(Radio Iowa) – The fundraising leaders in Iowa’s race for governor have filed the paperwork to qualify for the June primary ballots. Candidates for governor are required to submit at least 35-hundred signatures from eligible Iowa voters on petitions — and have at least 100 signatures from 19 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Democrat Rob Sand says the 24-thousand signatures his campaign submitted is a record — and one-fifth of them came from independents and Republicans.

“I think this is more emphasis and proof of momentum,” Sand said. “…This was a 99 county operation. In fact, we are very close to 100 signatures in all 99 counties for this, so that we’re showing not just strength in heavily populated areas, but no matter where you live in the state of Iowa, you’ve got neighbors that signed to help us get in on the ballot here.” Republican Randy Feenstra says people from all 99 counties signed his nominating petitions.

“Doubled the amount of signatures that we needed,” Feenstra said. “You need 3500. We submitted over 7500. Just a great day. Trying to take Iowa to new heights. That’s my vision and my whole goal.” Feenstra is likely to face four other Republicans in the June 2nd G-O-P Primary, candidates who’ve criticized Feenstra for failing to appear with them in debates.  “I tell you what, every day we’re on the campaign trail, hitting every Pizza Ranch,” Feenstra said. “We have meet and greets all over the state every day. I think we’ve done 80-85 stops now, but it’s listening to people, listening to Iowans, making sure that I’m earning every single vote.”

Feenstra, who raised over four MILLION dollars for his campaign for governor, is spending more than a million dollars on a statewide ad campaign — targeting Rob Sand, the likely Democratic Party nominee for governor.  “We know that if he becomes governor, he would take this state and make it look like California or Minnesota or Illinois,” Feenstra said. “We can’t have that.”

Sand, who raised over nine-and-a-half MILLION dollars in 2025 for his campaign for governor, says Feenstra has to run a different kind of campaign because he faces a competitive primary. “Whoever it is that comes out on the other side is going to be someone that is going to continue the direction that Kim Reynolds has been putting the state on,” Sand said, “and I think most Iowans are interested in a new direction.”

Candidates have until 5 p.m. this Friday to submit nominating petitions for the primary. So far Brad Sherman, a Republican from Williamsburg, is the only other candidate for governor who has done so.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has voted to name the American Cream draft horse the official horse of Iowa. Senator Annette Sweeney of Iowa Falls says it’s the only breed of draft or work horses that originated in Iowa.

“In Hardin County, Hamilton County and also Webster County this horse was developed,” Sweeney said, “the only draft horse in the United States and Canada.”American Cream draft horses have a cream colored coat and a white mane. It’s one of several breeds of work horses that pulled plows and harvesting equipment for Iowa farmers before horses were replaced by tractors.

The welcome sign to the town of Radcliffe notes it is the “cradle” of the American Cream draft horse. This is the second time Senators have advanced the idea, but it failed to win House approval.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak have arrested a man on a felony weapon charges, along with drug and theft charges. Authorities say Officers conducted a search warrant at 101 E. Prospect Street on March 3rd, in reference to thefts in the area. They were able to recover some of the property stolen during the thefts. Their investigation resulted in the arrest at around 6:50-p.m. Monday, of 44-year-old Jesse Donald Trost, of Red Oak, on charges that include Theft in the 4th Degree (A Serious Misdemeanor), Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine/2nd offense (An Aggravated Misdemeanor), and on a Class-D Felony charge of Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.

Trost was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies and K9 Unit assisted in handling the incident.

(Red Oak, IA) – A traffic stop early this (Tuesday) morning in Montgomery County resulted in the arrest of a man wanted on a warrant out of Cass County (IA). According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 41-year-old Randon Daniel Phelps, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 12:26-a.m. on the warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charge of Possession of Marijuana- 2nd offense.

He was arrested near the intersection of Highway 34 and 48, and turned over to Cass County Deputies. Phelps was being held in the Cass County Jail in Atlantic on a $2,000 bond.

(Warren County, IA) – The driver’s of two SUV’s were injured during a collision early Monday morning in south central Iowa. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2011 Subaru Outback driven by 19-year-old Gabriel Stansell and a 2016 Jeep Wrangler, driven by 47-year-old Aaron Wickett, both of New Virginia, were traveling on Warren County Road G-76, east of the Interstate 35 interchange west of New Virginia, when the vehicles collided head-on, a little after 6-a.m.

The Subaru was traveling eastbound and the Jeep westbound, when they collided in the westbound lane. Both drivers were seriously injured. Stansell was transported by Airmed helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Wickett was taken by ambulance to the same hospital.

The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, along with the New Virginia and St. Charles Fire/EMS Departments.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed members, community leaders, and partners to its Annual Dinner and Awards celebration, an evening dedicated to recognizing the people, partnerships, and progress shaping Atlantic’s future. This year’s event was especially meaningful as the Chamber celebrated 85 years of serving the Atlantic business community.

Executive Director Kelsey Beschorner shared highlights from the past year, recognizing the continued support of Chamber members, sponsors, volunteers, and community partners. Over the past year, the Chamber organized and promoted 22 community events, celebrated 11 new business openings through ribbon cuttings, launched a new Chamber website, and continued successful programs such as AtlantiCash to support local businesses.

During the evening, Chamber Board President Anne Quist shared a high-level overview of the Chamber’s strategic planning process.

Julie Waters (Community 1st Credit Union), Kelsey Beschorner (Executive Director), and Anne Quist (Chamber Board President)
— at The Venue.

The strategic plan focuses on four key priorities: strengthening the business community, elevating Atlantic’s signature events, building strong partnerships, and leading with focus and accountability to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization. “These priorities will guide our work as we continue building momentum and delivering meaningful value to our members and the broader Atlantic community,” said Quist.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Chamber’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor presented by the organization. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a career of outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to the Atlantic community. Julie Waters was named the 2025 Distinguished Service Award recipient. Waters was recognized for her extraordinary volunteer spirit and consistent support of community events and initiatives.

Known for her willingness to step in wherever help is needed, Waters regularly volunteers at community events, Chamber activities, and local service efforts while encouraging others to get involved as well. Throughout the evening, attendees also celebrated the success of local businesses and the efforts of the Chamber’s Ambassador program, which supports member businesses through ribbon cuttings, milestone celebrations, and community engagement.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce expressed gratitude to the many volunteers, sponsors, and members whose support makes the organization’s work possible. “As we celebrate 85 years of the Chamber, it’s clear that Atlantic’s strength comes from the people who continue to show up, support one another, and invest in our community,” said Beschorner.

For more information about the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce or upcoming events, visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – The Northwest Iowa Corridor Habitat for Humanity has purchased two lots in Spencer that had been vacant for over 50 years. The property is near an old auditorium and the Spencer Community School Board has approved the sale. Joe Bjornstad is Executive Director for the Habitat for Humanity chapter that serves Clay and Dickinson Counties.

“The lots are in a perfect situation,” Bjornstad says, “tons of amenities around downtown and then close to walking distance between the high school and middle school.” The group plans to build two homes for families impacted by the massive flooding that hit Spencer in the summer of 2024. Bjornstad says they anticipate receiving 200-thousand dollars from Home Depot, which is awarding grants to areas recovering from forgotten disasters. Bjornstad says they’ll use the traditional Habitat model for the homes to be built on the site.

“We’ll get volunteer groups out — businesses, school kids, churches whatever we can do or however many people we can get out there,” Bjornstad said, “and having them volunteering then see people drive by and say: ‘Maybe I’d like to volunteer.'” Both homes will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Northwest Iowa Corridor Habitat for Humanity is actively looking for applicants who’d commit to at least 360 hours of sweat equity by helping build their future home. They’d be able to buy the home at a significantly reduced interest rate on their mortgage.

(Radio Iowa) – The maple syrup season is underway in Iowa and warmer temperatures have not helped. Eric Hart at the Indian Creek Nature Center in eastern Iowa says sap production is down. “It’s going to be less than most years because just the weather’s been unusually warm this year. And so that we haven’t had, we didn’t have a lot of days where the sap was flowing,” he says.

He says they need the normal cool spring temperatures for the best sap production. “It’s when the weather gets above freezing during the day, usually around 40 degrees. And then at night below freezing, somewhere in the 20s usually, makes it so that sap flows really well up and down the tree and it keeps the conditions prime so that the tree doesn’t switch over into growing leaves quite yet and it can let the sap flow for a while,” Hart says. Hart says you can visit the Nature Center and see how the whole process works.

“So we have public programs where people can come and try out different tools that people have used for maple syruping throughout the years,” he says, “from how the Native Americans did it to how colonial settlers did it, to kind of more modern tools today. And then they can even get inside a sugar house to see how that sap that’s been collected this year, how that’s getting boiled down into real maple syrup.” He says they’ve collected around 600 gallons of sap so far this year, and a good year is around one-thousand gallons.

Hart says it takes about 40 gallons of sap from Iowa trees to boil down into one gallon of maple syrup.  “Other regions, like in the northeast of the United States, the sap is just naturally sweeter there, so it can be 20 or 30 gallons for them, but around in Iowa, it’s about 40,” he says. You can find the full schedule for the public programs on the maple syrup process on the Center’ website at: indiancreeknaturecenter.org.

The maple syrup season will culminate with the annual Maple Syrup Festival on March 28th and 29th.