(Radio Iowa) – Des Moines Area Community College — known as DMACC — is working with Iowa’s congressional delegation to try to revive an online course that had nationwide reach. DMACC President Rob Denson says in 2011 the federal government contracted with the college to provide a “Homeland Security” certification program for the Transportation Safety Administration screeners at the Des Moines Airport. In 2014, DMACC began offering the training online.

DMACC President Rob Denson

In 2019, the federal government gave DMACC the contract for training in all 50 states. Denson says it made 44-thousand T-S-A agents at 440 U-S airports eligible for the training.

Students who voluntarily enrolled in the certification course review national security issues, safety concerns and how the T-S-A interacts with other federal agencies, like the U-S Border Patrol. Earlier this year, federal officials notified DMACC it was temporarily pausing its support of the program.

Denson made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Open enrollment starts tomorrow (Saturday) for tens of thousands of Iowans who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and the premium costs could more than double for many Iowans’ A-C-A plans. That’s because federal subsidies expire at the end of this year, if Congress doesn’t approve an extension. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen says Iowans who are enrolling in A-C-A plans should seek help.

The Iowa Insurance Division says insurance carriers are also reporting overall premium increases of more than 25 percent. Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, says many people are expected to become uninsured due to a sharp increase in their premium costs.

Nearly 137-thousand Iowans buy their health insurance through the ACA marketplace. Open enrollment goes through January 15th.

(JOHNSTON, IA) — Fareway Stores, Inc. has announced a month-long initiative throughout November aimed at supporting individuals and families facing food insecurity in the communities we serve. As part of their ongoing commitment to giving back, Fareway says they are making it easier than ever for customers to help nourish their neighbors.

How Customers Can Participate:

• Pre-Bagged Donations: Customers can purchase pre-bagged, wholesome, SNAP-eligible food items at any Fareway location. These bags will be distributed directly to local food banks or pantries near each store.

• Individual Item Donations: Shoppers may also choose to donate individual food items of their choice.

• Monetary Contributions: Every Fareway check stand will accept donations, with every dollar going toward purchasing wholesome food products for nearby food banks or pantries.

(Photo: Screenshot of a video featuring Fareway CEO Reynolds Cramer introducing their food contribution program)

To amplify the generosity of our customers, Fareway will match all monetary contributions in value throughout the month of November. This means every dollar donated will go twice as far in helping families in need. Fareway CEO Reynolds Cramer says “At Fareway, our ‘Lead with Love’ mission is more than a motto—it’s a movement. We’re deeply grateful to our customers who join us in supporting those who need it most. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.”

Fareway thanks its customers for their continued support and generosity. With your help, officials says they’re “Making sure wholesome food reaches every table.”

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A man wearing a neon green inmate jumpsuit was arrested on October 24th in Council Bluffs, after he his behavior became “erratic and disruptive,” according to Council Bluffs Police. Authorities say officers with the Council Bluffs PD were dispatched at around 4:25 p.m. on Oct. 24th, to the Casey’s General Store at 3501 West Broadway, to initially assist another law enforcement agency. Upon arrival, officers observed a male individual, later identified as Christopher Lard walking on the north side of the business. Officers noted Lard appeared disoriented and was talking to himself.

Upon further investigation, it was learned that Lard had been dropped off by employees with the Dodge County Nebraska Sheriff’s Office as part of a “courtesy ride” to Council Bluffs. Immediately upon release, Lard reportedly began wandering the property, yelling incoherently, and throwing small figurines at customers. Witnesses also reported Lard entering a parked vehicle and approaching patrons in a concerning manner.

Due to his erratic and disruptive conduct CBPD officers placed Lard under arrest for Disorderly Conduct in a Place of Business. Lard was transported by the CBPD to the Pottawattamie County Jail for processing. After processing, he was later evaluated by medical professionals and transferred to a facility—outside law enforcement custody—for care and services. The CBPD has not been able to locate any family members, friends, acquaintances, or social service providers who have any relationship with Mr. Lard in Council Bluffs or Pottawattamie County.

Witnesses at the scene expressed relief and thanked officers for their response, stating that Lard’s behavior had caused distress among customers. The CBPD would like to thank the employees and patrons of Casey’s for their cooperation during the incident.

The CBPD reminds the public of the importance of timely and accurate notification of authorities if the public witness events similar to this. The CBPD is working closely with the Council Bluffs City Attorney’s Office and Pottawattamie County Attorney’s office to pursue every appropriate remedy to address any instances of individuals being improperly dropped off in Council Bluffs.

LANSING, Iowa – Oct. 31, 2025 – The Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation are announcing that a car ferry service will start on Monday, Nov. 3, to provide an alternative option following the closure of the existing Iowa 9 / WIS 82 Mississippi River bridge between Lansing, Iowa, and Crawford County, Wis. The existing bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge, closed to traffic on Oct. 20, as construction on a new bridge continues.

The free, 12-vehicle ferry will provide an alternative way for vehicles to cross the river and operate for 16 hours, seven days a week. The ferry will operate from a Wisconsin landing at the western end of WIS 82, adjacent to the bridge construction site, and cross to the Iowa landing at the Lansing Marina, north of the bridge. The first daily departures will start at 5:30 a.m. from Wisconsin and 5:45 a.m. from Iowa. The final daily departures will be at 9 p.m. from Wisconsin and 9:15 p.m. from Iowa.

The car ferry will operate on a continuous basis with one-way cycles estimated to take about 15 minutes, including loading, travel, and unloading. Ferry service may be paused temporarily for weather, river conditions, commercial traffic, crew changes, refueling, ferry maintenance, or site maintenance.

There is no cost to use the ferry. It will be open to cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. Two-axles trucks under 10 tons may also use the ferry. Trailers, ATV/UTVs, or larger vehicles such as RVs, buses, or farm equipment are not allowed.

A new bridge is being constructed alongside the existing bridge. Iowa DOT, WisDOT, and the contractor have determined that future construction stages on the new bridge pose a risk to the safety of the existing bridge. Crews have already begun dismantling the existing bridge in advance of a full demolition later this year.

In addition to the car ferry, there are marked highway detour routes in both states. The nearest highway bridge is approximately 30 miles south at U.S. 18 connecting Marquette, Iowa, to Prairie du Chien, Wis.

To support more efficient travel for daily commuters, we kindly request that priority access to the car ferry be given to commuter traffic during peak hours: 5:30–7:30 a.m. and 3:30–5:30 p.m. We encourage non-commuters to consider traveling outside these windows when possible.

On Iowa DOT-observed holidays, the car ferry will operate on a revised schedule from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The first holiday to follow this schedule will be Veterans Day, Nov. 11, followed by the Thanksgiving holiday, Nov. 27–28, and Christmas, Dec. 25. Please visit the website listed below for the full list of holidays following the revised schedule.

Full information on the ferry is available at https://iowadot.gov/lansingcarferry.

Additional information on the bridge construction project and the car ferry will continue to be announced through the project website, the project Facebook page, local media, on digital message signs on either end of the bridge, and through 511 Iowa and 511 Wisconsin. The Iowa DOT and WisDOT project teams are also communicating closely with government officials and other stakeholders in the affected communities.

For more information on the construction of the new Mississippi River Bridge as well as updates on the existing bridge status, go to iowadot.gov/lansingbridge. Individuals may also sign up to receive e-mail updates and view the Facebook page www.facebook.com/LansingBridge/.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports dense fog played a role in a head-on crash Thursday morning. At around 7:30-a.m., Adams County Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a possible accident. The reporting party stated “Life360” had the vehicle not moving on Highway 148. Adams County Dispatch then took a second 911 call reporting an Apple iPhone was in a serious crash on Highway 148 at North Lake Road.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office photo

Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies, Corning Fire and Corning Ambulance, were paged to the reported scene. When deputies arrived on scene, they found an Acura with extensive front-end damage, facing southbound in the middle of Highway 148. The driver of the car – later identified as 40-year-old Bryan Coffman-Sayre, of Corning, was trapped in his vehicle. Deputies also saw a Jeep Wrangler with extensive front-end damage – driven by 45-year-old Matthew Ramsey, of Corning – in the west ditch.

Corning Medics were able to enter through the front passenger window to treat Coffman-Sayre while Corning Fire cut and removed the front drivers door of the Acura, to successfully extract the man. A medical Helicopter was requested, but due to the weather conditions (dense fog), was unable to fly. Both drivers suffered injuries ranging from serious to minor, and were transported by ambulance to the hospital.

An investigation determined Coffman-Sayre was traveling north on Highway 148 when he attempted to pass another vehicle in the heavy fog. He was unable to see Ramsey’s SUV traveling southbound on Highway 148. The car and Jeep collided head-on. The sheriff’s department say Highway 148 was shut down for a short period of time due to the low visibility of the fog, and to allow emergency crews to safely treat the patients, and for crews to remove the vehicles off the roadway.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office thanks to Corning Fire, Corning Ambulance, and Adams Co EMA for their assistance.

(Radio Iowa) – A popular nine-man singing group that performs to sold-out audiences all around the world is making two stops in Iowa next week, and it’s a homecoming for one of the members. Urbandale native Tyler Trepp is one-ninth of Straight No Chaser. “We’re an a capella group so we have no instruments. It’s just the nine of us on stage, nine singers, from the lowest of the low base guy to the highest of the high tenors,” Trepp says. “We have a guy that does all of the percussion sounds, so it’ll sound like there’s drums or something being played on stage, but nope, it’s all made by our voices.” The group was formed in 1996 and Trepp’s been singing tenor with them since 2009, performing on the road about six months out of the year. This show, called “Holiday Road,” is designed to get Iowans in the mood for the yuletide season ahead.

Straight No Chaser with Tyler Trepp (far right)

“We do a wide variety of songs, from older stuff, the stuff that’s on the radio now, as well as on this tour, we’re doing stuff from our brand new holiday album, ‘Holiday Road’,” Trepp says. “So there’s a lot of stuff in there and a mix of different songs that I’m sure people will enjoy.” Straight No Chaser has sold more than one-and a half million concert tickets, over two million albums worldwide, and has more than one BILLION streams on Pandora. Still, Trepp’s one of nine guys and says they all manage to maintain a level of anonymity when they’re off stage. “That’s kind of the nice part about it is, we can kind of — once we get off tour, we can live pretty normal lives and just go home and be Dad,” Trepp says. “So that’s kind of kind of the nice part about it, which is good. We can just get to go home and be with our kids and our families.”

Trepp, who’s 40, grew up in a musical family, as his parents and grandparents sang and played instruments. He started piano lessons at age five, sang in children’s choirs, started his own a cappella group in high school, and later performed on cruise ships with a cappella group Oceans Four. Straight No Chaser is performing next Wednesday (November 5th) at the Civic Center of Des Moines, which Trepp says is very special as his parents, his sister and other family members and friends will be in the audience. “I love being back there,” Trepp says. “The people are great and the Civic Center, obviously, is a great venue. I grew up going to shows there, all my life, watching Broadway shows and concerts, whatever, so it’s cool to come back and perform on that stage.”

The group will also perform in Davenport on November 8th.

(Radio Iowa) – Tonight (Friday night) is the deadliest night of the year for child pedestrians, and Iowans are being reminded about the compounded risks of driving impaired on a night when there are so many kids on the streets for trick-or-treating. Brian Ortner, spokesman for AAA-Iowa, says Halloween is traditionally one of the most dangerous nights of the year for drivers and pedestrians, and the risks are even higher this year. “You don’t think of Halloween as one of those big celebratory holidays, but when Halloween falls on a Friday night, it definitely provides a level of opportunity for those celebrations and parties that take place,” Ortner says. “Especially this year with it being on a Friday, half of all crashes on Halloween night are alcohol-related.”

Unlike weeknight Halloweens, when people tend to go home early or avoid drinking due to work the next day, Ortner says a Friday celebration encourages more social gatherings and relaxed attitudes toward drugs and alcohol. That creates a dangerous environment on the roads, especially with neighborhoods full of families walking after dark. “Kids are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by a vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year,” Ortner says. “Contributing factors for that include, dark costumes that reduce visibility, running out between cars, unpredictable street crossing behavior, not crossing at crosswalks.”

AAA-photo

Some Iowans may elect to stay home tonight, but for those who are going out, Ortner offers some advice. “If you’re behind the wheel, obviously stay buckled up, focus fully on driving, as the increase in the number of pedestrians on the road is something you need to be aware of,” Ortner says. “Put that phone down, slow down and keep your eye out for trick-or-treaters. Moms and dads, make sure your kids are crossing at crosswalks. Make sure they’re not darting between cars, and make sure their costumes are illuminated or reflective in some way so they can be seen.”

Impaired driving is among the leading causes of fatal traffic crashes and Ortner urges Iowa drivers to plan ahead. “Arrange for a sober ride before the party starts,” Ortner says. “That could be a designated driver, get yourself one of the rideshare programs, have a cab company’s name handy. Also, speak up. Don’t let your friends drive impaired. If you’re a designated driver for someone and see someone else who’s trying to go home, step up and be that safe alternative for them.”

Whether you’re behind the wheel or walking in your neighborhood, Ortner says a few smart choices can help everyone stay safe this Halloween.

(Exira, Iowa) – An attorney from Exira who died this past May, received a posthumous lifetime achievement award from the Iowa Democratic Party at their Regional Awards Brunch held in Manilla Saturday October 25th. Information submitted to KJAN said Robert D. “Bob” Nelson was honored for his intelligence, integrity, accomplishments, and service while respecting his humility, modesty, and desire for privacy.  Bob Nelson graduated with the Exira High School class of 1955, and began a life of political activism. Over those four years at EHS, he served as his class president twice, class treasurer and member of the student council. He had a love of music; singing in the chorus and playing in the band all four years. His inquisitive nature led to his love of reading and journalism: writing for the school newspaper and yearbook.

Nelson earned his BA at the University of Iowa in 1959 and an MA from the University of Washington in 1961 where he was in ROTC studying field interrogating and learning Cantonese. He earned his Law degree from New York University  in 1966. He served as Audubon County Attorney for many years and was a longtime partner at Rasmussen & Nelson Attorneys-at-Law in his hometown of Exira. Bob was active in the Audubon County Democratic Party serving as County Chair and frequently as Secretary at the County Caucus.

Photo:
Receiving Robert Nelson’s award from Iowa Democratic Party chair, Rita Hart, (center) are two of his nieces Jodi Wellendorf (left) and Lori Larsen (right).

Nelson lived on the same farm all his life, was a concert-level pianist with a grand piano in the living room, and an immense collection of over 3000 books; 1000  of which have been donated to the Exira Public Library.  His body was donated to the University of Iowa.  He was an Army veteran, farm owner, golf buddy, and world traveler.