(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) today (Friday) released the results of an investigation into circumstances surrounding Jacob Holmes, a former Page County Supervisor, and his three children, who were let into the Page County Courthouse by Auditor Cindy VanFosson, after ordinary business hours, on January 20th (2025).

After learning of former supervisor Holmes’ entry into the courthouse and auditor’s office, the Page County Board of Supervisors called for a special investigation to determine why Holmes was entering the courthouse, and what he was during there while absentee ballots were being collected for a special election for county auditor.

The DCI investigation found that Supervisor Holmes went to the auditor’s office to sign Board of Supervisor’s Minutes from the time period he was chair of the board of supervisors and that all election ballots, both unused and used, met the safety checks required by the Iowa Secretary of State.

The investigation concluded that there was no inappropriate handling of the special election process by the employees of the Page County Auditor’s Office or by former supervisor Holmes.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn says a new series of tariffs announced by President Trump sends wake-up signal to the world that the U-S is not going to be taken advantage of anymore.  “When we keep our barriers on entry into the U-S market low–so it means they can sell–but foreign partners and adversaries have steadily increased their tariffs over the last 20 years, really, and make it very difficult, bleeding money out of the United States and other economies, while none of that comes back in, and our products are not allowed to be sold overseas,” Nunn says. The stock market plunged to its lowest levels Thursday since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 following the implementation of the tariffs.

Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn (R-Bondurant) (official photo)

Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant, says the market will work itself out. “We’ll see some challenges on the stock market,” he says. “but, I’ve always said, I’d rather have this battle today with countries like China–where I serve on the China Select Committee, and I’ve seen what they’re doing–have this battle today with them on trade, versus ten years now when they control all of the export markets.” Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is proposing a bill that would require Congress to approve new tariffs. Nunn supports similar legislation in the House. ” I think Senator Grassley has been around the block enough times. He knows what he’s talking about here when it comes to Congress’ role in looking at trade exports and doing their due diligence. So, for that matter, I’m fully in favor of oversight of tariffs,” Nunn says.

Countries like China and Canada have already announced retaliatory measures against the U-S tariffs.

(Radio Iowa) – An ambitious new bicycle trail is proposed for northwest Iowa that would span five counties, following the Highway 71 corridor. The Iowa Great Lakes Connection Five-County Trail would complete a bike trail from Spirit Lake to Carroll through Dickinson, Clay, Buena Vista, Sac, and Carroll counties. Group organizer Kathy Fueston says trail supporters met last month in Storm Lake for the first time since 2013.  “We had a great showing from all five counties,” Fueston says, “and certainly representation on how they saw their portion of the trail being built.” A new trail would run from Spencer to Lake View. The project would connect to existing trail systems on each end, including the Iowa Great Lakes Spine Trail to the north and the Sauk Rail Trail to the south. Smaller loops could connect other communities.

Fueston says the next section of the project will be from Dickinson to Clay counties. “That project should start this summer,” she says. “They’re hoping to go at least halfway, but they may make it all the way to Clay County, depending on funding. Sac County is currently working on a trail to Lake View. Those two sections are probably next, and then Sac City to Storm Lake, Storm Lake to Spencer will be the ones that we’ll really be working hard on to get the funding and figure out exactly how our trail route will go.” Fueston has been working on the project for 20 years and says the trail as currently proposed would stay along Highway 71 from Okoboji to Early. Group members feel the five counties working together could have more impact seeking grants and donations than if they were working separately.

Fueston says project representatives attended the Iowa Bicycle Coalition Expo in January. “We were trying to educate the Des Moines people on this trail, because when finished, we certainly know they’ll be headed north as much as we’ll be headed south,” Fueston says. “It’s a huge project, but we’re down to basically completing two and a half counties. So when you put it in that perspective, it seems manageable.”

The leaders of the group foresee the project eventually growing into a 220-mile paved trail from Okoboji to Des Moines, and potentially beyond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and Vision Atlantic report Cappel’s Ace Hardware, in Atlantic, has donated $25,000 to Vision Atlantic’s transformative project, which will bring a housing development, new childcare center, and YMCA expansion to Atlantic. Cappel’s owner Tim Cappel said “The Cappel family is happy to support the community that has supported us for the past 80+ years. We look forward to supporting more projects in Atlantic’s growing future.”

(Pictured left-to-right) Nick Hunt, Trent Cappel, Janet Cappel, Tim Cappel, Christina Bateman, Debbie Waterbury and Melissa Ihnen

Background:

Vision Atlantic, through extensive research and surveying of the community and surrounding region, identified three areas that will help increase Atlantic’s population: expanded childcare, quality housing and quality of life amenities. Construction of the 144 mixed unit housing development, 300 capacity child development center and expansion of the current YMCA facility is slated to begin late summer of 2025. Infrastructure work for the housing development and child development center is currently underway.

Vision Atlantic has a fundraising goal of $39 million, which will be used to construct the YMCA expansion and new child development center. To date, they have raised $23 million of that goal in 14 months, thanks to an $8.6 million lead grant from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and significant support from local donors. In addition to their grant support, the Lakin Foundation has created a separate investment fund of $23 million that will be used to construct homes in the Camblin Hills Housing Development. The capital will be used as a line of credit, and as the dollars are paid back, the Foundation will donate up to 5% of the interest paid back to Vision Atlantic, who will use those dollars to operate the child development center.

Vision Atlantic’s Project Committee is actively working to secure the remaining $15.9 million needed to meet the $39 million fundraising goal. If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com. Follow Vision Atlantic on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates or visit www.visionatlantic.org.

Vision Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower growth, enhance lives, and build a thriving community together through the economic development of Atlantic, Iowa.

(Creston,Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports two people were arrested early this (Friday) morning, on drug charges. Authorities say 51-year-old Shannon Renee Abell, of New Virginia, and 52-year-old Rusty Ray Turner, of Creston, were taken into custody at a residence in the 600 block of W. Adams Street.

Abell was arrested at around 12:25-a.m. for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana-1st offense, and for two-counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. She was cited and released on a Promise to Appear in court. Turner was arrested at around 12:45-a.m. for Operating While Under the Influence/1st offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, two counts: PCS/3rd or subsequent offense, and on an outside warrant for a Probation Violation. He was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.

Late Thursday afternoon, Police in Creston arrested 68-year-old Jeffrey Lynn Bandow, of Creston, at his residence. Bandow was charged with Violation of Parole. He was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – MidAmerican Energy has filed a request with the Iowa Utilities Commission seeking approval to add a capital investment charge to the bill of Iowa residential gas customers. MidAmerican spokesman Geoff Greenwood says the charge would be four-tenths of a percent. “The capital investment charge helps cover costs that Mid-American has already paid out that are associated with certain natural gas system costs such as safety and compliance and some other requirements that are imposed upon us by local governments,” he says. Greenwood says there are several items the money would cover. “Pipe relocation, that’s one example due to a local project such as a street improvement. There also are some compliance changes that are requiring investment by the company that we’ve already made, so that is another charge that is eligible for this cost recovery,” he says.

Greenwood says if the charge is approved, it would be a small addition to customer bills. “It’s about 17 cents a month for our residential customers here in Iowa, and we have requested the Iowa Utilities Commission to approve that fee, and it is up to the commission to make that decision, and it could, if approved, start showing up on our customer bills in June,” Greenwood says.

Greenwood says MidAmerican has around 620-thousand natural gas customers in Iowa.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report a man was arrested Thursday afternoon on a Theft charge. 27-year-old Gage Michael Dixon, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4:40-p.m. at 4th and Elm Streets, for Theft in the 3rd Degree/3rd or subsequent offense. Gage was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond.

(Williamsburg, Iowa) – A man who was attempting to retrieve items that had blown out of his vehicle, Thursday evening, was struck and killed by an SUV. The accident happened on westbound Interstate 80 near Williamsburg, in eastern Iowa.

The Iowa State Patrol reports the unidentified man was trying to cross the lanes of traffic at around 6-p.m., when he was hit by a 2012 Buick LaCrosse, driven by a 47-year-old woman from Millersburg, IA.

The accident remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Williamsburg Police & Fire personnel, Iowa County EMS & Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Dept. of Transportation.

(Radio Iowa) – Nearly a thousand people have gotten layoff notices this week from companies in Amana, Decorah and Dubuque. Democrats in the Iowa House say it’s time to extend unemployment compensation for Iowans who lose their jobs. Three years ago, Republican lawmakers reduced the maximum number of weeks Iowans may file for unemployment from 26 weeks to 16 weeks.

Representative Jeff Cooling, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, is president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 405.  “We now have this economy that’s in turmoil and it’s time to restore those weeks that were cut,” Cooling said. Representative Dan Gosa, a Democrat from Davenport, says hundreds of John Deere workers who’ve been laid off need more than the current 16 weeks of jobless benefits. “We’ve really got to work hard to get that 26 weeks back,” Gosa said. “Our workers and working families directly rely on that.”

Republicans hold over two-thirds of the seats in the Iowa legislature and House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans have no plans to adjust unemployment benefits. “Keep in mind when we made the last change to unemployment and the number of weeks there’s been significant efforts made at Workforce Development to make sure we’re getting people back to work,” Grassley says. “…We’re hopeful that we can get these Iowans that are being impacted, regardless of the reason, back with gainful employment.”

Governor Reynolds says there’s about two BILLION dollars in the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund — a record high — and she’s called on the legislature to reduce the tax Iowa businesses pay into the fund, which the source tapped to pay unemployment benefits.

The Iowa Workforce Development’s website shows that on June 1st, 651 workers at Whirlpool in Amana will be laid off. At the end of June, A-S-M Global — the management company for Dubuque’s Five Flags Center — plans to lay off 160 employees. Sodexo — a food management company in Decorah — has announced it will close June 30th and 130 people will lose their jobs.