(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s really close to a decision on a bill that would limit carbon pipeline developers ability to use eminent domain to seize land along the pipeline route. Governor Reynolds has until Saturday to sign or veto all the bills that cleared the 2025 Iowa legislature. Late Friday, the governor’s office announced Reynolds had signed two dozen bills.

She approved the bill to require some able-bodied adults who get insurance through the government’s Medicaid program to work at least 80 hours a month. It would apply to Iowans with incomes up to 136 percent of the poverty level under an expansion of Medicaid approved a decade ago — if the federal government grants Iowa a waiver to enforce the policy. Reynolds says government programs should foster a culture of work and adults who can work should work.

The governor also approved a policy that requires public schools to let private school students who live in the district participate in extracurricular activities, like sports. Another state law that goes into effect for the next school year requires public, private and charter schools to start teaching about fetal development in the fifth grade, and show a students video that depicts the humanity of the unborn child.

And the governor approved higher penalties for violations of open meetings and open records law. The bill was sponsored by a Bettendorf lawmaker concerned about actions in the City of Davenport after the collapse of an apartment building.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa National Guard Colonel Adam “Ace” Carlson is the new commander of the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City. Carlson, who is from Lawton, Iowa, enlisted with the 185th in 1999 when it was a fighter wing flying F-16s. He returns after serving at the Pentagon and Andrews Air Force Base.

“Although I have done three tours out in the nation’s capitol, I consider myself a member of the 185th. It’s kind of a family affair. My dad retired out here. My sister’s out here. My wife’s out here. My brother-in-law’s out here,” he said. “…I bring a little different mindset to this position. I’ve spent some time out in D.C., so had some different positions, got some different knowledge base out there, so more of a strategic outlook is what I’m bringing back.”

The unit’s Stratotankers weigh over 322-thousand pounds when loaded with fuel at take-off and Carlson says getting a new runway is a priority. “It was never designed for this aircraft,” he says, “so to be able to ensure the longevity of the unit, we really need to ensure that our runway gets replaced.” The unit began flying the K-C-135 tankers in 2003. F-16 Falcons used the runway before that.

A formal change of command ceremony was held Sunday afternoon as Carlson takes over from Colonel Sonya Morrison. “Spent the last month connecting with one another, doing deep dives, doing the transfer over of command, so that way as he walks in ideally it’ll be seamless and it’ll be an easy transition for him,” Morrison said. Morrison has been commander of the refueling wing for the past three years. She’s heading to a new position at the Air National Guard Readiness Center at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

“My family and I are moving out to Washington, D.C. I will go to the Air National Guard Readiness Center. I’ll work in the Inspector General office out there and really just help other Air National Guard wings be prepared for combat readiness inspections and making sure that they are also ready to deploy.”

Colonel Morrison is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and was commissioned in 1999 through the Army R-O-T-C program.

(Radio Iowa) – Firefighters and police officers in a state-run retirement system may now receive disability and death benefits if they’re diagnosed with any form of cancer. Governor Reynolds has signed the bill expanding state policy that had previously limited those benefits to just 14 types of cancer. Emily Broderick’s late husband was diagnosed with a type of liver cancer that wasn’t on the list, so his co-workers covered his shifts during his cancer treatment.

“Without them and their support and their willingness to show up for him, his job could have been on the line,” she said. “He wouldn’t have been getting paychecks and he could have been ultimately terminated from his position during his cancer fight.”

Joe Van Haalen is the president of the Des Moines Association of Professional Firefighters. He says because of the previous policy, firefighters in the Des Moines department covered an average of 120 shifts for each colleague getting treatment for a type of cancer that wasn’t covered. “It’s something that we wanted to do, that we wanted to take care of them, but it’s also a significant burden on our members,” he said. “And so with this legislation, we won’t have to worry about that and their families won’t have to worry about that anymore. That’ll all be covered.”

Governor Reynolds says the new policy recognizes the selfless service of firefighters and ensures they get the care they deserve.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s governor has signed legislation that says Iowa’s public school districts must let local private school students join the district’s sports teams if the private school isn’t offering the sport. Representative Henry Stone, a Republican from Forest City, is a former football coach at Waldorf University. During House debate on the bill, Stone said kids should be allowed to compete in sports, whether they’re enrolled in a public or a private school.

E-S-As are state-funded Education Savings Accounts to cover private school expenses. According to Representative Stone, the Clear Lake and Garner School Districts are no longer allowing students from the private Clear Lake Classical school to play sports.

Stone said “…What we’re talking about today are issues that are affecting our kids and affecting our grandkids. My two grandsons live in the Garner School District. In my opinion, we need to push past our differences and squabbles as adults and not take those differences out on our kids.” The bill passed the House and Senate with the support of Republicans. Democrats opposed it. Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, said public school officials should be able to make local decisions based on serving students from families who’ve chosen to send their child to the public school.

The bill applies to middle school as well as high school students and Matson suggests that could be a problem in larger schools.

The new mandate in the bill also applies to other extracurricular activities like band and drama. For many years, Iowa students who are home schooled have been participating in extracurricular activities in the local public school.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Master Gardener group is excited to host walking tours of 3 private gardens in and around Anita on 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 between 2-6 PM and may be visited in any order. Two gardens are located in town, while one is out in the country. 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.

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 are available now for purchase at the Cass County Extension office, and a registration form can also be found on the Cass County Extension website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Tickets should be presented at each location for admission. A map of the tour locations and description of each garden is on each ticket purchased. Additional tickets may be purchased at any of the three locations on the day of the event. Garden locations will not be made public until the day before the event, when they will be posted on the Cass County Master Gardener Facebook page. They will be listed on tickets that are purchased in advance, but attendees are asked not to “pre-tour” the locations, so the gardeners have time to put on all the finishing touches to make their spaces tour-ready!

So mark your calendars, grab a walking buddy, and plan to join the Cass County Master Gardeners on Sunday afternoon, June 22, for memorable walk in the garden(s)! 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!

ATLANTIC, IA (June 8, 2025) – Produce in the Park is celebrating Wheels Day on Thursday, June 12 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at the Atlantic City Park. This themed market features everything wheels—bike decorating, adult trike rides with the YMCA, and a free helmet giveaway (50 helmets available, first come, first served). Volunteers from Nishna Valley Trails will be on-site to air up tires and adjust seat heights, and the Atlantic Kiwanis will assist with helmet fittings and share information on their annual free helmet giveaway. The Atlantic Police Department will be talking bike safety, and the Atlantic Public
Library will be offering a free Library for All bicycle-themed art activity.

Produce in the Park Market Manager Ciara Hoegh shows off one of the free helmets being given away June 12

Three food trucks will be serving options for dinner in the park June 12. New food truck Karam’s Grill will offer a variety of Greek favorites, including gyros and fries. A-Town SmokeShack will offer their signature barbecue dishes, and Lucky Wife Wine Slushies will provide cool, refreshing slushie beverages for adults.

The June 12 market features more than 20 vendors selling local foods including early summer greens, radishes, and green onions, farm-fresh eggs, local meats (beef, lamb, pork, chicken), honey, sourdough bread, cookies, cupcakes, Danish kringle, and more. Shoppers will also find vendors with garden decorations and plants, crafts, and bath and body products including
soaps, body lotions, sugar scrubs, lip balms, lip scrubs, beard oils, and bath salts.

Market visitors will enjoy live music from Dr. Dave, playing classic rock from The Beatles to Elton John and Led Zeppelin, and Cass Health’s Clinical Dietitian, Sarah Andersen, will be serving as Guest Chef, sharing free samples of homemade ranch dressing that will pair well with early-season produce sold at the market.

Visiting organizations and sponsors sharing community information at the park June 12 include Cass County Tourism, Cass County Conservation, Atlantic Kiwanis, Nishna Valley Trails, Cass Health, Atlantic Police Department, Healthy Cass County, and the Atlantic Public Library. Admission to Produce in the Park is always free. The market accepts SNAP/EBT and Double Up Food Bucks for all qualifying food items.

Karam’s Grill food truck will be selling Greek food at Produce in the Park June 12

Wheels Day is made possible by generous support from June market sponsors Atlantic United Church of Christ, City of Atlantic, First Whitney Bank & Trust, Gregg Young Chevrolet of Atlantic, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Nishna Valley Family YMCA.

*********

For the latest market updates, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark and Instagram at www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/. Vendor and sponsor applications remain open for the summer season. Interested sellers of handmade or homegrown products—including local foods, crafts, art, and plants—can apply online at www.ProduceInTheParkAtlanticIowa.com or pick up paper copies at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce (102 Chestnut St., Atlantic.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI/WHO-TV]— An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing at Des Moines International Airport on Saturday morning. Airport officials shared that 119 people were on board a flight from Des Moines bound for Chicago but had to turn around because of a mechanical issue.

The plane safely landed around 6:40 a.m.  The passengers safely disembarked and were assigned to other flights.  The aircraft was undergoing an inspection/evaluation. There was no immediate word on what the mechanical issue was.

ORIENT, Iowa [KCCI] — The Orient-Macksburg School District held an all-school reunion Saturday, offering former students and teachers one last chance to walk its halls and bid farewell as the district voted to dissolve due to low enrollment and financial issues. The District will officially dissolve July 1st, 2026. KCCI-TV reports the event drew attendees from across the country, including states as far as Montana and Maryland. Among the participants was Lois Frederick, a beloved teacher in her 90s who began teaching in the district in 1951 and spent 17 years shaping young minds.

For many attendees, memories came flooding back as they reminisced about their school experiences. As the gyms filled with laughter and halls echoed with footsteps, the sentiment was unanimous: The school was more than a building — it was the heart of the community. Highlighting the school’s former glory, alumni of the Orient Macksburg softball team came together on the field that had been their second home. The team had once achieved remarkable success, winning 25 consecutive conference championships, and for many, this reunion was a bittersweet moment.

Team members carried out a final tradition, playing catch on the field where they spent countless summers, cherishing memories of dedication and teamwork. Echoing a sense of resilience, many attendees recalled years of rumors predicting the school’s closure. One individual shared that the school had been rumored to close for nearly 50 years, yet it persevered, demonstrating a testament to community determination.

As they stood together to celebrate its legacy, attendees acknowledged the long journey that brought them to this emotional farewell. Looking forward, those in attendance expressed hope that the school buildings could be repurposed for the benefit of the community.

ANKENY — Iowa Farmers Union members met Saturday with U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya and explained how consolidation in the agriculture industry has crippled their farming operations and rural communities. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Bedoya, who visited with Iowa farmers three years prior, said it was important to come back to the places where “the scope of the problems that people are facing just hits you in the face.”

“The key question is: what is the undone work,” Bedoya said to the group gathered in a barn at Griffieon Farms outside of Ankeny. Bedoya is visiting with groups around the country while he is involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, which fired him from the FTC in March. During his time at FTC, Bedoya and his team sued over the business merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, sued pesticide companies for alleged anticompetitive practices and sued John Deere for the right to repair equipment.

After listening to farmers share their stories, Bedoya said “the scope of the problem” and the “just how many issues” are facing Iowa farmers is what stood out to him. Sean Dengler, a former farmer in Tama County, said the “monopolization” across the machinery and agricultural sector led him to give it up and end five generations of Dengler farming tradition. Last harvest season, an error code on his combine led to a several-days harvest delay waiting for a licensed technician to come out to the farm, diagnose and come back to repair the rig. “Giving farmers the ability to fix the equipment they bought is their right,” Dengler said.

Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, right, speaks with Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman, center, and Josh Manske, left, at an event with IFU members in Ankeny June 7, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Part of the problem, for repairs and for nearly every aspect related to farming, is that repair shops, dealers, grain elevators, meat lockers and other commodities are fewer and further between. Farmers gave countless examples Saturday of how this spread has hurt not just their ag operations, but their rural communities as well. Josh Manske, an IFU board member and farmer, said farmers no longer shop around for the best fertilizer price, instead they shop “for transportation.” Jerry Rosman, a farmer and truck driver, said he sees the same issue in the field, but also on the highway. “The dynamics of what it is might be a little different, but it’s just — as things get tighter at the top, at the bottom they just start disappearing,” Rosman said. “Pull through a little town and you can just see the decline.”

Mike Carberry, a board member for Iowa Farmers Union, said agriculture needs the FTC’s work “breaking up the monopolies” of the industry that, he said, have turned Iowa into an “extractive state.” Bedoya, who listened intently to the farmers, said while he’s committed to bringing this type of legal action forward, stopping a merger, as the FTC did with the Kroger and Albertsons case, takes a massive amount of time, people and money. “The amount of time it takes to stop a merger that has not yet happened is massive,” Bedoya said. “To undo a merger that has already happened is gargantuan — it is something that kind of happens once in a legal generation.”

Bedoya said a similar issue of vertical integration in the pharmaceutical industry has been blocked by legislative efforts in several states. Lawmakers in Iowa passed a bill that would put restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers to prevent them from using specific pharmacies to fill prescriptions. The bill has yet to be signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Bedoya, speaking on similar legislation passed in Arkansas, said it “opened up” an avenue for going after vertical integration, that could be an option to intervene in some of the consolidation issues in agriculture. “This is going to require both parties, and it’s going to require every level of government or every branch, not just, federal prosecutors, but state prosecutors, state legislators, and also federal legislators if they get their act together and pass some bills,” Bedoya said.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Red Oak faces charges in connection with a burglary investigation in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 57-year-old Richard James Linfor was arrested late Friday evening for 3rd degree burglary. His arrest took place in the 600 block of East Market Street shortly after 8:30 p.m. Linfor was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies Friday night arrested a man from Red Oak on alcohol-related charges, following a traffic stop near Highway 48 and 150^th Street. As a result of the traffic stop and subsequent investigation, 69-year-old Kevin Kay Fish was arrested at around 9:30-p.m., for OWI/1st offense. Fish was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a a $1,000 bond.