KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says the recent arrest of a Chinese couple accused of smuggling a dangerous fungus into the country should be a wake-up call about the intentions of the Chinese Communist Party — and the danger TikTok poses. “I do think it’s time to ban the app,” Hinson says, “or make sure we’ve come up with a deal that protects Americans’ private information.” Congress passed a law last year to ban TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company, but President Trump has issued two executive orders to keep the ban from going into effect. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says the Trump Administration should provide congress with an update on negotiations with potential U-S investors.
“I know they had been working on trying to secure a buyer for TikTok so that we could keep the app up and running in the United States and make sure that it’s an American run app,” Hinson says, “not a CCP propaganda and information spy-gathering app.” Hinson is a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. She says the Chinese are trying to exploit their access to America and that includes this week’s case in Michigan. A Chinese man is accused of trying to smuggle a fungus into the U-S that damages crops and sickens people and take it to the University of Michigan lab where he girlfriend, also a Chinese national, worked.
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-Marion) on the Iowa Press set. (Iowa PBS photo)
“I applaud President Trump and Secretary Rubio for wasting no time in revoking Chinese students’ visas with ties to the CCP or those who are studying in critical fields for Beijing’s benefit,” Hinson said. “We must ensure that no American institution enables China’s technical and miliary modernization ambitions, especially under the guise of academic exchange.” Hinson says this case is an attempt by China to undermine American agriculture and the global food supply. “The dangerous attempts we saw this week by these Chinese nationals should really serve as a wake up call here,” Hinson says. “…It is past time we hold the CCP fully accountable for undermining our safety and security and I am thankful for President Trump’s efforts holding the CCP’s feet to the fire this week.”
The Trump Administration has announced it will aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students to prevent the theft of U-S academic research and technology. The Institute for International Education estimates there were over 120-thousand graduate students from China enrolled at U-S universities last year.
DENISON, Iowa – Officials with the Crawford County Emergency Management Agency on Friday (Today) updated information concerning an incident that occurred on Monday June 2nd. On that date, a Denison City employee observed what appeared to be oil leaking from Wheels and Deals, LLC on South 15th Street. The fluid continued West on 5th Avenue South and entered a storm sewer at the corner of 5th Avenue South and South Main Street.
Thursday afternoon (June 5th, 2025), the Denison Fire Department removed the booms (absorbent rolls utilized to contain oil) that were placed on June 2nd, 2025, and noted a minimal amount of oil on the booms, which indicates that product in the river was contained effectively.
Authorities say “The timely response on Monday evening by Denison Municipal Utilities, Denison Public Works, Denison Fire Department, Denison Police Department, Crawford County Emergency Management, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources kept this incident from escalating any further.”
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s spring planting season is wrapping up, with the majority of corn and soybean fields statewide now fully planted. Angie Rieck Hinz, a field agronomist at the Iowa State University Extension, says weather conditions have been all over the map the past few months. “It was warm when we started and then it turned off a little wet, and then it turned off a little cool, and then it got really windy, and then it warmed up, and then it got cool again,” Rieck Hinz says. “It really was a lot of stress on those earlier planted crops.” Those temperature variations, she says, can really do a number on newly planted crops.
“We were waffling between warm in the 90-degree temperatures and then back in the upper 40s and lower 50s and that causes a lot of stress on those emerged plants,” she says, “but in this last week, with a little bit of rain and now some sun and heat, the corn and soybeans really seem to be exploding in growth.” Many parts of the state have seen healthy rains in recent days, though most areas still lack moisture and could use another inch or two. Plus, she says weeds could be starting to cause a problem. 
“If you did an early post-application of herbicide, I would be scouting those fields again,” Rieck Hinz says. “We really struggled with our pre-emerged herbicides this year to work because it was so dry in some places. So it might be the year where we need two post applications of herbicide to keep those weeds down.”
The latest Iowa Drought Monitor map shows about 28-percent of the state has -no- sign of drought, with almost 60-percent of Iowa in the “abnormally dry” category, and about 13-percent considered in moderate drought.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Vision Atlantic report Cook Sanitation in Atlantic has donated $1,000 to Vision Atlantic’s transformative project that includes housing development, a new child development center, and YMCA expansion, in Atlantic. Cook Sanitation owner Dalton Cook, says he wants “…to see the community grow and keep younger generations here for years to come.” Cook says “This project addresses these issues, giving current and new residents reasons to want to stay in Atlantic.”
Vision Atlantic, through extensive research and surveying of the community and surrounding region, identified three areas that will help increase Atlantic’s population: expanded childcare, quality housing and quality of life amenities. Infrastructure for the 142 mixed unit Camblin Hills housing development and 300 capacity child development center is almost complete, with construction of 48 homes set to begin early this summer. Construction of the child development center and YMCA expansion is slated to begin late this year.
From left-to right: Debbie Waterbury, Christina Bateman, Don Cook, and Dalton Cook. (Photo courtesy Vision Atlantic Communications Chair, Bailey Smith)
Vision Atlantic has a fundraising goal of $39 million, which will be used to construct the YMCA expansion and child development center. To date, they have raised $23.2 million of that goal, thanks to an $8.6 million lead grant from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and significant support from local donors. In addition to their grant support, the Lakin Foundation has established a separate investment fund of $23 million, which Vision Atlantic will borrow from to construct all 142 homes in Camblin Hills. As the loan is repaid, up to 5% of the fund balance will be donated back to Vision Atlantic to establish a long-term community endowment fund to help support local needs, like affordable childcare.
Vision Atlantic’s Project Committee is actively working to secure the remaining $15.7 million needed to meet their fundraising goal. If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com. Visit www.visionatlantic.org and follow on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates and in-depth information of the project scope.
Vision Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower growth, enhance lives, and build a thriving community together through the economic development of Atlantic, Iowa.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Families in Iowa can now sign up for the Healthy Kids Iowa (HKI) summer meal program, which provides an alternative to the USDA summer EBT program known as Sun Bucks. Each eligible child will receive up to $40 of healthy foods once per month in June, July and August. Participating pantries across the state have applications available on-site for families to enroll.
In this area, HKI some locations include:
A full list of locations can be found here.
DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI-TV] — MercyOne (in Des Moines) is calling its transition to a new anesthesia provider successful, but admits some patients will have their surgeries delayed. Last month, MercyOne cut ties with its longtime partner, Medical Center Anesthesiologists. It’s now working with a company called Vituity.
In a statement, MercyOne says it prioritizes surgeries on a case-by-case basis and that some surgery dates and times are being changed. The hospital says, “We regret any stress and inconvenience this may cause, but we can assure patients we will only reschedule to bring the best level of care they have come to expect at MercyOne.”
(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The latest analysis of federal data on nursing home staffing shows the overwhelming majority of nursing homes in Iowa and the United States are operating with less than the recommended staff to meet residents’ needs. With regard to their total nursing staff, eight of Iowa’s 410 nursing homes were staffed at least 40% below the level that was expected, based on residents’ acuity levels, during the fourth quarter of 2024. That marks a slight improvement from the 11 homes that fell into that category during the third quarter of the year. The data also shows that among the 50 states, Iowa continues to rank in the middle of the pack, with staffing levels that average roughly 20% below expectations.
The data is reported by the facilities themselves to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and is then analyzed and published by the nonprofit Long Term Care Community Coalition. The coalition’s analysis shows that in late 2024, just over 90% of all nursing homes across the country were staffed below the level expected based on their residents’ needs. In Iowa, the homes that provided the lowest number of total nursing staff hours per resident, per day, are scattered among both rural and urban counties. Among the 12 lowest-ranked Iowa homes, six are operated by the same company — Care Initiatives of West Des Moines. The 12 homes, and their deviation from the expected hours per resident, per day, for all nursing staff include (in this area):
Fonda Specialty Care, Pocahontas County: 47.7% below expected levels.
Fonda Specialty Care in Pocahontas had the state’s lowest levels of nursing staff in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a new report. Fonda Specialty Care and five other facilities operated by Care Initiatives of West Des Moines are among Iowa’s lowest ranked care facilities for total nurse staffing. (Photo via Google Earth)
Mount Ayr Health Care Center, Ringgold County: 43.9% below expected levels. This facility also was among the lowest-ranked facilities in the third quarter of 2024, when total nurse staffing was 44.3% below expected levels.
Avoca Specialty Care, Pottawattamie County: 42.2% below expected levels.
Panora Specialty Care, Guthrie County: 40.5% below expected levels. This facility also was among the lowest-ranked facilities in the third quarter of 2024, when total nurse staffing was 42.8% below expected levels.
The analysis also shows that many nursing homes continue to rely on lesser skilled certified nursing aides, rather than registered nurses, to provide much of the care – with many homes falling far below the recommended level of staffing by registered nurses. In Iowa, 12 nursing homes provided at least 60% fewer staffing hours by registered nurses than recommended. The Iowa facilities that deviated the most from the expected number of registered-nurse hours per resident, per day, during the fourth quarter of 2024 (in southwest Iowa) include:
Garden View Care Center, Page County: 75.6% below expected levels.
Caring Acres Nursing and Rehab Center, Cass County: 69.4% below expected levels.
The staffing data shows U.S. nursing homes, on average, delivered 3.75 hours of nursing care per resident, per day – which is significantly below the 4.95 hours that would be expected based on residents’ acuity levels. The expected staffing levels that are used as a benchmark in the analysis are calculated using an evidence-based, case-mix adjustment methodology that accounts for the specific care needs of residents within each specific care facility, using data provided by the facilities themselves. The average U.S. nursing home provided 3.75 total nurse staff hours per resident day in the fourth quarter – almost the same level as the 3.73 hours reported in the third quarter.
In addition to showing that just over 90% of nursing homes are reporting staffing levels below their expected levels, the analysis indicates the median nursing home fell 24.9% short of expected total staffing levels and 42.3% short of expected staffing levels for registered nurses. The analysis also found that more than a third of all care facilities — 36% of the total – reported no presence of a medical director, despite federal requirements that a medical director oversee the quality of clinical care provided in every facility. As in the third quarter of 2024, only two states — Alaska and Oregon — met or exceeded their expected staffing levels, while North Dakota (-4.1%) ranked fourth in staffing adequacy, narrowly missing its expected target.
The states with the worst average staffing levels in both the third and fourth quarters of 2024 included Illinois, Texas, Missouri, Georgia, New Mexico and Indiana. Congress is currently considering proposals that would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to delay, until January 2035, enforcement of new minimum staffing standards for nursing homes.
(Read more, HERE)
(Radio Iowa) – While there’s no statewide air quality alert for Iowa today (Friday), one expert says more of those health advisories are likely in the weeks and months ahead, and they could be the “new normal” for years to come. Professor Patrick O’Shaughnessy, in the University of Iowa’s Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, says the smoke from Canadian wildfires was truly making the air over Iowa unhealthy with particulate matter, or P-M.
“It was high. I mean, the EPA wants the PM 2.5 and it’s 2.5 diameter particles, which are super-tiny little things, below 35 micrograms of those little particles per cubic meter of air,” O’Shaughnessy says, “and it was up over twice that over the past couple days.” People who are most at risk include those with asthma, C-O-P-D, and other heart or lung issues. During an alert, O’Shaughnessy says those folks need to keep their windows closed and use the furnace fan to recirculate the air. There are air purification devices — or ionizers — that may help to cleanse the air of particles, but he says your home or workplace’s H-VAC system may be the best defense.
“There’s different levels of filtration you can buy,” O’Shaughnessy says. “They’re more expensive for the higher filtration types, but they’re now available and people with compromised lungs and heart conditions should certainly try to do their best to purchase those better units because they do work.” The air quality advisory this week also said for otherwise healthy people to avoid going outside if possible, and to take it easy if they have to be outdoors, especially if they’re doing anything strenuous. What can they do to protect themselves? O’Shaughnessy says the choices are limited.
“Put on an N-95 certified mask and that will do it, but we all know maybe from our COVID experiences that it’s no fun trying to breathe through one of those things,” O’Shaughnessy says. “So then you add kind of an extra metabolic load on yourself trying to pull air through a mask.” The Air Quality Index for Des Moines reached 104 on Wednesday, which is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” The “moderate” range is from 51 to 100, while over 151 is deemed “unhealthy” for everyone.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County, Thursday, arrested 25-year-old Cameron Walters, of Villisca, for allegedly violating the State’s Sex Offender Registry (an aggravated misdemeanor). WalterS was taken into custody in the 100 block of Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak, at around 5:40-p.m. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL) — The former Waterloo Candy Co. building along West Park Avenue in downtown Waterloo partially collapsed on Thursday. Authorities do not know exactly what caused the collapse. The building in question is well over 100 years old, being constructed in the early 1900s. No injuries were reported, and no persons were missing or unaccounted for, according to Waterloo Fire officials, who were asking people to stay away from the structure, which is in danger of further collapse.
Waterloo Fire Marshal Brock Weliver told KWWL-TV that the area of concern is an approximately a 60-foot collapse zone all around the property which still has the potential to come down. He’s not sure of which direction debris might fall if the structure collapses more. The building is deemed unsafe for entrance and the City is recommending it be demolished if it can’t be reinforced and saved.
The surrounding roads will be closed off for the foreseeable future, until there is no longer a threat of further collapse in the area. Building owner Rich Penn said in a statement to the television station that the building was acquired a number of years ago with the intent of saving it from demolition, and that part of the goal is to keep the structure part of the City’s rich past and a new use that will add more life to the growing and exciting downtown Waterloo area.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS