(Radio Iowa) – Record numbers of travelers are expected on Iowa’s roads over the next two weeks, and law officers statewide are launching what’s known as a STEP, or Special Traffic Enforcement Program, later today (Friday) that will last through January 4th. Iowa State Patrol trooper Paul Gardner, who’s based in Fort Dodge, says their goal is to allow everyone to safely reach their destinations. “We will have extra troopers on the road through Christmas and into the new year,” Gardner says. “Our focus will be on preventing crashes involving distracted driving and impaired driving.” Iowa has seen a significant drop in highway fatalities this year and could end 2025 with the lowest number of roadway deaths in decades.

“So we’re going to work diligently to keep those traffic crashes and those traffic deaths down the best we can,” Gardner says. “If you are out celebrating for Christmas and into the new year, please celebrate responsibly. If you’re going to be out celebrating and involving alcoholic beverages, have a designated driver, somebody sober to get you home safely. That could be a friend, family member, an Uber or taxi.” Starting on January 1st, law officers will be able to start issuing citations under Iowa’s new Hands Free law, which says drivers cannot handle a cell phone while behind the wheel. “So up until then, any warnings that drivers were issued from July 1st to January 1st will be on file,” Gardner says. “That means if a trooper runs somebody’s record, it will show that they were warned during that warning period, so that will likely affect the trooper’s decision on whether they issue a citation or not.”

He says the fine will be 170-dollars for motorists who are caught using a cell phone that’s not in hands-free mode.

(Radio Iowa) – Nationwide arrest warrants are being issued for two suspects in connection with this week’s burglary at the Lyon County Courthouse in Rock Rapids. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office says 39-year-old Brandon Lyle High Pipe and 18-year-old Luciano Eliseo Sanchez are wanted on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges tied to the break-in that happened overnight on December 16th into the 17th. Authorities say no one else was in the building at the time and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are now working to locate and arrest the suspects.

(Red Oak, IA) — The Red Oak Music Boosters – a volunteer driven, 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization – have announced the launch of their “Raise the Curtain” Fundraising Campaign, a year-long initiative designed to enhance the performing arts experience for students in the Red Oak Community School District. The campaign will fund essential instruments, curriculum improvements, and auditorium upgrades assuring our students have the best opportunities to learn, perform, and shine. Their campaign goals for Phase 1 of the project is to raise $50,000 toward to total goal of $150,000. Phase 1 includes:

• Energy-efficient LED lighting for stage safety and professional performance
• Stage curtains to complete the 2019 renovation and improve sound
• Modern auditorium sound system for clear audio and better production
• Reliable digital pianos so every student can learn and perform without limitations

Organizers of the campaign say the funding is important because Red Oak music students compete against all class sizes—from 2A to 5A—in statewide contests and festivals. To remain competitive, students must continually improve their musical skills and acumen, which requires access to quality tools and facilities. Without these upgrades, they say, there is a risk of falling behind in meeting student needs and sustaining excellence.

Tim Marsden, Red Oak 9th through 12th Grade Music Director, says “We have the best students who push themselves to do great things—award-winning musicals, honor band and honor choir achievements, multiple Iowa All-State members, and many who have gone on to higher education to become music educators and professional performers. They deserve the tools and facilities to help them shine.” You can donate today through the following link: https://givebutter.com/RedOakMusicBoosters or scan the QR code.

**********
The Red Oak Music Boosters organization is dedicated to supporting the music programs of the Red Oak Community School District. They bridge the gap between school funding and program needs by providing financial assistance for instruments, uniforms, music, travel, and scholarships. In addition, we offer logistical support—chaperoning events, transporting equipment, and helping with meals during contests—to ensure students have a positive and memorable experience. Through fundraising and community engagement, their mission is to enrich students’ musical education, ease the burden on directors, and foster a vibrant, well-equipped program that inspires pride and lifelong learning.

(Des Moines, IA) – Rural Iowa communities have received more than $8 million in grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development for the improvement of water and safety systems. According to news release from the department, the grants and loans will be used to purchase firetrucks, warning sirens and to upgrade wastewater and water distribution systems in 20 Iowa counties. More than $7 million of the total announced awards went to water improvement projects in Russell, Ricketts, Pisgah and the unincorporated community of Green Mountain in Marshall County.

The City of Pisgah, in Harrison County, was awarded a nearly $1.4 million loan and a $1.1 million grant for the construction of a new piping, electrical gear, pumps and controls at its wells and ground storage sites. The funding will also go toward emergency standby systems, replacing lead elements in service lines, building hydrants and main lines through parts of the city.

Other communities received a cumulative total of $192,400 in grants to upgrade public safety equipment.  Michael Sexton, the state’s rural development director, said the administration is “championing” infrastructure projects that give rural and agricultural communities “more solid footing for the future.”

In the news release, Sexton said the “USDA recognizes the unique challenges faced by smaller Iowa communities as the need for clean water and emergency response grows in places that support our nation’s essential food supply chains.”

(Radio Iowa) – Concerns are rising about whether Sioux City’s largest healthcare provider will continue to accept some insurance plans. UnityPoint Health took over MercyOne in Sioux City on September 1st and agreed to accept insurance plans used by MercyOne patients through year’s end, though an effort is underway to extend the agreement through March. Shannon Stewart, a Sioux City insurance broker, says it would be disruptive if his clients lose coverage. Stewart says, “History tells us that when you don’t have competition, that’s not good for pricing or services because you’re not competing against anyone.” Stewart says some of the impacted insurance plans were more affordable options found through the federal marketplace. He says some of his clients may need to travel to Sioux Falls or Omaha for non-emergency coverage.

Pete Iversen, who lives near Sioux City, says not only did his health insurance premiums double in price, there weren’t many other options. “When I started looking at the marketplace,” Iversen says, “there was really only one provider in Iowa that was affordable, and that was Oscar.” But now Iversen says he faces another problem, as Oscar is one of the plans which UnityPoint Health had planned to stop accepting on January 1st. “With health insurance, you always have to be really aware of who is in network and who isn’t,” he says, “and the network just got considerably smaller when the two largest hospitals are no longer in network.”

Iversen says in the future he and his family could be forced to travel for medical care. Impacted health insurance plans: Ambetter Health, Centivo, Mount Carmel MediGold – Medicare Advantage, Partners Direct Health, Wellcare Medicare Advantage, and Oscar.

Statement from UnityPoint Health:
UnityPoint Health is actively working with several insurers to extend temporary agreements through March 31, 2026 that were put in place to allow UnityPoint Health to continue to provide care for its patients. Patients should contact their insurance carrier directly to confirm their plan will be in-network with UnityPoint Health during this time. Patients are encouraged to review their insurance options during the federal health exchange open enrollment period, which ends January 15, 2026, to choose a plan that ensures they can continue receiving care at a UnityPoint Health facility throughout 2026.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Thursday (12/18), said a West Des Moines man was sentenced on December 16, 2025, to 35 years in federal prison for exploiting numerous minors on social media and possessing child pornography. According to court documents, 28-year-old Nicklas Ray Stanley exploited multiple minors on Snapchat and Instagram over several years. Stanley falsely told the minors that he was a similar age to them. Stanley later requested and received sexually explicit images or videos from many minor victims. Stanley’s conduct included threatening to disseminate the minors’ imagery if they did not continue to send images to him. Stanley also encouraged some minor victims to sexually exploit their younger siblings and to engage in bestiality with their dogs and send him videos of the abuse. Stanley’s minor victims were located across the United States and in several foreign countries.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Stanley will be required to serve a 10‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Stanley was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution, $35,300 in special assessments, and a fine of $12,000. In response to the conviction and sentence, United States Attorney David C. Waterman said, “Real and serious dangers exist online. Predators—like Stanley—intentionally manipulate and exploit young people while attempting to hide behind screens and false identities. While the Internet may create the illusion of anonymity, it does not provide immunity. Those who target children online will be identified, thoroughly investigated, and held fully accountable through the coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office.”

The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, with assistance from the Urbandale Police Department and Michigan State Police.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak, Thursday night, arrested 35-year-old Andrew Keith Gray, of Red Oak. He was taken into custody at around 8:30-p.m. in the 700 block of E. Oak Street, and charged with Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations (Law Enforcement/Others) – without injury, an Aggravated Misdemeanor, and Interference with Official Acts – a Simple Midemeanor. Gray was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond.

GREENE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is looking for people seen on security footage breaking in and stealing from a gas station. Video from a Casey’s General Store in Scranton shows three people enter through a broken front door and pocket alcohol shooters at the cash register. The break-in happened around 11:37 p.m. Wednesday. Officials say the same people also burglarized Sparky’s in Rippey. (Still frame images shown from Casey’s surveillance video in Scranton)

Officers are also trying to identify a fourth person was was driving the getaway vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone who recognizes the individuals or his more information to call 515-386-2136.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Health officials confirmed the first case of measles in Polk County in almost 30 years, Thursday. Iowa now has eight confirmed cases in 2025 as of December 17. Officials say an infant who was too young to be vaccinated tested positive. No specific source was identified, but officials believe the child picked up the illness while traveling in an area with a lot of cases.

According to the HHS, the area’s vaccination rate against measles is around 85 percent. That’s ten percentage points lower than the level needed to make the community immune. Officials say the case is a reminder to be cautious while traveling during the holidays to protect vulnerable people.

The main symptom of measles is a red, blotchy rash. Patients may also experience fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. If concerned about measles exposure, officials advise calling a doctor first rather than walking into an office.

(Radio Iowa) – State-led plans to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence are coming into focus, but state officials are inviting Iowans to get creative and plan their own celebrations throughout the state. Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer is co-chair of the America 250 initiative in Iowa.

“The America 250 celebration is our stage,” Cournoyer said. “This is our chance to shine a spotlight on our people, entrepreneurs, educators, artists, innovators, veterans and our faith communities; our attractions, our events and everyone who makes Iowa the soul of this nation.” Most events will lead up to July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — but there will be a Harvest Festival October 24th.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says it will draw attention to how farming has shaped the history of Iowa and the nation. “Our founders, many of whom were founding farmers, shaped the early economy,” Naig said. “They sustained families and communities and provided the stability that allowed our country to grow and I would say allows us to grow today.” Naig says 2026 provides Iowans with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to add an America 250 twist to annual gatherings like fairs and festivals — or to create something new. “We’re excited and encouraging a lot of creativity and take the initiative locally,” Naig said. “Let’s have a wonderful celebration in a variety of ways all across the state.”

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate plans to host 250 voter registration events. “Iowa has one of the highest voter registration and participation in the country,” Pate said. “We’re really just trying to make sure that people are current on voter registration and that they remember this is a big election year (and) that they’re out there voting as well.”

The Iowa Department of Education will be hosting poem, essay and video contests. The Masons of Iowa will decorate the graves of the 42 Revolutionary War soldiers who are buried in Iowa. Iowa P-B-S will release a documentary about the Iowan who founded 4-H and another documentary about the Civil War veteran from Council Bluffs who became a key figure in the railroad industry.

The task force Governor Reynolds appointed to promote efforts in Iowa to mark America’s 250th anniversary met for the first time yesterday (Thursday) and held a kick-off event in the Capitol rotunda.

https://governor.iowa.gov/america-250/iowa-america-250-events