(Radio Iowa) – The only Iowa State University graduate to walk in space is thrilled to see NASA is planning to send humans into lunar orbit next month for first time in more than a half-century. The Artemis Two mission is scheduled for launch as soon as February 6th, and former astronaut Clay Anderson says it’s an important test of the spacecraft and systems for future lunar ventures. “The Artemis I mission was to test the vehicle, test the idea, make sure everything functions, but now you’re going to put humans in there,” Anderson says, “so you have to worry about things like air conditioning, and exercise, and the toilet system, and the food system, and all those things that humans require when we travel to the moon and eventually land on the surface.”

The plan calls for an Orion spacecraft carrying four astronauts to orbit the moon as part of a 10-day mission. It’s the first crewed moon mission since Apollo 17 in December of 1972. Anderson says some colleagues are concerned about a flight to the moon without more tests of the Orion capsule, the European service module and S-L-S rocket. He says there are always risks involved with any spaceflight. “It’s like anything,” Anderson says. “There’s always going to be a concern, and you can’t test everything so much that you’re perfectly certain that nothing’s going to go wrong. That’s why we explore. That’s why we do this thing in the first place.”

If this mission is successful, NASA hopes to launch Artemis III to land on the moon next year. Plans call for using Space X’s Starship vehicle to transport astronauts to the lunar surface. Anderson says it’s hard to predict whether the lunar landing will take place in 2027. “You have to plan, you have to put it out there, you have to have a schedule you’re working toward,” Anderson says. “Then, as long as things go well, and systems are working, and when they come back from this mission, and they feel comfortable they’ve knocked out a lot of the problems that need to be solved, who knows? They could very well go then.”

After several failures, the Starship finally flew a successful test mission in October. Anderson, a Nebraska native, flew two missions aboard the International Space Station, spending a total of 167 days in orbit. He received a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University in 1983, and had returned to ISU as a distinguished faculty fellow in 2013 to teach aerospace engineering.

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – A fire was reported Sunday night on the Morningside University campus, in Sioux City. According to KTIV-TV, Sioux City Fire Rescue personnel responded to the Joan L. and Norm Wait Senior Apartments at 3500 Peters Ave, on the university’s campus. Crews were initially called to the scene for a reported fire alarm. Once on scene, they determined a fire had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

Sioux City Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief, Frank Fulton, told KTIV that the cause was something next to a space heater that caught fire. Morningside University says no students, faculty, or staff were injured during the incident. University officials say one residential unit was affected.

Students residing in the unit were temporarily relocated to other on-campus housing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI-TV) – High nitrates levels are back in the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers, prompting Central Iowa Water Works officials to turn-on their nitrate removal facility again. KCCI reports the facility turned on three of their eight nitrate removal vessels last week, which is a rarity for January. Plant officials, however, said all the water the facility produces is below the EPA safe drinking water standard of 10 milligrams of nitrates per liter that public water systems are required to meet that.

Former University of Iowa researcher Chris Jones tells KCCI the recent weather is worth considering as a reason for the rise in nitrate levels. According to Jones, the warm weather we’ve had kept the ground from freezing, and with no frost below four-feet, it remains thawed down where the field tiles, the agricultural field tiles are found.

When rain comes, it washes the nitrates out. Jones said the high numbers aren’t just hitting central Iowa. He noted the Cedar River on Thursday was almost 10 milligrams per liter.

In spring and summer 2025, the nitrate removal facility ran in part of fully for 112 days. A wet July drove nitrates out of farm field drainage tiles and into lakes and rivers. That all led to an unprecedented lawn watering ban in central Iowa last summer. The nitrate removal facility, located in Des Moines but operated by Central Iowa Water Works, has been in used since the 1990s. This is the fourth time in the facility that it has run in the winter.

(Atlantic, IA) – You’re invited to come and meet members of the Civil Air Patrol’s Southwest Iowa Composite Squadron, this coming Sunday (Jan. 18th) in Atlantic, beginning at 2-p.m. The program takes place at the Atlantic Armory (201 Poplar St.), and offers you a chance to learn how the organization develops youth and serves our community, state, and nation.

Atlantic is home to the Squadron, which is comprised of anywhere from 18-to 30-members, at any given time. Current cadets and adult members come from Harlan, Avoca, Red Oak, and Anita as well as Atlantic. Southwest Iowa Composite Squadron meets Tuesday nights from 6:30-8:30pm at the Armory to advance their education and training within the program.

Mary McBride and other adult volunteers from Atlantic, Harlan, and Red Oak provide oversight and guidance to the program. Once they reach a certain rank in the program, cadets begin to take ownership over the program and do most of the planning and carry out training for the lower ranking cadets.

Photo from the ARISE Facebook page

The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary of the United States Air Force and became official in 1941 at the beginning of WWII. It continues today with three missions from the Air Force: Emergency Services, Aerospace Education, and Cadet Programs.
The Cadet program is aimed at 12-18 year old youth, developing their skills in the areas of leadership, aerospace knowledge and experience, fitness, and character development.

Adults and cadets are also given opportunities throughout Iowa and the country to train in whatever areas of C.A.P. that interests them. Civil Air Patrol also offers funding to keep uniforms and programs affordable. Adults in the program can choose to train and serve their community within any of the missions mentioned. Emergency services offers opportunities to serve in the areas of search and rescue or disaster response.

The program is sponsored by ARISE and held at the American Legion Memorial Building (the Armory) at 201 Poplar, Atlantic. There is no fee to attend, and everyone is welcome.

(Radio Iowa) – Joni Ernst is now publicly backing fellow Republican Ashley Hinson’s bid to succeed her in the U-S Senate. Ernst, who announced she would not run for re-election four months ago, joined Hinson this weekend at a campaign event in Adel. “Part of that decision on whether I would run again or not was knowing that we, as Iowans, would have somebody that could step in to this campaign and ensure that we keep this seat. That woman is Ashley Hinson,” Ernst said, to cheers from the crowd.

Ernst hinted at the stakes in a so-called midterm election, when campaigns can be tougher for candidates from the same party as a sitting president. “It’s going to be a banger of a year, folks,” Ernst said, “so we’re going to have to get out and knock those doors, make those phone calls, talk to everyone you know.” Hinson is citing the theme of Ernst’s 2014 campaign — when Ernst promised to make ’em squeal in Washington.

“For the past almost 12 years now, the biggest, fattest cats have been running away squealing from you and I can tell you this…not only will they not stop squealing,” Hinson said, “we’re going to make ’em squeal even louder.” Hinson is currently in her third term in the U-S House, representing Iowa’s second congressional district.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Democratic Party says with Ernst’s endorsement, it’s clear Hinson will be just like Ernst and prioritize tax breaks for billionaires over hardworking Iowans.

(Radio Iowa) – The 2026 Iowa legislative session begins later this (Monday) morning. Property taxes and property rights top the agenda for Republicans who hold 100 of the 150 seats in the Iowa House and Senate. After several years of stalemate, House Speaker Pat Grassley says it would be good to quickly resolve the debate over whether Summit Carbon Solutions should be allowed to seize some of the property along its proposed pipeline route.

“I’m not going to get myself locked in on a specific timeline, but I don’t think it’s something that we want to let, purposely, linger,” Grassley said. “If there can be an agreement reaching on eminent domain, I think we should engage in those conversation.” Governor Reynolds voted a wide-ranging bill on the topic last spring. Senate Republican Leader Mike Klimesh is suggesting a bill that would set up a 10 mile zone around a proposed pipeline route, letting companies bypass unwilling landowners and find others who’d voluntarily let the pipeline run through their land. “My personal priority is for that to be one of the first things we tackle in the session,” Klimesh said. “I think it’s important for both chambers and the governor’s office that we come to a consensus and a solution.”

House Republican Leader Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton says the conversation about property taxes is focused on how much of a revenue restriction legislators will impose on cities and counties. “I think you’re going to see whatever we end up doing being bold and something that people can understand and something that people will feel the effects positively,” Kaufmann says. Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner of Iowa City says property tax reform should be focused on the Iowans who really need it.

“Older Iowans, people on a fixed income,” Weiner said, “and reform shouldn’t mean stripping local government of the ability to provide public safety and so forth.” Last week Democrats in the Iowa House proposed freezing property taxes for all Iowans above the age of 65, along with a four percent limit on younger homeowners’ yearly property tax payments. House Minority Leader Brian Meyer says Democrats are focusing on the affordability conversation that’s happening across the country. “There’s a lot of talk about things that are going to be coming up during the session,” Meyer said, “but the bottom line is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to be able to afford to live in this state.” Meyer says House Democrats will propose increasing the state program for low or moderate income first-time home buyers from 25-hundred to up to 10-thousand dollars in down payment assistance.

House Republicans intend to propose a tough-on-crime package this year that would require longer prison sentences for repeat offenders. House Speaker Pat Grassley says Scott County, for example, is seeing the ripple effect of soft-on-crime laws across the river in Illinois and it’s time to make Iowa law tougher on career criminals. “Iowans expect to have a safe place to live,” Grassley says. “It’s one of benefits of why we live here.” Iowa’s violent crime rate currently ranks 32nd among the states and Iowa’s murder rate is about half the national average.

This fall the governor’s Government Efficiency Task Force recommended a study to examine offering public employees the choice between a pension or a 401-k plan, but Republican legislative leaders immediately said they’re have no interest in making changes to the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System this year. Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner of Iowa City are skeptical. “The talking point that I’ve heard from our Republican colleagues is they don’t have the ‘appetite’ to deal with IPERS this session,” Weiner said. “Would they have the appetite next session, once it’s no longer an election year?”

House Democrats plan to propose a constitutional amendment which would prohibit changes in the state-run retirement system known as IPERS. About one in 10 Iowans are either getting an IPERS pension today or are enrolled in the system because they’re employed by the state, a school district or some other local government in Iowa.

Senate Republican Leader Mike Klimesh says energy growth is directly tied to economic growth and the 2026 legislature should examine Iowa’s energy regulations.  “I liken it to a game of musical chairs,” Klimesh said. “All the states will be vying for capital investments. All the states are looking for energy policy changes or improvements to help incentivize that and Iowa needs to be in a chair when the music stops.”

Last week Governor Kim Reynolds appointed a task force to advise state officials and lawmakers on nuclear energy technology and infrastructure.

(Radio Iowa) – Demonstrations and vigils were held around Iowa this weekend after a woman was shot to death by an ICE agent last week in Minneapolis. Coved Oswald attended one of the largest gatherings, which was in Iowa City. “Minneapolis is only a three-hour drive from where I live. That’s close,” he said, “and she was a lawful American citizen, doing what she felt was right, peacefully protesting…and was shot and gunned down for no good reason.”

The event included a silent march and was one of many “ICE Out For Good” protests held across the country.

U-S Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Renee Good was attempting to run over the ICE agent and he acted in self-defense.

(Creston, IA) – A motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon in Creston resulted two people injured and the operator of the motorcycle cited. According to the Creston Police Department, an investigation determined 22-year-old Wyatt Bryce Beebe, of Creston, was riding a 2008 Kawasaki motorcycle northbound in the 600 block of  N. Lincoln Street at around 3:15-p.m., Saturday, when a friend of his, who was operating another motorcycle in front of Beebe, slowed down abruptly, causing Beebe to lose control of his motorcycle, and lay it on its side. The Kawasaki slid about 270-feet on its side and crashed through a PVC fence coming to rest.

Creston Police say Beebe’s friends then helped push his motorcycle from the scene and hide it in Beebe’s garage. Initially, the accident was near 1101 W. Spencer Street, where officers found  a female and a male with injuries. The woman was transported by Medic 1 ambulance to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston. Her name was not included in the report. The male – identified as Wyatt Beebe – suffered significant “road rash,” on each arm.

The report stated Beebe and two friends attempted to mislead officers in their investigation, by first saying it was an ATV accident, and claiming other people who they did not know, picked-up the ATV from the scene. Beebe eventually admitted to officers that it was in-fact a motorcycle accident, and that they hid the motorcycle in the garage of his residence.

Police cited Wyatt Beebe for: Careless Driving; Operating a non-registered vehicle; No Valid Driver’s License, and Failure to provide proof of financial liability (insurance) – accident related. Damage to the motorcycle was estimated at $3,000. Damage to the PVC fence, owned by Robert Vogel, of Creston, was estimated at $2,000.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak arrested a woman Saturday night on a Theft charge. Authorities say 63-year-old Shelly Renee Shuffler, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 10:40-p.m. in the 1600 block of N. Broadway Street, for Theft in the 5th Degree (A Simple Misdemeanor). Shuffler was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.