COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Georgia man was sentenced today to 300 months in federal prison for possessing distribution quantities of meth, fentanyl, and heroin, and a firearm.

According to public court documents, Taft Cornelius Burtton, 32, fled from law enforcement who were attempting to traffic stop his car on April 20, 2023 within Adair County. Burtton drove over 112 miles per hour on I-80, exited and re-entered the interstate, and made a U-turn in the median. Law enforcement disabled Burtton’s vehicle and he fled on foot and was not apprehended. Inside Burtton’s vehicle was 884 grams of methamphetamine and more than $42,000 in drug proceeds.

On December 7, 2023, law enforcement searched Burtton’s Des Moines residence and found him in possession of more than 50 grams of fentanyl, 150 grams of heroin, 150 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of crack, 300 grams of marijuana, and a loaded Ruger pistol. Burtton is prohibited from possessing firearms because he is a felon, including a 2016 conviction in the Illinois Circuit Court for Cook County for delivery of cocaine at a public high school.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Burtton will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Adair Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – As a new Iowa House higher education committee gets its start with the beginning of the legislative session, college and university leaders are signaling their willingness to work with lawmakers while seeking clarification about what “return on investment” the Statehouse is seeking. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Higher education committee chair Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said at the committee’s first meeting Tuesday that this is the first committee to oversee higher education in more than 50 years, with the last higher education committee meeting in 1971.

Collins said the committee will explore legislation aimed at reviewing academic programs to compare them to workforce needs of the state, reforming core curriculum, controlling costs and expanding access to higher education for rural Iowans, as well as increasing intellectual diversity and proficiency in civics education on campuses and combating “predatory institutional accreditors.”

The only three-letter acronym Collins said the committee would be using during the session is “MEI,” which stands for merit, excellence and intelligence, rather than diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. State universities have already cut positions and eliminated or restructured offices related to DEI, directed to do so by the Iowa Board of Regents and legislation passed last session. Collins previously said he doesn’t see a need to pass more bills aimed at DEI on college campuses, but the committee will check in to make sure the universities are following the law.

Iowa Board of Regents spokesperson Josh Lehman said in an email that the board office has received “several questions and requests for information” from Collins, and the office is happy to work with him and other lawmakers on the committee with any questions they have. Lehman said in his email that a recent economic impact study reported that the three state universities together contributed almost $15 billion in income to the state in fiscal year 2022, or around 7% of the total gross product of the state. The universities also support close to 200,000 Iowa jobs, he said, or 1 out of every 10 jobs. The committee will also oversee community colleges and private universities, whose students benefit from the Iowa Tuition Grant program.

Another three-letter acronym Collins used in previous interviews about the new committee is ROI, or return on investment. He said lawmakers have “every right” to look at the academic programs being offered at universities to see how state funds are being used and what benefits Iowa taxpayers will see from them.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s largest music festival is making some changes to address concerns raised by the extremely warm conditions this past summer. Hinterland Festival Director Sam Summers says one of those changes will include a refund process if temperatures are predicted to reach 90 degrees or higher. “I think that gives people, you know, the confidence that, like, you know, if we get to the point where it is very hot come August, and, you know, you make a decision you don’t want to go, you can return it,” he says.

The festival is held annually in Saint Charles, south of Des Moines, and Summers says they says are adding more space and shade this year at a new main stage location inside the festival grounds. “What that new space will do is allow people more space, more entrances, you know. We’ll have additional food areas,” he says.

Organizers also announced that Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator and Kacey Musgraves will headline the festival this year. It is scheduled from August 1st to August 3rd.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Get ready to welcome spring by attending the Cass County Master Gardeners’ 2025 Spring Garden Seminar, scheduled for Saturday, March 8. This year’s seminar focuses on the “Flowers, Bees, Butterflies and Trees” and is open to anyone interested in learning more about local garden topics. The daylong event will be held at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic, and feature four keynote speakers. In addition to the presentations, a variety of local vendors will be on hand with garden related crafts and décor, as well as local resources and information for gardeners of all skill levels and interests.

The event opens with registration and light refreshments at 8:30 AM. Vendor and resource tables will also be available to browse beginning at this time. The first session begins at 9 AM and will feature local garden designer and butterfly enthusiast Nicki Weiderstein sharing the monarch butterfly’s journey to their winter home in Mexico. The second speaker of the morning will be Andy Schmitz from the Brenton Arboretum with a deep dive into planting trees, including some hands-on demonstrations of root health. After the second morning speaker, a light lunch will be served and attendees are invited to visit the vendor and resource fair again to discover a variety of local treasures.

The afternoon begins with ISU Extension Bee Specialist Randall Cass, as he guides attendees through an exploration of the basics of beekeeping. Our final speaker of the day will be Aaron Steil, Consumer Horticulture Specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, discussing hydrangeas and their uses, selection and care in the Iowa landscape. The program will conclude at 3 PM with giveaways and one more chance to visit the vendor and resource fair at the end of the day.

Plan now to join the Cass County Master Gardeners as we Gather, Learn and GROW together at the 2025 Spring Garden Seminar! Cost for the seminar sessions, including food, sessions and materials is $50 for the day if paid by February 15^th. After this date regular registration and walk-in registration will be available at $55/attendee. Registration is now open and can be completed online by visiting the online registration page at https://go.iastate.edu/8PQJHF. Online registrations may be paid by credit card or check. Registrations are not refundable but may be transferred to another attendee with advance notice.

A full schedule and program registration information is also available by visiting the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, or by stopping into the Cass County Extension office. Previous seminar attendees with a current email address on record will also receive a registration link by email. Questions can be directed to Kate Olson at 712-243-1132, or by email at keolson@iastate.edu. Mark your calendars, get registered, and plan to join the Cass County Master Gardeners for the 2025 Spring Garden Seminar on Saturday, March 8!

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will host its Annual Dinner on Friday, March 7th, 2025, at The Venue in Atlantic. Chamber Executive Director Bailey Smith says “The Annual Dinner is always a favorite for the Chamber. It’s a great opportunity for us to reflect on what we’ve accomplished, look forward to what we will accomplish and most of all, highlight all of our members and volunteers that have invested their time and money back into our organization and our community.”

The Chamber will recognize businesses, organizations and individual leaders in the community. The 39th Annual Distinguished Service Award will also be given out at the dinner. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual, business or organization who has made the community a better place to live. They have rendered special services for the benefit of the community and have demonstrated an active leadership role for the betterment of the community through their involvement in business, civic and social service organizations.

Melissa Ihnen, 2022 Distinguished Service Award winner, presenting Dan Vargason with the 2023 Distinguished Service Award.

Last year, the Distinguished Service Award was given to Dan Vargason for his passion for youth development, going above and beyond his role as an educator and coach. Dan spends a considerable amount of time outside of school teaching youth the importance of volunteerism and what it means to love your community.

Smith encourages those who sent a nomination last year to do so again this year if their recipient didn’t win. Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award are due by February 21st, 2025.

You can nominate someone by submitting a nomination letter to the Chamber at 102 Chestnut Street, or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. DSA Nomination Form

The Annual Dinner will begin at 6:00 PM with a social followed by dinner at 6:30 PM. You can register for the dinner at www.atlanticiowa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Two startup companies are getting a boost from the Iowa Economic Development Authority board. I-E-D-A spokesperson Kannan Kappleman says on is Reality Wave based in Coralville. “Reality Wave received a 50-thousand dollar proof of commercial relevance loan, and the company utilizes A-I technology to provide objective evaluations of academic manuscripts and grant proposals,” she says. Kappleman says the company’s process ensures scholarly articles meet high quality standards in a timely manner. A Des Moines-based company received a loan for product refinement.

“Tumblewood VITA received a hundred thousand dollar demonstration fund loan and the company offers a step-by-step approach to managing end-of-life and post-loss plans,” Kappleman says. She says the product helps people plan for and carry out the final wishes of those involved. “So their legacy planning software guides individuals and families and other entities in organizing records, logging final wishes, and so forth,” she says. Two communities won Community Attraction and Tourism or CAT grants. Community Theatre of Cedar Rapids was awarded 500-thousand dollars.

“For their ‘Dream Here, Do Here’ project, which focuses on the renovation of the historic building’s upper stories to accommodate additional classroom and rehearsal space in their community theater,” Kappleman says. The other award went to a community project in Tama and Marshall County.  “The city of Legrand was awarded for a little over 44-thousand dollars to make park improvements, which includes new playground equipment, upgrades to surfacing, installation of pickleball courts,” she says. Kappleman says the project will complement a new nearby housing development.

(Ames, Iowa) – Police in Ames have released the name of a man who died following a shooting Saturday evening. Authorities say 25-year-old Parker L. Stoneburner, of Boone, died at Mary Greeley Medical Center, following a shooting that took place at around 6:30-p.m. Saturday in an apartment in the 200 block of S. 5th Street, in Ames.

After he died at the hospital, Stoneburner’s body was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Officer for an autopsy.

No arrests have been made, however tips received continue to be reviewed by investigators. Residents in the area of the shooting are encouraged to review home doorbell or surveillance video for suspicious activity from 6-to 7-p.m. on January 18. The Ames Police Department continues to investigate this incident.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Ames Police Department at (515) 239-5133 or the anonymous tip line (515) 239-5533. You may also contact Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at (515) 223-1400. Online anonymous tips may be submitted to www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com.

(Griswold, Iowa) – Griswold Rescue was dispatched this afternoon to the scene of a single-vehicle rollover accident with minor injuries to two occupants of the vehicle. Cass County Sheriff John Westring said both victims were transported to the hospital by private vehicle to be checked-out and treated. The crash happened on 550th Street just north of Newton Road, at around 1:45-p.m. Additional details are currently not available.

Another accident happened at 7th and Spruce in Atlantic, at around 4:53-p.m. There were no serious injuries reported.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill introduced in the Iowa House would no longer let cities use a private company to issue tickets and collect fines for speeding or red light violations that are caught on camera. Gary Grant, a lobbyist for the City of Cedar Rapids, says it would be more expensive to have city staff handle the ticketing process.  “Using third parties is the most effective, efficient way to do this,” Grant says.

“If we’re no longer able to do that, then we’ll have to assign that work to city employees and in an era where we’re being encouraged to explore smaller, smarter governments and less pressure on local property taxes, we think this is the most efficient way to do it.” David Adelman is a lobbyist for one of the vendors that handles tickets issued for traffic camera violations. He also represents the largest cities in Iowa that are part of the Metropolitan Coalition.

“This piece of legislation we believe in kind of the manner of efficiency and the manner of DOGE, is taking a step backwards,” Adelman says. “By providing a third party to (issue) the citation and collect the fine is allowing the cities to do more with less.” The bill also would end the confiscation of state income tax refunds from those who refuse to pay the fines generated by traffic camera tickets.

Representative Daniel Gosa, a Democrat from Davenport, opposes the bill, including that part of it. “If you don’t have any teeth in something, then it really has no meaning behind it,” Gosa says. “If a kid’s bad in school, you want that kid to go to detention, but if there are no repercussions for that, they’re just going to keep doing what they’re doing.” The bill cleared initial SUB-committee review today (Tuesday), but the bill’s floor manager says at this point he wouldn’t support bringing it up for a vote in a House committee.

A state law that took effect July 1st set new parameters for traffic enforcement devices and has led to a 44 percent reduction in the number of traffic cameras placed around the state.