook post Saturday Republicans are committed to finding “innovative ways to make government smaller and smarter” — but this work will likely not involve modifying IPERS. “I have discussed this issue with the House Speaker and other legislators,” Holt wrote. “While I recognize concerns about IPERS, I want to reassure Iowans that there is virtually no interest in making changes to it. We have one of the best funded retirement systems in the country.”

(Logo courtesy of the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System; photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

A handful of other House Republicans, including Reps. Tom Jeneary of Le Mars, Jason Gearhart of Strawberry Point and Mark Thompson of Clarion, made social media posts, saying they had received questions about the task force’s IPERS recommendation and wanted to reassure constituents the Legislature was unlikely to take up the issue. Though several Republicans have voiced opposition to the proposal, several Democrats have called for Iowans who oppose the cuts to speak out in support of government employees. Rep. Molly Buck, D-Ankeny, wrote on Thursday this means contacting lawmakers and joining advocacy groups, as well as voting “for candidates who will protect retirement security.”

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, who is running as a Democratic candidate for governor in 2026, criticized the proposal in a statement, saying the best way to make government more efficient was to “restore the State Auditor’s power to find misspent money,” not make changes to IPERS. Sen. David Sires of Cedar Falls wrote on Saturday there was “misinformation” being spread about changes to IPERS by Democrats. The recommendation — which would have to be approved by the legislature — would only impact new employees, and “there is very little interest in the legislature to take up this idea at all.”

Though the recommendation was discussed in a public meeting earlier in August, the DOGE task force has not officially recommended changes to IPERS to Reynolds and lawmakers yet. The task force is scheduled to meet again on Sept. 24 before submitting its final report.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are still enduring the heat of summer, but forecasters are already looking ahead to the winter chill. The 2026 edition of the Farmers’ Almanac is now available and editor Sandi Duncan predicts Iowans will need to make sure their furnaces are in good working condition or they’re stocked up on firewood. “The winter’s going to be on a ‘chill, snow, repeat’ pattern, meaning, it’s going to chill down, snow and then repeat again,” Duncan says. “You guys are very lucky, or unlucky, depending on how you look at it — but you guys are tough — your specific area, we’re seeing very cold conditions with a lot of snow, and in fact, the snowy and cold conditions may start a little bit early this year.”

Winter officially arrives December 21st but the almanac is predicting the first significant snowfall will hit Iowa in early December. The winter will be bone-chilling and snow-filled, what Duncan calls a classic winter wonderland, starting the second week of January. “We’re saying from the 8th to the 11th, we’re talking about very cold conditions as well as the 12th through the 15th,” Duncan says. “In February, we’re also calling for very frigid conditions from the 8th through the 11th, and we’re calling for a pretty decent snowstorm from the 16th through the 19th of February, as well as from the 20th through the 23rd.” Spring will be slow to arrive next year, so slow, she’s predicting it’ll be “sloth-like.”

Farmers’ Almanac 2025 – 2026 winter forecast calls for a season of dramatic swings and widespread wintry weather.

“Your area’s going to have a chilled spring season with average rainfall,” Duncan says. “Looking at the month by month forecast, March looks cold and snowy. We’re having frigid conditions and also bitter cold all the way through the month of March. If you don’t like winter, you might want to make some plans for early March.” The Lewiston, Maine-based almanac boasts a forecast accuracy rate of 80% to 85%, which she says is based on a formula that was first created in 1818. “Our founding editor had come up with a way to look at celestial objects, the moon, sunspot activity, and correlate it with weather conditions here on earth,” Duncan says. “We still use some of that formula. We have made adjustments and we look at things like sunspot activity, tidal acts on the moon, the position of the planets, as well as try to factor in some atmospheric conditions.”

Besides long-term weather predictions, the Farmers’ Almanac also contains a wealth of information on gardening, cooking, home remedies, folklore, managing your household, living in harmony with nature, and more.

(Marion County, Iowa) – A man from Pleasantville was seriously injured Monday night, after being struck by an SUV. The Iowa State Patrol reports 79-year-old Thomas Eugene Adreon was laying in the driveway at 270 Gear Street in Pleasantville, when he was struck by a 2025 Buick Enclave SUV driven by 76-year-old Janet Sue Fontana, of Fairfield.

The accident happened at around 9:50-p.m., when the SUV pulled into the driveway while traversing a curve to the right around the driveway. After striking Adreon, the vehicle proceeded to back-up off of the man. Janet Fontana then called 911. Thomas Adreon was transported by Pleasantville Ambulance to Methodist Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DNR and Pleasantville EMS.

(Clayton County, Iowa)  – One person died and three others were injured Monday evening, when a pickup truck struck a UTV in northeast Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol reports two UTV’s were parked northbound on Glacier Road, about one-mile south of Faucet Road, northeast of Edgewood, when a southbound 2021 Dodge pickup driven by 56-year-old Perry Peterson, of Manchester, struck 62-year-old Ricky Thurn, of Manchester (IA), as Thurn was standing at the driver’s side door of a 2017 Polaris UTV. Thurn died at the scene.

Peterson and two others, identified as 69-year-old James Bunting, and 63-year-old Lori Bunting, both of Edgewood, were injured during the accident, which happened at around 5:10-p.m., Monday. Peterson was flown by helicopter to the UIHC. The Buntings were transported by ambulance to MercyOne Hospital in Elkader. The crash remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Clayton and Delaware County Sheriff’s Offices, Strawberry Point Police, Guttenberg and Elkader ambulances, Edgewood Ambulance and Fire, and Gunderson Air.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol reports a child from Atlantic was struck and injured by an SUV late Monday evening. The accident happened at around 7:50-p.m. as a 1999 Chevy Suburban driven by 22-year-old Todd Schwab, of Atlantic, was traveling west on West 6th Street near the intersection with Birch Street, when an 8-year-old child ran out onto the road from 401 West 6th.

The unidentified child was flown by LifeNet to Methodist Children’s Hospital in Des Moines for treatment of serious injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Atlantic Police and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) –  Officials with Connections Area Agency on Aging say they are excited to announce the launch of the “Steak Your Claim Raffle,” offering the chance to win ¼ of locally sourced beef—complete with processing at a local meat locker—valued at over $1,500. This opportunity is made possible thanks to the generosity of several community donors.

Aubury Krueger-Kutchara, Connections’ Director of Community Engagement, says “At a time when funding is uncertain and grocery prices continue to rise, we’re grateful to be able to offer something that not only supports our mission, but also provides a valuable prize to one lucky winner. The winner will be able to have their beef processed exactly to their preference—steaks, roasts, ground beef, or a mix.”

Proceeds from the raffle will help Connections Area Agency on Aging continue providing essential services and support for older adults and family caregivers throughout our service area. Tickets are available now for $10 each or 3 for $25 and can be purchased from Connections staff, volunteers, and at select community events. The winning ticket will be drawn on October 10th at noon, and the winner does not need to be present to win.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Aubury Kutchara, Director of Community Engagement at 800-432-9209 ex 8132 or akrueger@connectionsaaa.org, or visit connectionsaaa.org.

Upcoming sales dates:

August 16, 10 AM–2 PM – Super Saver Lobby, Council Bluffs
August 17, 10 AM–2 PM – Super Saver Lobby, Council Bluffs

August 19, 1 PM–6 PM – Page County Resource Fair, Clarinda, IA
September 6, 10 AM–4 PM – Southern Hills Mall, Sioux City
September 20, 10 AM–4 PM – Southern Hills Mall, Sioux City
September 22, 10 AM–4 PM – Siouxland Center for Active Generations

More dates to be added soon.