(Radio Iowa) – A ceremonial groundbreaking today in Boone for a plant that will produce Daisy Brand sour cream and cottage cheese. The 676 MILLION dollar project will eventually employ over 250 people. Ben Sokolsky is president of the family-owned company.  “It is our most ambitious project yet,” Sokolsky said. Milk for the plant will come exclusively from Marshall Ridge Farms in nearby State Center, one of the largest dairy farms in Iowa. It will add seven-thousand cows to its milking operation by the time the Daisy plant in Boone opens in late 2028 or early 2029.

“Without milk, none of this would be possible,” Sokolsky said, “so that’s pretty important.” Sokolsky spoke at a luncheon in Boone today (Tuesday). Dan Culhane, president and C-E-O of the Ames Regional Alliance, was the host. “While economic development occurs every day in our communities, it doesn’t always come together to this magnitude,” Culhane said. “And so that’s what we’re really celebrating today.” Boone Mayor Elijah Stines says it’s a transformative project.

“One that will not only reshape the economic landscape of Boone, but the entire region,” Stines said. “…The future of Daisy Brands, the City of Boone and the State of Iowa is all brighter because of this investment.” Governor Kim Reynolds says many groups and individuals get credit for making the deal with Daisy possible — including local leaders, state agencies and the private sector. “This nearly $700 million investment isn’t just a number. It represents real opportunity. It means hundreds of new jobs, it means an expanded tax base, it means new momentum for local businesses, schools and family farms,” Reynolds says.

Ceremonial groundbreaking for Daisy Brand plant in Boone with Gov. Reynolds in center and Daisy Brand president Ben Sokolsky to the left of Reynolds. (RI photo)

“It simulates construction with plans for housing and hospitality projects already underway.” Daisy Brand currently has plants in Texas, Arizona and Ohio. State Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the project in Boone will boost Iowa’s dairy industry and create permanent, good paying jobs. “Today is a heaping dollop of good news and we can all be excited about that,” Naig said, prompting laughter from the crowd as he recited a line from a Daisy sour cream commercial.

Over one of every two cups of sour cream sold in the United States is Daisy Brand sour cream. Data shows overall sales of cottage cheese were up 16 percent last year and the company’s president says Daisy Brand hasn’t seen this kind of growth in cottage cheese sales since the 1970s.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University weather and climate specialist says the rain we are getting is welcome for farmers across the state. Madelynn Wustenberg says improved soil moisture will support crops as they enter a critical part of the growing season. Most of the state is planted for corn and soybeans at this point and emergence is really starting to look good. So this is a really good time to have some of that rainfall so that we can, yeah, just get some moisture to those roots and get plants really popping up,” she says.

Wustenburg says the corn and soybeans should both benefit. “I would expect that we see some pretty decent growth in the next few days,” Wustenburg says. She says the rains this week will help the state catch up to get closer to normal for the month. “Climatologically what we would expect in mid-May is anywhere from around an inch to an inch and a quarter, maybe even an inch and half per week. So we’re definitely behind with the past couple of weeks being pretty dry across the state,” she says.

Wustenburg the soil moisture profile has been pretty similar to the same time last year prior to the latest rains.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Monday, of 27-year-old Cristyan Gonzalez Cardon, of Glenwood. Cardon was arrested on two different Mills County Warrants for failure to appear. Bond was set at $4,000 altogether.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley voted with his colleagues last (Monday) night in advancing the first major bill that would more closely regulate cryptocurrency. In a conference call with Iowa reporters this morning, Grassley was asked if he’d personally invest in crypto.

“I would not invest, but that doesn’t mean that that’s got any sort of indication of what I think of this bill,” Grassley says. “I think that the bill is needed.” Grassley says he has no quarrel with elected officials, including the president, investing in digital currency, as long as they abide by the STOCK Act of 2012. It bans the use of non-public information for private profit, like insider trading, by members of Congress and other government workers.

“I would see it as an investment, just like we can invest in the stock market now. We have to report all of our transactions,” Grassley says. “That’s no problem for me because I have my investments in mutual funds, so I don’t trade, so I don’t have to make these reports.” All Senate Democrats and two Republicans initially blocked the new crypto bill from passing, saying the regulations weren’t strong enough. An amendment that also passed last night would allow President Trump and his family members to continue with their various crypto ventures.

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (official photo)

Grassley, a Republican, says he has no objection to politicians investing in cryptocurrency. “Several members of Congress are quite regularly doing this,” Grassley says, “and as long as they abide by the STOCK Act, it seems to me it’s legitimate.” That bill, signed into law by President Obama in 2012, stands for Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge.

The new crypto bill, called the GENIUS Act, would regulate what are known as stablecoins, a sort of cryptocurrency that’s tied to assets like U-S dollars. Monday’s vote was procedural and the bill has not yet won final passage in the Senate.

(Radio Iowa) – The board that governs the state universities has launched the search for the next Iowa State University president — under a 2024 state law that says only board members are to vote and choose the finalists. Republican Representative Taylor Collins of Mediapolis says the law was passed because extreme factions from the campus communities were involved in searches for previous state university presidents. Regents president Sherry Bates says no committee has made or will make unilateral decisions on behalf of the board.

“At every board meeting, any recommendation by a committee requires the full board to approve before the recommendation happens,” Bates said. The search committees for the three current presidents of the state universities included faculty, students and community members. In 2016, the search committee for a new University of Iowa president was disbanded and the Board of Regents was criticized for selecting Bruce Harreld over the objections of faculty on the Iowa City campus. Bates, who has been on the Board of Regents for a decade, says she and the other Regents are volunteers who seek input from many sources.

“The universities are a 24/7, 365 day operation,” Bates said. “There is something going on every day and some of those issues require consultation, advice and counsel between our board members.”

Bates says the nine Regents then vote and make decisions. A 21-member search committee was formed in 2017 when Wendy Wintersteen was chosen as I-S-U’s president. The Board of Regents has given its executive director authority to hire a national consulting firm and form a search committee that Bates says will be as small as possible. Wintersteen plans to retire in January.

(Radio Iowa) – The Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission took public input at its meeting Monday on restarting the nuclear power plant outside of Palo. The Duane Arnold Energy Center shut down in October of 2020, but the demand for energy is rising with data centers expanding in eastern Iowa. Echo Oceanside attended the meeting and told K-C-R-G T-V her family supports the idea. “We’re huge proponents of nuclear energy and we work with some people who used to also work at the plant so eventually if it does come back online, we’d like the opportunity to work there too,” Oceanside says. Linn County Planning and Development Director Charlie Nichols says this is the first conversation in a series of many.

“We’re kind of just getting the ball rolling. We’re trying to get that ball rolling so we can develop our draft code and take it to a future Planning and Zoning Commission meeting,” Nichols says. Many people at the meeting told the commission they support bringing back nuclear energy, and one person asked about safety concerns. Nichols tells K-C-R-G T-V that the safety of the plant is an important issue they consider. “One of the key things we’re looking at right now is what the minimal level of emergency preparedness we need to maintain with Linn County staff and support in order to respond that anything that happens at the nuclear facility,” he says. Oceanside says she feels nuclear power is one of the best options in terms of her daughter’s future.

“We really need a renewable resource and nuclear is a lot safer than people typically think it is,” Oceanside says. The Planning & Zoning Commission will discuss the feedback they received on reopening the nuclear plant at its next meeting on June 16th.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), met the newly elected Mayor of Lewis. Christopher Jahnke was elected to fill the vacant position, on April 29th. He spoke with the Board about trying to bring the community together, in light of rumors and general civic distrust of the local government.

He said things have escalated to the point were a group has called the Sheriff’s phone number and taken other measures. Jahnke said efforts by some members of the community to discredit local government officials is taking its toll.

Jahnke said one of the ways he hopes the community will show it’s solidarity, is by participating in a celebration set to take place June 14th.

Cass Co. BOS mtg 5-20-25

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors heard from Vision Atlantic President Christina Bateman, with regard to the non-profit organization’s economic development project. Afterward, they held discussion with regard to using the County’s portion of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) to help fund the project. Bateman said they hope the County can contribute $2.5-million toward the project. The City of Atlantic has already committed to the same amount.

Board Chair Steve Baier…

Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers said any qualifying funds wouldn’t be available until FY 27.

The project (as previously mentioned), is in partnership with the Community Foundation for Western Iowa and the Charles E. Lakin Foundation, and includes a 49-acre residential development designed to meet the growing housing needs, a child development center, and expansion of the Nishna Valley Family YMCA in Atlantic. According to their website, Vision Atlantic’s goal is to raise $39-million dollars for the childcare facility and YMCA expansion.

The Board took no action on a contribution of LOST funds at this time.

(Griswold, Iowa) – Members of the Griswold School Board, Monday evening, approved several changes with regard to personnel. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News approved resignations include:

The Board also approved new hires and a transfer.

The Board also approved a Middle School Volleyball Coach contract for Carla Wilson. The Griswold School Board passed the first reading of a policy pertaining to cell phone use in the classroom, based on state law.

The District’s policy says cell phones are not to be used during instructional time.

Cell phones are to be kept in the students’ lockers during class time, with certain exceptions, such as medical necessity.

Students who violate the policy would receive a warning for the first offense.

In other business, the Griswold School Board, Monday, awarded a bid for the Concession Stand Project. Dave Henrichs said there were two bids.

And, they established Activities Fees for the 2025-26 School Year, which are essentially unchanged, with the exception of a two-dollar increase in adult fees, from five-dollars to seven-dollars. That change is based on admission changes by the Corner Conference.

The District will continue to allow Griswold students to attend home games, free of charge. The Board also approved a renewal of an agreement with the City of Griswold for the mutual use of equipment, as needed.

(Radio Iowa) -A Bettendorf native who’s a Navy veteran is campaigning to be Iowa’s top election official. Democrat Ryan Peterman is a graduate of the U-S Naval Academy who served 10 years as a helicopter pilot. He returned to Iowa last year to help care for his father, who is also a veteran. “I realized I kind of had a void, public service being a central focus of my life, so I started volunteering for a couple of campaigns and that ultimately led me down the path to where I am now, which is announcing my candidacy for Secretary of State in Iowa,” Peterman says. Republican Paul Pate, Iowa’s current secretary of state, has not announced whether he intends to seek a fifth term. Peterman, who is 34, is making his first run for public office.

Democrat Ryan Peterman of Bettendorf kicks off his campaign for Iowa Secretary of State today. (Photo from Peterman campaign)

Peterman says his Navy experience has taught him how to lead under pressure. “It’s taught me how to build trust and it’s taught me how to get results,” Peterman says. “I think that’s exactly what we need from our elected officials, particulary in the secretary of state’s office.” Peterman says he’s troubled by Republican efforts that have shortened Iowa’s early voting period to 20 days. “I believe that if you’re here in Iowa and you’re a citizen, you have the right to vote and if you have the desire to vote, you have the opportunity vote and the secretary of state’s office should be making it easier to do so,” Peterman said, “and they should also be ensuring that folks know that our elections are safe, secure and that they can trust that when they show up at the ballot box to cast their vote, that vote is going to count.”

As a Naval Aviator, Peterman deployed to the Middle East and Asia as a helicopter pilot on an aircraft carrier. “I got a first hand experience of what real good service and real good leadership looks like. I took those experiences with me to my next job. I was lucky enough to be selected to be a legislative fellow and I worked in the senate for a year on defense policy and veterans policy for Senator Jeanne Shaheen,” Peterson says. “which was another eye opening experience where I learned a ton.”

After that experience, Peterman returned to the U-S Naval Academy in Maryland where he was an honor education officer teaching midshipmen and a speechwriter for the academy’s superintendent.

(Radio Iowa) – Monday’s storms brought large hail, high winds and heavy rain to wide sections of Iowa, mostly the state’s southern half. National Weather Service meteorologist Alexis Jimenez says at least one rainfall record was set. “Des Moines had officially recorded 3.74 inches of rain yesterday,” Jimenez says. “Places up north of there, like Ames, recorded close to two inches. Generally, central and southern Iowa recorded one to three inches.” Two-inch diameter hailstones were reported in Clark and Decatur counties in Monday afternoon’s storms, while peak winds were clocked at 66 miles an hour in Dallas and Hamilton counties.

Some areas just south of Des Moines report rainfall since Sunday night at nearly five-inches, and she says the rain will continue to fall. “North-central Iowa and eastern Iowa will get that steady rain for much of the day,” Jimenez says. “It could be up to an inch in Webster City and places north of there, and maybe some thunderstorms will be possible in portions of eastern Iowa in the afternoon hours.”

No severe weather is forecast today (Tuesday) in Iowa and the forecast calls for the rain to gradually come to an end by Wednesday.