(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board is now taking Pre-orders for the CCCB’s Native Plant Sale.  The order form and payment will be DUE April 30th 2025 at 4-p.m. Forms can be found online https://www.casscountyia.gov/county-departments/conservation-office/

Native Local Eco-type live Plants will be sold. Live plants from nursery will come as small plugs; cells are 5” deep x 2” wide at top, or 4.5”deep x 2” Cone.

Two species of Native grass, and 11 Native Forbs are being offered, including many that benefit Pollinators.! New this year: Rough Blazing Star and Pale Purple Coneflower.

All orders must be picked up during designated times at the Conservation office in Lewis, unless prior arrangements are made. Designated pick up times will be: Thursday May 25th 8 AM-6 PM OR Friday May 26th 8AM-7PM.

Plants not picked up will be donated with NO REFUND.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports two separate arrests. On Tuesday (April 8th), Nicholas Jenkins, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, and driving under suspension. His bond was set at $2,000. And, on Wednesday (April 9th), Kayla Yale, of Glenwood, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance/marijuana-2nd offense. She was released on bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A Cass County man faces Felony 1^st Degree Murder and Child Endangerment resulting in death charges, following an investigation into an incident that took place January 4^th, in Atlantic. According to reports, 25-year-old Corbin Michael Loudermilk, of Atlantic, was transferred from Scott County where he was being held, to Cass County. Loudermilk appeared in Cass County District Court April 8^th after charges were filed him last Friday (April 4^th). The Magistrate determined there probable cause to keep him in jail, with bond set at $1-million.

According to the criminal complaint filed January 4^th, a one-month child suffered from head injuries that caused brain swelling and hemorrhaging, as well as hemorrhages to their retinas. The child was taken to Children’s Hospital in Omaha where doctors there stated that the injuries were consistent with head trauma from a possible impact and possibly shaking. The child died two-days later.

During autopsy by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny, natural and accidental causes of death were ruled out. The cause of death was listed as Cerebrospinal trauma, with the manner of death listed as homicide.

According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 4, Loudermilk was sleeping with the child in a bassinet next to him. The documents allege when the child was checked on a little while later, she was unresponsive.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled on April 17 at 2 p.m. at the Cass County Courthouse. Loudermilk was previously charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana- 1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His preliminary hearing on the Controlled Substance charge was set at April 24th.

(Radio Iowa) – A slate of bills advancing in the Iowa House would eliminate the state sales tax on everyday items like toilet paper and laundry detergent and extend a state tax credit for child care expenses to all Iowa households. House Speaker Pat Grassley is the lead sponsor on these bills and began talking about these moves in January during an appearance on Iowa P-B-S. “What we hear on the campaign trail — the impact that inflation’s having on Iowans and at the state level, we don’t affect monetary policy at the federal level, so what can we control and that’s taxing of items we feel is the quickest way to provide relief,” Grassley said. Republican Representative Christian Hermanson of Mason City has been picked to lead debate on the bill to eliminate the state sales tax on laundry detergent.

House Speaker Pat Grassley (official photo)

“I think every little bit where the state can lean in and reduce the burden of sales tax on a family, on daily necessities like toilet paper or…just detergent in general is probably a good thing,” Hermanson said. This slate of proposals is a priority for House Republicans and were approved by subcommittees early this (Wednesday) morning. “I believe good tax policy is always a priority in the legislature,” Hermanson says. “What our Senate colleagues on the other side of the rotunda do is anybody’s guess.” Republican Representative Craig Johnson of Independence is on the subcommittee that advanced a bill to eliminate the tax on vitamins and nutritional supplements. “Anything that comes to tax reduction should be reviewed and looked at and this is just one step of many that we’ve got going on this session,” Johnson said.

Another bill advancing in the House expands the state tax credit for child care expenses to all families. Under current law, it’s limited to households with an annual income of 35-thousand dollars or less.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors met this (Wednesday) morning, in a regular weekly session. During their meeting the Board authorized Chairman Nathan Baier to sign a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Adair County. They learned from County Recorder Kelly Mitchell that her office will be closed next Thursday, April 17^th, for training purposes. The Board received an update from Environmental Health Director Jotham Arber for the months of February and March. He mentioned thanks to the decent weather, he and his staff are able to get out and conduction peculation (Perc) tests for septic systems, the waiting list for which has been growing.

He said also, they’ll be rolling out marketing information with regard to well water testing and chlorination.

And they held a public hearing with regard to the FY26 Adair County Budget. Following the hearing – during which there were no comments – the Adair County Supervisors passed a FY26 Compensation and a Resolution approving the FY 26 Budget, both as published. They also passed a Resolution pertaining to the Southern Iowa Council Of Governments (SICOG). In other business, Adair County Attorney Melissa Larson and others appeared before the Board to discuss the termination of easements for PL566 Structures. Larson explained Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) was established in 1968 for the Three-mile Creek Watershed Project. The MOU – which was amended in 1995 – was signed by the Board of Supervisors, the Adair County Soil and Conservation District, DNR and four landowners.

All sides must be in agreement in order to terminate the MOU. The Supervisors voted to continue with the process of terminating the agreement. After the Board authorized Chairman Baier to sign the front page of the plans for FY 26 Pavement Marking and approved a Performance Bond and Contract for the W1 Lee (Township) Bridge Replacement Project, they heard a regular weekly report from County Engineer Nick Kauffman, on maintenance and activities, which includes bridge inspections.

And, County Conservation Director Dominic Johnson provided an update to the Board on Adair County Conservation Department activities. He said the parks remain open. Johnson said the campgrounds are open, but the shower houses are currently closed.

The official word on when the shower houses are open will be posted on their Facebook page. And, the Adair County Supervisors agreed to set a public hearing with regard to the replacement/relocation of anhydrous ammonia tanks at the Agriland FS location at Canby, as April 23^rd, beginning at 9:05-a.m., during the Supervisor’s meeting.

(Radio Iowa) – Leaders in Sioux City may reconsider a plan which drastically reduced the budget for the local human rights commission. The city council slashed the panel’s budget in February by 140-thousand dollars, more than a third. During this week’s meeting, supporters of the Sioux City Human Rights Commission packed the council chambers. Dan Moore is the mayor pro tem and one of two council members who support fully funding the commission.

Moore says, “It’s an essential service and I voted against the cut, and I would vote against it again.” Many residents spoke out at the hearing in favor of restoring funding to the commission, which helps to enforce anti-discrimination laws. Mike Goodman was among the backers. “It is critical that we have proper local support for the rights of our citizens,” Goodman says. “We’re a diverse community. We value equity, diversity and inclusion, and I’m proud to say that.”

The council voted to decide next Monday on whether to reinstate the budget for next fiscal year. The panel’s chair says if the money isn’t reinstated, staff hours will be cut, and some of the most vulnerable in the community will suffer.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 3 Office says if you travel on westbound U.S. 20 and use the ramp to reach southbound Interstate 29 at Sioux City, you need to be aware of upcoming repair work that may slow down your trip. Beginning at 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, weather permitting, crews will close the ramp from westbound U.S. 20 to southbound I-29 so repairs can be made to the guardrail. When the ramp is closed, westbound U.S. 20 traffic will be instructed to travel north on I-29 to the Floyd Boulevard exit to enter I-29 south.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

The latest traveler information is available anytime through the 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or X (find links at https://iowadot.gov/511/511-social-media-sites); or download the free app to your mobile device.

(Des Moines, Iowa — An employee who suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the new federal courthouse in Des Moines, Tuesday, has died. WHO-TV reports that at around 8:30-a.m., Tuesday Des Moines Police responded to a report of a shooting at the new courthouse located at 111 Locust Street. According to police, the victim was an employee at the courthouse and suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The United States District Court Southern District of Iowa announced Tuesday afternoon that despite life-saving measures being taken the employee died from his injuries at the hospital. The employee has been identified as United States Probation Officer Dan Velasco.

The United States District Court Southern District of Iowa released a statement about the shooting, which reads in part:

Dan joined our United States Probation Office nine years ago. He was a valued member of our court family. Our hearts go out to his family and friends in the wake of this tragedy.

Our court family is deeply impacted by Dan’s loss. We are processing the event and grieving together. We ask for time and space as we process this event.

United States District Court Southern District of Iowa

The shooting remains under investigation and no additional information has been released.

(Radio Iowa) – Spring is spawning season and Iowa’s fish hatcheries are working to grow the fish to fill lakes across the state. Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery Manager Kim Hawkins says they were very successful in collecting the northern pike needed this year. “Within one night, we had over 130 fish in one net, so we caught plenty,” she says. Hawkins says it took them six nights last year to catch the same number of fish. The extract the eggs from the females and fertilize them with the males and then wait for them to hatch. “We warm the incubator water up to about 50 degrees so with these northern pike since they usually spawn in shallow sloughs or shallow lakes and those types of areas with that water nice and warm in those sections it only takes about 13 to 15 days for them to hatch,” Hawkins says. Other species are grown in the hatchery and then released, but not the pike.

A Northern Pike at the Spirit Lake Hatchery. (IA DNR photo)

“We don’t raise them past hatch, so once they are sac fry, when they first hatch out of their eggs, we will distribute them into the waters that we had fish requested,” she explains. “And most of those are shallow lakes, either they’re brand new renovated shallow lakes or some that are just newly renovated a few years ago. So, that’s were most of these fish go for the year.” Spirit Lake also handles walleyes and muskies. “Our walleyes will go in about 30 different lakes and impoundments, and we are only one of two hatcheries in Iowa that do the walleye fry,” Hawkins says. “So, Rathbun Hatchery also takes care of the southern and eastern portion of the state, so they have another stocking list to do. Muskies are our priority for up in this hatchery, we are the ones who produce those for Iowa.”

Hawkins says the Spirit Lake Hatchery is open to the public starting Thursday (April 10) from 8 a-m to 8 p-m seven days a week until the netting is completed for the walleyes and muskies.

(Radio Iowa) – Farm commodity groups are calling on the Trump administration to negotiate with trade partners and find new markets amid escalating tariffs and retaliation. The president imposed steep tariffs last week on products from dozens of nations, while he put tariffs on Mexico and Canada earlier this year, the largest importers of corn and ethanol, respectively. Stu Swanson, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, calls the new tariffs “disappointing but not unexpected.”

Swanson says, “Now, with widespread tariffs announced on lots of countries, including some of the ones that we see as emerging markets, the concern raises again.” The association is encouraging President Trump to support more domestic uses of corn, like bio-based chemicals and fabrics, and by allowing E-15 to be sold nationwide, year-round. Export markets consume roughly half of U-S soybeans, more than a quarter of pork products, and around 15 percent of the country’s corn production. Swanson says the U-S exported nearly five-billion bushels of corn and value-added corn products last year, and he says the administration’s new tariffs come on top of low commodity prices and high input costs.

“We see tariffs impact us as farmers and the economy and finances on the farm,” he says, “but it also relates heavily to rural Iowa and the communities that we live in.” A downturn in the farm economy has contributed to recent layoffs of hundreds of workers at Corteva, John Deere, Firestone and Cargill. The American Soybean Association is urging the administration to quickly negotiate with impacted countries, including China, the largest importer of American soybeans.