(Radio Iowa) — The medical marijuana company that’s making the first ever products produced solely in the state gave a preview today of what they are going to offer when sales start December 1st. MedPharm Iowa’s Lucas Nelson has been overseeing the project since the state award the company the first medical marijuana license. “This is obviously a major, major day for both MedPharm and I think really for the patients across Iowa, the legislature, the entire community that has seen this program signed into law and now really starting to become a reality,” Nelson says.

Med-pot-capsules

Nelson spoke in the facility where the company grows the marijuana, extracts the cannabis oil (CDB), and manufactures and packages the products. “We do some of our own internal testing here and then those products that you’ll see today are also sent out to the State Hygienic Lab of Iowa. So, that’s the third part of the testing that will be verifying what’s in the products that they will be safe from heavy metals and some other things that they have decided to test for,” Nelson says. “Certainly a very important aspect of this program and something that differentiates our products from some of the others out there that may be sold over the counter.”

Med-pot-cream

MedPharm will operate two of the dispensaries in Sioux City and Council Bluffs. Stephen Wilson oversees the dispensary program and says they will have three products branded with the Aliviar name — a tincture liquid, capsules and creams. They each will have different mixes of C-B-D and T-H-C. “T-H-C and C-B-D work synergistically which each other — given that they kind of kick start each other to work that much better,” according to Wilson. “One by itself is not going work as well as when you get…both of them in there.”

The products will feature four formulations called Calm, with a 20 to one C-D-B to T-H-C mix; Soothe with a two to one C-D-B to T-H-C mix; Harmony with a one to one mix and Comfort with a one-to-20 C-B-D to T-H-C mix. “These are the four formulations we have now. We totally expect to have more as the program develops and as we are able to operate,” Wilson says. “And this is why you see the sliding scale here. A two-to-one versus a three-to-one is going to have vastly different affects, which is why we like to keep things on a sliding scale. But for now these are the four formulations you are gong to see and we have several different products within these formulations.”

Wilson says everyone’s body reacts differently and benefits differently from the various products and that’s why they have several options. “Each product has its strengths and drawbacks and that’s why we encourage patients to try several different products in order to find the right one that’s going to relieve any symptoms that they are suffering from,” Wilson says.

Wilson says they will ask patients to keep notes as they use the products so they can adjust the type and dosage of the products. “Someone starting out with five milligrams say using a tincture — we’ll say okay why don’t you try ten milligrams this time and see how you feel. Take notes about that, come back to us and we can play with the dosing that way,” according to Wilson. “That’s what’s nice about of a lot of the products that we have. It really allows us to play with them and see which product works best, which specific dose is going to work best for that individual.”

Those who want to use the medical marijuana products must get certification from their doctor that they have one of the conditions that allows them to buy the products. Wilson says the decisions on dosing will be done by the staff at the dispensaries in consultation with the patients. “Once the physician certifies that they have that condition it’s going to be really up to the patient consultants to determine that treatment plan,” Wilson explains. “That’s why we are going to make sure that our patient consultants at Medpharm are very well versed in all of this. We want them to take out as much of the trial and error as possible.”

They have had concerns from some patients who have been having trouble finding a doctor to certify their condition.Wilson says this is an issue that has raised the most concern and confusion among doctors. “Doctors are never prescribing this — all they are doing is certifying that the patient has this qualifying condition. And I think that is why a lot of doctors get hung up,” Wilson says.

Wilson also gave an expected price range for the four products. The tinctures are expected to range from 50 to 150 dollars; the capsules from 30 to 130 dollars; the creams 65 to 85 dollars. They will also offer a trial pack of capsules that will range from ten to 25 dollars.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Fred Hubbell met for an often combative debate in Sioux City last (Wednesday) night. The hour-long forum featured strict time limits for the candidates’ answers to moderator’s questions, but about halfway through the two veered off topic in this sharp exchange. “You know, Fred, he promises everybody everything. I’m not sure how he’s going to fund it. We have a limited budget. We have to live within our means and just telling everybody that asks that you’re going to give them more money isn’t the answer,” Reynolds said. Hubbell replied: “I’m promising to stop throwing money out the window with those wasteful corporate tax give-aways every year. That’s over $100 million that the governor is just throwing out the window and getting very little value back. That’s a lot of money that we could use.”

Hubbell, a Des Moines businessman, is seeking elected office for the first time. “I want to be much more fiscally responsible and go through every line item in that budget,” Hubbell said. “We shouldn’t raise taxes until we can prove to the taxpayer we’re spending their money wisely.”

Reynolds has been governor for the past 16 months and is seeking election to a full, four-year term. “Our budget is balanced and we have $127 million surplus,” she said. “Our cash reserves are full.” Hubbell suggested businesses are looking for a more stability in the state budget. “We’ve had a budget that’s like a yoyo,” Hubbell said. “A few years ago, the governor had a $900 million surplus…She borrowed $195 million from the reserve funds. She’s had two years in a row of massive budget cuts in the middle of the year and now she’s got a surplus she cannot explain.”

Reynolds stressed the status of the Iowa economy. “Unemployment is at 2.5 percent, Fred. We’re seeing our economy grow and we’re seeing wages increase,” Reynolds said. “The last three quarters we’ve seen wage growth.” Reynolds then criticized Hubbell for allowing businesses he’s been associated with accept state tax credits. “The hypocrisy that’s coming from Fred Hubbell is ridiculous,” she said. “He has been taking advantage of these tax credits for four decades…and when he wasn’t taking advantage of them, he was handing them out, taxpayer dollars, to companies that he was personally invested in and he didn’t recuse himself.”

That’s a reference to Hubbell’s service on the Iowa Power Fund board that gave Pioneer DuPont a grant for an ethanol plant. “I followed all the rules of state disclosure. I followed all the rules of our state ethics committee, properly disclosed, and I did everything according to the rules,” he said, “just like the governor claims she did when she took all those airplane flights from companies she gave money to and people who contributed to her campaign.”

That’s a reference to Reynolds accepting rides on private planes owned by campaign contributors and a state contractor. The debate was sponsored and broadcast by K-T-I-V in Sioux City, K-W-W-L in Mason City and K-T-T-C in Rochester, Minnesota. The two candidates are scheduled to debate a third and final time on live T-V this Sunday morning, starting at 8 a.m.

Debate extras: The candidates each accused the other of “extreme” views on abortion. Reynolds started the exchange. “I am proud to be pro-life. I have said I will never stop fighting for the unborn,” Reynolds said. “…What Iowans don’t agree with is Fred’s position where taxpayer dollars go to pay late-term abortions, abortion-on-demand and partial-birth abortions.”

Hubbell responded.”I am an unabashed supporter of Roe v Wade and I have been for a long time,” Hubbell said. “But at the same time I don’t support those other procedures the governor’s talking about and she knows that. She’s just willing to say almost anything to try to get elected, even though they’re misleading statements.”
In response to a moderator’s question, the two quarreled about allegations of a toxic work culture in state government. “It was going on, as we know now, while the governor was a state senator,” Hubbell said. “It’s been going on the whole time she’s been lieutenant governor and governor…and it hasn’t gotten any better.” Reynolds shot back, citing her immediate firing of a state official accused of sexually harassing employees. Reynolds then faulted Hubbell for failing to get Democratic state Senator Nate Boulton to resign after women accused Boulton of inappropriate sexual conduct.

“I’m not going to be lectured by a guy about sexual harassment,” the governor said. “I didn’t see you doing anything….Boulton is still serving as a state senator. Lack of action.”

(Radio Iowa) — It’s political debate season in Iowa. Half a dozen debates among candidates for governor and congress have been held already. The final debate between Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Fred Hubbell will be held early this Sunday morning. There will be no debate, however, featuring candidates in Iowa’s fourth congressional district. Republican Congressman Steve King of Kiron says a debate is unnecessary. “Nobody comes to me and says: ‘I don’t know where you stand on an issue,'” King says. “Everybody’s known where I’ve been from all the years I’ve served in congress.”

King is seeking a ninth term in the U.S. House. He last debated a General Election opponent in 2012 when he faced former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack. J.D. Scholten, a Democrat from Sioux City, is challenging King this year. Scholten says debates are about holding candidates accountable. “He’s been to Austria five out of the last six years on the taxpayers’ dime,” Scholten says. “I want to know why. It’s not like we’re finding trade routes to Austria because of it.”

Scholten is holding town hall meetings in each of the 39 counties in the district.  “My race isn’t against him. My race is to fight and work for the people of this district and I think that’s why we’re becoming more and more popular,” Scholten says. “…I’m not there just calling him names, but he should be held accountable.”

Scholten says you can’t fake showing up and King has stopped holding town hall meetings in the district. “By all accounts we see, he’s just running scared,” Scholten says. King says he speaks with thousands of people in “tele-town hall” meetings and meets face-to-face with constituents, but stopped doing public town hall meetings in the district because they’ve turned into a forum for protesters.  “I think people know where I stand. We’re going to continue with our campaign,” King says. “It’s up to him to continue with his.”

Scholten launched his campaign 15 months ago and has out-raised King in each quarter. Over the last three months, Scholten raised 661-thousand dollars. That’s four times as much as King raised during the same period for his reelection.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa-based electric and natural gas utility has snagged the naming rights to a proposed West Des Moines indoor sports complex. The Des Moines Register reports that the complex will be known as the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, thanks to a $5 million pledge from the company. The massive complex will feature two ice rinks, three indoor soccer fields, three indoor basketball courts, six volleyball courts, and five outdoor soccer fields.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Someone could match all six numbers and win the Mega Millions jackpot, which is now at $900 million, as soon as Friday night when the next drawing is held. And it could happen despite terrible odds:  one in 302.5 million. Lottery officials have advice for whoever holds the prized lottery ticket. They recommend winners put their winning ticket in a safe spot and consult with a financial planner before showing up at lottery headquarters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot is now up to $900 million. Lottery officials raised the estimated prize Wednesday, less than a day after another drawing without a winner increased the prize to $868 million. Officials say no tickets matched all six numbers to claim the Mega Millions prize Tuesday night. The numbers were 3, 45, 49, 61, 69 and Mega Ball 9. The next drawing will be Friday. The estimated jackpot for that drawing would be the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Grundy County has settled for $500,000 a lawsuit that says a man who died after tying a bedsheet around his neck was left hanging for 13 minutes while a jailer stood outside. The lawsuit by relatives of Jared Slinker says any chance for lifesaving efforts was delayed because the county staffed just one employee to work as both communications dispatcher and jail supervisor. The lawsuit says safety rules prohibited the employee from entering Slinker’s cell until another employee arrived.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports 34-year old Casey Dean Freemyer, Jr., of Tabor, was arrested this (Wednesday) morning at around 7:50, after deputies with the Fremont County K9 Unit observed Freemyer in the 700 block of Main Street in Tabor.  Freemyer had an active Fremont County warrant for his arrest for Theft 2^nd, a Class D Felony.

In August of 2018 the Tabor Police Department received a call of a suspicious disassembled vehicle located at a residence in Tabor.  The vehicle was found to be reported stolen out of Council Bluffs, Iowa and an investigation led to a warrant being issued for Freemyer by the Tabor Police Department.

Freemyer is being held on a $5,000 cash bond at the Fremont County Jail.

Freemyer

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said today (Wednesday), the body of a man missing since Oct. 16th was found in a creek. Authorities say at around 8:15-a.m., Officers Blake Westerhold and Trevor Mass located the body of 37-year old Justin Wright, of Glenwood.

His body was found in the Tinkle Branch Creek, by the City Maintenance yards, between S. Locust Street and Nuckolls Street. The cause of death remains under investigation.

A Shelby County man appeared this (Wednesday) morning in the Douglas County, NE., court and was formally charged in connection with a fatal weekend crash. 28-year old Tony Kenkel, of Earling, was charged with motor vehicle homicide and driving under the influence. The charges were combined, meaning if Kenkel is found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 23 years in prison. Bond was set at $100,000. Kenkel’s preliminary hearing is set for November 14th at 9 am.

The crash happened at around 7:30-p.m. Saturday, near Bennington, NE. Authorities said Kenkel was driving a pickup that crossed the median on Highway 36 near Lake Cunningham Road, and struck a car occupied by 21-year old Joseph Daniels, and 21-year old Thomas Griese, both of Council Bluffs.

Daniels died at the scene of the crash. Griese suffered from serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Investigators said Kenkel had been drinking.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot is now up to $900 million. Lottery officials raised the estimated prize Wednesday, less than a day after another drawing without a winner increased the prize to $868 million. Officials say no tickets matched all six numbers to claim the Mega Millions prize Tuesday night. The numbers were 3, 45, 49, 61, 69 and Mega Ball 9. The next drawing will be Friday. The estimated jackpot for that drawing would be the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

The largest lottery jackpot was a $1.6 billion Powerball prize won in January 2016. The jackpot has been growing since July, when some California office workers won $543 million.
The odds of winning the jackpot aren’t good, at one in 302.5 million. Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Elkhart Plastics, Inc. (EPI) has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of The Plastic Professionals (P2) and Connect-A-Dock (CAD), both located in Atlantic.  The divisions are subsidiaries of Owner Revolution, Inc., located in Adair. Officials said in a press release, that the transaction is expected to finalize within the next 30 days. EPI will then take ownership of Plastic Professionals and Connect-a-Dock.  Plastic Professionals is a 15-year-old custom rotational molder that primarily serves the marine recreation and point of purchase industries. CAD currently manufactures molded components for Connect-A-Dock, which was founded in 1995 and supplies modular floating docks and PWC docks to dealers across the U.S.

EPI CEO Jack Welter said in the news release, that “We’re excited that this acquisition will allow us to increase our U.S. footprint and give EPI greater capacity. We’re looking forward to increasing service to current and future customers with an additional manufacturing location.” EPI corporate headquarters are located in South Bend, Ind. Additional locations include Elkhart, Ind.; Littleton, Colo.; Middlebury, Ind.; and Ridgefield, Wash. Welter says EPI plans to transfer products to P2 from some of the current locations to better serve existing customers. Plastic Professionals has 10 rotational molding machines.

EPI creates rotationally-molded products in an almost endless variety of shapes, lengths, and thicknesses out of its factories. The company provides custom designs for clients in industries including recreational vehicles, marine, agriculture, commercial construction equipment, heavy truck equipment, material handling, and more. EPI also manufacturers Tuff Stack™ and Tuff Cube™ Intermediate Bulk Containers and KONG Coolers.

In April, 2017, Owner Revolution announced a permanent lay-off of employees at their Atlantic location. Reports at the time indicated the staff changes were due to the loss of a major contract with a company that produces portable coolers and drink wear.

The Cass County Democratic Party is once again asking for your donations for their food drive to benefit Cass County residents. Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle says “This will be our third consecutive food drive; however, we have had others in the past but just not in consecutive years. The Cass County community has been generous in their outpouring of support for our less advantaged citizens. I hope that they will continue to support this cause.”

Food donations as well as donations of paper goods and personal care items can be taken to the Cass County Democratic Party Headquarters at 511 Chestnut in Atlantic through November 8th. Toelle hopes to have drop boxes placed in other towns; questions can be directed to the HQ at 712-243-8683 (243-VOTE).