(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a 12-year-old juvenile was taken into custody at around 2:15-p.m., Monday, in Stanton, for alleged Terrorist Threats against staff at the Stanton Community Schools. Authorities say the juvenile was transported to the Southwest Iowa Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs, after being booked into the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center. The Sheriff’s Office says “There was at no time any active danger to the students or staff,” in the Stanton School District.

(Radio Iowa) – President Trump announced last (Monday) night he’ll impose 25-percent tariffs on Iowa’s two largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico. In a conference call this morning with Iowa reporters, Senator Chuck Grassley called himself a “free trader” and says Trump’s tactics are “questionable” but he’s willing to pause and see if they’re effective. “I don’t believe in tariffs, but Trump has a new approach to tariffs,” Grassley says. “He believes you put tariffs on, you bring people to the negotiating table, and then you get freer trade as a result of it.” Iowa businesses ship more products to Canada than anywhere else. Iowa exported five-and-a-half billion dollars’ worth of goods to Canada in 2023, which equated to 30-percent of the state’s total exports, while Mexico is Iowa’s second-largest trading partner. Grassley, a Republican, says he’ll take a wait-and-see approach to the president’s threatened tariffs.

“I think the tactic is questionable, but I’m not going to bad-mouth Trump’s approach,” Grassley says. “I’m going to sit and see how it works out. I hope he’s successful.” The Tax Foundation, the world’s leading nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit, estimates the tariffs would reduce the nation’s G-D-P by four-tenths of one percent and cut employment by nearly 345-thousand jobs. The foundation’s 2024 report says its estimates “do not capture the effects of retaliation, nor the additional harms that would stem from starting a global trade war.” Grassley says Trump already has a track record with enacting tariffs during his first administration. “We found that it did have an impact with China when he put the tariffs on,” Grassley says. “That was not a general tariff approach, so I think we’re seeing a different approach used by President Trump this time on tariffs, as opposed to other times.”

Grassley was asked -twice- how the threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico would impact Iowa’s consumers, businesses and farmers, but he did not answer the question directly.

DES MOINES, IA, January 20, 2025 – The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is hosting a virtual community forum on January 30th at 11-a.m., to discuss and hear from rural Iowans about their experience with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care and support in their local communities. The forum will include expert panelists from across the state including Jim Feauto, Administrator at Regency Park of Carroll; Kari Bateman, Administrator for Emmet County Public Health; Andrea Turnbull, Home Care Nursing Division Manager for Cerro Gordo Public; and Coletta Weeda, a dementia caregiver from Denison.

In Iowa, the average Alzheimer’s prevalence rate in individuals aged 65 and older is 11% according to data release in 2023 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia®: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. However, many rural counties across the state face higher rates than urban and metro areas. The highest rates occur the most in Iowa’s northwest counties including Monona county (12.6%) and Mitchell and Osceola counties (12.5%). However, the highest rate is found in the south-central county of Ringgold (12.9%).

Rural Iowans also face more challenges when it comes to diagnosis of the disease, medical care, long term care options and local support services to help caregivers. The purpose of this community forum is to better understand these challenges, shed light on the need for more support across rural Iowa and start finding solutions to decrease higher prevalence rates and increase access to medical and support services.

The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is committed to tackling this growing problem in rural Iowa and is working on initiatives right now to help, including offering local support groups for caregivers in some rural communities as well as two virtual support groups and education programs that anyone across the state can join.

To register for the virtual community forum, visit https://tinyurl.com/RuralForumJan2025.

Today, there are nearly 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, including over 62,000 in Iowa. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends are serving as caregivers, including nearly 100,000 in Iowa.

(Massena, Iowa) – A Special Meeting of the CAM and Nodaway Valley School District Boards of Education will take place 5:30-p.m. Wed., Jan. 22nd, at the CAM Elementary School Media Center, in Massena.

During their meeting, the Boards will discuss, and likely approve, the hiring of a Superintendent search firm. During a previous meeting this month, three school hiring firms gave presentations before both Boards.

The presentations were from the Grundmeyer Leader Services, Edwise, and McPherson & Jacobson. Following the Superintendent search firm discuss/action, the Boards will discuss and act on approving a contract with Pearson Virtual Schools (Connections Academy).

(Radio Iowa) – The 2025 inductees into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame will be recognized this summer at Arnolds Park. Ralph Kluseman, president of the northwest Iowa-based association, says more than 30 bands, individuals, and music venues are set for recognition. “We get to celebrate the talent that Iowa is so blessed with and this is the thing we look forward to all year long,” Kluseman says. “Of course, when we bring everybody together, it creates even a bigger family every year. This is our 28th induction since this great idea was brought into the world.” Kluseman says the induction celebration later this year will feature a range of activities.

“One part that always gets people excited is the ceremony itself, where you get to hear and see the people who have impacted their lives,” Kluseman says. “They may have been listening to them or seen them when they were teenagers, or young parents, or whatever the case may be, but when we get the bios done and we get the presentations done, it’s a very moving event.” Tickets for the Labor Day weekend event will go on sale this spring. The dates are August 29th through the 31st. The opening ceremony is held that Saturday morning and the “meet and greet” for inductees is Saturday night. “That following evening, on the Sunday night, we get over to the roof garden, and we get to put a lot of them that are still performing up on stage, and it just brings back such a thrill,” Kluseman says. “So I wouldn’t distinguish between any of these. All are world class people that need to be recognized for the impact they’ve had on our lives.”

Bands being inducted include: Galaxy, Witch Hazel, Wicked Liz & the Belly Swirls, Kory & the Fireflys, Sons of Gladys Kravitz, The Chevrons, Homegrown Band and Mirage. In the individual category: Gary Lambert, Tory Steffregen, Kenny Kugel (deceased), Mark Doyle, Dick Howard, Scott Moore, Stacy Peterson, Chad Elliott, Tim Miller and Larry Hrubes. Two venues are also being singled out: The Depot in Shenandoah, and the Ollinger Ballroom in Pocahontas.

For the full list, visit: https://www.iowarocknroll.com/

(Iowa News Service report) –  Increasing housing options for the state’s seniors is at the top of AARP Iowa’s priority list for the new legislative session and the group is pushing for a tax credit for Iowa’s growing number of family caregivers. A lack of housing reduces options for Iowa seniors who want to age in place. Accessory Dwelling Units can help address the problem, from a small house or cottage on the property of an existing home, or even a garage apartment. Paige Yontz, state advocacy manager for AARP Iowa, said smaller housing units can be the difference between an older person staying in their home or having to find another place to live.  “Currently, those are not allowed in all communities across the state of Iowa,” Yontz pointed out. “We are looking to expand access to this housing option by championing a statewide ADU law that would give all Iowans the right to build an ADU on their property, which would reduce unnecessary regulations and red tape.”

Accessory Dwelling Units are seen as a solution to affordable housing shortages in many places across the country.

AARP Iowa will also push for a tax break for the caregivers in the state who provide billions of dollars in unpaid services, mostly to family members. The tax credit for family caregivers is designed to help offset the costs of services and care they provide, which is often more than $7,000 out of their own pockets. “It would be a nonrefundable income tax credit that would allow working caregivers to claim up to 50% of eligible expenses when caring for a relative,” Yontz outlined. “This would be capped at $2,000 per year, with an additional $1,000 available for individuals caring for veterans or those with a dementia-related diagnosis.”

As the group has done in years past, she added AARP Iowa is working to help reduce fraud among the state’s aging population, a target for a growing number of phishing and other information scams.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill Senator Joni Ernst and the rest of Iowa’s congressional delegation has lobbied for since 2017 has been added to legislation that cleared the U-S Senate last (Monday) night.  “We can no longer prioritize illegal immigrants over public safety,” Ernst said. Sarah’s Law was named for Sarah Root of Council Bluffs who was killed nearly nine years ago by a drunk driver who was in the country illegally. Senator Joni Ernst says the man responsible for the 21-year-old Iowan’s death escaped justice because of a legal loophole.

“Too many times an illegal immigrant arrested for a violent crime posts bail,” Ernst said, “never to be heard from again.” Omaha Police said the man arrested for Sarah Root’s death on January 31st of 2016 had a blood alcohol level three times above the legal limit, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to take him into custody.

“Before the Root family could even lay Sarah to rest, her murderer posted bond and was released, never to be seen again,” Ernst said. Sarah’s Law would make it mandatory for federal authorities to detain illegal immigrants charged with the death or serious injury of a person. The proposal has been added to the Lakin Riley Act, which requires federal detention for illegal immigrants charged with theft or burglary.

Riley was a nursing student, killed nearly a year ago in Georgia by a Venezuelan who’d been arrested for shoplifting and released before the murder. Ernst says without passage of these combined proposals, the deaths of Sarah Root and Lakin Riley are doomed to be repeated. “Those who come here illegally and harm our citizens should, without question, be detained so they face justice,” Ernst said.

The Lakin Riley Act, with Sarah’s Law added to it, is the first piece of legislation to win Senate passage in 2024. The House approved the Lakin Riley Act earlier this month, but must pass the combined bills before the legislation goes to President Trump’s desk.

(Winterset, Iowa) –  The Madison County Sheriff’s Office reports a man died from injuries he suffered on a farm, Sunday night. Authorities say the sheriff’s office received a 911 call at around 7:31-p.m., about an adult male who had been severely injured on his farm in the 2400 block of Millstream Ave in Madison County.

Arriving Deputies and EMTs with the Madison County Ambulance discovered 76-year-old Mark Hollingsworth injured and unresponsive, in the cattle feeding area of his property. Life saving efforts were made, but Hollingsworth was eventually declared deceased. An investigation into the incident shows that Hollingsworth had entered the bull pin of his farm to ensure the cattle’s water source hadn’t frozen up. It was then that a bull injured Hollingsworth. Family members then discovered Hollingsworth and called 911.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny is conducting a further investigation to see if a medical issue may have led to Hollingsworth becoming incapacitated and preceding the injuries sustained from the bull.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Winterset Fire Department, Madison County Ambulance, Madison County Medical Examiner’s Office and Methodist Life Flight.

(Radio Iowa) – The Winnebago County Veterans Services Officer (VSO) says getting benefit issues addressed in a timely manner continues to be an issue for her and others in the state. Mary Lou Kleveland says they constantly run into roadblocks, and she has talked with the Iowa Congressional delegation about it. “There needs to be some kind of congressional action, and they’re aware of that. They have talked to a lot of V-S-Os in our area, and they’re basically hearing the same things verbatim, of what’s going on, but huge delays,” she says.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernts is a veteran and says she has been working to fix the problems at the Veterans Administration, and says with the DOGE efforts under the new administration she hopes they can deal with the problems. Kleveland handles more than 70 cases in Winnebago County every month, and many cases she has to rework.

“There’s just a lot of need, and I will give the caveat with that is that there’s so many cases that are either waiting for a decision or I’m having to go back and try to fix because doing an appeal because of the problems with the V-A,” Kleveland says. Kleveland says it can be frustrating for her, but she is encouraged by the attitude of the veterans.

“Thankfully, it’s balanced out with the kindness and the wins of the veterans,” she says. “So when we have some wins, or I get veterans in my office who are super cooperative and kind and just really grateful for whatever you do for them.” Kleveland encourages veterans seeking benefits in her county to visit her office for assistance. And says veterans in other counties should go to the office there to seek out their benefits.

(Radio Iowa) – Two members of Iowa’s congressional delegation are criticizing the pardons President Biden issued this (Monday) morning before his term in office ended. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a former television journalist, called the pardons the “ultimate last minute news dump.” Biden pardoned medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley and House members and staff who served on the January 6th committee. Hinson says the pardons show Biden was corrupt until the very end of his term.

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks called the pardons unconscionable and noted the pardons date back to 2014.

Neither Miller-Meeks nor Hinson have commented on Biden’s other decision to issue pardons to his sister and four other close relatives just minutes before Trump took the oath of office. In a written statement, Biden said he issued pre-emptive pardons to a number of individuals today (Monday) to shield them from investigations and prosecutions Trump had talked about during the campaign.