(Radio Iowa) – The law change that allows you to shoot off fireworks anywhere in the state on July 3rd and 4th hasn’t led to a big jump in the number of retail fireworks locations. Numbers from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing show an increase of just five new licensed sites for fireworks sales this year to 612. There were 598 licensed fireworks sites when the law changed in 2017 to allow fireworks to be sold. That jumped to 795 in 2018, and then dropped down to the low mark of 552 in 2020.

The number of fireworks licensed sites stayed below 600 every year until a jump of 38 new licenses from 2023 to 2024.

(Radio Iowa) – The population of the International Space Station rose to 11 this (Thursday) morning as Iowa native Peggy Whitson and her three crewmates floated through the hatch and were welcomed aboard the orbiting laboratory. I-S-S commander, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, greeted the visitors. “First of all, Peggy, welcome back,” Onishi said. “It’s a great honor and privilege to have such a legendary astronaut like you on board with us.” This marks Whitson’s fifth visit to the station, where she’s spent nearly two years of her life, more than any other American. By the time this mission is over, she’ll have added to her spaceflight record with nearly 700 days in orbit. The 11 astronauts now aboard the station represent six different countries.

“We appreciate being invited in. You guys are exceptional hosts and hopefully you’ll think we’re exceptional guests at the end of a couple of weeks,” Whitson said, laughing. “We’re looking forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys and I really appreciate all the support you’ve provided to us in advance of actually even getting here.” This is Whitson’s second mission for Axiom Space, a private Houston-based firm which aims to put its own space station into orbit in the next few years. She flew three previous missions for NASA before retiring from the agency in 2018.

Peggy Whitson, front left, poses with the ISS crew (Photo from NASA-TV)

It’s the first time in space for Whitson’s three crewmates — who are from India, Hungary and Poland. As is the tradition, she affixed golden shooting star pins to each of their lapels, welcoming them into the astronaut corps. “The best part about being a commander on a mission with all rookies is you get to watch the rookies go through it for the first time,” Whitson says. “It helps you remember some of the things you went through the first time, but also, it’s just very special to get to relive the experience again through these guys.”

The 65-year-old Whitson, who grew up on a farm near Beaconsfield, will spend about two weeks aboard the station. She and her three-man crew will be conducting about 60 experiments before returning to the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, “Grace,” and heading home.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A kick-off for the Cass County Relay for life takes place this weekend, in Atlantic. Relay for Life Committee spokesperson Chris Parks says the “Putt-Putt for a Purpose” is one of several events designed to revamp and spread new interest in helping cancer survivors, honoring care givers and others who have dealt with, or are in the process of dealing with, cancer, through fundraising.

The Putt-Putt for a Purpose will be held Sunday, June 29th, from 5-until 7-p.m., at the Sunnyside Range in Atlantic. Everyone is invited to come out and play a round of putt-putt golf.

The Atlantic Hy-Vee will provided a free meal for attendees, and Sunnyside Range will have their concession stand open for other the purchase of other goodies. Parks says features that are traditionally part of the Relay for Life will be available this weekend, as well.

Persons interested in purchase luminaries can contact Jodi Christoffersen ahead of time, at jodichristoffersen@hotmail.com, by calling 712-254-1409, or visiting relayforlife.org/casscountyia Survivors can also register at the website or call 1-800-227-2545 OPTION 4 in order to receive a 2025 Relay For Life Shirt.

General donations to Cass County Relay For Life can also be made on the website or by dropping off to Kristi Schmidtke at Rolling Hills Bank & Trust in Atlantic.

The Cass County Relay For Life Committee hopes to see all cancer survivors, caregivers, and community supporters on Sunday, June 29th at Sunnyside Range for an evening of fun, support, and fundraising.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports one person was arrested Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say 49-year-old Elizabeth Lea Reents, of Creston, was arrested at her residence on a charge of Driving While Suspended. Reents was cited and then released on a Promise to Appear in court.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – Officials with the City of Elk Horn updated the status of their water system, Wednesday. The City remains under a boil advisory. City officials and staff want to assure residents that they “Are taking this situation very seriously and are doing everything [they] can with the resources available,” to them.

Key Updates:

• Water Supply: The City is not experiencing a water shortage in its well fields. Water is currently being pumped to the treatment plant and distributed throughout the system.
• System Improvements: Water pressure and tower levels are improving steadily.
• External Support: The City of Elk Horn has reached out to the Iowa League of Cities for additional support in identifying and resolving the underlying issue.
• Mandatory Water Watch: A mandatory water watch remains in effect until the issue is fully resolved.

City officials say “We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this time. Please continue to follow all boil advisory protocols, and we will keep you updated as the situation progresses.”

(Avoca, Iowa) – Officials with the Regional Water Rural Water System, Wednesday evening, updated on social media, the status of their system and water conservation requirements.

RWRWA said:

• All towers have maintained adequate pressure over the last few weeks, but their customers remain in at a level RED Conservation level. That includes ALL rural customers and communities fed by RWRWA’s Avoca Treatment Plant (Avoca, Brayton, Exira, Earling, Panama, Portsmouth, Persia, Westphalia, Kirkman, & Tennant).
• The company is currently pumping 760 gpm from the plant with all wells on, including their backup wells.
• The temporary pump station was turned on, but there were pressure issues. The rural water company’s engineers, they said, “sent their two best guys to help determine the reason for the pressure problem with the pipeline from Council Bluffs. They have figured out the problem and the solution,” and they were working on getting the necessary parts. Adjustments will allow the water to flow as soon as possible.

The company reminds its customers and communities, that they can access the system dashboard on the RWRWA website and various websites of the county and municipal government entities within the Regional Water service areas.

If you should have any questions, call 712-343-2413, M-F 8a-4p.

MUSCATINE, Iowa (KWQC) – A $1 million pledge from the HNI Charitable Foundation will help the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business create a new state-of-the-art business education facility. HNI Corporation, headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, is a major provider of workplace furnishings and residential building products. University of Iowa will use the money to help fund the renovation of two adjacent buildings to create a single facility with new classrooms and learning spaces with updated technology, according to the university press release.

Jeff Lorenger, chairman, president and CEO of HNI Corporation, said the pledge is an investment in Iowa’s business community and the “next generation of leaders.“ The college’s enrollment is more than double what one of the buildings served when it was built in 1994, and enrollment is expected to continue growing, said Amy Kristof-Brown, Henry B. Tippie dean.

The estimated $60 million, two-year project is funded largely by private giving and is expected to be complete by fall 2028.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – It’s county fair season. That means thousands of Iowa children in 4-H will be showing off their livestock, however disease like Avian Flu could still be a concern. Last summer some cows, specifically dairy cattle, required testing for Avian Flu before being allowed into into the fair. That’s because the disease infected 13 cows in Iowa. But the last cow in the state to have Bird Flu had it in July 2024, almost a whole year ago.

That’s why this year, cows aren’t required to be tested for it before coming to the fair. But a vet checks out each one before being allowed in, even though Bird flu has only impacted dairy cattle, not beef cattle.

(Radio Iowa) – You can now add a virtual copy of your driver’s license to the Google wallet app on your phone. The Iowa D-O-T’s Toni Smith says it’s a simple process. “All you need to do is you go to the Google Wallet icon on your device, you click on add to wallet, you click on I-D, you tap on drivers license or state I-D. You tap on Iowa and then you just follow the on screen instructions,” Smith says. Smith says if you do at the virtual driver’s license you should still keep the regular license with you. “Not all businesses accept mobile I-D just yet. So we always tell folks to keep your physical credential with you as well,” she says.

The D-O-T first offered the mobile I-D in their application on iOS and Android phones, and then launched in Apple Wallet and Samsung Wallet. “Within the state of Iowa, we’ve got probably somewhere around 112, 115-thousand people enrolled,” she says. “We’re we’re definitely seeing uptick in mobile mobile I-D, mobile D-L across the U-S, as there are 18 states that currently have it.” Smith says more than 200 airports across the U-S accept the mobile I-D. Smith says they have a security process when you add the driver’s license to the wallet to be sure you are not trying to use a fake I-D.

“You scan the front and back of your I-D card, and then you also take a selfie or short video to go along with it, and that information is sent to the Iowa D-O-T to bump up against your system of record. So whoever’s enrolling it, we ensure you are who you say you are when you enroll,” Smith explains.

Smith says more and more people are moving toward digital versions of things like credit cards, hotel keys and insurance cards, and this is an option as well if you want it. “it’s it is voluntary to have a mobile I-D and it is voluntary for businesses to accept mobile I-D’s. And we’ve got some great information for businesses on our website too if they want to get information on how to go about accepting a mobile I-D,” Smith says.

Find out more at iowadot.gov.

(Radio Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand — a Democrat who’s running for governor — says Iowa’s Primary Elections should be open to any registered voter, not just to those who are registered as Democrats or Republicans. “The idea that right now in the state of Iowa a third of our state are registered independents whose tax dollars pay for elections that they are not allowed to vote in is unAmerican,” Sand says.

The subject came up in Waukee last (Wednesday) night at the first of 100 town hall forums Sand has scheduled over the next four months. During an interview with Radio Iowa afterwards, Sand said the current law that lets Iowans switch their party registration so they can vote in a primary is inadequate.  “Some people will tell you: ‘I feel like that’s lying. I’m not a member of this party and I shouldn’t sign up as one to participate in the primary,'” Sand said. Sand suggests an open primary is the answer.

State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democratic candidate for governor, spoke tonight to a crowd in Waukee. (RI photo)

“Every Democrat, every Republican, every Green, Libertarian — whatever — every independent is on the ballot if they get enough signatures,” Sand said. “You walk in, you vote for your one favorite. You send the top four or five to the General Election.” Sand suggests the winner of the November election could be determined by what’s called approval voting.  “So if there’s five candidates and there’s two in my party who I really like, but I also really respect this other person who’s in the other party, I can also vote for them,” Sand says.

The winner winds up being the candidate with the highest approval rating. “If we did that our politics would be more civil, our politicians would be more honest,” Sand said, “and most importantly…you could reward people — elected officials — for actually solving problems.”

Voters in Fargo, North Dakota passed a referendum in 2018 that set up approval voting in the past three city elections, but two months ago, North Dakota’s governor signed a law that bans approval voting.