(Radio Iowa) – At least four Iowa counties are now calling themselves Second Amendment “sanctuaries,” but there’s also at least one county where the leaders say they will -not- be going that route. Dan Campidilli, of Webster City, is chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors and says the panel reached a decision on this sanctuary fad. “We don’t feel there’s any need to take action,” Campidilli says. “From our understanding, it’s largely symbolic. It’s just a gesture. There’s no teeth behind it.

The Drake Constitutional Law Center says it’s not legally binding.” In some counties, the sanctuary resolution aims to keep law enforcement from enforcing state or federal laws which may be viewed as infringing on gun rights. Hamilton County leaders say there’s no need for such measures.

Campidilli says, “We don’t feel, at this time, that it would have an impact or there would be any need to put any resolution in place that basically amounts to nothing, in my opinion.” The Hamilton County board is supportive of the Second Amendment, he says, but there’s no practical reason to declare the county a sanctuary as it’s just an attempt to scare gun owners.

“We went through a similar situation when Barack Obama was elected president. I still have my guns at home,” Campidilli says. “I feel that it’s just an extension of the election.” The four sanctuary counties in Iowa are: Cedar, Hardin, Jasper and Madison.

(Radio Iowa) – Tickets to next week’s Major League Baseball game at the Field of Dreams site in Dyersville are a hot commodity some Iowans have found out they were chosen in a drawing for tickets. Nikki Glatt of Dubuque is one of them.

“I was shocked and then I immediately called my nephew because he was the one who said ‘you need to register,’ and he is actually out at Yellowstone National Park right now visiting,” she explains. “So, I was like ‘sorry to interrupt your vacation, but guess what I qualified for?’ He was like, ‘that’s awesome, sell them’ but I can’t because they are non-transferable. He was like ‘okay take me’.”

Iowa residents had from July 16th through the 23rd to enter a lottery drawing for a chance to purchase tickets for the highly-anticipated game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. They’ll be playing in Iowa’s first Major League Baseball game under the lights in the newly-constructed stadium near the Field of Dreams Movie Site next Thursday night, August 12th. Glatt had an appointment to try to purchase tickets at 11 a-m – and was able to get two tickets for 375 dollars each. She says she’s had a lot of people reaching out to her willing to buy them – even though it appears tickets are non-transferable.

“It’s crazy how many people are Facebook messaging me, saying…’hey this is my story, can I please purchase your ticket?’ It’s insane. Or the number of text messages I’m getting saying from people like ‘hey I’ll go with you.’ Strangers on Facebook, and then it’s friends and family texting me,” Glatt says.

Eight-thousand fans will be at the game itself – and the Dyersville Chamber says Major League Baseball isn’t even sure how many people will be coming to Dyersville for the event or the “Beyond the Game” two-day festival that the community will be hosting next Wednesday and Thursday. Glatt says she’s not looking forward to the crowds, but she is excited for the game itself – even though she’s a Braves fan.

She says her cousin sent her photos saying she had Yankees stuff, but Glatt says she will probably wear her Braves stuff. The Field of Dreams game between the Yankees and the White Sox will be aired live on FOX next Thursday night, August 12th at 6 p-m, with an official M-L-B viewing party at the “Beyond the Game” Festival in Dyersville’s City Square. For more information on the “Beyond the Game” festivities, check out beyondthegameiowa.com/schedule.

(By Janelle Tucker, KMCH, Manchester)

Officials with The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, Tuesday, announced four women will be inducted into the 2021 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame inductees. The 2021 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame honorees include Donna Reed, from Denison. Reed was an actress, Academy Award Winner, Advocate for Peace. Donna Reed is celebrated for her successful career in entertainment, and as a trailblazer for women in television, as well as a humanitarian who advocated for social justice and world peace. Posthumous Award (January 27, 1921-January 14, 1986).

Actress Donna Reed

The other inductees are:

• Dr. Roxann Marie Ryan, Ph.D. (Cresco, IA): Former Iowa Commissioner of Public Safety, Assistant Iowa Attorney General, Educator & Scholar.  Dr. Ryan is noted for her vast contributions in academia, groundbreaking work in public service, and celebrated leadership among students, colleagues, and citizens across the country.
• Cornelia Clark (Grinnell, IA):  Nature Photographer, Academic Contributor, Book Illustrator.  Cornelia Clark’s photographic legacy appeared in children’s books, scientific journals, newspapers, science magazines and encyclopedias all throughout the nation. Posthumous Award (1884-1936)
• Jan Mitchell (Des Moines, IA):  Educator, 1997 Iowa Teacher of the Year, 2019 Iowa Latino Hall of Fame Robert D Ray Award for Equity and Justice recipient. Over the course of her career, Jan Mitchell has been instrumental in assisting the education and social mobilization of hundreds of Iowa’s Latina students, championing women’s rights, and prioritizing service-led compassion into her work with the community.
  To highlight women’s heritage and recognize their important contributions to society, the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women established the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 1975. Each subsequent year, the Commission and the Iowa Department of Human Rights welcome four women into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, paying tribute to them and setting them forth as role models for others.

As of 2021, 188 women will have been inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. For more information about the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, visit the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ website on the Office on the Status of Women. In lieu of an in-person ceremony, the Commission will honor inductees in a virtual ceremony.  Details and dates of this ceremony will be announced later this month.

Atlantic Police report 10 arrests took place from July 20th through August 2nd. Most recently:

• On Monday (8/2), 24-year-old Andrew Malloy, of Audubon, was arrested on an Audubon County warrant for Violation of Probation.
• Last Saturday, 57-year-old Rodney Hansen, of Irwin, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense.
• On Friday, 42-year-old Christopher Knight, of Atlantic, was arrested on an Audubon County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault.
• On July 28th, 29-year-old Stephen Root, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order.
• There were three arrests in Atlantic on July 23rd: 40-year-old David Thomas, of Atlantic, was arrested (and subsequently cited) for Disorderly Conduct, and then released; 29-year-old Anthony Asay, of Atlantic, was arrested for Simple Assault; and, 24-year-old Brittany Ruhr, of Griswold, was arrested for Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness.
• On the 22nd, 20-year-old Rachael Stanley and 33-year-old James Erickson, both of Atlantic, were arrested on charges of Disorderly Conduct (Fighting/Violent Behavior).
• And, on July 20th, 26-year-old Phillip Reed Thompson, Jr., of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd offense.

With the exception of David Thomas (who was cited and released at the scene), and Phillip Thompson, Jr., each of the other persons were booked into the Cass County Jail and later released. Thompson remained in the Cass County Jail as of today (Tuesday).

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Monday, arrested a Council Bluffs man at the Pottawattamie County Jail. Authorities say 25-year-old Dylan Elwood Taylor was arrested on Page County Warrants for Violation of Probation, stemming from original charges of Theft 3rd degree & Eluding, as well as another warrant for Violation of Probation from an original charge of Driving while License Barred – Habitual Offender.

Dylan Elwood Taylor (Photo courtesy Page County S/O)

Taylor was transported to the Page County Jail where he was being held on $10,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

(Radio Iowa) – Dozens of applicants are seeking nearly 300 million dollars in state grants to extend and expand broadband service in Iowa, but only 100 million dollars will be awarded. The legislature set aside 100 million dollars for broadband projects. State officials say 178 broadband providers submited grant applications by the deadline on July 28th and the grant awards will be announced in September. Governor Reynolds says she intends to seek federal funds to supplement the 100 million dollars in state grant money that will be awarded.

Iowa ranks 45th in the country in broadband access according to BroadbandNow, a company that analyzes internet access and download speeds nationwide. The firm ranks download speeds in Iowa as second slowest in the country.

(Radio Iowa) – Parts of an historic building in the Iowa Great Lakes region sustained water and smoke damage in what is believed to be an electrical fire. About 20 retail shops and restaurants are located in the Central Emporium in Arnolds Park. The building sits along the shore of West Okoboji and was built in 1901. On Monday afternoon, fire crews responded to reports of smoke coming from a wall in the building.

Fire fighters spent about 90 minutes dousing the fire and evacuating smoke from the building. Smoke and water damage are reported in two upper level stores and one store downstairs.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s looking forward to digging into President Biden’s massive, near-trillion-dollar infrastructure bill. Grassley, a Republican, says the Senate has voted to proceed with consideration of the bi-partisan bill. “I voted yes on the procedural vote but I’m still undecided on the final legislation,” Grassley says. “That has to do more with costs than with the expenditure part of the bill.”

Over five years, the measure calls for some 550-billion dollars in new spending beyond projected federal levels. Grassley says he wants to be sure it’s dealing with “traditional, physical infrastructure,” things like roads and bridges, and not new social programs. “The text of the legislation is more than 2,700 pages,” Grassley says, “so I and my staff are going through that now and we’re working with other offices as well to understand exactly everything that’s in it.”

Family farmers rely on the state’s highways and waterways to get their products to consumers, Grassley says, and maintaining those routes is paramount in the bill. Access to high-speed internet is another key element.  “At nearly all the 85 counties I’ve been in, I’ve had a Q-and-A this year,” Grassley says, “and Iowans bring up infrastructure, particularly broadband and there’s $65-billion in this bill for broadband.”

Grassley says he’ll make a final decision on whether he’ll back the measure after weighing the full bill as well as any amendments that are adopted.

Officials with Tyson Foods are requiring all company employees to be vaccinated against the Coronavirus and its variants. In a statement, Tyson said “As people have heard, new variants of COVID-19 are more contagious, more deadly and responsible for most cases in America today. In some communities, doctors and hospitals are once again overwhelmed, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting nearly all hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. are among those who are unvaccinated. It is abundantly clear that getting vaccinated is the single most effective thing we can do to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Employees are expected to receive their vaccines by Nov. 1. The company expects leadership to complete vaccinations by Sep. 24. Office employees must be vaccinated by Oct. 1. Vaccinated employees will receive a $200 “thank you” from Tyson for keeping the company safe.

Tyson officials say “We did not take this decision lightly. We have spent months encouraging our team members to get vaccinated – today, under half of our team members are. We take this step today because nothing is more important than our team members’ health and safety, and we thank them for the work they do, every day, to help us feed this country, and our world.”

The Board of Supervisors in Adair County will meet 9-a.m. Wednesday in the courthouse courtroom, in Greenfield. On the agenda, is discussion and possible action on a Fireworks Permit application, Homestead and Military Disallowances, and Compensation Board appointments. Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg will present a Backup Internet Connection Proposal to the Board, and discuss a laptop Grant Program through the Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

County Treasurer Brenda Wallace will discuss a new hire Treasurer Clerk, and County Engineer Nick Kauffman will present two final vouchers for the Board to sign, for the: G-27 HMA Paving/Resurfacing Project, and, W-35 Jefferson Bridge Project. He’ll also update the Board on his department’s maintenance and other activities.

(Please note: The conference phone will still be available for those wish to, but cannot attend the meeting in-person. It can be accessed by calling (605)-313-6157, and when prompted, enter 526272#)