(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being reminded about the life-saving potential of smoke alarms as part of National Fire Prevention Week. Levi Kinnison, the fire prevention specialist with the Red Oak Fire Department, says smoke alarms can provide crucial time for residents to get out of a house or building if there’s a fire.

“Make sure you have smoke alarms, make sure they’re working, and make sure the batteries have been replaced,” Kinnison says. “Test your smoke alarms once a month, but if you can do it every six months to make sure they’re doing good, that’s perfect. When you change your clocks, change your batteries. That’s what we want to stress this year, just having working smoke alarms throughout the house.”

Studies find smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half. Also, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working alarms. Through a partnership with the American Red Cross, Kinnison says Red Oak is among many Iowa fire departments offering free smoke detectors.

“Usually a fire department person can come and install them for you, especially the elderly, we don’t want them climbing up on ladders trying to put in a new smoke alarm, so we’ll come out and do those,” he says. “Also, most local fire departments also have a smoke alarm program they can help with as well.” He recommends installing smoke detectors in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of a home.

Kinnison says strobe light or bed shaking alarms are available for people with sensory or physical disabilities. He also suggests a few other general fire safety tips. “If your smoke alarms are going off and your house is filling with smoke, we want you to ‘get low and go,’ where we crawl below the smoke and the heat and get outside,” Kinnison says. “Also, ‘get out and stay out.’ We never want anybody to go back inside a house or building that has smoke and fire as that’s what the fire department is there for. We’re trained professionals, so we’ll be the ones that go back inside that ‘not ideal’ environment for you.”

The Iowa Fire Marshal’s office says 24 Iowans have died in fires so far in 2024. Last year, there were 37 fire deaths statewide.

(Clarinda, Iowa) — Sheriff’s officials in Page County report a man from Maine was arrested early Sunday morning, for alleged indecent contact with a child. 54-year-old Timothy Alan Groves of Etna, Maine, was taken into custody at around 2:15-a.m.  His arrest occurred at a residence in rural Page County. Groves is being held in the Page County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says this week’s somber anniversary of the October 7th attacks was a reminder of the brutality of the terror groups Israel is facing.  “And how serious it is when terrorists invade other countries,” Feenstra says, “because it could be ours someday also and that’s why it’s so important to have a strong military.” Feenstra, a Republican who represents Iowa’s fourth congressional district, has made two trips to Israel, including one this past June.  “Got to speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant about the situation and what’s happening,” Feenstra said. “Their bottom line was, ‘We need to protect Israel. We need to protect the people.'”

Feenstra toured the site of the music festival and the villages where Hamas attacked last year. As Israel’s response enters its second year, Feenstra says it appears Hamas is using Palestinians as human shields, while Hezbollah has repeatedly lobbed bombs from Lebanon into Israel. “The solution is that we have to root out terrorism and that’s what Israel is doing,” Feenstra says. “There were 10 million people that were in bomb shelters just a week and a half ago when Iran sent over 200 and some missiles, I mean, they live that on a daily basis, threatened on a daily basis.” Last Friday, the U-S military launched strikes against Iranian-based Houthi rebels in Yemen, a move Feenstra supports.

Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) (official photo)

“We are the undisputed leader of the free world and we must stand with our allies. I always think of what President Reagan said, that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” Feenstra says. “That’s what we’re seeing here. You have the Houthis, you have these other organizations that want to wipe Israel off the map because they’re free people, just like we are in America.”

The three other Republicans who represent Iowa in the U-S House have issued statements of support for Israel this week. First district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks says October 7th marked a day of both sadness and resilience for Israel. Second district Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says Hamas is pure evil and it’s past time all those taken hostage on October 7th were released. Third district Congressman Zach Nunn says Iran and its proxies, like Hamas, must be held accountable for their barbaric acts.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a man was arrested on Harassment and Stalking charges this (Wednesday) morning. 28-year-old Carlos Ivan Cortez, of Creston, was taken into custody for Harassment in the 1st Degree, and Stalking. Cortez was being held without bond in the Union County Jail until seen by a Judge.

(Radio Iowa) -A Fort Dodge man who was accused of killing his father was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.  Twenty-six-year-old Alec Jones was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 55-year-old Dennis Jones last April at his home in Fort Dodge. The body of Dennis Jones was dumped in a ditch in rural Webster County.

This past August a Webster County jury deliberated for two hours before finding Jones guilty of first-degree murder. The trial of Alec Jones’ younger brother Nathan is set to begin next May.

He is charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder in the incident.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – A man from Nebraska was arrested today (Wednesday) in Glenwood. Police in Glenwood report 22-year-old Isaac Thompson, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Department is hosting their 8th Biennial Lighted Halloween Campground, on Saturday, October 19th, at Cold Springs Park in Lewis.  The event takes place from 7-until 9-p.m., and is intended to be fun, non-scary and FREE family friendly drive into the night.

Prizes will be for the top three voted sites, and for some special categories. Prizes are donated by event sponsor, Cappel’s Ace Hardware. The Lighted Halloween Campground event will be cancelled if there is inclement weather.

2022 Lighted Halloween Campground winner, the Dougherty family with the Alien décor. (Photo submitted)

(Lewis, Iowa) – Each year at about this time, the Cass County Conservation Board asks residents of the County when they think the first Trumpeter Swan will arrive at the Schildberg Quarry, in Atlantic. Trumpeter Swans have visited the Schildberg Quarry for, at least, 25 out of the last 26 winters.

Arrival and departure dates of the swans have been as follows:

1997/1998 December 18 – January 2

1998/1999 Nothing on record

1999/2000 December 25 – February 15

2000/2001 November 23 – March 6

2001/2002 December 25 – February 24

2002/2003 November 23 – March 15

2003/2004 November 26 – March 21

2004/2005 November 25 – March 18

2005/2006 November 17 – March 5

2006/2007 October 30 – March 9

2007/2008 November 22- February 14

2008/2009 November 18- March 12

2009-2010 November 19 – January 5

2010-2011 November 5 – February 10

2011/2012 November 17 – February 21

2012/2013 November 24– March 4

2013/2014 November 12- April 7

2014/2015 November 11- April 6

2015/2016 November 22- March 24

2016/2017 November 19- March 9

2017/2018 November 9- March 20

2018/2019 November 11- January 23

2019/2020 November 8- March 3

2020/2021 November 30- February 13

2021/2022 November 22- February 28

2022/2023 November 22- February 22

2023/2024 December 2- January 30

Please call in your prediction (by November 10th) to the Conservation Board at 712-769-2372, leave a message and return phone number if Conservation staff are not in. Duplicate dates will not be allowed. For example, if a caller predicts November 25th, no one else will be allowed to predict that arrival date. So, call anytime until November 10th to make your prediction! One prediction per family, please. The sponsors of this contest will determine the official arrival of more than 6 trumpeter swans to Lake 4, and if they arrive before Nov. 10th no more dates will be taken. The winner will receive a Trumpeter Swan Prize from the Cass County Conservation Board. Sorry, this contest is only for residents of Cass County.