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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is not yet ready to say how she’ll vote on President-elect Trump’s pick to head the Pentagon. During an appearance on Fox News, Ernst indicated she has not gotten to yes on Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be U-S Secretary of Defense. Ernst says she had a very thorough discussion with Hegseth on Wednesday about allegations that have been made against him.
Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the U-S Senate, is a sexual assault survivor. Ernst says a number senators want to make sure that any allegations against Hegseth have been cleared before his confirmation vote.
Ernst indicated the vetting of Hegseth will continue for the next month or so, until his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Ernst is a member of the panel. Another Republican on the committee praised Hegseth after meeting with him today (Thursday). However, South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds says he wants Hegseth to be able to respond publicly to the accusations against him at the committee’s confirmation hearing in January.
(Radio Iowa) – Leaders of the State Dental Association want Iowa lawmakers to address a critical shortage of dentists who accept Medicaid patients. Carroll dentist Chris Bogue, is the president of the organization. “The reimbursement rate is one, and then the secondary is we don’t have the staff to help us see a lot of these patients,” he says. “We kind of have a double whammy and both of those issues are kind of our legislative priorities this year.” Dr. Bogue says Medicaid reimbursement rates have stayed stagnant for almost 20 years.
“It is hard and that’s the struggle. As dentists, we wanna do everything we can to help when we actually see the patients. We’re probably getting paid 20 to 30 cents on the dollar. And that doesn’t even cover overhead for a lot of the cases,” Bogue says. Tracy Gotto of the Buena Vista County Health Department says none of the five dentists in Storm Lake accepts Medicaid patients, and the local health center is the only option.
“Dentists are just saying that they can’t do it based on the reimbursement, and I think we’re just having this crisis all over. We were sending kids to Fort Dodge at one point, and now Fort Dodge is saying they can’t take any more kids either,” Gotto says. Dr. Bogue also wants the legislature to address a severe shortage of dental hygienists and assistants.
The need for Medicaid providers is so great that a free “Mission of Mercy” clinic in Sioux City in October treated one thousand people – but was forced to turn down another thousand who officials say exhausted all other options for care.
(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is suggesting the tax and budget cutting formula she’s used over the past seven years could be the model for Republicans who will be in control of congress and the White House next year. “As Washington prepares for taxes to take center stage in the next administration, there’s a new growth oriented, fiscally conscious model to look to in the heartland,” Reynolds says.
Reynolds, a Republican who’s a former county treasurer and state senator, took over as governor in mid-2017. She has signed five separate tax reduction plans into law. Next month, Iowa’s personal income tax will shrink to a single rate of three-point-eight percent. The state income tax for corporations has been reduced as well. “Iowa’s journey to tax competitiveness — it wasn’t a matter of a few modest tweaks,” Reynolds says. “It was a complete, top-to-bottom transformation.” Reynolds also spearheaded a reorganization plan for state government in 2023. It consolidated 37 state agencies into 16.
Earlier this year Reynolds signed the law that has eliminated dozens of state boards and commissions. Reynolds says her budget trimming is required in order to cut taxes responsibly. “Fundamentally the story of Iowa’s transformation was less about implementing clever policies and it was more about unleashing the energy and creativity in Iowans and in our communities,” Reynolds syas. “It was truly the triumph of simplicity over complexity, growth over spending and bottom up energy over top down management.”
Reynolds reviewed these and other policies of the past during remarks at the Iowa Taxpayers Association’s annual symposium, but did not reveal what tax or spending ideas she’ll ask legislators to implement in 2025. Reynolds received the annual Iowa Taxpayers Association’s award for advancing business-friendly tax policies. The national Tax Foundation gave Reynolds its annual distinguished service award last month.
(Council Bluffs, IA) – Officials with the Iowa West Foundation report nearly $1 million in grant funding was awarded to five southwest Iowa towns with populations around 1,000 as part of the Vibrant Rural Communities program (VIBE). The grants will support projects that include a community center renovation and water and sewer infrastructure for future housing development among other projects. Among the rural communities receiving 2024 Cycle 3 Grants and Initiatives, was:
(see the list of other communities and their awards, below) 
Brenda Mainwaring, President, and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation, said “Our vision strives for communities where people love to live with an emphasis on the ‘S’ in communities. Rural residents have immense pride in their towns, and we are pleased to be able to support their efforts to build and grow their hometowns.”
The IWF’s VIBE program is supported by Advance Southwest Iowa – which also received an operating grant for $225,000 – with consulting assistance from McClure Engineering. Together, they help Pottawattamie County communities identify capital improvement projects and assist with applications for potential funding resources. Paula Hazlewood, CEO of Advance Southwest Iowa, said “We are grateful for the Foundation’s support, which has empowered us to create new opportunities for growth in rural communities.“Thanks to this partnership, we are building a stronger local economy and a brighter future for our residents.”
Bethany Wilcoxon, Senior Advisor with McClure Engineering, said “We look at communities around Pottawattamie County through our work with Iowa West Foundation, and there are so many opportunities. However, a lot of these communities only have a city clerk and they’re trying to get out water bills and keep city councils moving forward. VIBE is about figuring out how do we pull all the resources together to help.”
In addition to VIBE projects, the Foundation awarded grants in Adams County for building revitalization, Crawford County mobile pantries, and Cass County for a new mental health program. Carson also received a grant for a façade renovation on Main Street and Macedonia for fire safety equipment for their volunteer fire department.
Partnerships with local casinos Ameristar, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe make it possible for the Foundation to continuously award outcome-focused grants in southwest Iowa communities that support belonging, financial stability, opportunities, and wellbeing. Fees from gaming and income from Foundation investments provide funding for programs and projects that benefit the residents of 14 counties in southwest Iowa.
The Iowa West Foundation has a two-step grants process, with Letters of Inquiry (LOI) accepted year-round. LOIs received by Jan. 2 will be considered in the next cycle with final applications due by Jan. 15th. All applicants will need to create a Giving Data account to access the LOI and application unless they have already done so.
Other 2024 Cycle 3 Grants and Initiatives:
(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says four arrests took place, Wednesday:
(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says there were 17 arrests that took place between Nov. 1st and 30th. Beginning with the most recent arrests:
On Nov. 30th, 34-year-old Cole Jacob Benton, of Hamlin, was arrested for Driving While Barred, and Failure to provide Insurance.
On the 28th: 21-year-old Kaden Ray Mahan, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI – 1st Offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug, and Child Endangerment; And, 27-year-old Connor Patrick Green, of Harlan, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree.
November 27th, Shelby County Deputies arrested 34-year-old Cody Emmett Lister, of Harlan, for Possession of a controlled Substance – Marijuana 3rd offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine/3rd offense, Prohibited Acts, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
On the 25th of November, 31-year-old Brandon Christopher Allen, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant; And, 29-year-old Anthony Michael McCoy, of Minden, was arrested on charges of Driving while LIcense Denied or Suspended, Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance, and Speeding.
Here is the rest of the list provided by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office:
11/23/2024: Barbara Ann Luft, Age 69, Council Bluffs, IA. Luft was arrested after a Traffic Stop. Luft was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI- First Offense.
11/21/2024: Sarah Elizabeth Koester, Age 35, Harlan, IA. Koester was arrested after a Traffic Stop. Koester was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana 3rd offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine 3rd offense, Prohibited Acts, operating a Non-Registered Vehicle, Failure to Provide Insurance, and Open Container.
11/20/2024: Winston Joseph Leal, Age 33, Harlan, IA. Leal was arrested after a call for service. Leal was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault- 2nd Offense.
11/19/2024: Albert Alexander Johnson, Age 39, Atlantic, IA. Johnson was arrested after a Traffic Stop on Hwy 59. Johnson was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance- Marijuana, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving while Suspended.
11/17/2024: Jill Annette Wensel, Age 53, Logan, IA. Wensel was arrested following a Traffic stop. Wensel was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while Barred; Mackenzie Ann Robinson, Age 29, Harlan, IA. Robinson was arrested after a call for service. Robinson was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Contempt- Violation of No Contact Order.
11/15/2024: John Allen Lindeman Sr. Age 50, Defiance, IA. Lindeman was arrested and transported to the Shelby County Jail on an active Shelby County Warrant.
11/14/2024: Tyler Alan Miller, Age 35, Harlan, IA. Miller was arrested following a Traffic Stop. Miller was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Prohibited acts, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
11/10/2024: Liberty Lynn Cole, Age 24, Woodbine, IA. Cole was arrested following a Traffic Stop. Cole was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving While Barred, and cited for No Insurance.
11/06/2024: Mark Allen Boardman, Age 55, Portsmouth, IA. Boardman was arrested and transported to the Shelby County Jail on an active Shelby County Warrant. Boardman was also charged with interference with Official Acts.
11/01/2024: Mary Kristen Davis, Age 54, Harlan, IA. Davis was arrested after a call for service. Davis was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Public Intoxication.
(Radio Iowa) – After several months of discussions, the Storm Lake City Council has narrowly passed a homing pigeon ordinance. Up to one hundred domestic pigeons will be allowed on a single property within Storm Lake city limits. City officials began debating the topic after complaints about the number of birds in the city. A Storm Lake resident said their family raised homing pigeons as a hobby — for races. Storm Lake City Councilman Kevin McKinney opposes letting up to 100 pigeons occupy a single property — and he questions how the ordinance can be enforced. “It’s going to be a little tough to go in there and count pigeons and stuff like that,” he says.
Storm Lake’s city manager says they’re planning to set up a licensing process. It will require that pigeons be wearing leg bands showing their owner’s name. Scott Olsen is a building official for the City of Storm Lake. “When we get the application for them to be legally able to have those in city limits and we get a complaint that there’s too many, there’s more than 100 or any other issues, it’d be like any other nuisance,” he says. “We’d have to go in and investigate.”
Storm Lake Racing Pigeon Club (Facebook photo)
In the sport of pigeon racing, trained homing pigeons are taken to a racing spot, released and timed for how long it takes the birds to fly home. Under state law, it is illegal to kill, capture or detain a homing pigeon that has the name of its owner on the band around its leg.
(Radio Iowa) – The manhunt is still underway in New York City after Iowa native and UnitedHealthcare C-E-O Brian Thompson was shot to death outside his hotel on Wednesday morning while in town for a conference. The 50-year-old Thompson lived in Minneapolis with his family. He grew up in Hamilton County, Iowa, and was a 1997 University of Iowa graduate. He graduated in 1993 from South Hamilton High School in Jewell, where Todd Coy is the principal. “He was an outstanding student,” Coy says. “It’s been over 30 years, probably 31 years since Brian was here at South Hamilton, but he still stands out as one of those students that definitely left a lasting impression on staff and the Class of ’93. Just a great kid.”
Coy says everyone there remembers Thompson. “He was that model student, always striving for excellence,” Coy says. “I mean, if he missed an answer on a test, he wanted to know why, and could it have possibly been that the question was worded wrong? So he was a great kid.” Coy says Thompson stood out in academics, athletics and other extra curricular activities. “He was class president. He was their homecoming king. He was our valedictorian. He was an all-state trombone player. He strived in golf,” Coy says. “Pretty much seemed like whatever Brian set his mind to, he was going to excel.” Police in New York say it appears the slaying was a “brazen, targeted attack” that was not random.
Security video shows the masked man using a gun with a silencer, repeatedly shooting Thompson from behind as he left the hotel. Coy says everyone is stunned by the news. “It’s shocking, I feel for his family,” Coy says. “I’ve only probably had conversations with Brian two or three times since he graduated, but it was just like old times when he came back, very personable, built great relationships with people.” Investigators say the gunman fled the scene on foot, then on an e-bike, but they lost his trail in Central Park a few blocks away. Reports say a cell phone and a water bottle were found that may have been dropped by the shooter, along with shell casings.
Reports say also, UnitedHealthcare was aware of threats against its high-level executives. Thompson had been at the company since 2004 and was named chief executive in 2021.
(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A western Iowa woman died Wednesday, from injuries she suffered in a house fire. Council Bluffs Fire Department officials say 70-year-old Peggy Lee Rayner was one of four people in a home (at 2007 7th Avenue) that caught fire at around 11:20-p.m. Another resident (Fayth Rayner) was treated for smoke inhalation at the hospital, and was said to be in stable condition. Two other occupants were not injured.
The blaze was initially reported to have started in the basement, but when firefighters arrived, they encountered smoke coming from the back of the residence. Crews entered the home and found Peggy Rayner in a basement bedroom. She was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. 
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Council Bluffs Fire Marshal’s Office.
(Radio Iowa) – A popular program that’s being used by patrons of 80 Iowa libraries is being suspended, temporarily, starting January 1st. The Iowa Adventure Pass gives library card holders free admission to all sorts of attractions statewide, like museums and zoos. The program was started in 2017 at the Grimes Public Library, where assistant director Karalee Kerr says the program’s software is ending operations for libraries across the country at year’s end. “It’s been very, very popular, so we were a little bit surprised to get the notification that the software company wasn’t going to continue,” Kerr says, “but it’s never been in doubt that we would look for ways to make it continue.”
Kerr says the Massachusetts-based provider that’s been facilitating the service is closing at the end of the month. “I think there will be a short gap where we don’t have passes available,” she says, “but it’s my hope that very soon, after the new year, we would be able to have it open again for people to start making reservations.”
Grimes is seeking a new vendor to facilitate the program and hopes to bring back the Iowa Adventure Pass sometime in 2025.
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