(Radio Iowa) – More than 20-thousand-500 F-F-A members in Iowa are marking the accomplishments of ag education as part of National F-F-A Week. Webster City High School student Megan Van Deer says she loves working with animals. “I want to go to school for veterinary,” Van Deer says, “and so just being part of the FFA program kind of helped me get more interested and stay along with it.”

Bridge Berninghaus joined the same Webster City F-F-A chapter for a host of reasons. “I think it’s a great program to get involved in,” Berninghaus says. “You get to meet new people, help others in the community, build more leadership, and have a great time.” Alyson McCarty is a vocational agriculture instructor at Webster City High School. In her native Connecticut, the F-F-A program varies from the one in Iowa, with much less emphasis on corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle.

“We have kids that are growing fish in their high school classrooms or looking at forestry, pine trees, cut flowers in greenhouses,” McCarty says. “It looks a little bit different, but they’re still learning the same: leadership, communication, all those skills.”

There are over one-million F-F-A members nationwide. The organization was started in 1928 to introduce youth to agriculture in the classroom. Members, in their blue jackets, are involved from grapefruit sales during the holidays, participating at county fairs, and driving tractors and farm machinery from their farm homes to their classrooms.

(Cass County, IA) – Griswold Fire & Rescue responded to a residential structure fire early this (Tuesday) morning east of Griswold. The blaze was reported by a person driving in the area at around 6:08-a.m. When firefighters arrived, the home near 560th & Tucson Road was fully engulfed in flames. Mutual aid was requested and received from the Lewis & Cumberland Fire Departments. Cass EMS and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies were also on the scene. 

Griswold Fire Chief J.C. Wyman said he didn’t know early this morning if anyone was inside the home. No firefighters were injured. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation. Additional information remained unavailable at mid-day today (Tuesday).

Photo submitted to KJAN News

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in an eastern Iowa case involving alcohol sales to minors. Two minors were able to buy alcohol at Beecher Liquor in Dubuque during a police compliance check in 2022. The owner of Beecher Liquor agreed to the 500 dollar fine for the first violation, but appealed the 15-hundred dollar fine and 30 day license suspension for the second violation. He says the law requires the increased penalty if a second violation happens within two years of the first, and since the two violations occurred on the same day five minutes apart they should be considered one.

The Supreme Court denied the appeal, ruling there is no minimum time passage requirement in the code between violations. Justice Dana Oxley wrote a dissenting opinion. She says the code is not meant to punish the number of alcohol sales involved in a particular violation. It is meant to punish persistent conduct more severely only after a licensee has previously been convicted or found in violation and the second enhanced penalty should be dismissed.

Justices Susan Christensen, Mathew McDermott joined the dissent to make it a 4-3 ruling.

(Creston, IA) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says crews have been removing trees on the east side of the 12 Mile Lake Wildlife Area (east of Creston), in order to restore high quality, grassland habitat improving water quality for the lake and benefiting grassland wildlife. Josh Rusk with the Iowa DNR, says “The grassland has been threatened by invasive bush honeysuckle, autumn olive and eastern red cedar, which outcompetes the grassland, creating nothing but bare ground underneath, resulting in increased runoff to the lake.”

The most recent clearing is visible from the boat ramp. The DNR plans to follow up with a prescribed burn this spring. “It’s been a gradual, multi-year project that has a way to go,” he said. “We plan to burn the tree piles, restack, and burn again. Once we get the tree and brush skeletons cleaned up we will convert cool season grasses to native grasses and wildflowers.” A similar restoration effort is also happening on the west side of the lake. “In most, but not all cases, we are not cutting bur oaks and black oaks. The larger tracts of oak hickory woodland will continue to be managed as woodland,” Rusk said.

“We are already seeing an increasing number grassland wildlife, and the bird hunters have responded with the growing pheasant and quail numbers. The area will still support deer populations as they will use the high-quality grasslands and brushy ditches,” he said. Once completed, the restoration will benefit many grasslands and shrubland obligate birds, such as Henslow’s sparrow, bobolink, eastern meadowlark, field sparrow, loggerhead shrike, and indigo bunting. These birds are part of the fastest declining groups of species in North America.

“The restored grassland will lead to better water quality which also means better drinking water and better fishing in the lake,” he said. “It’s a win for everyone.”

(Radio Iowa) – A 16-year-old Creston High School student is at the Iowa Capitol today (Tuesday), lobbying for a bill that would require every Iowa school to have Cardiac Emergency Response Plan. Last April Nate Bentley collapsed when his heart stopped during track meet in Glenwood. “I was running in the sprint medley relays and after I got done running, I suddenly collapsed on the track,” Bentley says. Naomi Sharp, the Creston volleyball coach, was watching the race, jumped over a fence to get to Bentley and found he did not have a pulse. She started C-P-R.

“I’d been trained, but I’d never given it before. Somebody was like, ‘What made you do it?'” Sharp said. “I don’t know. Somebody needed help and I just ran and did it, but thank goodness I was in the right place at the right time and thank goodness they had an A.E.D. and they got there very quickly.” It was the defibrillator that restarted Bentley’s heart. Bentley’s mom, Erin Wallace, says the track meet had been rescheduled and the timing conflicted with her work schedule. She’s eternally thankful for Sharp’s quick action, a nurse at the scene and the person who knew where the A-E-D was in the school.

“Because he’s still here, God’s got a big purpose for him and he’s got to share his story to save others,” Wallace says. Wallace says her son’s school district has purchased nearly two dozen defibrillators and placed them in every vehicle the Creston district owns. Bentley’s doctors have determined he has a rare genetic condition that caused his heart to stop and he now takes medication daily.

The bill Bentley’s lobbying for is eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate.

(Radio Iowa) – The families of the two Iowa National Guard soldiers who were killed in Syria in December will be in the U.S. House tonight (Tuesday) for President Trump’s State of the Union address. The wife of Staff Sergeant Nate Howard of Marshalltown will be Senator Joni Ernst’s guest. Howard’s mother and step father will be in the gallery, too, as guests of Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. Hinson says these Iowans got the call that no one wants to receive.

“Military families carry a heavy load that many Americans never see,” Hinson said. Hinson says having Howard’s mother Misty Bunn and his stepfather Jeff Bunn in tonight’s (Tuesday’s) audience is a reminder to the nation that freedom is never free. Hinson was among the Iowa officials who were present at the Delaware Air Force Base when the remains of both Iowa soldiers were returned to American soil. “At the dignified transfer at Dover I told the moms of the fallen that we should never have to outlive our children,” Hinson said. “No words can fully capture the weight of that moment and I’m grateful for this chance to honor this family.”

The parents of Staff Sergeant Edgar Torres-Tovar of Des Moines will be seated in the House gallery as the guests of Congressman Zach Nunn. Torres-Tovar and Howard were killed in an ambush in Syria on December 13th.

(Greenfield, IA) – Adair County Deputy Auditor of Elections Nathan Reed, today (Tuesday), said the next scheduled election for which candidates can file is the June 2, 2026, Primary Election. State and County Democratic and Republican candidates must run in the June 2nd Primary, with the winners moving on to the General Election ballot.

County offices in Adair County appearing on the June 2, 2026, Primary Election Ballot are as follows: District 2NE Supervisor, District 4SE Supervisor, County Treasurer, County Recorder, and County Attorney.

The filing period for these offices is March 2 – March 20, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. The first date to submit a request for a mailed absentee ballot is March 24, 2026 and the last day to request a mailed absentee ballot is May 18, 2026 by 5 p.m.

Information for candidates is available at the County Auditor’s Office and website https://www.adaircounty.iowa.gov/auditor/elections_and_voting/ and the Iowa Secretary of State’s website: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/candidates/index.html

(Red Oak, IA) – Following a presentation from representatives with the Red Oak Chapter of Altrusa, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), approved a request from the non-profit organization to place a durable bench on the southeast side of the Courthouse lawn, in Red Oak. Altrusa member Rosalie Hansen has been with the local chapter for 35-years. She said the organization’s mission is to improve communities through leadership, partnership and service. The local chapter has 40 members and three Emeritus members.

The bench they want to donate will be placed on a 5 1/2-inch thick, ground-level concrete slab. The powdercoated red metal bench from Red Oak Fabrication will feature the organization’s logo, and 100-years of service. There will also be a planter nearby. It’s intended to be maintenance-free. The Board approved the request unanimously.

MC-BOS meeting 2-24-26

In other business, the Montgomery County Supervisors held a public hearing on the proposed vacation and closure of Locust Avenue (an unimproved Street) in the unincorporated town of Hawthorne. Following the hearing – during which there were no comments – the Board passed a resolution vacating the road as described. The Board also discussed and then denied the abatement of mobile home taxes on two lots. They discussed and then approved a portion of a draft 28E agreement for law enforcement services with the City of Villisca. The County’s contribution will be $45,000 for two-years. Under the contract, the sheriff’s office would provide three hours of coverage per day to the community. Attorneys with both Villisca and the county must review the agreement before returning to the supervisors for final approval.

Their final order of business was to acknowledge the receipt of a Multi-County 28E agreement with the Juvenile Detention Center and Emergency Juvenile Services.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says tonight’s (Tuesday) State of the Union Address will certainly cover topics like tariffs and the economy, immigration, health care and more, but some Iowa-specific items may also make the president’s list.

“I would hope that he would talk about agriculture,” Grassley says. “Now, that may only be about five to ten-percent of the Iowans that are involved in agriculture, but it’s the most important industry in Iowa.” Grassley, a Republican, says President Trump will likely tout how people who are in the process of filling out their tax returns will see a big increase in their withholding this year, thanks to passage of the Working Families Tax Act. He also hopes the president will discuss transportation. “Maybe since the Highway Bill that I voted for in 2021 runs out this year, and we still have a lot of work to do to improving the safety of Iowa’s bridges,” Grassley says, “maybe the Highway Reauthorization Bill would be on his agenda, because that’s a very important issue for rural America.”

Grassley says his guest at the address tonight will be Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Uhl from the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City.