(Pocahontas, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in northwest Iowa’s Pocahontas County report a man was arrested June 22nd for allegedly assaulting another man with a machete. Deputies responding to the scene in Rolfe at around 12:30-a.m., located a man who had suffered minor injuries during the incident. Upon further investigation, 38-year-old David Pineda Medrano was arrested, and charged with: Going armed with intent – a Class D Felony; 1st Degree Harassment – an Aggravated Misdemeanor, and Assault causing bodily injury – a Serious Misdemeanor.

His preliminary hearing was held Wednesday (July 2nd). Medrano is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges July 28th.

(Exira, Iowa) – The City of Exira’s 160^th Annual 4^th of July Celebration spans four days, and is packed with all sorts of family friendly fun, food and entertainment. Exira Community Club member Megan Anderson says they began planning for the festivities at the beginning of the year. Some events were held June 27^th through the 29^th. The bulk of the activities are taking place this weekend.

The 160^th Annual Exira 4^th of July Parade, featuring Grand Marshals Randy and Becky Thompson, long-time community supporters, takes place Saturday, beginning at 10:30-a.m., at the Legion Ballpark Shelter. The parade route in unchanged from years past. There’s an abundance of food available all throughout the holiday weekend, including selections from local restaurants.

Thursday’s events include a 5-p.m. Community BBQ in the Exira City Park, a Kiddie Parade at the City Park Gazebo, Community Beer Garden at the City Park from 5-until 8-p.m., carnival amusements, live music and a street dance. Friday’s activities ramp-up beginning at 9-a.m., with the foot races in front of the Exira Dollar General Store. Everyone is invited to participate.

The celebration continues Saturday, with a slow-pitch softball game at the Legion Ballpark, the “Stars of Exira” talent show at the City Park Gazebo, with the winners moving-on to the Iowa State Fair’s Bill Riley Talent Show. And, there is a family friendly Sand Volleyball Tournament at the sand court at El Compadre Mexican Restaurant. The weekend celebrations wind-down Sunday, but not before an ecumenical church service is held in the Exira City Park, beginning at 10:30-a.m. Master Grillers will serve food from 11-a.m. Until 1-p.m. At the old fire hall, and an Alumni Coffee takes place in the Exira Lion’s Building, beginning at 2-p.m.

For more information, see the attached flyer, or follow the Exira Community Club on Facebook.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Several matters were brought-up during the Council Committee reports portion of the Atlantic City Council’s meeting, Wednesday evening (July 2nd), at City Hall in Atlantic. Councilman Shawn Sarsfield urged persons on scooters to be cautious on city streets, where there are construction projects underway.

City Engineer Dave Sturm echoed Sarsfield’s warnings, and provided an update on some of the current, ongoing street work.

Councilman Gerald Brink asked if there is anything the City can do about the increasing stray cat population. Councilperson Emily Kennedy and Police Chief Devin Hogue added to the discussion.

Councilman Mike McDermott updated the Council on a model solar system project planned for the Schildberg Recreation Area.

And, Vision Atlantic President Christina Bateman provided an update on the Camblin Hills housing development project.

The first phase includes 48 new housing units consisting of ten tiny homes, and the rest are houses with 1,200 square feet of living space. The entire housing project includes 142 mixed housing units, a 300-capacity childcare center, and the expansion of the YMCA. In other news, Councilperson Kennedy said the average attendance at the Sunnyside Pool is up so far this season, from previous years.

(Oakland, Iowa) – Independence Day celebrations will take place Friday and Saturday, in the Oakland-Riverside area. Kari Rose says organizers are excited for all the activities, which include communities in the Oakland-Riverside School District.

The first of the two-day festivities begin Friday morning at the Oakland Fire Station, and run through the end of the day.

The 4th of July Parade will begin at 5-p.m. Friday. (See the full schedule of events below) The day concludes with fireworks at dark. If you’re not too exhausted from all the fun packed into Friday, wake up to coffee and breakfast from 7-until 10-a.m. Saturday, along with a Bloody Mary bar.

The day concludes with a Street Dance on Main Street in Oakland, Saturday, from 8-p.m until midnight. Outside of the food and drinks, all the activities are free. Kari Rose said they hope to continue with the family friendly events in the years to come.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two people were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday, in Creston. According to the Creston Police Department, 43-year-old Nicholas Allen Foltz, of Creston, was arrested at around 7-a.m., for Driving While License Suspended. Foltz was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.

And, at around 9:45-a.m., Wednesday, 34-year-old Alex Richard Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Failure to Appear. Cunningham was taken to Union County Jail and later released after posting a $2,400 cash or surety bond.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Red Oak Police Department reports a woman was arrested this (Thursday) morning, on an assault charge. Authorities say 43-year-old Jessi Elaine Gaunt, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:15-a.m. in the 1600 block of E. Summit Street, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense – a Simple Misdemeanor. Gaunt was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking informal comments on administrative rules for ginseng harvesting and sale.  Executive Order 10 (EO10), signed by the Governor on January 10, 2023, requires all state agencies to identify which administrative rule chapters will be retained or rescinded. The EO10 process includes public engagement with the opportunity for meaningful input.   The Iowa DNR has reviewed 571 Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) Chapter 78 titled Ginseng Harvesting and Sale. This chapter has been revised to eliminate redundancies, improve efficiency, and provide clarification and consistency with federal rules as managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ginseng in autumn color with the minimum “3 prongs” required for legal harvest (ISU Ext. photo)

The public is invited to provide informal comments on the proposed rule changes. DNR will accept written comments through July 16, 2025. Written comments or questions regarding the proposed rule should be submitted to: Karmin.Klingenberg@dnr.iowa.gov. Comments should be made to specific  portions of the rule.  After receiving and reviewing informal comments, the DNR will create a draft Regulatory Analysis and draft Notice of Intended Action. The DNR will host a formal public comment period for these drafts, followed by a public hearing in September 2025.

Drafts of the rule, including a “clean” copy and a version showing revisions, can be found on the DNR webpage: www.iowadnr.gov/eo10.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa native astronaut Peggy Whitson and her three-member crew are now halfway through their two-week research mission aboard the International Space Station. This is Whitson’s fifth visit to the orbiting laboratory, while her teammates — from India, Hungary and Poland — are all rookies. The 65-year-old from Beaconsfield was asked in an Axiom Space interview how the new astronauts have adapted to working in weightlessness. “They’re doing great. Everybody is really busy,” Whitson says. “We’re getting a lot of science research done and managing to have a good time in the meantime.” Ax-4 is the fourth mission to the space station for the private, Houston-based firm, which aims to build its own space station in the coming few years. Whitson says they have a full slate of about 60 experiments on their to-do list.

“We have investigations from the four different countries and we’re just doing a wide variety of things,” Whitson says. “My favorite is the Cancer in Low Earth Orbit study. ‘Shux’ (Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla) has already started his muscle stem cell growth study, looking at how muscles change in space, because we know our muscles atrophy unless we are working out a lot, every day.” Another Ax-4 experiment is designed to test how a person with diabetes would be affected by spaceflight, as regulations now keep diabetics from orbit due to so many unknowns. “We just finished an ultrasound investigation, looking at the cardiovascular system, how it changes in space, and ‘Suave’ (Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski) has been doing also a lot of different experiments,” Whitson says. “He did one on muscle stimulation where they were stimulating his muscles to see if that’s going to impact or affect and improve his ability to retain muscle during spaceflight.”

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

Whitson was asked if she’d brought along anything personal from Earth to remind her of home and loved ones while she’s 250 miles up. “I brought something that I’ve brought for every space mission, and if I can find it — a necklace — here, and it’s the necklace my husband gave me when we got married,” Whitson says, “and this is the fifth time it’s been in space.” This is Whitson’s second mission with Axiom Space, following three NASA missions before she retired from the agency in 2018. Considered the United States’ most experienced astronaut, Whitson has now spent some 683 days in space, more than any other American.

The Ax-4 crew is due to undock from the I-S-S in about another week and return home.

(Radio Iowa) – A member of the Iowa Soybean Association’s board of directors says the Trump Administration’s proposed 2026 production mandate for biofuels should spur production this year. Dave Walton, a farmer from Wilton, runs all of his farm equipment on soybean-based biodiesel.

“In Iowa we have a number of biodiesel plants that are either shut down, slowed down or running at far less than their capacity,” Walton says, “so this should send a signal to the marketplace that they need to get those plants turned on again and start using soybean oil.” There are 10 biodiesel plants in Iowa and industry experts say up to five have been shut down.

“Those plants employ about 1600 folks,” he says. “You want to talk about economic impact and keeping our people here and in rural Iowa, there’s a direct link between keeping those biodiesel plants up and running and keeping our rural communities energized.” Walton says production should ramp up due to growing demand from trucking companies for B-99 — the highest blend of biodiesel.

“In the past that hasn’t been possible because of the equipment,” Walton said. “Now we have companies like Optimus Technologies that are making that bolt-on that you can put on virtually any semi to be able to run B99 year round without any other modification.”

The E-P-A is proposing that at least five-point-six billion gallons of biomass-based diesel be produced next year. That exceeds the amount the biodiesel industry was lobbying for. The Renewable Fuels Standard production levels for all biofuels will become final after a public comment period and the E-P-A has the authority to adjust its recommendation based on that feedback.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, July 2nd, .acted on approving fireworks permits for Mark O’Brien. The events will take place at the following locations, dates and times:

• The Cass County Fair at 805 West 10th Street on July 25th, 2025 for a Show Beginning Approximately 30 Minutes After Sunset and Lasting for a Period of Approximately 20 Minutes.
• At the County Fairgrounds during a Tractor Pull on August 23, 2025 for a Show Beginning Approximately 30 Minutes After Sunset and Lasting for a Period of Approximately 20 Minutes.
• For the Tolton Picnic at 103 West 29th Street on September 13, 2025 for a Show Beginning Approximately 30 Minutes After Sunset and Lasting for a Period of Approximately 20 Minutes.
• And, the Council approved a Street Closing Permit for 4th Street, From Walnut to Chestnut for SHIFT ATL’s Summer Soiree Fundraiser Event/Dinner on Saturday, August 9, 2025, Starting at 6:00 A.M. and Ending at Midnight.

Atlantic City Council mtg. 7-2-25

The Council passed readings of the following Ordinances:

• Third & Final Reading of Ordinance No. 1056 “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic, Iowa by Amending Chapter 6 Entitled ‘City Election.’ The ordinance returns City elections to a “Plurality-takes-all” system, instead of a runoff system, which had been enacted by the Council in July 0f 2021.
• Third & Final Reading of Ordinance No. 1057 “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic, Iowa, by Amending Speed Regulations, Section 63.04(2) of the City Code. The language was amended to reduce the speed limit on 29th Street from 35-to 30-miles per hour, to the southern City limits.
• Third & Final Reading of Ordinance No. 1058 “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic, Iowa, by Amending Speed Regulations, Section 63.04(2) of the City Code.’ The language was amended to reduce the speed limit on 29th St. from 35- to 30-mph from Chestnut St. to Palm St.
• Third & Final of Ordinance No. 1059 “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic, Iowa, by Amending Speed Regulations, Section 63.04(3) of the City Code.’” The language was amended to reduce the speed limit on 29th St, from the Palm St. intersection to a point 800-feet west of the intersection. The reduction to 35-mph remains unchanged.
• First Reading of Ordinance No 1060 “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic, Iowa, by Amending Section 70.03 ‘Parking Violations: Alternate.’” (Ordinance 1060 would require the late fee for non-payment of parking fines from $20 to 50 dollars, after 30 days on non-payment. The increase would cover the cost of certified letters the City is required by Iowa Code to send out when people, when they ignore the due date.)

In other business, the Council passed a Resolution (#52-25) “Setting Wages for the Employees of the City of Atlantic Animal Shelter for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2025 Through June 30, 2026.” Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett commented on Wednesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony for the new murals created by Iowa State University College of Design student, on the old YMCA building.

Garrett said they will be meeting with ISU officials again next week, with regard to the “Re-imagining Bull Creek” project, which is a collaboration between the City of Atlantic, Iowa State University’s College of Design, and ISU Extension and Outreach. The project focuses on improving the Bull Creek corridor, addressing issues like erosion and flooding.