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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – A Jefferson County paramedic who was fired after testing positive for drug use is entitled to unemployment benefits, a judge has ruled. State records indicate Jesse Husmann began working for Jefferson County as a full-time paramedic in October 2023. On Feb. 17, 2025, a hospital emergency room nurse allegedly reported to Ambulance Service Director Josh Hemminger that Husmann’s behavior that day was unusual. Hemminger then spoke to one of Husmann’s co-workers about her behavior, and the co-worker allegedly reported Husmann seemed confused and didn’t know where certain things were located in the emergency room even though she frequently worked there, according to the records. The co-worker also is alleged to have reported that Husmann didn’t know how to get to the hospital, couldn’t sit still and had walked into a wall.
Hemminger then spoke with Husmann and allegedly observed that she could not sit still, and asked that she submit to drug test, the records show. Husmann agreed to do so and was allowed to drive herself to the testing site and then return to work. The next day, she was placed on paid administrative leave until the test results were produced. On March 5, the lab allegedly faxed Hemminger the test results showing Husmann had tested positive for marijuana and amphetamines and that Husmann had not provided any information to explain the results. Husmann allegedly told Hemminger she was using marijuana to address a non-work injury and that she was taking a prescription medicine that would show up as amphetamines on a drug test, state records show. Husmann was immediately fired. She later applied for unemployment benefits, which led to a hearing before Administrative Law Judge Daniel Zeno.
Zeno recently ruled in Husmann’s favor and awarded her unemployment benefits, noting that Jefferson County “did not notify Ms. Husmann of the test results by certified mail return receipt” before firing her. As a result, Zeno found, the county could not use the results of the drug test as a basis for challenging her application for jobless benefits.
Other Iowans whose unemployment cases were recently heard by an administrative law judge include:
— Sara Bergeson, who began working for the Ames Community School District in August 2022 as a full-time educational associate and was fired on April 4, 2025. Bergeson typically took her daily 30-minute, unpaid lunch breaks inside a classroom where she would sit at a table, set an alarm for the end of her break, and listen to music or sleep. On April 2, an employee sent district officials two photos of Bergeson showing her sitting in a chair in the classroom with her arms crossed, head back, leg propped on a table and eyes closed.
She was subsequently fired for sleeping on the job, with the district noting that she had been “written up” for sleeping on the job in April 2024. Administrative Law Judge Daniel Zeno ruled recently that Bergeson is entitled to jobless benefits, finding that even if one were to assume that Bergeson was sleeping when photographed, she was on an unpaid break at the time. “It is not misconduct for an employee to sleep during a break in a place where the employer authorizes an employee to take breaks,” Zeno ruled.
— Justin J. Haubrich, who began working for the Omara Law Office in February 2024 as a full-time paralegal and was fired in October 2024. The law office alleged Haubrich had been performing below expectations, had been insubordinate, and had become upset, slammed doors and used profanity in speaking to colleagues in the office. At some point, the law office discovered Haubrich had been accessing, from his home, the employer’s security-camera system to watch two female colleagues at work.
When the employer confronted Haubrich, he allegedly admitted to the behavior, according to state records. In a subsequent meeting with partners of the law firm, Haubrich allegedly became upset and began yelling and arguing before telling one partner to “f— off” and leaving the building. He was fired that same day and subsequently collected $602 in jobless benefits. An administrative law judge ruled recently that Haubrich is not entitled to benefits and that he must repay the $602.
— Jordan S. Bates, who worked as a full-time care aide for Immanuel Pathways, a care program for the elderly, from March 2023 until she was fired in March 2025. Her dismissal was based on a finding that Bates had worked outside of the scope of her professional duties when she made a report to an animal-rescue agency regarding the welfare of animals living in the home of a client and the unsanitary conditions the client faced due to the amount of animal feces inside the home.
Bates made the complaint after a superior asked her to consult with an Iowa Department of Health and Human Services worker who, in turn, directed Bates to make the animal-welfare report. She was subsequently awarded unemployment benefits, with an administrative law judge ruling she had not committed any form of workplace misconduct.
(Radio Iowa)- Motorcycles make up just four-percent of all registered vehicles in Iowa, but the Iowa D-O-T says motorcycle fatalities last year accounted for nearly 18-percent of the state’s total traffic deaths. Kelly Hilsabeck, the trauma injury prevention coordinator at Emplify Health by Gundersen, says the warmer weather brings out droves of motorcycles, and she implores motorists to “look twice.” “Because motorcycles are smaller, they just aren’t as visible, so other motorists on the road need to be aware of that and especially when turning or changing lanes,” Hilsabeck says. “You do a quick glance over your shoulder, do it again. Sometimes that motorcycle being smaller is in a blind spot, so just giving a second look can help avoid a collision.”
For drivers who find themselves following a motorcycle in traffic, Hilsabeck urges you to back off and give them plenty of room. “Motorists really just need to stay a safe distance back if they find themselves driving behind a motorcycle,” she says. “Motorcyclists use certain things like downshifting, where you’re not going to necessarily see a brake light, so that’s really important for motorists to understand.” According to D-O-T data from the past several years, 74-percent of the motorcyclists killed in Iowa were not wearing helmets. The national average is 38-percent. Iowa is one of three states in the country with no helmet laws, along with Illinois and New Hampshire.
“Motorcyclists can do tons of things to keep themselves safe,” Hilsabeck says, “but I would say helmets are the number-one thing that’s really going to reduce a chance of severe injury or even death.” Other things motorcyclists can do to protect themselves include: keeping your headlight on all the time to increase visibility, wearing some form of eye protection, and wearing bright-colored clothing. She adds, “It also means for your clothing, just having a jacket and pants to cover all those skin surfaces to protect from abrasion in the event of a crash.” The D-O-T says 63 motorcyclists were killed on Iowa’s roads last year, with five motorcycle deaths reported statewide so far this year.
Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.
(Radio Iowa) – All-terrain and utility terrain vehicles can be a lot of fun and very useful for a variety of jobs, but they can also be dangerous. A state report shows many more Iowans are buying the machines, while a University of Iowa study finds the state’s averaging more than 200 A-T-V and U-T-V crashes every year, with 20 deaths in Iowa last year. Registered Nurse Kelly Hilsabeck is a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Emplify Health by Gundersen. “The number-one most important thing we should know is that we should always wear a helmet, whether we are on an ATV or a UTV,” Hilsabeck says, “and if you are riding on a UTV, you need to also be wearing your seat belt every single time. This should be the norm. These can be life saving actions.”
Excessive speed is often a major contributing factor to most deaths involving these vehicles, she says, and they can be even more dangerous based on -where- you’re riding them. “We should really use extra caution if we’re operating our ATVs on paved surfaces,” Hilsabeck says. “They’re just really made for off-road use. They’re made to grip those dirt trails, that uneven terrain, so they’re easier to lose control of on a paved surface, especially when you factor in that you may be traveling at a higher speed.” Utility terrain vehicles are rapidly gaining in popularity in Iowa. The D-N-R says there were about 39-thousand U-T-Vs registered in the state in 2022, while last year, that number rocketed above 57-thousand, an increase of almost 50-percent.
Hilsabeck says it’s vital, especially for younger riders, to abide by the rules and understand the powerful machines. “So in regards to ATVs and UTVs,” she says, “you should really know your local laws and regulations and know where it’s legal to operate them.” The Iowa D-N-R offers what it calls the Off-highway Vehicle Reference Guide, available free online, along with an online safety course. Riders between 12 and 17 are required to complete an ATV safety course and carry their certificate with them while riding on public land.
Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report two people were arrested Monday, on drug charges. 52-year-old Chris Allan Taylor, of Atlantic, and 52-year-old Rondy Ruby Porter, of Red Oak, were arrested at around 9:35-p.m. in the 1900 block of Sunnyslope Drive, in Red Oak. Taylor was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 3rd offense (A Class-D Felony). Porter was arrested for PCS/Methamphetamine – 1st Offense (A Serious Misdemeanor).
Both subjects were transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where Taylor’s bond was set at $5,000, and bond for Porter was set at $1,000.
(Iowa News Service) – Farmers in Iowa fear that proposed cuts in SNAP benefit funding could limit the market for their products. The Trump administration says it is cutting federal spending across all budget sectors. The Food Bank of Iowa says nearly 11% of Iowans, including almost 111,000 children, don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman said food insecurity is a problem, not just in urban areas but also in rural ones. “We know that this impacts our people directly,” said Lehman, “and also impacts our farms, who are growing the food that’s used in the SNAP program ” Lehman added that fewer SNAP dollars mean less money for recipients to buy the products raised by Iowa growers, which would trickle down to Iowa farmers. 
He said the SNAP program helps farmers broaden their markets, which ag producers need now more than ever as they face their own set of economic challenges. “Because farmers are experiencing all sorts of market upsets due to trade tensions and tariffs,” said Lehman, “and we’re also selling into a monopolized marketplace, where just a few people buy what we sell.”
Lehman added that some Iowa farmers are already selling their crops below production costs, which would only worsen with fewer places to sell them, and reducing the number of buyers would further stiffen their economic challenges.
(Radio Iowa) – A bill to give the company that makes Roundup some liability protection from lawsuits that allege the weed killer causes cancer failed to pass the Iowa House again this year. Governor Kim Reynolds says it’s a common sense bill and she wishes she could sign it into law. A plant in Muscatine makes most of the Roundup used in North America.
“We make 70% of that in the state of Iowa,” Reynolds said. “We have about 500 employees at that plant making it and (glyphosate) has a significant impact on what we can grow.” Reynolds says federal officials have determined the weed killer is not a carcinogen.
“If they change the parameters on the labeling then that’s a different story,” Reynolds says. Monsanto developed Roundup and Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018. As of this month, Bayer has paid about 11 BILLION dollars to settle 100-thousand Roundup lawsuits. Roundup has been a federally registered pesticide since 1974 and it’s used today on 70 percent of Iowa soybean fields and 63 percent of corn fields in the state.
In 2020 the E-P-A reviewed the product and said there are no risks to human health if customers use Roundup according to the instructions on its label. Reynolds says the company shouldn’t be sued, then, for failing to warn customers there are health risks.
“My reasoning for supporting that bill is (EPA) has already signed off on it and therefore it shouldn’t be subject to the lawsuits that we’re seeing,” Reynold says. Reynolds made her comments during an appearance this past weekend on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S. The bill passed the Senate this year — as it did in 2023. Opponents of the bill say Iowans who believe they’ve been harmed from the use of Roundup should be able to court and make their case for damages.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Community Protection Committee (CPC) is set to meet at 4:45-p.m. on Wednesday, May 28th. Their meeting takes place in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. On the Committee’s agenda are the following items the Atlantic City Council sent back to the Committee last week, for review and recommendation:
The building that houses the Atlantic City Hall, City offices and Police Dept.
General Discussion on the Speed Control Options at 29th and Palm Streets. The CPC’s recommendations will be forwarded back to the Council for action during their next meeting on June 4th.
(Radio Iowa) – There are new rules for “crypto A-T-Ms” in Iowa that let people buy or sell digital currency. The governor has signed a bill into law that limits transaction amounts — so customers may transfer or accept no more than a thousand dollars worth of crypto in a single day. Crypto A-T-M fees may be no more than 15 percent of the transaction amount. And crypto A-T-M operators must provide a full refund if a customer reports they were scammed and can show there was fraud involved in the transaction.
Republican Representative Shannon Lundgren of Peosta says an investigation by Iowa’s attorney general found hundreds of Iowans who used crypto A-T-Ms lost 20 million dollars in the past three years. “I’m not saying that crypto currency is a bad thing. I’m not saying that our folks here in Iowa are causing these scams,” Lundgren said, “but what they certainly haven’t done…is regulate themselves.”
The law gives Iowa’s attorney general authority to levy hefty fines against crypto A-T-M operators who violate the law. The Iowa Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ Association, the Iowa Bankers Association and A-A-R-P are among the groups that lobbied for the bill. Senator Charlie McClintoch, a Republican from Alburnett, says federal data from last year shows that more than two-thirds of crypto scams involved the use of crypto A-T-Ms.
“The targeted group that they have is usually over age 60,” he said, “and you can see the importance of why we’re trying to avoid this.” The bill passed with the support of 122 members of the Iowa House and Senate, but 14 lawmakers did oppose the bill. Representative Ray “Bubba” Sorensen of Greenfield says the law won’t deter scammers. “Over regulation of crypto kiosks won’t stop the phishing scams. It will only further restrict access for law abiding citizens.
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Restricting crypto currency transactions hinders financial freedom and prevents individuals from participating in a growing investment sector,” Sorenson said. “…Just as we wouldn’t ban stock trading because of market fraud, we shouldn’t restrict cryptocurrency access to due to scams that can be better addressed through law enforcement.”
Representative Keenan Judge, a Democrat from Waukee, says the law doesn’t outlaw crypto A-T-Ms. “It just puts some serious legislation into place,” Judge said, “and I think a big part of our job as legislators is to protect people from these type of scams.” The first crypto A-T-M was installed in a coffee shop in Canada in 2013.
Today, there are more than 30-thousand crypto A-T-Ms in the United States, located in convenience stores, bars, restaurants and grocery stores. Iowa’s new law requires detailed receipts for crypto A-T-M transactions and customers have to be warned in writing that they should never send money to someone they do not know.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Fundraising efforts that began in earnest a little more than 2 years ago, culminated today (Memorial Day), with the opening in Atlantic, of a new Splash Pad. Construction on the site began last summer. The Splash Pad covers about 5,000 square feet. (Photos courtesy Atlantic SplashPad Committee Co-Chair Ali Pieken)
It features a unique kidney shape, showcasing a variety of interactive elements such as fountains, spray pads, dump buckets, water cannons, and a first-of-its-kind rabbit racer located next to the dump bucket. The facility includes several areas: a toddler bay with a button that activates the features for children ages three and under, a family bay in the center, and a section at one end featuring the large dump bucket. 
(Radio Iowa) – The number of crashes and deaths in Iowa attributed to drivers being distracted by their smartphones continues to climb, and a study finds a simple, free feature that’s already on our phones could help to prevent many of those accidents.
Brian Ortner, spokesman for AAA Iowa, says the “Do Not Disturb” function can be activated in just seconds and it may hold the key to curbing risky behavior behind the wheel.
“Just look on your phone, in your settings,” Ortner says. “There should be that ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature and in some cases on some phones, you can set up a message that if somebody sends you a text, it says, ‘Hey, I’m driving, I’ll message you when I’m done.’ Same thing when somebody calls you.”
The AAA study found some drivers mistakenly think using the “Do Not Disturb” feature will limit access to music and navigation, which it won’t.
(AAA graphic)
“Before the study, half the participants didn’t know that there was a feature on their phone,” Ortner says, “85% reported not knowing how to use it, and 65% didn’t know it to be turned on automatically when driving was detected.”
Federal studies show distracted driving contributes to about nine-percent of all fatal crashes. In Iowa last year, the DOT says there were more than 2,500 crashes attributed to distracted drivers, including ten deaths and 54 serious injuries. The AAA study found even drivers who knew about the “Do Not Disturb” feature tended not to use it.
“The younger drivers, those 18 to 24 who are more prone to using their phone for a lot more than just conversations, they tend to be more knowledgeable about the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature settings than older generations,” Ortner says, “but their confidence in the use of the phone suggests while driving they may not see it as a necessary feature.”
Last month, Governor Kim Reynolds signed the “Hands-Free” bill into law which makes it illegal to hold your phone while driving, though using “hands-free” or voice-activated mode is still allowed. The law takes effect in July. Law officers will only be able to issue warnings until January 1st, when $100 fines begin.
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