DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today (Monday) announced mobile office hours across Iowa’s Third District to assist constituents who may not be able to travel to one of the congressional offices located in Creston, Des Moines, and Ottumwa. During the mobile office hours, Iowans will be able to get help from their Congressional office with Social Security, Medicare, passports, visas, veterans’ benefits, military records, tax returns, and other issues with federal government agencies.

Mobile office hours will begin Monday, January 6. The schedule for January in southwest Iowa, is shown below:

Ringgold County – Ringgold County Courthouse: 109 West Madison Street, Mount Ayr;Monday, January 6, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Page County – Lied Public Library: 100 East Garfield Street, Clarinda; Tuesday, January 14, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Cass County – Griswold City Hall: 601 2^nd Street, Griswold; Tuesday, January 14, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Adair County – Fontanelle Public Library: 303 Washington Street, Fontanelle; Thursday, January 16, 2025 from  10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Montgomery County – Villisca Public Library: 204 South 3^rd Avenue, Villisca; Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Guthrie County – Stuart Public Library: 111 East Front Street, Stuart; Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Taylor County – Lenox Public Library: 101 North Main, Lenox; Thursday, January 23, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Adams County – Corning Public Library: 603 9^th Street, Corning; Thursday, January 23, 2025 from  1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Additional dates and locations will be announced in the future.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place over the past week, and one person was cited. Sheriff Jeff Vandewater says Saturday night (Jan. 4th), 33-year-old Tyler Lee Carter, of Adair, was arrested in Adair, for Domestic Assault with Bodily Injury. During an investigation, the female victim was allegedly put into a choke-hold and apparently hit head when she was pulled the home she shared with Carter. The sheriff’s report says the woman was released when a neighbor showed-up with a gun and pointed it at Carter, ordering him to release her. Tyler Carter remains held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Late Thursday night, Stuart Police arrested 32-year-old Christopher Michael Smith, of Des Moines, for Possession of Marijuana/1st offense, Poss. of a Controlled Substance-1st offense/Methamphetamine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His arrest took place outside of the Casey’s General Store in Stuart, following an investigation into a car hauling trailer with no functioning lights that was being pulled by a pickup truck. Smith was released a few hours later on a $2,300 bond.

And, on January 1st at around 9-p.m., 19-year-old Sawyer Eli Hensley, of Nodaway, was detained at a residence south of Orient, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Alcohol under the legal age-1st offense. Hensley was cited and released from the scene following an investigation into an incident at the residence.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken says there are three Iowa Department of Transportation-related projects coming up for bid-letting in a little more than two-weeks.

Wolken spoke during a meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors late last week. The projects he mentioned will get underway this Spring.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Fire was dispatched to 117 Broadway in the Highland Addition, for a house fire. Police arriving on the scene shortly after 8-a.m. reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof. Cass EMS was requested to treat a resident suffering from smoke inhalation. Marne and Lewis Fire were requested for Mutual Aid in the form of manpower and airpacks. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel…

Atlantic Fire units returned to the station at around 9:55-a.m. No injuries were reported. Cappel says the fire began in the ceiling, and is believed to be the result of an electrical issue.

The AFD was assisted at the scene by the Atlantic Police Department, Cass County County Sheriff’s Office and Cass EMS.

(Photos by Ric Hanson; 8:25-a.m., 1/6/25)

(Radio Iowa) – Community members in Perry gathered on Saturday to mark one year since a 17-year-old gunman opened fire at Perry High School. The attack killed 11-year old Ahmir Jolliff and fatally wounded principal Dan Marburger. Six others were injured, while the gunman took his own life. At the vigil, Reverend Andrea Brownlee said the community is no stranger to heartache, and she asked the crowd to reflect on one question.

Around 50 community members, dressed in the school colors of blue and white, stood together downtown while religious leaders led prayers and read passages on grief, loss and hope. Marlene Johnson, a retired teacher, attended the service and says after the tragedy last year, she felt anger and was in disbelief.

At the public library, residents could meet with a counselor provided by the school. The library will also have counseling services available today (Monday) and Tuesday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council’s agenda is packed for their first meeting of the year on Wednesday. The Council will gather for their session at City Hall beginning at 5:30-p.m. On their agenda, is action on:

• Approving First Whitney Bank & Trust as the City’s Official Bank for the City Checking Account for 2025, and the Atlantic News Telegraph as the City’s Official newspaper for Legal Publication in 2025.
• Appointing Shirley Jensen, Ali Pieken and Mary Strong to the Parks & Rec Commission.
• Passing a Resolution “Approving additional (one-time) compensation for the Atlantic Police Chief” (in the amount of $10,264.80), for his nearly 228 hours of overtime + holidays, multiplied by his current hourly rate of $45.12.
• Passing a Resolution “Approving Campground Phone Compensation” for the Wastewater and Street Departments, with regard to the Schildberg Campground. The City’s Personnel & Finance Committee met Dec. 31, 2024, to review the matter, and endorsed compensating the Schildberg on-call phone the same as it would a Public Works Union member carrying their department’s on-call phone, at $40 per day. The phone is only required to be used by staff for six-months out of the year, as the other six-months the phone is held by the campground host, as part of their responsibilities.
• The Council will act on passing a Resolution “Establishing Signatories to City Checks and Payables,” which is a routine matter when there is a change in individuals occupying the Office of the City Clerk.
• They will hold the First Reading of an Ordinance “Vacating the street located between 3009 Palm Street and 3101 Palm Street. City Administrator John Lund notes improvements to the Right-Of-Way have been completed following a process that began in Nov., 2022, and it is now time to divide and vacate the ROW, which can only be done by Ordinance.

The Council’s final order of business, Wednesday, is a Closed (Exempt) Session (per Iowa Code) providing for the Strategy Meetings of Public Employers for Collective Bargaining.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports three people were arrested on drug charges this (Monday) morning (Jan. 6th). Authorities say that at around 12:22-a.m. 32-year-old Ashley Dawn Vandel, of Creston, was arrested at Division/Howard Streets. Vandel was charged with Possess Drug Paraphernalia. She was taken to the Union County Jail and later posted a $300 bond before being released. Also arrested in connection with the same incident, was: 38-year-old Melissa Kay Stephenson, of Leon. Stephenson was charged with Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, 1st Offense, and Possession of a Controlled Substance, Marijuana 1st. Stephenson was taken to the Union County Jail where she was being held on a $2,300 bond; and 40-year-0ld Santos Olivera-Martinez, of Creston, was arrested for Possess Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, 1st Offense. Martinez was taken to the Union County Jail where he was being held on a bond of $1,300.

At around 12:45-a.m. Sunday, Creston Police arrested 39-year-old Jordyn Dell Lavola Swanson, of Creston, on charges that include Interference with Official Acts, Public Intoxication, and Disorderly Conduct – Loud Raucous Noise. Swanson was taken to the Union County Jail and later released of her own recognizance. Early Saturday morning, 30-year-old Paul Reymond Harpin, of Creston, was arrested for OWI – 1st Offense. Harpin was taken to the Union County Jail and posted a $1,000 bond.

And, Friday evening, 55-year-old Charles Leon Harris, of Creston, was arrested by Creston Police on a Union County Warrant of Failure to Appear on an OWI – 1st Offense charge. Harris was taken to the Union County Jail posted a $1,000 bond before being released from custody.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Extension survey found that average price of an acre of farmland dropped in 2024, breaking a five-year trend of increases. I-S-U extension economist Rabail Chandio conducts the survey and says the one trend that didn’t change is the type of people buying farmland. “The highest demand for our farmland comes from existing farmers. They may be existing local farmers or existing relocating farmers, but 70 percent of all farmland demand came from this group,” she says. Chandio says 23 percent of the farmland purchases were by investors.

“These investors include local as well as non local investors. They may include absentee landowners. They may include people who are next generation farmers or and they are not manually farming. They’re not personally farming, but they do want to keep connected with their legacies, and they’re buying farmland,” she says. Chandio says the investors in Iowa aren’t usually the institutional investors or big companies or individual big name billionaires. “It includes a lot of maybe Iowa residents, or previous Iowa residents, or residents from our neighboring states who are showing interest in our farmland,” Chandio says. “It also includes the demand for recreational ground that is more pronounced specifically for southern Iowa.”

The recreational purchasers are using the farmland in southern Iowa for hunting, and she says that’s whey it had three-point-six percent increase in value. Chandio says Iowa farmland doesn’t usually come up for sale until the owner dies or decides to retire. “Estate sales is the largest category contributing 57 percent of the land that was up for sale this year. Retired farmers is the next biggest category, making up for 22 percent of all land that was available for sale,” she says. Chandio says the long-term landowners have paid it off, and that gives them some protection against economic swings. “Eighty-four percent of all Iowa farmland is owned debt free, so those who already own it are not feeling the interest rates, which is why it is a negative pressure, but it has not been enough to really tip over the markets in the last year either,” she says.

Chandio says the high interest rates create the most pressure for beginning farmers and can really make them struggle.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Guthrie County will gather at 9-a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7th, for their regular weekly meeting. Their session takes place in the Supervisors Board Room at the courthouse in Guthrie Center. Here’s a rundown of some of the agenda items:

• Appoint Cass Township Trustee
• Appoint Member to the Zoning Commission
• Veteran Affairs Quarterly Report; Discuss/Action
• Review and Approve Final Pay Voucher for the F32 HMA Resurfacing Project STBG-SWAP-C039(98) – FG-39
• Review and Discuss Dust Control Policy
• Mental Health Budget for Fiscal Year 2024/2025; Discuss/Action
• Resolution 25-12: – Resolution Establishing a County Compensation Board
• Resolution 25-13 – Resolution Appointing Deputy Auditor
• Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Financial Report; Discuss/Action
  • a. Approve Publication of Annual Financial Report

View the complete agenda here: January 7, 2025

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting at a new time, Tuesday. The Board voted last week to change the starting time of their future meetings to 9-a.m. Previously their meetings began at 8:30-a.m.

During their Jan. 7th meeting, the Board will hear an annual report from Wendy Mueller, with West Central Community Action. And, Kathi Most, from the Red Oak Public Library will present a requested library contract.

The Supervisors will then handle some mostly, administrative matters, such as IRS mileage reimbursement rates for 2025 (.70 cents per mile, effective Jan. 1, 2025), Payable claims, Sheriff’s and Recorder’s report of fees for the month of December, 2024. And, they are expected to discuss and set their FY2026 Budget Work Sessions with departments, along with action as necessary.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, the next session of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors takes place at 9-a.m. on January 14th.