(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say no injuries were reported following two separate accidents this week. Late Wednesday morning, 64-year-old Debra Blair, of Osceola, was driving a 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan eastbound through the private parking lot for the Quality Inn, when – according to Blair – her brakes failed. The vehicle continued east before striking a fence located on the property. The van continued east across Sumner Avenue before finally coming to rest in a private lot just east of Sumner. The minivan sustained $2,500 damage. Damage the fence owned by Amy Perkins of Creston, was estimated at $1,000. No citations were issued.

The other accident happened Thursday night, when a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by 46-year-old Julie Teague, of Lenox, went around a parked car on the west side of Oak Street, and struck a legally parked 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan registered to Crystal Harvey, of Osceola, which was on the east side of the street. The vehicles sustained a total of $4,000 damage. No citations were issued.

(Radio Iowa) – Volunteers in Sioux City’s Memorial Park Cemetery placed over 44-hundred wreaths at the gravesides of veterans today (Friday). Rene LaPierre, commander of American Legion Post 697, is the person who lead the effort for the “Wreaths Across America” program to reach his community.

One of the graves in Sioux City decorates in the “Wreaths Across America” effort. (Photo by Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)

Some of today’s (Friday’s) volunteers were able to lay a wreath on a family member’s gravestone. LaPierre says as each wreath was laid, the volunteer honored the veteran by saying his or her name aloud.

Great West Casualty Company is one of the contributors. Mandy Graham is the company’s chief operating officer.

The event began with a ceremony at the cemetery, as wreaths were presented for each branch of the military and those missing in action. Similar ceremonies are scheduled December 14th other Iowa cemeteries, including the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter and at the Iowa Veterans Home Cemetery in Marshalltown. According to the Wreaths Across America website, about more than a dozen other Iowa cemeteries are having wreath-laying ceremonies.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s busiest hunting season of the year opens Saturday (Dec. 7),  as some 100-thousand shotgun-wielding deer hunters will hit the woods and fields over the next few weeks. Megan Anderson, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Gundersen Health System, says if it’s been a while since you’ve been hunting, you would likely benefit from brushing up on your safety skills.

All hunters should know rules like: When firearms aren’t in use, be sure they’re stored safely, locked and UN-loaded. Anderson says you should always know where other members of your party are located, and to let someone not with the group know where you are and when you’ll be back.

Especially during December, when the weather can quickly turn very cold and unpleasant, Anderson says proper clothing is vital.

Iowa has two deer shotgun seasons coming up. The first runs tomorrow through December 11th, while the second season runs December 14th through the 22nd. Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Osceola, Iowa) – A Clarke County man has been arrested for Attempted Murder and other charges following a shooting on Thursday. The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 12:30-p.m.  about a person who had been shot. The caller was identified as 32-year-old George William Douglas, of Woodburn. Douglas was located at his residence at 3049 Pacific Street and was arrested at that time.

Officers and emergency medical teams arrived at 1066 315th Avenue in rural Clarke County, and found a male adult, later identified as 35-year-old Tyler Scott Sutton of New Virginia, suffering from a gun shot wound. Sutton was flown by air ambulance to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines where he is listed in critical condition.

George William Douglas has been charged with Attempted Murder, Going Armed with Intent, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

The investigation is ongoing with the assistance of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Major Crime Unit.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson sponsored to target China for its trade violations has passed the House. “This bill puts American industry, manufacturing, and workers first,” Hinson said during remarks on the House floor. The bill would expand the authority of U.S. Department of Justice officials to prosecute international trade crimes, like forced labor and efforts to evade U-S tariffs. It also allows the agency to pursue civil and criminal lawsuits at the same time. “Despite the sheer volume of trade-related crime, the Department of Justice remains inadequately equipped to effectively detect, investigate, and prosecute such offenses,” Hinson said.

“While tariffs are one tool in our toolkit to level the playing field, we also must enforce our trade laws and hold China accountable for repeated violations that have a catastrophic impact on American workers and industry.” Hinson cited the example of a Chinese car manufacturer that was shipping its products to Thailand to avoid U.S. customs duties. She said the ripple effect led to layoffs at an Illinois company. “Sunsong is far from the only Chinese company taking action to exploit our trade system to bolster China’s non-market economy,,” she said, “crippling American industry and manufacturing, threatening workers’ wages and livelihoods, and enabling slave labor.”

IA (R) Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

Hinson said cracking down on China’s unfair trade practices will bring more of the supply chain back inside the United States and boost domestic manufacturing. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, has been on the House Select Committee on China and hopes to remain on the recently-created panel when the next congress convenes in 2025.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lake Restoration Program is accepting public comments on the newly released draft 2024 Lake Restoration Report and 2025 Plan, now through Dec. 18th.  The report is available for review at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Lake-Restoration. It highlights restoration projects completed around the state in State Fiscal Year 2024 and outlines plans for upcoming restoration projects.

The Lake Restoration Program works with communities and stakeholders across Iowa to improve water quality and recreational opportunities at publicly-owned lakes. Since the program’s creation in 2006, the Iowa legislature has invested more than $166 million in the lake restoration program. To date, DNR and project partners have invested in lake improvement projects at 72 lakes in 54 counties. Since 2006, 40 shallow lake/wetlands projects have also been completed, improving over 14,000 wetland acres. The program maintains a list of publicly-owned lakes and shallow lakes/wetlands prioritized for restoration.

Major projects completed in 2024 include a $2.92 million investment in Casey Lake, located within Hickory Hills Park (Black Hawk County), a $3.52 million investment at Three Mile Lake (Union County) and a $1.2 million program investment at Rock Creek Lake (Jasper County) to stabilize eroded shorelines. Major projects planned for 2025 include watershed and in-lake restoration work at Lake Keomah (Mahaska County), Diamond Lake (Poweshiek County), and McKinley Lake (Union County).

Additionally, several large-scale shallow lake/wetland restoration projects are underway, including projects at Pleasant Lake, and Lily Lake (both in Dickinson County) and East Twin Lake (Hancock County). Once again, the DNR is accepting comments through Dec. 18th. Comments may be submitted via email to michelle.balmer@dnr.iowa.gov or sent via mail to Michelle Balmer, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 6200 Park Avenue, Suite 200, Des Moines, Iowa 50321.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa anglers can buy the Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish license and tags from Dec. 15th through Jan. 7th. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says you can buy your special paddlefish license and tags on the Iowa DNR online licenses sales website at https://gooutdoorsiowa.com. A resident license sells for $25.50 and a nonresident license is $49. Anglers must also have a valid Iowa fishing license.

A limited number of paddlefish licenses are available – 950 resident, and 50 nonresident. Anglers may buy up to two tags – one between Dec. 15 and 31; and an additional tag between Jan. 1 and 7, or two tags if you didn’t buy one in December. The license, harvest tag(s), and regulations will be mailed to purchasers in mid-January. Purchasers will be asked to complete an electronic survey to help the Iowa DNR evaluate the success of the paddlefish season. Please complete the survey whether you harvested a paddlefish or not. The Iowa DNR is always working to improve the paddlefish season for anglers; any input provided is considered and is greatly appreciated.

Paddlefish-DNR photo

The Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish season opens Feb. 1 and runs through April 30. For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season, visit the Iowa DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish – click on Missouri River Paddlefish Season and Regulations.