(Red Oak, IA) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting this (Tuesday) morning, received a report and request for funding, from Red Oak Public Library Director Kathi Most.. Most mentioned the Red Oak Library has added, and continues to add to, the services they offer.

Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert provided the Board with a weekly update.

The Board also received the 2025 Weed Commissioner’s report from Damien Bond, and approved his FY27 contract. In other business, the Montgomery County Supervisors approved claims, the Recorder’s and Sheriff’s reports of fees, and the Treasurer’s semi-annual report on ending fund balance for Nov. 30th. And, they received an update from West Township resident Jan Norris, with regard to the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.

Norris says opponents of the pipeline will ask the Iowa Legislature, when it convenes next month, to discuss the topic of Eminent Domain.

She thanked the Board for supporting ISAC’s Amicus Brief on Local Control. As of the last count, 59 counties have committed funding of ISAC’s legal proceedings when the case is presented before the Supreme Court. The next regular meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors is December 16th at 9-a.m.

(Creston, IA) – The Creston Police Department reports the arrest a little after 7-p.m. Monday, of 40-year-old Amanda Ann Hensley, from Creston. Hensley was arrested in the 800 block of Academic Avenue, on a charge of OWI (Operating While Under the Influence)/First Offense. She was transported to the Union County Jail, posted a 1,000 dollar cash or surety bond, and was released.

(Radio Iowa) – We’re living in what some are calling a loneliness epidemic, and if you’d like to make someone feel special at this time of year, consider sending a simple but personalized holiday card in the mail. Rachel McLaren, a University of Iowa communication studies professor, says dropping a card in the mailbox can help you stay connected, or it can also become a prompt to reconnect and to show you consider someone important. “It takes a lot more effort to send a card in the mail, to go through all the steps of writing the address and stamping it and sending it, and perhaps personalizing that card than it does maybe to send a text message,” McLaren says. “Not to say that texts aren’t a great way to celebrate the holidays as well, but I think receiving that physical card, there’s something extra special about that, and it can really serve as a physical reminder in your home of all the people in your life.”

Some people include lengthy newsletters, while others may just sign the card and send it off. McLaren says there’s a happy medium when personalizing holiday greetings. “Twenty-five words or less is enough to have a greater impact on the person receiving that card,” McLaren says. “So if you want to really make them feel special, make it feel like the card is not just about you and sharing your accomplishments, but is about them and wanting to maintain that relationship with them. Taking a few moments to write something personalized goes a long way to making that have a greater impact.” If someone sends you a card, and you didn’t send them one, it’s natural to feel a sense of obligation to quickly add them to your list, but McLaren says that’s not how it has to work.

“You get to choose the way that you want to send out those holiday greetings. All of us have different amounts of bandwidth. We have different amounts of money and time to dedicate to that, and know that you can show your friends your love and appreciation in many different ways,” McLaren says. “So it doesn’t have to be through the card, but for those that you really want to get closer with, use that card as just a jumping off point to further connection in 2026.” While sending Christmas cards has been an annual tradition for decades, studies find the trend is leveling off. “That number is declining, but research shows that people still send about one-billion cards a year,” she says, “so I would say the tradition is still growing strong despite being in a more digital era.”

If you haven’t sent anything in the mail for a while, the cost to send out a one-ounce, first class letter went up a nickel in July and is now 78-cents.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Red Oak was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning, following a traffic stop in the 1300 block of Highway 34. Authorities say 36-year-old John Patrick Dahlke was arrested at around 1:06-a.m., for Driving Under Suspension. Dahlke was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on bond amounting to slightly more than $491.

(An Iowa Capital  Dispatch report) – A former psychology instructor is suing Western Iowa Tech Community College for alleged discrimination in its handling of her complaint that she was being stalked by a student. Mariana Pacheco, who describes herself in court papers as a young, Hispanic academic from Costa Rica, is suing WITCC in Woodbury County District Court.

The lawsuit alleges that in 2022, when Pacheco was teaching a beginning-level course in psychology at the Sioux City college, a student, identified in court filings by the initials M.U., exhibited “odd behavior” toward her, would wait for her after class, and would block her from leaving the classroom. At one point, the lawsuit alleges, M.U. told Pacheco he had been “kicked out” of the military and not allowed to become a police officer due to several psychiatric conditions.

Throughout the fall 2022 semester, Pacheco alleges, she noticed M.U. following her around campus. She then notified her direct supervisor and the school’s dean of opportunity of engagement, but no action was taken, according to the lawsuit. In the spring of 2023, when Pacheco taught developmental psychology, M.U. allegedly enrolled in the course.  In one class exercise, students were instructed to use ink pens as a device, but M.U. allegedly substituted AR-15 bullets for the pens.

Pacheco reported her concerns to WITCC officials who dismissed those and other serious concerns she had, according to the lawsuit. Her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for negligence; third-party sexual harassment; discrimination based on race, skin color or national origin; retaliatory discharge, and violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

WITCC has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the school indicated it does not comment on pending litigation.

(Radio Iowa) – President Trump says the federal government will provide up to 12 BILLION dollars in one-time payments to farmers being pinched by higher production costs and lower commodity prices. “This relief will provide much needed certainty to farmers as they get this year’s harvest to market and look ahead to next year’s crops,” Trump said, “and it’ll help them continue their efforts to lower food prices for American families.”

Trump made the announcement yesterday (Monday) during an event at the White House. Cordt Holub, a 4th generation farmer who raises corn, soybeans and cattle in Tama County, sat next to Trump. “It’s Christmas early for farmers,” Holub said. “…With this bridge payment, we’ll be able to farm another year…It gets in your blood to farm and what you’re doing here in D.C. is working. You have a backbone to stand up to other countries.”

U-S Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the payments will be based on 2025 acreage reports that eligible farmers file with the U-S-D-A by December 19th. “So as you are going with your lender, as you are working to ensure and understand what you can plant for next year, you will have that number in hand,” Rollins said. The checks should be distributed by the end of February.

Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson says farmers are facing severe financial stress driven by high input costs and declining crop prices — compounded by a lack of global trade opportunities. He says the payments will be critical support for farmers while broader trade discussions continue.

Farmers who raise 20 different crops, including corn, soybeans and oats, will get 11 BILLION dollars under the “Farmer Bridge Assistance Program.” The U-S-D-A will use the remaining BILLION dollars to help farmers who grow specialty crops and sugarcane.

(Atlantic, IA) – Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a Work Session, followed by a regular board meeting, Wednesday evening in the High School Media Center. During the Work Session that begins at 5-p.m., the Board will hear from Vitus Bering, with SVPA Architects, and discuss the information to be presented.

The Board’s Regular monthly meeting begins at 6-p.m., and includes action under their Consent Agenda, with regard to the Resignations of: Gratt Reed, HS Girls Track Coach; Alex Wilson, Special Education Para, and Regina Honke, HS Counselor’s Office Secretary. The Board will also act on the following Recommendations To Hire: Mark Andersen, Play Director for the Spring of 2026, and Speech & Debate Co-Head Advisor; Dan Beaman – Substitute Bus Driver, and the hiring of a Special Ed teacher (to be announced).

The Board is also expected to discuss facility projects updates and timelines developed during the work session; A partnership with the City of Atlantic for an expansion & enhancement of the Bull Creek detention basin, and an Early Retirement Policy.

You can view their full agenda here: Public AGENDA 12102025

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-N-R recently released a series of informational updates on chronic-wasting disease that’s found in deer. State deer biologist Jace Elliott says they want to get information out to update everyone as the deer season is underway. “C-W-D has always been a hot topic. It’s controversial, and it’s important for hunters and the public to understand, you know, there, there’s a lot of information out there and we just want to help provide maybe sort of a biological, scientific and deer management focus,” he says. If you haven’t seen any of the information, you can find it online.

“Our deer hunting website, which is just iowadnr.gov/deer, has a lot of different helpful resources,” Elliott says. “We have a a sub website in there called deer health. You can find a lot of information about C-W-D, including our our interactive C-W-D dashboard.” He says there’s also information on other diseases that impact deer.

” You can also see. our E-H-D and blue tongue reporting tool and dashboard, So, for anybody who hasn’t visited that website, there’s a wealth of information for folks who are interested in in how and why we manage deer in Iowa,” Elliott says.

The D-N-R collects samples from hunters throughout the deer season to test for C-W-D to help track its spread in the state.

(Radio Iowa) – About 750 Iowa Democrats took an online survey to share their thoughts on the future of the Iowa Caucuses — and 65 percent want Iowa Democrats to be first or at least among the early states hosting contests in the 2028 presidential election. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart released a video statement, saying the results are not surprising.”The bottom is that Iowans must have an early role in the 2028 presidential nominating process,” Hart said, “and our party-run process needs to be more accessible and inclusive.”

Nearly 30 percent of Democrats who completed the survey said in-person precinct caucus gatherings should be maintained, but the party should figure out a way for people to participate if they cannot attend on Caucus night. Respondents were split on whether the Iowa Democratic Party should “go rogue” and hold first-in-the-nation Caucuses if the Democratic National Committee decides another state should go first. Hart says Iowa Democrats will meet the January 16th deadline and apply to the D-N-C to be among the handful of states allowed to hold caucuses and primaries in early 2028.

“There is still along way to go before an early window calendar is finalized and there’s still a lot of conversations with the DNC and with my fellow Democrats that need to be had,” Hart said, “so while I’m looking forward to having those discussions, my primary focus right now continues to be making sure we win elections in 2026.”

A smart phone app delayed release of the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2020 Caucuses and national party leaders voted to take Iowa out of the lead-off spot in the 2024 campaign. The Iowa G-O-P’s Caucuses have been the kick off for Republican presidential campaigns for over four decades and party leaders are optimistic the Iowa Republican Party’s Caucuses will remain first-in-the-nation in 2028.

(Glenwood, IA) – Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests took place over the past week (in addition to the two previously mentioned arrests – in a separate post – of two people from Omaha on drug charges).

On Dec. 6th: 39-year-old Steven Michael Trotter, of Omaha, was arrested in Glenwood on a warrant for Failure to Appear. His bond was set at $5,000; 58-year-old Derrick Lee Dornsburgh, of Malvern, was arrested in Glenwood for Violation of Probation (Bond $2,000).

On Dec. 3rd, 40-year-old Edicson Arturo Pineda Suarez, of Omaha, was arrested in Council Bluffs for OWI/1st offense (Bond $1,000). And, on Dec. 2nd, 53-year-old Bret Phillip Samuelson, of Auburn, NE, was arrested in Glenwood for Failure to Appear (No bond set).