(Radio Iowa) – Emergency officials are recommending that residents of the south-central Iowa town of Otley evacuate or shelter in place due to a smouldering fire at a co-op. The fire at the Two Rivers Cooperative fertilizer storage facility started early Monday afternoon and officials say it could smoulder for several days. The main concern is burning sulfur, which can cause respiratory issues. The facility had 265 tons of sulfur when the fire started, plus even larger amounts of other farm chemicals like potash and urea.

About 800 people live in Otley and emergency officials say people who live near the town should consider evacuating or remaining inside due to air quality concerns.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa ag business will have its first non-family member leading the organization later this year. Sukup Manufacturing announced that Chief Financial Officer Tom Mangan will become the company’s next president and C-E-O as part of their succession planning. The Shefield company started in 1963, and is known for its grain bins and other ag products.

(Left) Steve Sukup, President & CEO; (right) Tom Mangan, CFO.

Steve Sukup has been president and C-E-O for the past five years and will start a transition to chairman of the board of directors in October. Mangan was the first non-family executive of the company when he joined as the C-F-O in 2020. Sukup says nine family members still remain actively involved in the business.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors met this (Tuesday) morning, and following a presentation by representatives with the Child Abuse Prevention Council, declared April to be Child Abuse Awareness Month. Here’s a brief summary of the proclamation from Board Chair Steve Baier…

The Board agreed to set April 22^nd at 9-a.m., as the date and time for a public hearing on the proposed FY 26 Cass County Budget. They also approved the appointment of retired sheriff Darby McLaren as a Reserve Deputy, with a wage of just One-dollar per year. Sheriff John Westering succeeded McLaren, who did not run for re-election last November.

In other business, the Supervisors in a continuation of talks from their last meeting, discussed adopting an Indigent Remains Final Disposition Policy. Board Chair Steve Baier…

Any special accommodations are at the discretion of funeral home directors and in coordination with the deceased’s family,but will not be paid for above and beyond what the County has agreed to pay. The Board adopted the policy Resolution as presented, by a vote of 4-to-1, with Supervisor Bernard Pettinger voting No, because of the words “May provide,” with regard to special accommodations.

The Supervisors approved the Cass County Hazard Mitigation Grant Project application, in the amount of $3,375, which is 15-percent of the total grant amount of $22,500. Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon….

The plan identifies responses and mitigation necessary to recover from a major event, such as a tornado, or other emergency situations. The plan is created by SWIPCO (the Southwest Iowa Planning Council), and updated to include as many unforeseen circumstances (like the pandemic), as possible. A monthly report was received today (Tuesday), from Cass County Community Services Director Debbie Schuler, and along with a regular report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken.

(Radio Iowa) – Bills to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education as well as local governments have been debated in the legislature, but so far none have become law. Early this (Tuesday) morning, a House subcommittee approved a Senate bill that would ban D-E-I offices and staff in city and county governments. Chuck Hurley of The Family Leader says D-E-I violates the Christian belief that every human being should be valued.  “We think it’s high time to move past the D.E.I. phenomenon that has actually resulted in using race to discriminate against people,” Hurley said. Denise Rathman is a lobbyist for the Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Rathman says ending D-E-I initiatives doesn’t make discrimination go away.

“If everybody was in fact, were in fact treated with love and respect, that’d be fantastic,” she said. “Unfortunately, we don’t like in a perfect world right now.” Tom Cope is a lobbyist for the Iowa chapter of the American Planning Association. Cope says planning for roads, housing and other public structures needs to consider the impact on everybody. “Taking a look at diversity, equity and inclusion is an important part of that process to help ensure that everybody has a seat at the table,” Cope said. Republican Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull closed the hearing with this comment.

“I encourage my political opponents to continue to defend D.E.I. because it is extremely unpopular.” Late this (Tuesday) afternoon, a Senate subcommittee will review a House-passed bill to forbid D-E-I programs at private colleges that enroll students who receive Iowa Tuition Grants from the state. The bill prohibits D-E-I activities at community colleges and the three state universities as well.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is not a fan of tariffs and fears farmers will be hurt, as President Trump plans to unveil a new series of tariffs against multiple nations Wednesday, on what the White House is calling “Liberation Day.” During a stop in Iowa Monday, U-S Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said American farmers would again receive market disruption payments if there’s a trade war. Grassley says those payments would either have to be funded through taxes or by borrowing. “It would be too early to talk about how much aid or what form it would be, because we don’t know the impact of the tariffs, because that’s probably not going to be what tariffs we put on,” Grassley says, “it’s other countries’ reaction to the tariffs.”

During Trump’s first administration, those trade-related payments to U-S farmers topped 23-billion dollars over three years. Grassley, a Republican, is concerned farmers will see their international trade partners be forced to retaliate by imposing their own tariffs on a range of commodities. “It’s very apt to be against agriculture products. It wouldn’t be the only products probably that they’d put on a retaliatory tariff, but at least some,” Grassley says, “and then you’d have to know the financial impact of that before you would say how much money.” Grassley says he’s partly encouraged by Rollins’ saying agricultural producers would have a financial safety net.

Senator Grassley (File photo)

“I’m kind of glad that they’re willing to stand behind the farmers,” Grassley says. “I think that’s a way of kind of admitting that some of these trade policies of this administration could work negatively against agriculture, and that they’re willing to step in and fill the vacuum or the void.” He adds, however, farmers would rather get their money from the markets and not the federal treasury. Grassley says tariffs can be troublesome. “You folks know I’m a free and fair trader,” Grassley says. “If President Trump is successful in reducing tariffs from other countries, I’ll say ‘Amen.’ If he’s unsuccessful, I’ll say ‘I told you so.'”

Fontanelle, Iowa – The Nodaway Valley and CAM Community School District Boards of Directors have announced the three candidates to be interviewed for their superintendent vacancy.

The candidates selected for interviews are:

● Michelle Arneson Havenstrite, Prairie City, IA
● Jonathon Mendoza, Norwalk, IA
● Pam Stangeland, Stanhope, IA

Interviews are scheduled to be conducted on April 7, 2025. Interview teams will include community members, students, certified staff, support staff, administrators, and Board members. All participants will have the opportunity to meet the final candidates and submit input to the board about each candidate. The board intends to make their selection on April 7, 2025. The selected candidate will succeed shared Superintendent Paul Croghan, whose term expires at the end of the current school year.

The Nodaway Vally and CAM Community School Districts retained the services of McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C. to assist in conducting their search. The consultants reviewed, screened, and conducted extensive background checks on all applicants. On March 31, 2025, the consultants presented the applicants to the Board of Directors and provided them with detailed background information on each applicant. The board selected three candidates as finalists.

After the superintendent has been hired, Stephen Murley, Kim Antisdel, and Tom Ridder will facilitate a Board/Superintendent workshop to assist in the establishment of performance objectives for the new superintendent.

(Radio Iowa) – Whirlpool announced today (Tuesday) it is laying off 650 people at its Amana facility in eastern Iowa on June 1st. Iowa Federation of Labor president Charlie Wishman says state and federal leaders are part of the reason for the layoffs.  “Rural manufacturing is dying all over the place, and especially in this state, and we need to save it,” he says. “These policies, from both the presidential administration as well as the governor’s administration, they aren’t helping.”

A spokesperson from Whirlpool says the layoffs are a necessary measure to meet a drop in demand for some of the appliances made in Amana, particularly refrigerators. Wishman says recently announced tariffs and state legislation cutting unemployment benefits will hurt people impacted by the layoffs.  “In a town like Amana, this is truly going to devastate that community. And when a company like Whirlpool is making 17 billion dollars in sales last year, that’s nothing compared to what the residents in that area are going to be facing,” Wishman says.

The Whirlpool layoffs amount to roughly one third of its workforce. A spokesperson for Iowa Workforce Development says they have already begun coordinating a response to the Whirlpool announcement through their Rapid Response team. I-W-D will schedule worker information meetings to provide impacted workers with resources, including available services on how to file for unemployment and to find their next job. I-W-D will also use the IowaWORKS Mobile Workforce Center to provide reemployment services in Amana as quickly as possible.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media this (Tuesday) morning, another incident of illegal tire dumping has taken place.  A photo showed more than three dozen tires were dumped Monday night or early this (Tuesday) morning, near the intersection of Shelby County roads M-16 and 850th Street. 

Tires illegally dumped in Shelby County (Shelby County S/O photo, 4-1-25)

Authorities say “If you have any information please call the office. Any information leading to a conviction could be eligible for a reward! Thank you for your assistance!”

The Sheriff’s Office previously posted other images of tires being dumped in the County on March 11th. Other counties in southwest Iowa have had similar incidents take place.

(Creston, Iowa) – A woman from Creston was arrested late Monday morning. Creston Police report 49-year-old Christine Lynn Selvy was arrested on a Union County warrant for Failure to serve jail time, on original charges of Disorderly Conduct – Abusive epithets/threatening gesture, and, public intoxication.  Selvy was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.