(Algona, Iowa) – A collision in northern Iowa between an SUV and a semi resulted in the death of the SUV driver and injuries to the driver of the semi. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened at around 7:10-p.m. east of Algona, in Kossuth County. Authorities say a 2009 Ford Edge driven by 51-year-old Andres Garcia Exposito, of Webster City, was traveling west on 210th Street, when the vehicle crossed the center line of the road and collided head-on with an eastbound 2021 Freightliner semi, driven by 46-year-old Daniel Eugene Murray, Jr., of Webster City.

Exposito died at the scene. Murray was transported by EMS to the Kossuth Regional Health Center. Both drivers were wearing seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa’s two regular gun deer seasons are done and the late muzzleloader season is underway along with the reopening of the archery season. The D-N-R’s state deer biologist says things are on track to hit the 104-thousand deer taken last year once all the current seasons are completed. Jace Elliott, state deer biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said roughly 15-20,000 hunters will participate in the late muzzleloader season and likely harvest about 10,000 deer. “The season is popular with hunters looking to avoid the crowds. It’s the season with the highest percentage of does harvested and is a good opportunity for herd management or to put meat in the freezer,” Elliott said. “This time of year, hunters would be wise to target existing food sources as these resources can be limited.”

While the archery season also re-opens, fewer deer are harvested during this time than during the early portion of the season. The late muzzleloader and late split archery season are Dec. 23 to Jan. 10, 2025. The final deer seasons are the two January antlerless deer only seasons – the Population Management January Antlerless Season and the Excess Tag January Antlerless Season. Both seasons run from Jan. 11-19, but there are differences between the two.

The Population Management January Antlerless Season is available only in Allamakee, Appanoose, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, Wayne and Winneshiek counties if there are more than 100 antlerless tags available in that county on Dec. 23. Since all seven counties met that requirement, all seven will be open. Hunters participating in the population management January antlerless season may use bows, muzzleloaders, handguns, shotguns, crossbows, or rifles .223 caliber and larger, as a method of take. The Excess Tag January Antlerless Season is available in all counties with unsold county antlerless tags on Jan. 11. Due to the compressed timeline, license sales will only be available over the counter, not online, until the quota is filled. Hunters participating in the excess tag January antlerless season may only use rifles from .223 caliber to .500 caliber as a method of take.

“We began running both seasons concurrently in 2023, and this past January we had just shy of 3,000 hunters participating who harvested about 1,500 deer statewide,” he said. “We will likely have similar counties participating as last year – primarily in northeast Iowa and southern Iowa – that will not fill their antlerless quota by Jan 10.” Hunters can monitor the quotas in real time at iowadnr.gov/Hunting then click on the Antlerless Deer Tag Quotas link under the Helping You Prepare heading. “If hunters are interested in using more than a centerfire rifle, they should consider purchasing the Population Management tags to have larger menu of options for the method of take,” he said.

Hemorrhagic Disease Update

Public reporting data suggests that 2024 was Iowa’s most severe hemorrhagic disease (commonly known as EHD) outbreak in recorded history. While more than 3,000 suspected EHD mortalities have been received this year in 94 counties, research suggests that multiplying that total by 10 would provide a more realistic, yet still conservative, estimate of total EHD-related mortality. “This means that many hunters and landowners throughout the state are noticing fewer deer during the hunting season, specifically in central and northwestern Iowa,” Elliott said. “While there is still plenty of harvest opportunity during our late seasons, it’s important for our hunters to adapt their harvest goals to the current status of their local deer population. Talk with your neighbors to better understand population impacts in your area, and understand that deer tend to congregate in the late seasons, which can lead to false perceptions of abundance on certain properties.”

A new EHD reporting tool and dashboard can be found on the DNR Deer Hunting webpage at https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Deer-Hunting. “While the majority of Iowa’s counties appear to be spared from severe population impacts from this recent outbreak, hunters should always consider the bigger picture and understand the role they play in managing balanced, healthy deer populations,” he said. “Successful local deer management relies on being informed and working together with neighbors, especially during severe EHD years.”

Chronic Wasting Disease Update

The Iowa DNR has raised its deer sample quota this year due to the sampling increases around the new positive deer from 2023. This year, the DNR has collected more than 5,000 samples from across the state to date and the lab at Iowa State University is working through them. So far, 26 deer have been either confirmed as having chronic wasting disease or are suspected and subject to a follow up test. The 26 positive deer includes three new counties – Davis, Shelby and Wapello – where the disease has been confirmed.

Late Muzzleloader season

Method of Take: Bows, muzzleloaders, handgun, or crossbow
Season is Dec. 23-Jan. 10. 2025
Population Management January Antlerless Season

Method of Take: Bows, muzzleloaders, handguns, shotguns, crossbows, or rifles .223 caliber and larger
Season is Jan. 11-19, 2025 – only in Allamakee, Appanoose, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, Wayne and Winneshiek counties if there are more than 100 antlerless tags available in that county on Dec. 23.
Excess Tag January Antlerless Season

Method of Take: Rifles .223 caliber to .500 caliber
Season is Jan. 11-19, 2025 – available in all counties with unsold county antlerless tags on Jan. 11, and sales will only be available over the counter, not online, until the quota is filled.

(Radio Iowa) – The holidays are a time for family gatherings, and some Iowans might notice changes in a loved ones’ cognitive abilities that warrant further investigation. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says it’s an uncomfortable topic at any time of the year, but there are often clear signs a person may be developing one of the most common forms of dementia. “The main one is memory loss that disrupts their daily life,” Livingston says. “Forgetting things they have known their whole life, like how to use the microwave or how to get home from the grocery store, things like that that would be very unusual for someone to forget.” The association estimates 62-thousand Iowans are living with Alzheimer’s and Livingston says many will show similar symptoms of a failing memory.

“Challenges in solving problems like simple math problems, figuring out the tip on a bill, things like that,” Livingston says, “or difficulty just completing daily tasks like they would do normally, like getting dressed or taking a shower, having confusion with things they are normally familiar with.” They also many not recognize people with whom they’re acquainted. So how do you tell if a loved one’s memory loss is just typical forgetfulness or if it’s the harbinger of a real problem? “One thing that’s kind of a key indicator would be seeing these signs over and over and over or every time you talk to a loved one on the phone and they’re forgetting the same thing that you shared multiple times,” Livingston says. “Seeing that pattern of forgetting things, and things that they have done their whole lives or they’ve known their whole lives and they’re forgetting.”

Alzheimer’s Association photo

The Alzheimer’s Association Helpline is a vital resource for concerns about cognitive changes affecting a loved one. The number, 800-272-3900, is staffed around the clock every day, including holidays.

www.alz.org/iowa

(Radio Iowa) – The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated 970 million dollars for tonight’s (Tuesday) drawing. Iowa Lottery spokesperson Mary Neubauer says they were just talking at the recent Lottery Board meeting about the lack of big jackpots. “This year things have been slower in that regard, and that’s what will happen. You never know when the next big one will hit,” she says. Billion-dollar jackpots used to be rare until the last few years. “For record jackpots in the United States, there have been 10 prizes of more than a billion dollars in Powerball and Mega Millions,” Neubauer says. “So that does just show you the impact of the changes that have been made over the games in recent years, because people expect big jackpots, but the definition of what is a big jackpot keeps changing over time.”

Six of those Billion-dollar jackpots have come in the Mega Millions game. Neubauer says Christmas Eve won’t stop the Iowa Lottery from letting everyone know if there was a winner, or if the jackpot will continue growing after tonight’s drawing. “I can remember, in years past, we’d had a big jackpot drawing on Christmas Day. This one is on Christmas Eve, but business as usual, the drawings will continue and the winners will be announced in the usual fashion,” she says. “We’ll all have to wake up. I guess on Christmas morning. We’ll probably have other things to be thinking about that morning. But hey, we might see a big jackpot winner that morning as well.” Neubauer says if you’re thinking a Mega Millions ticket is a good gift, just remember the age limit for buying.

“Every year around the holidays it is our message to keep lottery tickets for the grown ups on your list. We say they’re fun for the grown ups on your list, because to buy a lottery ticket in Iowa, you do need to be at least 21 years old,” she says, “and yes, a lot of people will give lottery tickets as stocking stuffers or maybe in the office gift exchange.” Neubauer says that age restriction is in place because young people’s brains are still developing, particularly the area of the brain that controls impulsivity and a child or a teenager can have more difficulty with things like gambling than does an adult.

The Mega Millions drawing is at 10 p-m. You must purchase a ticket by 8:59 p-m.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is accusing an Iowa school teacher of violating student’s freedom of speech. KCRG-TV reports a Fremont-Mills Community School District teacher posted a list of almost 30 banned words and phrases in the classroom, including seemingly ordinary words like “Ohio” and “chat.” Students are also not allowed to make an references to drugs or the holocaust.

FIRE claims the district is violating student’s first amendment rights, and called the list obnoxious. The Fremont-Mills Community School District said some language can disrupt the classroom or negatively affect other students.

It says students created the list, and it was a lesson in civic responsibility. The poster has since been taken down.

(Radio Iowa) – Leaders in the Iowa Medical Society say there’s an acute shortage of physicians in Iowa and now is the time to take steps to start attracting younger doctors to complete their training in the state. Dr. Christina Taylor, president of the Iowa Medical Society’s board of directors, says there are about 58-hundred practicing physicians in Iowa today.

“Down nearly 200 from last year,” she says. “Over 70 of our counties are considered health care deserts where there aren’t enough providers for patients to be seen and that’s getting worse.” Iowa ranks 44th among the states in the number of physicians per capita. Dr. Taylor says making gains in that ranking won’t be easy because it takes a decade or longer to complete medical training.

“We have two excellent medical schools in the state, the University of Iowa and Des Moines University, but we don’t have enough residency positions. After they go to medical school, they need to get their specialty training and that’s done in residencies,” she says. “…The number one indicator of where someone will end up practicing is where they did their training.” Primary care physicians are nearly four times more likely to pick a job within the state where they completed a residency.

Dr. Christina Taylor, president of the Iowa Medical Society Board of Directors, was a recent guest on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS. (Iowa PBS photo)

Taylor says that’s why the Iowa Medical Society and other groups are focusing on efforts to increase residencies in Iowa hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices. “Encouraging people who are smart, young, brilliant people to become doctors,” she says, “and then stay in the state and practice here.” Taylor, a specialist in internal medicine who lives in West Des Moines, says she’s a perfect example of a person who chose to stay in Iowa after getting a medical degree from the University of Iowa and completing her residency in Des Moines.

“You grow to not only like your community, but you appreciate your teachers and your fellow doctors where you do your residency,” Taylor says. “You know them, you like them, you know how they practice. It’s very comfortable and so it’s very understandable that people go into practice geographically close to where they trained.”

By 2030, Iowa is projected to be short about 16-hundred physicians and the Iowa Medical Society hosted a summit earlier this month to discuss the looming workforce shortage.

(Rural Boone County) – A collision late this (Monday) morning northeast of Perry resulted in two deaths and two people injured. All of the victims were from Perry. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the accident happened at the intersection of 310th Street and G Avenue in Boone County.

The Patrol says a 2022 VW TAOS SUV driven by 50-year-old Reid Schaefer was eastbound 310th Street at the same time a 2005 Chevy pickup driven by 39-year-old Javier Hernandez was traveling north on G Avenue. When the SUV failed to yield, it struck the pickup in the middle of the intersection.  The crash occurred at around 11:48-a.m.

Boone County Sheriff’s Office photo (Facebook)

Hernandez, and a passenger in his pickup, 62-year-old Amelia Huaracha De Hernandez, died at the scene. Schaefer and his passenger, 49-year-old Christine Schaefer, suffered serious injuries and transported by helicopter to hospitals in Des Moines. All of the crash victims were wearing their seat belts.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by multiple agencies, including Methodist Air and Mercy One Air.

(Radio Iowa) – Egg prices have reached a record high in the U-S and the Iowa Egg Council says bird flu is the biggest reason for the price jump . I-S-U Extension poultry vet Yuko Sato says the market determines the cost of eggs.  “One common misconception is people think that the egg prices are driven by what the farmers set the price on. They have no control over any of that, it’s basically what the commodity market is doing,” she says.

Because farmers must destroy flocks if they’ve been infected by bird flu, some farmers are losing money. Wholesale egg prices in the Midwest reached five dollars and 27 cents a dozen last Wednesday. Iowa Egg Council C-E-O Mindy Larsen says the rising cost of labor, packaging, and shipping – affect prices at the grocery store along with the bird flu. “Every single thing in our economy as a whole that impacts anything that you buy at the store is also going to impact eggs,” she says.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that overall grocery costs are roughly 20 percent higher than they were before the pandemic. Egg prices are expected to drop next year when flocks rebuild.

(Radio Iowa) – Some communities in northwest Iowa hit by massive flooding this summer are now able to apply for FEMA money to purchase damaged homes. Rock Valley has sent its application today (Monday), asking for funding to buy 110 homes. City Administrator Tom Van Maanen says, if approved, an eligible homeowner will get paid the value of their property before the natural disaster. To qualify, a home must be in an area that has flooded before this year.

“You can drive around town, just the devastation some of these houses have had, but for this program just pure damage does not qualify you,” he says. “It has to have a flood history.” More than 500 homes in Rock Valley were damaged by June’s flooding. Van Maanen says the process to get federal funding for buyouts is very competitive. “The financial impact to some of these property owners who do not get a buyout is going to be devastating,” Van Maanen says. “At that point, there’s really not any more programs that the city can utilize to assist them.”

If approved, FEMA pays for 75 percent of buyouts, the State of Iowa covers 10 percent and the city involved pays the rest. The estimate for Rock Valley’s share is between four-and-a-half and six million dollars. Rock Valley also sent in a separate request for funding to purchase 30 homes that had flood insurance. The City of Spencer is also looking at doing buyouts. The mayor of Correctionville isn’t sure if his town will submit a request for buyouts due to finances and the fact that once a home is bought out, no development can take place on the land.

(Radio Iowa) – Along with Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the top three worst days of the year for cooking fires in Iowa and nationwide. Andrea Vastis, public education director for the National Fire Protection Association, says December 24th and 25th will mean families and friends are gathering for big meals — and they’ll usually congregate in the kitchen.

“There’s a lot more of the cooking going on, there’s a lot more people to distract you,” Vastis says. “There is usually more alcohol use going on as well. That’s a recipe for a home fire when somebody thinks someone else is paying attention to something that’s on the stove.”

As guests arrive, there’s frequently chaos as people set down food they’ve brought to share, perhaps a little too close to the open flames. Watch for plastic containers that might melt or towels that could burst into flame.

“The person who’s by the stove needs to stay by the stove. Stand by your pan, watch what you fry,” Vastis says. “Keep a heavy lid nearby when you’re cooking on the stove. In case there is a flare-up, you can slide that lid right over the pan, turn off the ignition and avert a fire.”

While a big part of the joy of the holidays is seeing kids and grandkids, she reminds safety should be your first priority while the cooking is underway.

“Keep kids and pets three feet away from where you’re cooking as it’s much too easy for someone to bump into something, spill something, knock something over, get burned,” Vastis says. “You want to cook on those back burners while you can and turn your pan handles in.”

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires year-round, accounting for 49-percent all home fires reported to fire departments.