(Des Moines, Iowa) [KCCI – On the first weekend of summer, which will also be the hottest stretch of the year so far, the Iowa DNR suggests avoiding nine beaches where E. coli levels are too high. Swimming is not recommended at the following beach/lakes:

• Backbone Beach
• Beeds Lake Beach
• Black Hawk Beach
• Blue Lake Beach
• Bobwhite State Park
• Emerson Bay Beach
• Nine Eagles Beach
• North Twin Lake West Beach
• Pine Lake South Beach

The DNR conducts weekly tests at more than three dozen state-owned swimming beaches between the week before Memorial Day through Labor Day. You can find more on the DNR’s website.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — President Donald Trump will return to Iowa next month to give a speech kicking off Fourth of July festivities, according to an email announcement he made to supporters. KCCi reports Trump will give a speech July 3 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The president has made multiple stops at the fair in past years, including as recently as 2023.

While Trump’s speech will take place at the fairgrounds, it will not be during this year’s fair. The fair itself runs from Aug. 7-17. A recent report indicated Trump was eyeing a trip to the Iowa State Fair. Rep. Zach Nunn posted on Facebook saying he had invited Trump to attend the fair, and Trump accepted.

Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons said in a statement to KCCI: “We have been contacted by America 250 about a potential event with the President on July 3rd on the Fairgrounds. At this time, no additional details have been confirmed.”

(Anita, Iowa) – The Cass County Master Gardener group is excited to host a walking tour of 3 private gardens in and around Anita this Sunday afternoon June 22. The garden walk will feature three unique garden spaces for participants to explore at their leisure and gain inspiration for their own gardens, while enjoying a variety of garden styles and designs. Gardens will be open for touring and ticket purchases between 2-6 PM on Sunday and may be visited in any order. Water will be available at each location, and many have shaded seating areas as well. Please pace yourself and take precautions with the heat forecast for this weekend.

The walk is coordinated by the Cass County Master Gardeners but is open to anyone interested in gaining some gardening inspiration. Educational materials will also be available at each stop for those wanting to grow their own gardening knowledge. Tickets for the walk are $10 each, with all proceeds going to support local Master Gardener projects and activities. Tickets may be purchased at any of the three locations on the day of the event and should be presented at each location for admission. Locations include 694 Main Street in Anita, 801 Walnut Street in Anita, and 68948 Troublesome Creek Road, Atlantic (just north of Wiota). A map of the tour locations and description of each garden is also on each ticket purchased.

Plan to join the Cass County Master Gardeners this Sunday afternoon, June 22, for a memorable walk in the garden(s)! Two gardens are located in Anita, while one is out in the country north of Wiota. Highlights from featured gardens included sun and shade gardens, container gardens, custom garden art, functional fruit and vegetable gardens, houseplants galore, annual plantings, perennial beds and more! Follow the Cass County Master Gardeners on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CassCoMG for sneak peeks of featured garden spaces leading up to the day of the tour.

For information about other upcoming Master Gardener activities in Cass County, or to learn about becoming a Master Gardener, visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/master-gardener-program, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events, garden previews, and tips for gardening throughout the year!

(Radio Iowa)  – The Iowa Right to Life rally and march is this Saturday at the State Capitol. Pulse Life Advocates executive director Maggie DeWitte says they started the event three years ago when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“We felt it was very important that we commemorate and celebrate the fact that federal abortion law. Is no longer in our country and what that did was bring abortion law back to individual states,” she says. DeWitte says many people thought that ruling ended abortion in every state, but she says it only ended abortion in a few states with bills triggered by the ruling.

“Iowa was not one of those states that had a trigger bill,” she says. “And although we do have one of the strictest regulations on abortion with our heartbeat law, we still do have abortion in our state. According to the. vital statistics in Iowa in 2023, we have about 2,771 abortions in our state.” DeWitte says about 70% of the Iowa abortions are drug induced. “That’s really our big threat right now here in Iowa and across the country, is the chemical abortions,” DeWitte says, “and of course, also combating the issue of those drugs coming through the U.S. postal system and being nailed to women. And so it’s a real problem that we also want to highlight at our event as well.”

A photo from a past March for Life rally. (photo from Pulse Life Advocates)

DeWitte says they will have displays and educational information in the rotunda of the Capitol starting at noon, and then there’s a rally at 1 p.m.. One of the featured speakers is the new leader of the National Right to Life organization. “We also have Doctor Pat Castle, who is the founder and President of Life Runners, and he will also be speaking as well as a local individual. Who has a very compelling story about taking the abortion pill reversal after taking the first dosage of the chemical abortion and being able to reverse that and save the life of her child,” she says.

DeWitte says they will march from the capitol and over the Iowa Judicial building and back after the rally. DeWitte says they are hoping to get around 1,000 people to the event.

(Radio Iowa) – A federal judge in Iowa has blocked a rule that would have forced nursing homes to have a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day. Brent Willett is president and CEO of the Iowa Health Care Association, the trade group for Iowa nursing homes.

The rule, advanced during the Biden Administration, also would have required that each nursing home resident get over three-and-a-half hours of direct care from certified nursing assistants each day. Willett says between 90 and 95 percent of Iowa nursing homes would not have met either of those staffing mandates.

Under current federal law, nursing homes must have a registered nurse on duty for eight straight hours.

Iowa and 19 states sued to block the new round-the-clock standard for R-Ns, as well as the mandated daily hours of direct care for nursing home residents. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says the regulations would have forced many nursing homes to close and the ruling protects access to long term care, particularly in rural Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – A federal judge has extended an order that temporarily blocks the U.S. Department of Labor from shutting down about 100 Job Corps training centers for low-income youth, including two Iowa centers. The federal program has provided free education, vocational training and housing to young adults for more than 60 years. Ryan Dunker, a native of Ida Grove, is a student at the Job Corps center in Denison, one of two residential programs in the state. The other location is in Ottumwa.

Dunker recently completed a pharmacy tech program and says he does have some job leads, but he worries about others who would have nowhere to go if the campus closes.

The judge’s extension continues until next Wednesday to allow more time to review the case. The Ottumwa Job Corps Center alone houses 240 students, who were originally told they’d have to move out by June 12th. A Labor Department report found the program to be too costly with low graduation rates. Supporters of Job Corps argue that the study was flawed and does not accurately represent what’s happening in Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The theme for the next “Produce in Park,” in Atlantic on June 26th, is golf-related. “Puttin’ in the Park” will feature mini-golf and disc golf activities, along with a kids’ craft station, and live music by Jenna Now. Produce in the Park is held in the downtown Atlantic City Park. Stop by and purchase fresh produce, baked goods and more, from any one of 20 or more vendors. Food trucks June 26th will include Zipp’s Pizzeria, and Lucky Wife Slushies.

Guest Chef Sarah Anderson will share free samples of Feta and Dill Salad. Be sure and look for free produce taste tests, information from visiting organizations, and much more!

Follow Produce in the Park on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15kWPCE78J/

And, to register as a vendor for the event or learn more, visit www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com

Atlantic, IA — Officials with Cass Health have announced that construction will soon be underway for a new Eye Associates clinic. Jensen Builders Ltd. was officially awarded the construction bid for the new building to be located at 1501 E. 7th Street in Atlantic.

With demolition of the old Farm Bureau building and initial site work nearly finished, construction is expected to begin by the end of July. When completed this winter, Eye Associates will move to the new location, where it will continue providing eye care for patients of all ages.

Digital drawing of the new Eye Associates building

The new building is approximately 6,900 square feet and will be used by Optometrist Dr. Jeff Goergen as well as by Dr. Jesse Himebaugh and Dr. David Ingvoldstad, visiting ophthalmologists from Midwest Eye Care.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is co-sponsoring a bill that would extend V-A benefits to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and later diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. The bill is named in honor of Keith Smith, an Iowan who served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam in the early 1970s. “This was inspired by a letter from his widow, Linda Smith,” Hinson says. “…She is now a passionate advocate for this cause and was absolutely instrumental in helping us to introduce this effort.”

Hinson says Smith, a farmer from Independence, was denied critical health care V-A benefits after being diagnosed with glioblastoma. He died in 2021 at the age of 73.

Keith A. Smith (vvmf.org)

Glioblastoma is not among the 23 conditions listed for coverage for veterans exposed to Agent Orange or burn pits. “We want to expand access to care for those who are exposed to toxic substances during their service and naming this bill in Specialist Fourth Class Smith’s honor is, I think, a deserving tribute to his life and service, Linda’s advocacy as well,” Hinson says.

Keith Alan Smith, Sr. (Photo via vvmf.org)

The bill is co-sponsored by a Florida Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee member who received the same letter from Smith’s widow that Hinson did. According to an online tribute by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Smith helped develop the baseball and basketball programs in Independence and was a founding member of the Mustang Foundation that supports extracurricular activities in the school district.

June 20, 2025 (DES MOINES, IA) – Governor Kim Reynolds today welcomed the announcement that JBS USA will make a significant new investment in Perry, Iowa, a move that will bring renewed economic vitality to the community. JBS is one of the world’s leading food companies, providing protein and food solutions to customers and consumers across the globe. The company processes, prepares, and packages fresh, further-processed and value-added premium protein products under a variety of highly recognized brands.

JBS USA, headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, plans to invest $135 million in a new state-of-the-art 150,000 square foot facility to produce fresh sausage. The company plans to create 250 jobs within the first three years of operations and eventually employ 500 in subsequent years. The Iowa Economic Development Authority board approved $12 million in tax benefits for this project through the High Quality Jobs program at its meeting earlier today.

“Today’s announcement is tremendous news for Perry and the entire state of Iowa,” said Governor Reynolds. “This investment by JBS reflects confidence in Iowa’s workforce, our strong agricultural economy, and our commitment to growing vibrant communities. At a time when Perry has faced real challenges, this investment brings renewed hope and opportunity for the hardworking families who call this community home.”

JBS currently has operations in Council Bluffs, Marshalltown and Ottumwa, employing more than 5,300 Iowans. The new Perry facility, which is expected to be fully operational in late 2026, will serve as one of the company’s key prepared foods operations and play a vital role in Iowa’s globally recognized food processing industry.

“This investment aligns with our ongoing commitment to Iowa, our producer partners, team members and the U.S. market as we look to build a best-in-class sausage production facility,” said Wesley Batista Filho, JBS USA CEO. “We are grateful to the state of Iowa for their continued support, and we look forward to being part of the Perry community — creating quality jobs and economic opportunity in the region.”