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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)- State Climatologist Justin Glisan says March was warmer and wetter than normal, including one distinction for this year.”The first month that we’ve seen above average precipitation.” he says. Glisan says the weather pattern for March sent us three big storm events. “March 5th blizzard. March 14th a severe weather outbreak, and then another blizzard on the18th to the 19th,” he says. Glisan says there was a big disparity in precipitation across the state.
“The driest part was southwestern Iowa, 70 percent of normal. But then you go to central to north-central Iowa, upwards of 180 percent of normal, almost double what we would expect in March,” Glisan says. “So looking at the average about two-point-six (2.6) inches across the state, that’s almost six to seven tenths above where we should be, which is great news in terms of seeing drought conditions pulled back.” Glisten says part of the March precipitation was above average snowfall in northern and western Iowa after an earlier lack of snow.
“March acted more like winter than winter time did in December, January and February,” he says. Glisan says there was some warm weather between the storms. “Many parts of the state were in the top 15th warmest on record for March. Statewide, we’re about six degrees above average,” he says.
Glisan says February was about two inches below average for snowfall on top of December, January and February were combined about 13 inches below average.
(Radio Iowa) – The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services has placed all 70 members of its staff on administrative leave and the leaders of Iowa organizations fear how it will affect their funding. The agency allotted the State Library of Iowa more than ten-million dollars in the past five years for various projects, including technology and resources. The Dubuque Museum of Art was awarded nearly 75-thousand dollars last year to hire and train staff and facilitate school visits. Because the money is reimbursed, executive director Gary Stoppelman says they may now be stuck with the bill.
“We’ve made the hire,” Stoppelman says, “we were about to begin the training, and we will not be able to submit those invoices because there’s no one to process them.” Stoppelman says the museum relies on the agency for a significant portion of its annual funding. “What IMLS provides to the Dubuque Museum of Art and to our community is literally jobs and educational experiences,” he says. President Trump issued an executive order last month to dismantle seven federal agencies, including the I-M-L-S.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Sunnyside Pool Manager Chelsie Rush has released updated information with regard to the 2025 Season at the Sunnyside Pool in Atlantic. Rush says “Exciting changes are coming to Sunnyside Pool this season! From new hours to expanded amenities,” here’s everything you need to know for a summer of fun!
This season, Sunnyside is introducing some new features to enhance user’s pool experience. With the splash pad opening next to the pool, the concession stand will now serve both pool guests inside the gated area and splash pad visitors outside the pool fence, making it easier for everyone to enjoy food and refreshments. There will also be fun new seating, new events, toddler time with the library, merchandise shop, member specials and more. 
New hours for the 2025 season will be:
As pool management gears-up for another fantastic summer, they are pleased to offer our first Membership Special as a THANK YOU for preparing to hang out with the staff this summer. Purchase an individual or group season pass in the month of April and receive an exclusive Splash Pack—a poolside bag filled with summer must-haves! These will be available for pick up upon your first check in at Sunnyside Pool. Don’t miss out on this limited-time bonus!
Season passes grant entry all season long and can be purchased through the following convenient methods:
Online: Pay securely with a credit or debit card by visiting https://forms.gle/joFztRbAFUKJaR9v9 Complete the form and pay within the form.
In Person: Visit the YMCA or Sunnyside Pool to purchase your pass with cash, check, or card. Please note that cash and check purchases must be made at the YMCA until Sunnyside Pool is open.
Cost of passes and pool entry are as follows:
Sunnyside Pool is under the management of the YMCA aquatics team. Question can be directed to Allison at 243 – 3934 or aknoxwestmeyer@nishnavalleyymca.com or atlanticsunnysidepool@gmail.com
The Atlantic Police Department will provide heightened presence at the ACSD buildings for the rest of the week. The Atlantic Police Department worked alongside the Atlantic Community School District during the investigation. We have also made contact with the Iowa Governor’s School Safety Bureau in regards to the incident.(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed the bill that will make it illegal to handle a smart phone while driving, starting July 1st. “Thirty states across the country have passed hands-free legislation and today Iowa becomes the 31st and I’m grateful because this legislation will save lives,” Reynolds said during a bill signing ceremony in her office at the Iowa Capitol. Reynolds was surrounded by dozens of people, including the families of Iowans who have died in accidents caused by distracted drivers. “It’s especially meaningful that we’re gathered on this day, April 2. Exactly two years ago, Roland Taylor was killed by a distracted driver and of the nine minutes the driver was in the car, he spent seven on his phone,” she said. “Roland should be in here today and although we grieve his absence, I’m honored to sign the ‘Hands Free’ bill into law in his memory and we do the same for every Iowan killed due to distracted driving.”
Roland Taylor of Terril was driving an antique tractor on Highway 71 in Clay County when his tractor was hit from behind and he was thrown into a ditch. Governor Reynolds called Taylor’s daughter, Angie Smith, last week when the bill finally passed the Iowa House. “Dad was always about giving and if this saves one life, he would have been so proud,” Smith said Wednesday. Smith spoke with reporters after the bill signing ceremony. “We’ve met other families here today that have gone through this and if it can save one life or…even to have a little bit of justice to those people that caused these accidents, I think that’s very important.”
Nina Todd of Shenandoah has been lobbying for this law since being critically injured in an accident in late 2010. “We were heading home to put up Christmas stuff and everything a girl that was speeding, passing on a hill and text driving hit me head-on and both my sons, age 5 and 4, passed away,” she told Radio Iowa. “I was injured (and) life flighted to Omaha and unfortunately I did not get to attend my kids’ funeral.” Todd held photos of her sons in her arms during the bill signing ceremony and she asked the governor to sign the photos. “I’ve gone to Washington, D.C. and traveled around talking and trying to spread the word, just trying to get this passed in multiple states and it feels great to have it passed in my home state finally because this year is very special because my youngest would be graduating from CAM high school,” Todd said, pausing before adding, “so it’s very, very special to me right now.”
Governor Kim Reynolds held a bill signing ceremony for the so-called ‘Hands free’ law in her Capitol office on April 2, 2025. (RI photo)
Peter Bengston’s 28-year-old daughter, Ellen, was on a Sunday afternoon bicycle ride just outside Charles City on August 2, 2020, when she was struck and killed by a distracted driver. “The guy that mowed her down in his pickup truck was trying to buy a boat while reading social media and never saw what he hit and literally on camera admitted that he was using his phone, had to turn around and found her body in the ditch,” Bengsten said, “and my wife and I have been advocating and trying to improve the law.” A judge threw out the vehicular homicide charge filed in this case because the prosecutor was unable to prove the driver was touching his phone when he hit Bengston. Peter Benston told reporters it’s been frustrating that it took lawmakers so long to pass this law. “This year when we got confirmation that it had been passed by the House, my wife and I were ecstatic. We were in tears, we just embraced each other — in a good way,” Benston said. “The last few years it was kind of the opposite, right?…Why can’t they see this common sense law will save lives in Iowa?”
Governor Kim Reynolds said data from neighboring states shows making it illegal to handle a cell phone while driving will reduce accidents. “Minnesota saw a 31% reduction in crashes in year one and a 25% in the second year,” Reynolds said. Likewise, Illinois saw a 22% reduction in crashes in the first year and 6% in the second years.” Reynolds also cited a recent study indicating a 10% reduction in distracted driving in Iowa will prevent over 12-hundred crashes, 700 injuries and six deaths. Starting July 1, Iowa law enforcement officers may begin giving warnings to motorists caught illegally handling a phone while driving. Then, starting January 1, 2026, those who violate the law will be fined $100.
(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Supreme Court Justice Mark McCormick died Sunday at the age of 82. McCormick was a Fort Dodge native who served on the Supreme Court from 1972 until returning to private practice in 1986. McCormick entered private practice from 1961 to 1968 and was an assistant Webster County Attorney before being appointed a district court judge and later the Iowa Supreme Court. McCormick narrowly lost the Democratic primary for governor in 1998 to Tom Vilsack, who went on to win the general election.
Former IASUPCO Justice Mark McCormick (Iowa Courts.gov)
Chief Justice Susan Christensen says McCormick was a friend of her dad, who was also a judge, and says “His keen intellect, steady wisdom, and generous spirit left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of knowing him.”
(Des Moines, IA) – The state could not take a person out of consideration for becoming a foster or adoptive parent based on their “sincerely held moral and religious beliefs” on gender identity and sexual orientation under a bill passed by a House subcommittee Wednesday. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, while supporters of Senate File 473 said the measure would increase Iowa’s pool of prospective parents, others said the measure could put LGBTQ+ youth and families at risk for discrimination. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services could not require a prospective foster or adoptive parent to accept policies that conflict with their moral and religious beliefs related to LGBTQ+ people in order to be eligible for licensing or to be an individual child’s caretaker.
The bill also states a person cannot be precluded as a choice for becoming a child’s foster or adoptive parent based on their beliefs including factors like “the person’s intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child in a manner consistent with the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.” Matthew Tate-Smith, the parent of four adopted children and foster parent of 14 children alongside his partner, said families like his could face discrimination in the foster and adoption placement process for their gender identity or sexual orientation. But he said more importantly, the bill could put children in this system at risk. “What’s especially alarming is that this bill could place LGBTQ foster kids with prospective parents who might want to engage in the debunked practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’” Tate-Smith said. “… These kids deserve supportive and affirming homes and families that will welcome them with open arms, instead of attempting to fundamentally change who they are. Simply put, this is not in the best interest of foster children.”
(Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
“Conversion therapy,” sometimes referred to as “reparative therapy,” are practices that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. Medical organizations have overwhelmingly found that these practices are unscientific and are not recommended for children’s behavioral health treatment, and a 2020 study in the American Journal of Public Health found LGBTQ+ youth who were subject to conversion therapy were more likely to attempt suicide. But advocates in favor of the bill said that the measure was needed to ensure that families with religious beliefs that do not affirm LGBTQ+ identities are not excluded from the pool of adoptive and foster parent applicants.
Lance Kinzer with the 1st Amendment Partnership, a religious rights organization, said the measure was needed in light of policies in other states like Oregon where a prospective parent was denied certification after stating her religious beliefs would prevent her from they affirming a child’s gender identity or sexual orientation if they are transgender or attracted to the same gender. Kinzer noted the Iowa legislation would still allow the department to take into account the “sincerely held moral and religious beliefs” related to LGBTQ+ identities of the child and their family of origin when determining the best placement for the child.
The bill moved forward with support from Reps. Steven Holt, R-Denison, and Craig Williams, R-Manning. Holt reiterated the bill would take into consideration the beliefs of the child and family of origin when making a foster or adoptive care placement. Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, opposed the bill, saying that it was essential for children to be placed with families that will provide support regardless of their identity.
The bill, which passed the Iowa Senate 35-14, moves to the House Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Senate has confirmed Iowa native Matt Whitaker as U-S Ambassador to NATO. Whitaker is a former federal prosecutor and he served as acting U-S Attorney General during President Trump’s first administration. Senator Joni Ernst says Whitaker’s experience has prepared him for an important aspect of the job. “Over the last few years during exchanges with NATO allies a consistent theme emerged: the need for American leadership,” Ernst said, “a willingness to speak hard truths and encourage our partners to step up.” Ernst says Whitaker will be an effective advocate of Trump’s peace through strength approach to national security.
“He understand the evolving threats our nation and our allies face from terrorism to cyber warfare to transnational crime,” Ernst said. “His experiences navigating complex security challenges will make him an asset to NATO and a force for strengthening our alliances.” Ernst and Whitaker were competitors for the Republican Party’s 2014 nomination for the U-S Senate. Ernst, who won Iowa’s senate seat that year, says the two have developed a strong friendship in the past decade and that shows his character.
Senator Joni Ernst and Matt Whitaker. (photo from Senator Ernst’s office)
“Matt has supported me in countless ways,” Ernst said, “offering wise counsel and keen insight on the issues facing our state, nation and world today.” In January, President Trump said Whitaker is a strong warrior and true patriot who, as U-S Ambassador to NATO, will ensure the interests of the United States are advanced and preserved. Whitaker’s nomination was approved by the U-S Senate on a 52-to-45 vote.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman reports, that under the “Authority of the Fire Chiefs [in the County], the Open Burn Ban for Montgomery County is now lifted.”
The ban had been put into place on February 28th, due to windy conditions, combined with tinder vegetation and low humidity, that created a situation where any fires that would start, could spread rapidly, endangering life and property. There were in fact numerous grass and field fires in late February and throughout the month of March, in Montgomery County. 
Again, the Burn Ban is no longer in effect. A Burn Ban for Pottawattamie County that had been in effect since March 18th, was lifted April 1st. As of April 2nd, bans on open burning remain in effect for: Adair; Audubon; Guthrie; Mills; Page and Union Counties. (UPDATE: The Mills and Page County burn bans were lifted effective immediately today – April 2nd)
(Radio Iowa) – April is Prevent Child Abuse Awareness Month and it’s focused on making Iowa a safer place where children can thrive. Sharon Miller is executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, based in Des Moines. “This year’s theme is powered by hope and strengthened by prevention,” Miller says. “It’s really around what we can do to encourage prevention and support those parents and caregivers that are facing some challenges that might make some choices that they normally wouldn’t make if they weren’t under some stress.”
The newest figures for Iowa indicate the reported number of suspected child abuse cases held steady last year, compared to the year before. “Our number-one case of child abuse is actually neglect, and roughly 60% of all child abuse cases in Iowa are neglect, which is classified as denial of critical care,” Miller says. “That could be lack of food, lack of shelter, lack of resources, lack of secure housing, things like that.” The agency’s annual Prevent Child Abuse Conference is scheduled for April 29th and 30th in Ankeny. “What we really want to do is empower and uplift individuals that are home visitors, prevention workers, social workers, librarians, school professionals that work with families, day in and day out,” Miller says. “Sometimes that work is overwhelming, and this gives us an opportunity to create and learn new skills, but also to lean on each other.” 
Prevent Child Abuse Iowa is marking its 50th anniversary this year with a special event scheduled for June in Ames. Learn more about that at the website — pcaiowa.org.
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