(Creston, Iowa) – Two teens were hurt when the 2004 Kia Sorento they were in, went out of control and rolled-over Wednesday, in Union County. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the car, driven by 17-year-old Jerry Degonia, of Diagonal, went out of control at around 2:45-p.m. in the 2200 block of Clover Avenue (near 220th St). The car entered the east ditch before entering the west ditch, where it rolled over and came to rest in the east ditch. Degonia was ejected from the vehicle and transported by Medics to the Greater Regional Medical Center (GRMC) in Creston. A passenger in the car, 15-year-old Addison Brumfield, of Creston, was also injured in the crash. She was taken to the hospital by a parent. The car sustained $15,000 damage. No citations were issued.

And, Creston Police said no injuries were reported following an accident Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Adams and Elm Streets. Authorities say the collision occurred at around 2:30-p.m., when a 2018 Chevy Malibu driven by 57-year-old Vickie Bohn, of Creston, was struck by a 2022 Nissan Murano SUV, driven by 75-year-old Lois Ehrenfried, of Fontanelle. The vehicles collided when Ehrenfried failed to yield the right-of-way, as she was traveling eastbound on Adams Street. Her SUV struck the car on the rear passenger side, as the Chevy was traveling south on Elm and most of the way through the intersection.

Damage to both vehicles was described as minor. Both were able to be driven away from the scene. The total amount of damage was estimated at $3,000. No citations were issued.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The Iowa Farm Bureau’s latest food and farm index found that among concerns of the high cost of groceries, the overwhelming majority of Iowa grocery shoppers surveyed are concerned about increases to food prices caused by government regulations. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says the annual survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, also found that more consumers are seeking locally grown and produced products. Latoya Guishard Welch, vice president of research for public release at the Harris Poll, said “At a time when trust in national institutions—from government to media—is at historic lows, the sustained confidence in local farmers speaks volumes about their authenticity and transparency, underscoring the strong bond and mutual respect between Iowa’s farmers and the communities they serve.”

According to the food and farm index, 80% of shoppers are concerned, and 47% are very concerned, about government regulations that increase consumer food prices. The percentage of people very concerned has more than doubled since 2021, when just 21% were more than just concerned about the role of government in increased food costs.  U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show direct imports, or finished products ready for sale, accounted for 15% of U.S. spending on food and beverages. Foreign ingredients and supplies comprised 4% of domestic food production.  Forbes reported tariffs could have a significant impact on the cost of food and beverages at the grocery store, if imposed at their highest proposed levels.

A recent study from Farmers for Free Trade, a non-profit advocacy group, found that tariff costs for Iowa importers increased by $68 million, or 304% from April 2024 to April 2025. According to the study, imports from China had the highest tariffs, but imports from Mexico, Canada and South Korea faced dramatic increases in tariffs.  Goods imported from Mexico to Iowa in April 2024 had tariffs of 0.2%, compared to a 4.4% tariff in April 2025. Reciprocal tariffs between the U.S. and China, which are currently on a 90-day reduction agreement, would put Iowa industries at a “significant” risk. In particular, Chinese tariffs on U.S. exports would hurt Iowa pork and soybean producers especially hard. The Farmers for Free Trade study concluded the presidential tariffs, if they took effect and stayed in place, would “have major consequences” on Iowa.

Fresh vegetables at a farmers market. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Recent consumer price index data from U.S. Department of Agriculture shows a 23.6% increase in grocery prices from 2020 to 2024, which likely explains why price continues to be the most important factor for Iowa grocery shoppers when making decisions on which types of food to buy. Three-fourths of Iowans said meat, poultry or dairy products are part of their daily diets, and a higher proportion of Iowans say they prefer “real” meat and dairy over plant-based alternatives.

More and more, consumers are choosing to purchase these items directly from the farm. Sixty-nine percent said they have purchased groceries directly from farmers, through their online websites, farm stores or at farmers markets, and 40% of Iowa consumers look for locally made or grown labels when buying at the store. This is an increase from 2024 survey results which found around 30% of consumers sought local labels. The survey results also show that more than 90% of shoppers said they trust farmers and 49% said they place a “great deal of trust” in Iowa farmers in general. The survey also asked consumers if they felt confident farmers were caring for animals and the environment, which the vast majority, around 80% for each category, did.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Wednesday afternoon, arrested on a man on drug and other charges. Authorities say 31-year-old Taylor David Smith, of Creston, was arrested at around 3:10-p.m. at McKinley Park. Smith faces charges that include: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Dissemination and Exhibition of Obscene Material to a Minor, and Entice Minor Under the age of 16.

Smith was taken to Union County Jail where he was being held without bond until seen by a Judge.

(Radio Iowa) – More Iowa employers are using chatbots driven by artificial intelligence to conduct their first rounds of job interviews, and an A-I expert at the University of Iowa says it might rattle you at first, but try to treat it like any other interview. Jim Chaffee, executive director of learning innovation and technology at the U-I’s Tippie College of Business, says this new-tech style of job interview can take many forms. Chaffee says, “It can be typed in, it can be where you’re speaking to kind of a unknown entity, kind of an ether, and they’re responding back on a chat, or it can be where you are interfacing with an avatar.” If you were expecting to be interviewed by a person and find yourself chatting with a ‘bot, Chaffee says to give it the same respect and attention you would a human, or you likely won’t get a follow-up call.

“Just treat it as any other type of interview where you are talking to a person,” Chaffee says. “If you’re having to type it out, then just type out what you would say to the person. If you’re recording it or you’re talking to the avatar, act like they’re a real person, because the AI is really looking for that kind of interaction.” The first interview chatbot was introduced just two years ago, Chaffee says. It asks basic questions that don’t require complex or complicated answers from candidates, answers that are reviewed by human managers who decide who to interview in person. It’s a tremendous saver of time and money for employers.

“If you’re getting 5,000 applicants a week, you need something to weed it down, and the applicant tracking systems that have been out there for many years just aren’t cutting it to the point that we need nowadays,” Chaffee says “It’s a great tool to figure out who are your best candidates for that next level of interviews.”

A survey done last year by Resume Builder that was reported by Forbes found nearly one in five employers use — or plan to use — chatbots for interviews within the next year.

(Radio Iowa) – A former Clarksville police officer has won a partial victory from the Iowa Court of Appeals on his sexual exploitation convictions. Prosecutors says Michael Tobin Junior started a relationship with a 14-year-old girl after investigating her case of online sexual exploitation. They say he showed her explicit photos and videos, and had sex with her at the police station.

A jury convicted Tobin of two felony counts of soliciting sexually explicit photos of minor, one felony count of promoting a sexually explicit video of a minor, and eight aggravated misdemeanors for possessing explicit images of minors. He was sentenced to not more than 15 years in prison.

Tobin appealed saying that some of the images were a part of his official duties. The Court of Appeals ruled that Tobin was not conducting his official duties when he showed sexually explicit images to the girl, but the evidence was insufficient to prove he wrongly possessed six images and they vacated those convictions.

Tobin is to be re-sentenced based on the five remaining counts.

(Radio Iowa) – There will be some new items on display at the Everly Brothers Family Heritage Day today (Thursday) in Shenandoah. The day celebrates Don and Phil Everly–two of the founding fathers of rock and roll. Shenandoah Chamber and Industry Association marketing director Shelly Warner says the materials are on display at the Depot Restaurant, the Everly Brothers Childhood Home and the Greater Shenandoah Historical Museum. “After the passing of their mother, Margaret Everly, and Don’s passing, the family had been settling the state, and Margaret’s home was sold. We always knew Margaret saved a lot of things, so they picked out certain items they were willing to part with, and had them on an online auction,” she says. She says Everly Heritage Foundation President Bill Hillman purchased the items that include a look at the duo’s early years.

“We have a scrapbook which was from their childhood beginning in Chicago, when they first left Kentucky, and they started school there,” Walker says.. “Later, here in Shenandoah, it continues through their childhood to when they first started performing on the radio.” Some of the Everlys’ toys will also be available for viewing behind a glass case at the Depot. Warner says the toys are in great condition.”There’s a train, there’s a race car, there’s a few other things that are really well preserved, thankfully, Margaret, their mother, was really diligent about that,” she says.

New display items at the museum include a guitar autographed by the Everlys. The museum and Everly Brothers home are open today (Thursday) from 1 to 4 p-m. Another celebration highlight is music by Richie Lee and the Fabulous 50s at the Depot from 6 to 9 p-m.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A 34-year-old Omaha woman will serve a minimum of 70 years in prison for a fiery drunk-driving crash that killed four people including her own children. WOWT-TV in Omaha reports Rachel Bickerstaff was sentenced Wednesday to 140-180 years in prison for four counts of motor vehicle homicide as a result of the tragic downtown Omaha crash that killed her 5-year-old, 18-month-old and newborn; as well as the other driver, 70-year-old Michael Sales of Council Bluffs, who died at the scene.

Douglas County District Court Judge Moll Keane sentenced Bickerstaff to 35-45 years for each count. She could be eligible for parole in 70 years due to Nebraska’s “good time” law. Prosecutors called it one of the worst drunk-driving cases they’ve ever dealt with in Douglas County.

Bickerstaff pled “no contest” to the charges in March. A fifth charge of DUI causing serious bodily injury was dropped as part of the plea agreement. The charges stem from the crash on Sept. 27, 2024, near 10th and Douglas streets, where investigators say Bickerstaff reached a top speed of 142 miles per hour and ran a red light going over 100 when she hit Sales, who was on his way home from work.

Bickerstaff received another charge of assault of a confined person in May. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says she assaulted her cellmate while in jail. Prosecutors said in court Wednesday that while the horrific crash wasn’t intentional, it also wasn’t an accident.

Bickerstaff’s attorney told the judge that her client had a tough childhood. She had witnessed and endured a lot of abuse in her home, and started drinking and doing meth at age 12. Bickerstaff apologized in court, saying that she lost everything in the crash and asked the court to understand that she made the most tragic decision of her life when she got behind the wheel while drunk.

(Updated/Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s share of a legal settlement with the maker of the opioid drug OxyContin is nearly 38 million dollars. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and 54 attorneys general from states and U-S territories signed onto the settlement with Purdue Pharma and the family that owns the company. Half of Iowa’s nearly 38 MILLION dollar share of the settlement will go to local governments in Iowa. The other half will go into a state fund set up to distribute money from settlements with companies that made, marketed and sold opioids. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says the settlement is bittersweet because OxyContin is an extremely addictive drug. State records indicate 238 Iowans died of an opioid overdose in 2023, although the names of the opioid taken are not listed.

Ten other companies that made or sold opioids have already agreed to settlements and have paid the State of Iowa over 56 MILLION dollars. After three years of negotiations, the legislature agreed this spring on a plan to distribute the money from the State’s Opioid Settlement Fund. This latest settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family must be approved by a court before the money reaches Iowa and other states. The U-S Supreme Court rejected a settlement offer last year that was nearly three BILLION dollars less and would have shielded the Sackler family from civil lawsuits related to OxyContin’s use.

(Radio Iowa) – A policy that goes into effect January 1st gives Iowa school districts more authority to choose what qualifications school bus drivers in each district must have. Commercial Drivers Licenses will STILL be required, plus a C-D-L endorsement to drive a school bus and any vehicle with more than 14 passengers. However, the Iowa Department of Education’s 14-hour course for school bus drivers will be optional and schools may require completion of the federal government’s far shorter entry level course instead.

Republican Representative Thomas Moore of Griswold says the policy is meant to address the shortage of school bus drivers. “For many of us during the summertime as we’re driving around and going through communities, we see those yellow school buses with signs of ‘Drivers Wanted’ on the sides of them,” Moore says.

Representative Monica Kurth, a Democrat from Davenport, says the new policy is like Swiss cheese, with no consistent standard for all school districts. “The safety of those children in school buses should be considered a statewide issue,” Kurth said. Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines, says reducing safety training isn’t the way to address shortages in Iowa’s workforce.

“When we have a shortage of brain surgeons, are we going to say, ‘No more med school?’ Bus drivers are carrying our state’s most precious cargo — our children,” Baeth says. “This is not a place to cut corners.” Moore says the policy lets school officials make local decisions about school bus safety.  “I believe that the school districts are going to continue with the Department of Education programming,” Moore said. “But if a school district decides that they are the most qualified to decide over the Department of Education, I believe that is highly responsible.”

Governor Reynolds signed a bill last week that outlines the new options for school bus driver training. Federal data indicates that when U-S schools started last fall, there were about 12 percent fewer bus drivers than there were in 2019.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, during their regular meeting this (Wednesday) evening, passed an amended, FY2025 Budget. Their action followed a Public Hearing, during which there were no comments. City Administrator John Lund explained this will not affect taxes paid by citizens of the City.

An additional $365,000 in transfers was also amended, which Lund says is a routine matter. The Council then passed a resolution “Declaring [a] surplus and Authorizing [the] Transfer” of funds, and passing a resolution approving the transfer of funds for FY2024-25.

Councilman Gerald Brink asked Lund if that’s something the City has to do regularly.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council considered and acted on passing the second reading of an ordinance amending the City Code of Ordinances, by changing the current run-off system of City elections back to a “Plurality takes all,” which the City previously had, up until July, 2021, as well as the second reading of ordinances that:

• Change the speed limit on 29th Street from 35- to 30-mph, from Chestnut Street to the Southern City limits.
• Change the speed limit on 29th Street from 35- to 30-mph from Chestnut to Palm Street.
• Amends the language on Ordinance 1059 to read “On 29th Street from the Palm Street intersection to a point 800 feet West of [the] intersection.” The reduction to 35-mph remains unchanged.

The Council awarded the contract for 2025 Concrete Street Improvements to Bluffs Paving & Utility Company of Crescent, in the amount of slightly more than $1.203-million. There were five bids for the project. City Engineer Dave Sturm, with Snyder & Associates Engineers, said their original cost estimate for the projects was $1.36-million.