(Radio Iowa) – Seven Republicans in the Iowa Senate say they have a game plan that could lure the Chicago Bears to move the historic N-F-L franchise to Iowa. Senator Scott Webster of Bettendorf says the Quad Cities would be the most logical spot to build a new stadium.

The Bears’ ownership has talked for years about building a new stadium, with the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights the preferred location, but a bill moving through Indiana’s legislature would pave the way for a publicly financed stadium for the Bears in Gary, Indiana. The bill introduced in the Iowa Senate would make an N-F-L stadium eligible for Iowa’s Major Economic Growth Attraction or MAGA Program — with property tax breaks and refundable tax credits for the initial investment and the new jobs created, along with refunds of sales taxes paid during construction.

Webster, who was born in 1980, was alive when the Bears won the Super Bowl 40 years ago and is serving as a spokesman for the group pushing this plan.

Webster, though, closes his pitch with the title of the Bears’ Fight Song.

(Radio Iowa) – A report from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office finds a Dubuque police officer was justified in a shooting that killed a man outside a bar. The report says Officer Austin Manders was on routine patrol January 4th when he spotted a group of men fighting in the street outside the Odd Fellows Bar. All but two of the men fled as the officer stopped, and then he saw one of the men shoot the other.

Officer Manders fired at the man who than fled into the bar. Officers found Jai Lovely inside the bar unconscious with a gunshot wound to his stomach. Lovely and the victim, Cory Michael Wilson, were taken to the hospital where both later died.

Police recovered the gun used by Lovely, and the bullet recovered from Wilson’s body during the autopsy matched the gun.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest at around 10-a.m. today (Tuesday), of 40-year-old Aaron Lucas Allen, from Red Oak. Allen was taken into custody on a Red Oak Police warrant for Driving While Suspended. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on bond amounting to $491.25.

(Atlantic, IA) – A regular meeting of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will take place beginning at 6-p.m. on Wed., Feb. 11th (2026), in the Atlantic High School Media Center. Action items on the Board’s Agenda include:

• Consideration of Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen’s recommendation to terminate district employee Jesse McCann. As you may recall, McCann was place on administrative leave. The Board was set to act on his resignation on Feb. 4th, but that meeting was cancelled the night before, and announced as a large crowd gathered the morning of the 4th in the Middle School Conference Room. Those in attendance at the meeting wanted McCann fired, based on allegations of inappropriate conduct with students. The Atlantic Police Department investigated the allegations, but to date, no charges have been filed.
• Setting the date for a Public Hearing on the 2026-2027 School Master Calendar, and
• Setting the date for the first Public Hearing for the FY27 Budget.

PUBLIC AGENDA 02112026

The Board will also act on the following resignations:

• Melanie McDermott (Food Service), effective 1/30/2026
• Brenden Casey (9th Grade Football Coach), effective in the Fall of 2026, and
• Allison Widrowicz (Special Education Teacher), effective at the end of the current school year.

The Atlantic School Board will also act on recommendations to hire the following:

• Spring Sport Contracts
• Summer Sport Contracts
• Heath Kelly, HS Asst. Football Coach (Fall 2026)
• Kenna McGurren (9-12th Grade Visual Arts Teacher (Fall 2026).

(Radio Iowa) – Temperatures are going to be above normal again today (Tuesday) but not near the 60’s we saw across parts of Iowa Monday. National Weather Service meteorologist Kristy Carter says its around a 20 degree drop. “We’ll have highs that are back in the 40s across much of the state, 50s kind of towards the Iowa-Nebraska border. And then we’re going to stay kind of in the highs in the 40s through the middle part of the week,” she says. Carter says we won’t likely see 60’s again this week, but it’s still warm for this time of year.

“That’s still a little bit above normal. Early February, kind of normal temperatures are going to be in like the low to mid 30s, kind of in the central and southern portions of the state and kind of like mid to upper 20s in the northern part of the state,” Carter says. Carter says there doesn’t appear to be a big drop in temperatures coming in the near future. “for what we can at least look at, we’re looking at these highs in the 40s all the way through kind of mid-week and then even into early to late next weekend, potentially another bit of a warm up back towards the 50s,” she says.

Des Moines saw a record high of 67 Monday, breaking the record set in 1976. Atlantic’s High of 70 broke the record of 59 set in 1954, 2000 & 2009.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that aims to expand access to intensive mental health services outside of a hospital setting has advanced through a House subcommittee. So-called “subacute” facilities help stabilize people in crisis and begin treatment until providers decide on a longer-term plan for the patient. Mary Neubauer is a mental health advocate who lost her son to suicide several years ago. She says the bill would remove limits on the duration of subacute care and require more insurance coverage.

“It was the level of care we so desperately needed for our son but could not find when he was in crisis,” Neubauer said, “so I’m incredibly grateful that the bill we’re discussing here today, House File 2220, makes numerous comprehensive changes that can help subacute mental health care programs be established and expanded in our state.”

Many insurance companies are opposed to the bill. A lobbyist for a Medicaid managed care organization says it would require them to cover subacute care for much longer than is typical or even useful for patients.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa public schools would have to adopt student dress codes that promote personal hygiene, neatness and modesty under a bill that’s cleared a House subcommittee. Republican Representative Samantha Fett of Carlisle says the bill sets minimum standards. “Making sure that all school districts are implementing those consistently,” Fett said, “and setting those guardrails for students and administration.” Representative Angel Ramirez, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, works in a middle school.

Ramirez says she’s concerned about a section of the bill requiring students to wear clothes that are clean and in good repair, as she sees a lot of kids wearing clothes that would violate that standard. “It’s because their parents, you know, couldn’t either afford electricity that month, water that month,” Ramirez said, “so I’m a little concerned that paired with the consequences might become too punitive for some of our poorer students.”

The bill calls for clear consequences for violating the dress code, which would not only apply during the school day, but during extracurricular activities. The bill would ban any gang-related attire and it says a student’s clothes must adequately cover the body. Exposing undergarments or midriffs would be prohibited.

As we’ve mentioned previously: Smith resigned from the Chamber on September 15th. She turned herself in to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on October 8th and was released on bond. According to a criminal complaint, between January 2020 and August 2025, Smith allegedly made 761 personal transactions with Chamber funds totaling $26,913.22, of which $6,632.38 was admitted by Smith. She was charged with Theft in the First Degree for allegedly misappropriating over $10,000.

Smith also allegedly orchestrated a scheme from November 2022 to August 2025, making 47 fraudulent transfers between Chamber bank accounts to cover up her theft. The loss amounted to $76,215, and resulted in the charges of Fraudulent Practice in the First Degree and Ongoing Criminal Conduct.

Additionally, Smith allegedly used Chamber-issued credit cards for approximately $25,065.71 in personal expenses, with $6,632.38 acknowledged by her in a letter to the Chamber Board. She was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card over $10,000.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors breezed through their agenda this (Tuesday) morning. The Board approved the appointment of Alyssa Resh as Tax Deputy for the Treasurer’s Office, for a period of 10-months, with her term expiring 12/31/2026, and, they passed a resolution setting the Medical Examiner Fees for 2026-27. Here’s a portion of the resoluton, as read by Supervisor Alex Burton…

In other business, the Montgomery County Supervisors passed a resolution authorizing the Sheriff’s Office to assess an additional monthly fee for the safekeeping of firearms taken into custdy by court order. Sheriff Jon Spunaugle said the fee does not apply to weapons taken during the commission of a felony.

The fee amounts to an extra Five-dollars per month, per fire arm, for the owner of the firearm, from the date it is seized until it lawfully released or otherwise disposed of in accordance with the law.

The Board also received a weekly report/update from County Engineer Karen Albert.

MASSENA, IA – FEBRUARY 10, 2026 – Officials with the City of Massena today (Tuesday), announced the City was awarded a $24,999 Quality of Life grant, for their inclusive community park project. The grant is from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center’s 2025 Direct Effect 2nd Cycle. In all, over $1.14-million in grants for 56 projects were awarded. The Quality of Life Grants Program supports nonprofit organizations that support individuals living with paralysis. Since the Quality of Life Grants Program’s inception, more than 4,100 grants totaling $50 million have been awarded. Funding for this program was made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living.

The Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center has several grants under the Quality of Life program, awarding grants in different category areas, varying in different amounts. The Priority Impact grants program funds organizations to support a wide range of projects and activities that will impact individuals living with paralysis and their families. Dan McNeal, Director of the QLF Grants Program at the Reeve Foundation, said in a news release, “These grants represent more than funding—they represent freedom, possibility, and dignity for individuals living with paralysis. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to improving everyday life for our community. We’re proud to support organizations nationwide that are expanding access and creating programs built on accessibility, care, and respect.”

The City of Massena will use the grant to install inclusive play equipment that allows individuals with disabilities and sensory sensitivities to play and interact alongside others. Grant funds will also support accessible surfacing that makes the playground safer and more usable for all abilities. City officials say “The City of Massena is truly honored to receive this funding and sincerely thanks the Reeve Foundation for its generosity. The Reeve Foundation’s $24,999 award is helping make inclusive play opportunities a reality in our community.”

About the Reeve Foundation:

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. By uniting the brightest minds in the field, we are working tirelessly to accelerate scientific discoveries across the field of spinal cord research by investing in labs across the globe. Additionally, through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living, the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) promotes the health, well-being, and independence of people living with paralysis, providing comprehensive information, resources, and referral services assisting over 139,000 individuals and families since its launch in 2002. The Reeve Foundation is committed to elevating our community’s voices and needs to achieve greater representation and independence. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB’s Charity Seal.

For more information, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.

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Officials with the City of Massena say the City’s mission “Is to provide high-quality services, safe infrastructure, and vibrant public spaces that support the health, well-being, and prosperity of all residents. We are committed to responsible stewardship of resources and long-term investment in facilities that strengthen our community. We believe that accessibility and inclusion are fundamental to public service. By reducing barriers and ensuring that facilities meet the needs of individuals of all ages and abilities, we affirm our responsibility to create spaces where every resident can participate fully in civic and recreational life. Through thoughtful planning, collaboration with schools, regional partners, and community organizations, and active engagement with residents, the City seeks to build a welcoming environment for all. Our mission is to cultivate a community where families can thrive, children can grow and learn, and neighbors can connect through shared spaces and opportunities.”

For more information, please contact Dawn at City Hall at 712-779-2295.