(Radio Iowa) – The annual Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division report shows alcohol sales were down slightly in the fiscal year that ended in June. The report shows alcohol sales dropped by about 614-thousand dollars to around 293-point-eight million dollars in the fiscal year. While sales were down slightly, the net profit for the state in the last fiscal year was up by nearly one point-nine percent or more than two-point-one million dollars.

(Image from IABD website)

Canadian and domestic whiskeys were the top dollar sellers for the fiscal year, while Tito’s vodka was the top-selling brand, followed by Black Velvet whiskey.

(Radio Iowa) – A nonprofit group will represent Ann Selzer and her polling company free of charge against a lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump. The suit, filed last month, alleges Selzer’s Iowa Poll in the Des Moines Register — which showed Trump trailing in Iowa by three points — was a form of election interference. Adam Steinbaugh is an attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the group representing Selzer.

“The point of the lawsuit is not to win the claim,” he says, “but to make someone pay the legal fees and go through the hassle of defending against a lawsuit and getting that lawsuit dismissed.” Trump won Iowa by 13 points and Trump’s lawsuit alleges Selzer and the Des Moines Register created a false narrative about the race with the poll, released the weekend before the election, showing Trump trailing Kamala Harris in Iowa. The lawsuit accuses the paper and the pollster of violating Iowa’s Consumer Fraud Act. “This is a classic ‘Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation or SLAPP,” Steinbaugh says, “which is a lawsuit that tries to take baseless or creative legal claims and force someone to defend their free expression in court.”

A Chicago-based group has filed a second, similar lawsuit against The Register and pollster Ann Selzer that accuses them of misleading subscribers. In a written statement, the Register’s legal counsel called it a frivolous, copy-cat lawsuit meant to suppress speech protected by the First Amendment.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), approved the appointment of Auditor Deputies and Clerk. Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg…

The Board also approved the appointment of a Mental Health Advocate. Supervisor Jodi Hoadley…

The Board authorized Board Chair Nathan Baier to sign the contract and performance bond for the W-12 Harrison (Township) Reinforced Concrete Box (RCB) Culvert Project.  Baier was also authorized to sign the IN-6 Bridge Replacement Project C & P Bond. County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for signature, an Iowa Department of Revenue Power of Attorney Form. The form grants the designated representative the authority to receive and inspect confidential tax information, perform actions related to the taxpayer’s tax affairs, and represent the taxpayer before the department Kauffman then made his weekly report on Adair County Secondary Roads Department maintenance and other activities.

Adair County Courthouse, Greenfield, IA

Prior to concluding their meeting, the Adair County Supervisors received FY 26 Budget Requests from: The DHS ($15,750 total) and the Southern Iowa Trolley. Other requests were received from persons representing: MATURA; RC&D; Adair County Ag Extension, and Tourism officials.  No formal action was taken on those requests at this time.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A popular spice brand manufactured in Ankeny, will no longer be sold at Hy-Vee stores. KCCI reports Hy-Vee is parting ways with Tone’s Spices and Seasonings.

In a press release, Hy-Vee said “Companywide, we are adding more McCormick spices to our offerings to make sure we can meet customer demand and ensure we have supply for the holidays. We are still purchasing more than 200 products produced by B&G Foods, Inc., which is the company that owns Tone’s. However, in order to meet spice demand at stores throughout our region, we are working primarily with McCormick when it comes to our spice offerings.”

(Radio Iowa) – A traveling museum exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution that focuses on innovation in rural America is now open in Newton, the third of four host cities in Iowa. Erin Chambers, the city’s community development director, says Newton leaders are thrilled to have been picked to be the temporary home of the display called “Spark! Places of Innovation.” Chambers says, “We have a high-quality, national-museum quality exhibit on display free of charge for anybody who wants to come to Newton and check it out.”

The exhibit uses photographs, hands-on activities, objects, and videos to tell the stories of how rural communities tackled modern challenges. It’s organized into four themes — social, artistic, technological, and cultural innovation. Chambers says the display provides real-life examples of small towns solving big problems, which plays well in Jasper County. “Newton has a very strong history of entrepreneurship and innovation, which, because that’s the topic of this exhibit, really interested the historic preservation commission,” Chambers says, “to the end that the Newton HPC has partnered with the Jasper County Historical Society to augment the Smithsonian exhibit with Jasper County-related content.”

After earlier stops in Grinnell and Monticello, the exhibit is at Legacy Plaza in Newton through January 30th. Its final Iowa stop will be in Tabor, February 8th through March 30th.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – More people could receive a tax form in the mail this year that they’ve never seen before: a 1099-K form. The 1099-K form is a requirement for companies like ‘Venmo’ and ‘Etsy.’ It’s a law change that those with online businesses or side hustles will need to be ready for. Those online platforms used to only mail the form if the payment reached $20,000 and 200 transactions. The IRS wanted to drop the threshold to send the form in 2023 to just $600. Feedback from taxpayers, tax experts, and payment processors made it delay the change and move to a tiered transition period.

For the 2024 tax year, the threshold was dropped to 5 thousand dollars. In 2025, it will drop to $2,500 It will finally reach that $600 mark for 2026 and beyond. This tax season the threshold to get this form is lowering. Meaning more people will be filling out the form. It won’t just be small businesses who see this form show up in the mailbox. Nonprofits that use Venmo for donation purposes could also receive the form. It could also be sent to anyone who sells an item as a one-off if it’s over that threshold.

Experts recommend you keep track of every income, and every expense and holding onto any recipients you might be questioning. The forms are expected to start arriving by the end of this month.

(Creston, Iowa) – A Union County man was arrested Tuesday night on drug and other charges. The Creston Police Department reports 26-year-old Isaac Wayne Hayes, of Creston, was arrested at his home at around 9-p.m., Tuesday. He was transported to the Union County Jail and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Violation of No Contact/Protective Order Contempt, Interference with Official Acts, and Failure to Appear on previous charges. Hayes was being held without bond, pending an appearance before a Judge.

(Radio Iowa) – More farmers reported higher levels of stress last year compared to 2022 in the latest Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, which surveyed nearly 950 farmers statewide. Most of the respondents were men and 66 years old, on average. J-Arbuckle, an Iowa State University extension sociologist, led the poll. “There was a very big shift in the level of personal stress that was reported,” Arbuckle says. “I think that also kind of aligns with the decline in economic conditions leading up to the to the survey time.” Nearly half of the participants said they had medium-level stress, while 17-percent said they had high or very high stress levels. Arbuckle says the ratings can help indicate mental health needs in the state.

Arbuckle says, “We had probably some of the strongest ratings of past farm financial performance and really high ratings of job satisfaction.” He says job satisfaction is an important marker for mental health, but farmers also reported higher stress and were more pessimistic about their economic prospects for the next five years. “Sixty-two-percent indicated that they thought they would be worse,” he says, “and that’s the highest that we’ve ever recorded by a long shot.”

Farmers were surveyed last February and March when crop prices and farm sector forecasts were declining after historic highs from 2021 to mid-2023. The I-S-U survey about farmers’ quality of life, finances and conservation was first conducted in 1982.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say Iowa may not see temperatures above 32-degrees again for at least another week, and prolonged exposure to extreme cold can cause all sorts of havoc for our bodies — and for our cell phones. Casey Brooks, manager of the U-S Cellular store at Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines, says you may not know it, but there’s liquid inside our phones. “What we’re really worried about with that is the lithium ion battery that’s contained inside any of those smartphones and they do contain liquid,” Brooks says. “When those batteries are put into extreme cold temperatures, the molecules shrink and that can cause potential issues for the battery life. The display, the buttons and everything can lag significantly.” If you’ve been outside with your phone and the device is cold, Brooks says don’t try to use it until it warms up, or it may not be cooperative.

“Once the phone gets back above that 32 degree mark, it’s going to start operating as normal, but that battery does have to warm back up to room temperature,” Brooks says, “and make sure you do that before you charge it.” Many of us carry our phones virtually everywhere, but especially now, in case of emergency during this harsh winter. If you’re going to be exposed to the elements, Brooks says try not to use the phone while you’re out in the wind and cold. “For carrying it, I would say keep it in a pocket close to your body,” Brooks says. “Your body is going to put off some body heat to keep that phone warm to prevent it from having that issue in the extreme cold. You can also put a case on that phone. That’s going to help give it one more layer of protection against the cold.”

Law enforcement encourages us to put the phone in the console or glove box while we’re driving to avoid being distracted by it, and Brooks says that’s a good idea, even in the chill. “As long as the car is running, that should be fine,” Brooks says. “Those compartments would be heated as well, but once you turn the car off, or you’re leaving the vehicle, you’d want to take that device with you, if possible.” She also recommends you keep your phone fully charged during the winter to avoid completely draining the battery. Taking along a portable charger may also be a good idea if you won’t be near a power source.

DUBUQUE, Iowa – One person died and three others were injured when three vehicles collided Tuesday afternoon in eastern Iowa’s Dubuque County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the crash happened a little before 4:30-p.m.. on Highway 52 at Kemp Road in Dubuque.

Patrol investigators say a Honda SUV was northbound on Highway 52 at the same time a Toyota van was southbound. Both vehicles collided head-on. A northbound Subaru SUV then struck the Honda. Two of the drivers were taken to the hospital where one was pronounced dead. A passenger in one of the vehicles was also injured and transported to the hospital. The driver of the Subaru was injured, but did not require hospitalization.

The crash remains under investigation. The names of the victims was not immediately released.