(Radio Iowa) – NextEra Energy’s chief executive says the company is exploring whether it could reopen the nuclear power plant in eastern Iowa that was closed down four years ago.

“We are currently evaluating the recommissioning of our Duane Arnold plant in Iowa,” NextEra Energy chairman and CEO John Ketchum said during a conference call with investors on Wednesday.

Ketchum said nuclear power will play a role in meeting the country’s increasing demand for energy, but there are only 20 so-called “merchant” nuclear plants that generate power for sale on the open market — and only two of them are west of the Mississippi River.

“Nuclear plants across the country are already serving existing demand,” he said, “so even if they are contracted by specific customers, new resources need to be built to meet new demand.”

Most of the country’s nuclear reactors were built between 1970 and 1990. Small modular reactors called SMRs are operating in China and Russia, but there are none in the U.S.

“Alternatives such as new utility-scale nuclear and SMRs are unproven, expensive and, again, not expected to be commercially viable at scale until the latter part of the next decade,” Ketchum said.

NextEra acquired the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo in 2005. The plant was decommissioned in 2020 after 45 years of operation. NextEra began installing solar panels on the property earlier this year. Ketchum said expanding the capacity of solar and wind generation is critical to ensuring power bills don’t skyrocket due to scarce electricity supply.

“Today, there are forecasts for an approximate 6x increase in power demand growth in the next 20 years versus the prior 20,” Ketchum says. “That significant projected shift in fundamental demand is across industries, driven in large part by 7 by 24 loads from data centers.”

Google, Facebook and Microsoft all operate data centers in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa SIDS Foundation is trying to raise awareness of proper sleeping environments for babies after a big increase in deaths. Foundation executive director Casey Manser says Sudden Infant Death Syndrome happens to babies who are under one year old.

“Since October 2023 we’ve been connected with 34 newly bereaved families who have experienced the loss of an infant who’s died suddenly and unexpectedly during sleep. And this does include families from 18 different counties across our state,” Manser says. That is a 70 percent increase in referrals to the Foundation for grief support for families.

“What we’ve seen is the majority of these infant deaths are related to accidents that occur in a sleeping environment. And so there are safe sleep recommendations, or recommendations of what you can do to keep babies safe during sleep,” Manser says. “And so a lot of these deaths are preventable and include accidents. And so what we kind of realize is maybe people don’t understand these recommendations completely. Maybe they’re not being talked about.” She says a lot of these deaths include infants who are sharing a sleep surface with an adult.

“Sleeping in the same bed as an adult, or sleeping on a couch or on a recliner with a caregiver, and so these surfaces are not safe for an infant when it comes to sleep,” she says. Manser says new parents can get a lot of suggestions about how to take care of their babies. “Everyone loves to give advice, right and tell you what works for them, and there’s lots of options where you can get information from the internet, social media, that kind of thing. What we want to encourage people to do is talk to their medical providers, and so these providers are going to have the most up to date information about what’s safe and what’s not,” Manser says.

She says parent should not overlook this information. “Even during pregnancy, before baby arrives, talk to their O-B or midwife about what their plan is for sleep, and so that they can answer questions before baby even gets here and have a safe plan. And then once baby arrives, we encourage parents and caregivers to ask their pediatricians or their medical providers,” she says.

Manser says their website, iowasids.org, also has information for parents as well.

(Radio Iowa) – A retired physician and educator from eastern Iowa is releasing a book about her experiences as the mother of a dependent 38-year-old son who has developmental and cognitive disabilities.

Maureen McCue, a former University of Iowa professor of public health and global health, says her book, “Dancing in a Disabled World,” starts off as a memoir but evolves into a call to action.

“Disability is all around us, but we act like it doesn’t exist,” McCue says. “We go about causing disability in indirect ways. It’s really hard, if you begin to look around, to say you know anybody who is -not- dealing with disability and yet, as a society, we tend to think of it as an anomaly as opposed to a commonality.”

McCue, who lives just outside Iowa City in Oxford, says the book is a study of what constitutes a disability and the roles disabilities play in everyone’s lives.

“We need, all of us, to pay some more attention to what we’re calling disability, from our ability-focused lifestyles,” McCue says, “as if we aren’t all just an accident of nature, of a car, of weather, you know, a disability away.”

Former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa was the architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which became law in 1990. Known as the ADA, the wide-ranging civil rights law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in many areas of public life. McCue’s research took her all over the world, to places like Ecuador, India, Haiti and Bangladesh.

“I love the fact that the U.S. passed the ADA, and in many countries that I’ve been in, people point to the ADA as a model,” McCue says, “but the ADA is like the Constitution, really, a living document that continues to need improvement, that continues to need expansion.”

McCue is scheduled to give a presentation at the Harkin Institute at Drake University in Des Moines on November 14th. Part of that discussion will focus on the “big picture” of disabilities, and part will zero in on her son. She says everyone with a disability also has many remarkable abilities.

“For my son, it’s his appreciation of music and his ability to hold on to music and seek music and dance,” McCue says. “More than the average adult, he’s driven by music.”

“Dancing in a Disabled World” is McCue’s second book, published by North Liberty-based Ice Cube Press. The first, “Birds in the Morning, Frogs at Night,” was featured on Radio Iowa in 2021.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Police Department have released a report on recent arrests and citations.

10/07/2024 – 61-year-old Brian Iwersen, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Gathering Where Controlled Substances are Used.

10/09/2024 – 31-year-old Brian Kline, of Atlantic, was arrested on Guthrie County Warrants for Burglary 3rd, Theft 4th Degree and Trespass.

10/12/2024 – 40-year-old Billy Leeper, of Red Oak, was arrested in Atlantic for Disorderly Conduct and Interference with Official Acts.

10/15/2024 – 18-year-old Javen Jespersen, of Atlantic, was arrested  on a Cass County Warrant for Controlled Substance Violation.

10/19/24 – 44-year-old Peter Mualia, of Anita, was arrested in Atlantic for Simple Assault, Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication.

10/20/2024 – 29-year-old Taify Amumu, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication.

All above subjects were taken into custody and transported to Cass County Jail and Booked in.

THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS WERE CITED INTO COURT AND RELEASED:

10/16/2024: 41-year-old Elinora Nowell, of Atlantic, was cited for Compulsory Education Violation; 41-year-old Joseph Reynolds, of Atlantic, was cited for Theft 5th (shoplifting).

Atlantic, IA—Officials with Cass Health have announced that Maria Hoegh, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C is now seeing patients. Hoegh is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She provides family practice care with special interests in women’s health and pediatrics. In addition to seeing patients in Atlantic and Griswold, Hoegh will also provide care through Cass Health’s outreach clinics in Red Oak, Corning, and Greenfield. Hoegh says “I am excited for this new chapter of my career at Cass Health to build new relationships and collaborating with a dedicated healthcare team to deliver high quality care.”

Hoegh received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Creighton University in 2021, and recently moved from Utah where she was practicing in a family medicine clinic. She says “I love being a nurse practitioner because it allows me to build meaningful relationships with patients and their families. I enjoy working alongside my patients to create a plan that best fits their needs and empowers them to take charge of their health. It is fulfilling to see the improvement in a patient’s well-being and quality of life.”

Maria Hoegh, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C (photo submitted by CCHS)

Prior to the start of her career as a Nurse Practitioner, Hoegh’s nursing career began in 2013 after graduating with her BSN from Clarkson College. She has worked as a Pediatric Emergency nurse at Blank Children’s Hospital, and she also worked at the University of Iowa’s Children’s Hospital in both the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Medical Surgical Unit.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Cass Health at 712-243-2850.

(Radio Iowa) – Winnebago Industries is laying off 33 workers from its Forest City plant next month. The company disclosed the layoffs on a state website where companies report layoffs. About a third of Winnebago’s 61-hundred workers are employed at facilities in northern Iowa. The R-V and boat manufacturer announced on Wednesday it had revenue of over three BILLION dollars in its just concluded fiscal year, but profits were down 26 percent compared to the previous 12 months. Winnebago president and C-E-O Michael Happe says that reflects sluggish retail demand and operating inefficiencies within the company.

“While the retail environment remains challenging in the short term, we anticipate gradual market improvement over the next 12-15 months,” Happe says. Happe says motorhome dealers are in de-stocking mode and the inventory of Winnebago products was down four-and-a-half percent in its last quarter. “Which underscores our focus on continuing to aggressively manage production amidst what remains a challenging macroeconomic environment.” In additional to the layoffs at Forest City facilities on November 22nd, Winnebago closed a plant in Charles City on September 1st and moved production of camper vans to its Lake Mills facility.

“We have made substantive leadership changes at Winnebago Motorhome and Winnebago Towables to remedy the operational and financial challenges that have affected the performance of those businesses in recent quarters,” Happe says. The company’s operating expenses increased during its last fiscal year, with net income of 13 MILLION dollars. Happe says despite the weak retail market, the company is well-positioned. “As we look to the future, I am confident in our company’s strong positioning and long term growth potential,” Happe says. “…Our strong balance sheet and healthy free cash flows are not just numbers on a page. They represent opportunity. We have ample dry powder to invest smartly in growth initiatives, while simultaneously returning capital to our valued shareholders.”

Winnebago has seen growth in its marine division. In 2018, the company acquired powerboat maker Criss Craft and three years ago Winnebago bought Barletta, which manufactures pontoon boats.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A pedestrian died after being hit by a vehicle on Interstate 80 Thursday morning, near Dexter. Sgt. Alex Dinkla with the Iowa State Patrol says the accident  happened in the westbound lanes of I-80 near Dexter at the 98.6 mile marker. The call about the incident came in about 7:16 a.m.

The name of the person who was struck was not immediately released, and the incident remained under investigation.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported following an accident involving three vehicles, Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say the accident occurred in the 500 block of N. 4th Street, at around 4-p.m.  An investigation determined a 2000 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 31-year-old Devon Ray Briggs, of Red Oak, was northbound on 4th when Briggs failed to notice a Ford 500 sedan driven by Julie White, of Red Oak, backing out of a parking spot near the Family Vision Center.

The pickup hit the car on the left rear side, causing $2,500 damage to the vehicle. As a result of the impact, the pickup lost its ability to be steered, and collided with a parked 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup on the west side of the street. The Dodge sustained a police estimated $1,500 damage. Briggs’ pickup sustained an estimated $2,500 damage. No citations were issued.

CLARINDA, IOWA, October 23, 2024: The Page County Attorney’s Office has announced that following a two-day trial and about 90-minutes of jury deliberation, 38-year-old Samantha Wheatley, of Shenandoah, was found guilty of the crime of Willful Injury, a class D felony, and Assault with Intent to Inflict Serious Injury. The verdict was rendered Wednesday afternoon.

Wheatley was originally charged with Attempted Murder and Willful Injury after striking Sayj Martin with an automobile Wheatley was driving in Shenandoah, on December 31, 2023. Wheatley was released on bond and sentencing will take place on January 8, 2025.

Samantha Wheatley (Photo courtesy of the Page County Attorney’s Office)

The case was investigated by the Shenandoah Police Department, with assistance from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol, and was prosecuted by the Page County Attorney’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – A map released this (Thursday) morning by the U-S Drought Monitor shows -all- of Iowa is again experiencing some level of drought. Last week’s map showed about two-and-a-half percent of the state was still in the normal category, but even that’s gone now. The new map indicates about 16-percent of Iowa is abnormally dry, all in south-central Iowa, while almost two-thirds of the state is in moderate drought. That leaves about 19-percent that’s in severe drought, with large patches of that category in northwest, west-central and northeast Iowa. As yet, none of the state’s in the worst two levels of extreme or exceptional drought.
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A steady, soaking rain would be welcome, and not hail or high winds, but parts of Iowa may see all of them later today (Thursday). National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donavon says the majority of Iowa is quite parched, so the expected downpour will be a refreshing change of pace. “We do have actually a pretty strong system coming into the state by later this afternoon, into this evening,” Donavon says. “We are expecting showers and thunderstorms to develop. It looks like in most areas, that development occurs sometime between 6 PM and midnight, and we may have a few strong storms, and we could have some large hail with those as well.”

While some areas are 50-50 for rainfall, parts of eastern Iowa are closer to a 100-percent chance for rain, though he says the quantities that are expected vary. “As you get up into the Webster City and Fort Dodge area, actually parts to the northwest might actually be our lower areas with the precipitation. They’re generally at around a 10th of an inch or so is the main forecast for there,” Donavon says. “Farther to the southeast, as you get south of Highway 30, basically Ames and Marshalltown, and east of I-35, there actually could be some areas that receive over an inch of rain.”

Dry conditions are expected to return for the weekend with highs in the 60s. The latest 6 to 10-day outlook shows a chance for more precipitation late next week.