(Radio Iowa) – Siouxland Chamber of Commerce president Chris McGowan is running for Iowa’s fourth district congressional seat. “I believe that I have the education, the experience and the background in economic development to be the strongest voice in Iowa 4 for the citizens of northwest Iowa at our nation’s capitol in Washington, D.C.,” McGowan says. McGowan is the first Republican to launch a campaign in the district that’s represented by Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra, who’s taken steps to run for governor. McGowan is a Sioux City native, a veteran of the Iowa Air National Guard and an attorney who leads the private, non-profit Siouxland Initiative as well as the area’s chamber of commerce

Republican Chris McGowan announces today he’s running for Iowa’s fourth district seat in the U.S. House (Photo provided by McGowan campaign)

“My vision for the fourth congressional district: creating a strong and robust economy, strong national defense and supporting of armed forces which includes making sure that we have a secure southern border,” McGowan said, “and it’s also focused on protecting and supporting Iowa’s traditional values.” McGowan, who is 58 years old, is a fourth generation Iowan. His mother was raised on a farm near Fonda and his father grew up in Sioux City. “I’m the son of a Vietnam veteran. I’m the father of six children and my five oldest children have all chosen a path in the armed forces,” McGowan says. “Understanding the importance of national security and understanding the priorities that the Trump Administration has established for national security are critically important to this race and to the future of our country.”

As for Trump’s tariff agenda, McGowan says there are some business leaders who’ve expressed concerns. “But there are equal number of business leaders who understand the president’s priority…to make sure that our farmers, our small business owners, our manufacturers have access to a level playing field and I absolutely support that.” McGowan is opposed to granting carbon pipeline developers eminent domain authority to seize land from unwilling property owners. “I’m not opposed to renewable energy. I’m not opposed to this pipeline,” McGowan says. “I have tremendous issues and I am opposed to utilizing eminent domain for private…interests.”

McGowan is likely to face a Republican Primary in 2026. Republican State Senator Lynn Evans, a retired superintendent from Aurelia, has formed an exploratory committee for a possible run for congress.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting this (Wednesday) morning, at the courthouse in Greenfield. During their session, the Board approved continuing with their commitment to stay with ICAP (The Iowa Community Assurance Pool), which provides property and casualty coverage to more than 800 Iowa public entities, including 75 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

And, since no one from Community and Family Resources appeared before the Board to make the funding request, the Supervisors denied the request. Board Chair Nathan Baier and Board members Matt Wedemeyer along with Jodie Hoadley discussed the request in the absence of CFR representatives before denying the request.

The Supervisors then received and acted on awarding a bid for the Adair County Fair Grandstands to the TownsEnd Co. out of Urbandale for $656,000. All the bids came in last Wednesday. There were three companies bidding on the project, with the highest at $796,500, and the other coming in at $658,000.

2025 Board of Supervisors
Left to Right: Jodie Hoadley, Jerry Walker, Nathan Baier, and Michael Christoffersen. Not pictured: Matt Wedemeyer. (Official Adair County website photo)

In other business, the Board heard from Courthouse Maintenance Supervisor Scott Roberts, with regard to the removal of a Crabapple Tree in the Courtyard. The Supervisors approved the hiring of a qualified company to cut the tree down.

A Public Hearing was held on the issuance of General Obligation Urban Renewal Bonds, in an amount not to exceed $5-million. Having received no comments, the Board passed a Resolution instituting proceedings to take additional action.

(Radio Iowa) – America’s most experienced astronaut is adding to her resume, with a record-setting fifth trip into orbit. After multiple delays over the past two weeks, Iowa native astronaut Peggy Whitson was able to say these words early this (Wednesday) morning from atop a Falcon 9 rocket:

And 30 seconds later, the fourth mission of Axiom Space lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, lighting up the pre-dawn darkness about 1:30 A-M Central time. Here’s how it sounded on NASA-TV.

Whitson’s three crewmates are from Hungary, India and Poland. They’ll arrive at the International Space Station tomorrow morning for a scheduled two-week stay. Ten minutes before launch, Whitson thanked everyone who made the mission possible. “To the Axiom Space team, you poured your hearts into this mission,” Whitson said. “Your passion and dedication have lifted us higher. We wear this patch with pride because of you. To NASA, thank you for the decades of knowledge, the training and the trust. You’ve shaped generations of explorers, and we’re honored to carry that legacy forward. To SpaceX, thank you for giving us the wings to fly, and the confidence for a safe return home. And, to our international partners, thank you for standing with us across borders, united by a shared purpose. And, to every person behind the scenes — engineers, trainers, families and friends — you are the quiet force behind this mission. We carry the hopes of many with us. As we realize our return, we will bring those hopes home to you. Thank you.”

Axiom Space image

About ten minutes into the flight, Whitson announced from orbit that their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule was named “Grace” by the crew. “Grace is more than a name,” she said. “It reflects the elegance with which we move through space, against a backdrop of earth. It speaks to the refinement of our mission, the harmony of science and spirit, and the unmerited favor we carry with humility. Grace reminds us that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering, but an act of goodwill, for the benefit of every human, everywhere.” Once aboard the I-S-S, the astronauts will conduct about 60 medical experiments for Axiom Space, a private Houston-based firm which aims to put its own space station into orbit in the next few years.

Whitson is making her second trip aloft as an Axiom astronaut. She flew three previous missions for NASA before retiring from the agency in 2018. The 65-year-old Whitson grew up on a farm near Beaconsfield and holds multiple records, including the most time in space by an American at 675 days — and counting.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say three men were arrested Tuesday (June 24th), on separate charges:

• 34-year-old Alex Richard Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested at around 4:50-p.m., on eight-counts of Theft in the 5th Degree. He was later released after posting a percentage of his $2,400 bond.
• 36-year-old Tyler James Hicks, of Fontanelle, was arrested a little before 6-p.m. Tuesday, in Creston. Hicks was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. Hicks was later released after posted $5,000 bond.
• and, just before 7-p.m., Tuesday, Creston Police arrested 37-year-old Jacob Miles Erskine, of Creston, for OWI/1st offense (Operating While Under the Influence). Erskine was taken to Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 bond.

(Onawa, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Years of drought conditions on Iowa’s western edge have lowered water levels at Blue Lake near Onawa, and impacted recreation at the lake.  The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is hosting a public meeting Thursday in Onawa to discuss the low water levels and the department’s ongoing studies and lake restoration projects at Blue Lake.  200 years ago, when the Lewis and Clark expedition came through the region, the oxbow lake was an active channel of the Missouri River, but now it is fed by a small watershed off of the Missouri River, and is located in Lewis and Clark State Park just west of Onawa.

According to DNR’s annual lake restoration report, Blue Lake has a number of “aesthetically objectionable conditions” like algal blooms, and low water clarity that contributed to decreased recreational use. Since the early 2000s DNR has been working to restore the lake via chemical restoration, removal of “rough” fish and selective dredging.  Water levels in the Missouri River have been “especially low” over the past five winters, which led to low groundwater levels in the region and impacted not only Blue Lake levels, but water in communities throughout western Iowa. The lake is currently about five feet below its crest elevation, or the fullest pool of the lake. Ben Wallace, a fisheries biologist who has worked on Blue Lake’s restoration projects said drop means the lake has about one third of its full-pool volume.

Wallace said the informational meeting Thursday will help address concerns within the community about the low lake levels and to explain DNR’s work at Blue Lake.  According to the DNR report, the Lake Restoration Program spent about $10,000 on a dredging and fish barrier project at Blue Lake in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and allocated $265,000 in fiscal year 2025 for well and pump assessment, fish renovation and containment site improvements at the lake. Wallace said some folks in the community have questioned if the DNR’s dredging work contributed to the lake’s low levels, but he said lake restoration work is done very “systematically” with the “entire picture” in mind. Plus, Wallace said this isn’t the first time Blue Lake has had levels this low. He said historic maps of the region show levels just as low, if not lower in the 1930s. He said water levels in the lake are about on par with groundwater levels in the region. That type of drought takes more than just a good rain to replenish.

A beach area at Blue Lake in Lewis and Clark State Park. (Photo courtesy of Iowa DNR)

Restoration work at the lake has also addressed turbidity, or water clarity, by eliminating and blocking common carp from the lake.  Wallace said these bottom-feeding fish continually stir up the sediment on the bottom of the lake which causes cloudy water, poor conditions for other fish and makes it easier for algae to bloom on the surface. Wallace said common carp are a problem at a lot of lakes in Iowa, but high densities in Blue Lake have impacted the water quality. DNR’s lake restoration efforts included the installation of fish barriers and aggressive carp angling in the lake to help reduce the common carp populations.  In addition to the work to restore the lake, Lewis and Clark State Park Manager Nathan Fylstra said his team has been working hard to improve the state park with updates to the visitor’s center, improved drainage systems and a general clean up of ditches and fences.

The park is adjacent to the 250-acre Blue Lake, which typically hosts summer swimmers, boaters and anglers.  Wallace encouraged anyone with an interest in Blue Lake to attend the informational meeting Thursday at the Onawa Community Center, 320 10th Street, at 5:30 p.m.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Attorney, James L. Varley, reports the following activities in the Iowa District Court for Page County for the week of June 2, 2025. The Honorable Eric J. Nelson, District Court Judge of the Fourth Judicial District presided. 

Jason Charles Allison, age 48, Coin Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness. The defendant was sentenced to 60 days in the Page County Jail, with all but 2 days suspended and placed on probation for 1 year. As a condition of probation, the defendant is to complete a substance abuse evaluation and follow all recommendations. The defendant was assessed a fine of $430,suspended, and ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Paul Patrick Cooley, age 57, Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Operating While Intoxicated-1^st Offense. The defendant was granted a deferred judgment and placed on probation for 9 months. The defendant was authorized to attend and complete the Second Chance’s Program in lieu of serving 2 days in jail. The defendant was ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

Cindy Joe Gray, age 45, New Market, Iowa, appeared by counsel and admitted to violating the terms and conditions of her probation. The Defendant was found to be in willful contempt of court and sentenced to time already served. The Defendant’s terms of probation were modified to require her to reside at the Residential Correctional Facility until maximum benefits have been achieved.

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – Gates have been used on the Interstate-35 in northern Iowa for many years to close the roadway during winter storms. They are now being installed across the state, including an area in central Iowa near one of the state’s fastest growing cities. The D-O-T’s Bob Ellis says a blizzard in February led to the decision to install five gates on the northbound I-35 ramps in Ankeny. “Was that we had multiple accidents just north of 36th Street between 36th and Huxley, where the interstate pretty much closed itself, so those gates would come in handy where we just don’t let any more people get onto the system,” Ellis says. He says they work with local law enforcement to figure out when things are bad enough to close the gates and cut off interstate access. Ellis says they started putting the gates along Interstate 80 last year, starting in Altoona and heading east all the way to Davenport.

“They have come in handy over east and a few of the larger accidents, even in the not winter season that we were able to close, one of the gates just so people wouldn’t get on anymore,” he says. “Like if we had a detour traffic. But there again, we work together with local law enforcement and our traffic management center to make those determinations.” Ellis says they don’t use the gates very often to close down the interstates. “There have to be some pretty big reasons to close them,” he says. Ellis says the gates are another tool in their toolbox in dealing with the heavy traffic issues in central Iowa.

The Iowa DOT is adding gates to northbound I-35 ramps in Ankeny, and on I-80 from Altoona east. (DOT photo)

“There’s probably times before that we could have used them down here that we didn’t have them. We just found a specific time here, especially with the the road construction between Ankeny and Des Moines, with the temporary barrier walls that are out there, those caused us more issues this winter with blowing snow where the snow wouldn’t just go across the road like in normal. It was getting piled up and stuff and causing visibility issues,” he says. “So we decided you know what, we’re in a situation here to let’s just put some gates down here in case we need them.”

Ellis says the gates don’t cost a lot to install and can really help keep from allowing more cars and people to get onto the interstate when there are bad conditions.

(Radio Iowa) – While some states have seen gasoline prices bounce dramatically in the past week, Triple-A-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says increases in pump prices here have been much more moderate. “The international events with Israel and Iran and then the United States launching activities against Iran had an impact on gas prices,” Ortner says. “As we sit today, gas prices across the state of Iowa, on an average, are $3.04 per gallon, which is great. If we look at a week ago, it’s only four cents more than a week ago.” It’s costing more to fill up the tank in Iowa now than it did in late May, but Ortner says that’s typical during the transition from spring to summer.

“It is almost 20-cents more than a month ago, but if we look at the year as a whole, we were $3.18 a gallon last year across the state on an average,” Ortner says. “Crude oil makes up the largest percentage of the cost of a gallon of fuel and crude oil has now dropped again below $70 per barrel, so we’re seeing things level out.” With the summer driving season in full swing and the 4th of July holiday coming up next week, he says pump prices may still inch higher.

“When demand goes up, price will go along with it, usually in the summertime,” Ortner says, “and we see that trend happen, and we’ve seen it a little bit as we’ve entered into these warmer months, but not as significant as we may have seen in the past, which is great for consumers.” While Iowa’s average gas price is $3.04, the national average is $3.22. Gas prices across Iowa are widely varied, with the cheapest gas in Council Bluffs at $2.89 a gallon and the most expensive in Dubuque at $3.17.

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2025 – Hormel Foods Corporation, a Tucker, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 256,185 pounds of canned beef stew product that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically wood, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The canned beef stew item was produced on February 4, 2025. The following product is subject to recall [view labels]:

• 20-oz. metal cans containing “Dinty Moore BEEF STEW” with “BEST BY FEB 2028” and lot code “T02045” printed on the can. The lot code may have an additional number at the end.

The product subject to recall bears establishment number “EST 199G” printed on the can. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered after the establishment notified FSIS that they had received three consumer complaints reporting pieces of wood in the beef stew product.

There have been no confirmed reports of injury due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it. This product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Hormel Foods Corporation at 800-523-4635 or media@hormel.com.

(Radio Iowa) – A spokesperson for Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says prosecutors have filed felony charges in six cases of alleged election fraud. In March, Secretary of State Paul Pate announced an audit found 35 non-citizens voted in Iowa last year and five others tried to vote, but their ballots were rejected. Another 237 people were registered to vote in Iowa, but did not cast a ballot.

“It does take a while for the DCI to get through that many names,” Pate says. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is in charge of reviewing Pate’s list of 277 potential non-citizens who allegedly voted OR were registered to vote in 2024. This year, the legislature gave Pate authority to use federal data or hire private entities to check Iowa’s voter registration records and flag potential non-citizens.

“What we’re trying to do is put safeguards in now so that on the registration side we can deal with this much more effectively,” Pate said. Two weeks before last November’s election, Pate asked county election officials to challenge the ballots of over two-thousand registered voters who were legal U-S residents when they got an Iowa driver’s license, but might not have become U-S citizens.

“Doing it on Election Day at a polling site when you have thousands of people coming into vote and you’re trying to expedite the process is not ideal for trying to check on citizenship,” Pate says. Pate says that’s why it was important to get authority to be pro-active well before Election Day and cross-check voter registration records with citizenship data.

Nearly one-point-seven MILLION Iowans voted in 2024 and critics say Pate’s list of 40 people who voted or tried to vote last year is a small fraction of all votes cast.