(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting today (Wednesday). During their session, the Board approved a lone bid from Grantham Sanitation for trash removal at several County sites. Board Chair Nathan Baier…

Grantham also provided refuse service to the County last year.The Board acknowledged the receipt of a Manure Management Plan (MMP) from Glenview Wean-Finish farms, based in Afton. And, they heard from County Treasurer Brenda Wallace, with regard to driver’s license appointments, and new software that will be implemented for that purpose, January 20, 2026.

She stressed the Treasurer’s Office will still accept walk-in’s for driver’s license services. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors approved the appointment of Bill Newbury to the Adair County Conservation Board. He moved to Adair County from Wisconsin in 1999, and serves as the Nodaway Valley High School Archery program Coach. Newbury said he believes conservation to be a part of the community and part of the children’s growing-up through the community. He replaces a Board member who recently passed away.

Adair County Conservation Director Dominic Johnson provided the Supervisors with a conservation update. He said all County park shower houses are closed and winterized for the season. Even though the water was turned-off at the campsite, it will remain available upon request, for campers who need it.

Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board’s approval and Board Chair’s signature, a resolution to award the W9 Lincoln reinforced concrete box culvert (RCB) project on a local farm-to-market road, to Gus Construction, out of Casey, for their low bid of slightly more than $1.02-million. There were three bids for the project. The Board also passed a resolution setting Dec. 10th at 9:30-a.m., as the time for a public hearing on the vacating of a portion of 332nd Lane in Adair County. The request was formally made by landowners in the area. Kaufmann updated the Board on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

And, Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg presented for the Board’s passage, resolutions pertaining to fund transfers and internal advance, along with a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) Certification, as well as an Urban Renewal Annual Report. Berg explained the Transfer Resolution is with regard to the transfer of monies from the Debt Service to TIF fund.

With regard to the Internal Advance, Berg said…

The TIF Indebtedness Certification, she said, pertains to valuations and amounts putting another $6.4-million dollars into the TIF account.

The Urban Renewal Report is presented to the State annually, and shows TIF Revenue, Interest and Expenditures, TIF-related projects and other information. The Board approved those matters as presented.

(Creston, IA) –  Officials with the Creston Police Department report the arrest today (Nov. 26th), of 21-year-old Jacob Alan Zachary, of Creston. He was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center on an outside agency warrant, and charged with nine-counts of Purchase/Possession – Depiction of a Minor in a Sex Act. Zachary was subsequently released on a $45,000 cash bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra says if he’s elected governor, he’d lead negotiations to end the simmering conflict over a proposed pipeline that would ship carbon from Iowa ethanol plants to storage in other state. “I am adamantly against using eminent domain. We can’t use it for private companies, but we also have to get together as a legislature, as a body and resolve this issue,” Feenstra said. “We can’t let it fester. We’ve got to get it done.”

This past June, Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill that would have imposed new restrictions on the pipeline. The move sparked criticism from fellow Republicans who oppose giving Summit Carbon Solutions eminent domain authority to seize land along the pipeline route from unwilling property owners. Feenstra, during a campaign stop in Sioux City, outlined his approach. “The first thing I would do is call everybody together and say: ‘Let’s get a bill that we can pass.’ And that’s what has to happen, but we always have to remember private property is private,” Feenstra said. “That means there has to be a negotiation between and the business if they want something to be built.”

G-O-P competitor Zach Lahn, this week, said it isn’t enough to say eminent domain should not be used for the project. Lahn has pledged to stop construction of the pipeline if he’s elected governor. The Iowa Utilities Commission has granted Summit Carbon Solutions a permit to build and operate a pipeline if the company secures permits in four neighboring states where the proposed pipeline would also operate.

(Atlantic, IA) – Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic say they are thrilled to announce Regina Hansen, RN, is the newest recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.® The award is part of The DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families every day. Hansen was nominated by a patient who recognized her skill in taking charge and going above and beyond while his primary care provider was on a scheduled vacation. Her nominator said  “Her love of the nursing profession and utmost desire to provide the best patient care is obvious and commendable. I am extremely impressed by her level of medical knowledge, teamwork, and ability to navigate and coordinate treatment among the hospital’s various services. Cass Health should be extremely proud of the trust they’ve placed in Regina to act in such a competent and reliable manner in place of an out-of-office provider.”

Hansen was surprised by the recognition and said she “Didn’t feel like I did anything out of the ordinary, but this award does take it home that what we do matters. It’s how we treat others, knowing that is how we would want to be treated. This patient is someone’s dad, someone’s grandmother, and it matters to them what you do. Even small things you might not think about. For example, I would want someone to call me back right away, and that’s what I do.”

Regina Hansen

Growing up, Hansen saw her mom — also a nurse — being stopped in the community and thanked for her work. “I thought it was so cool,” she said. “She is a caretaker at heart. I saw that, and I wanted to make a difference and help people, too. So this award hits home. People DO realize what you are doing, and they notice when you spend extra time with them, or you make time for an extra phone call. I am making a difference.”

Hansen has worked at Cass Health since June 1997 — following her RN graduation through Iowa Western Community College. At Cass Health, she previously worked as a hospital nurse, an immunization nurse, and as a health coach. Most of her career has been spent in Atlantic Medical Center working alongside family medicine physicians — first Dr. Mark Johnson, and most recently in her current role alongside Dr. Seann Atkinson.

Nurses at Cass Health are honored twice annually with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.® The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

One initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org. An online nomination form is available at https://www.casshealth.org/daisy.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, today (Wednesday), said a man who was injured in a Sept. 20, 2025 crash involving his motorcycle and a pedestrian, was arrested this morning after he turned himself-in on charges associated with the accident that include Felony Homicide by Vehicle – Reckless Driving, a Class C Felony. 23-year-old Kaelin M. Meinders, of Albia, was also charged with Operating While Under the Influence 2nd Offense (Aggravated Misdemeanor) and Person Ineligible to Carry Dangerous Weapons (Serious Misdemeanor). He is currently in the Polk County Jail awaiting his initial appearance.

(Polk County Sheriff’s Office booking photo of Kaelin M. Meinders)

Authorities say at around 11-p.m. on September 20th, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to 4950 NE 29th Street in Des Moines for a report of a motorcycle versus pedestrian accident. Deputies arrived within minutes and immediately began lifesaving measures, including CPR, on a male juvenile who had been struck by a motorcycle while crossing the roadway. Fire and Rescue personnel arrived shortly after and continued advanced lifesaving efforts. The juvenile was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. 15-year-old Santiago Rhone was a Sophomore at East High School in Des Moines.

Meinders was transported to a local hospital were he was treated for his injuries.

(Iowa DNR News Release) – Pheasant hunting has been as much a part of the Thanksgiving holiday for generations of Iowans, as cranberries and stuffing. And with a seasonable weather forecast that will likely put birds in cover, this would be a good year to continue that tradition and get back to the fields. Iowa Department of Natural Resources Upland Wildlife Biologist Todd Bogenschutz says “It’s a good opportunity for hunters to get out with less competition. Would also be a good time to invite someone new along and pass along that tradition.”

The Iowa DNR offers an apprentice license that allows someone to give hunting a try under the supervision of an adult mentor without completing hunter education. This license may be purchased twice in a lifetime before the individual is required to complete a hunter education course. Iowa’s pheasant population is at a 20-year high, with state wildlife experts forecasting hunters to potentially harvest the highest number of roosters since 2007. Bogenschultz says “The harvest is following what the roadside counts showed – better hunting in northern Iowa with lots of young birds out there.”

Last year, more than 77,400 hunters harvested over 460,000 roosters, providing an estimated economic impact of nearly $170 million in Iowa. The Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever are celebrating 100 years of pheasant hunting in the Hawkeye State. The first season was held Oct. 20-22, 1925, when 13 counties in north central Iowa were opened to pheasant hunting. Hunters were allowed a three-rooster limit, for a half-day of hunting. An estimated 75,000 hunters participated.

Information on places to hunt, the August roadside survey results and more is available online by clicking the 100 Years of Pheasant Hunting graphic at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey.

(Radio Iowa) – Traffic deaths on Iowa roadways have been running below average, and the state is on a pace to end up below 300 for the first time in years. There were 248 traffic deaths through Tuesday, which is 61 below the same date last year. The head of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, Brett Tjepkes, says there are several factors in the drop, including a big law change. “One thing that we think has been a major component is the passage of the hands free law. You know that prohibits people from holding their cell phones, using their cell phones in their hand while they drive,” he says. Tjepkes says the law has helped boost other efforts. “We were on a downward trend before that law came into effect, July 1st, but they’ve really been going down since then,” he says.

Thousands of drivers who’ve been caught breaking the law are getting warnings until January. “It’s an educational opportunity, you know, make people aware of the law, how they can still use their phone as long as it’s not in their hand,” Tjepkes says. “They can integrate it into their vehicle, use Siri or Alexa for voice activation so you know, phones still can be used, but we just can’t use it to look at anything or to hold in our hand.” Tjepkes says other efforts to make the roadways safer are also working. “The Iowa Department of Transportation has been doing a lot of things with roadway designs and engineering, and that’s a major factor I believe, And also, a lot of education has gone out there and we support a lot of education with Mothers Against Drunk Driving,” he says.

The State Patrol does education events and there’s more focus on educating younger drivers. “I think there’s just a variety of things that provide for a safe system, a safe roadway system. And so I don’t think there’s one magic pill to it all, but it’s really just all working together,” he says. Traffic deaths have not been below 300 at this date since 2020, when they were at 295.

(Radio Iowa) – Four northeast Iowa men are charged following an undercover sting that targeted online sexual predators. Dubbed Operation Castle, Manchester Police Chief Ben Davis says one of his officers portrayed a 15-year-old boy on a variety of social media platforms, using both public and dark web applications.  “Initially when we started, we used the very popular platforms, but as the operation evolved, we uncovered darker sides of the internet, things that we didn’t even know existed, and we used those as well,” Chief Davis says. “If we learned about a new application or a new website, we would create a profile on those websites to try to maximize the outcome.”

The undercover officer was specially trained during a law enforcement program in September on how to properly carry out the sting, and upon returning to Manchester, already had dozens of potential suspects. Davis says they followed all policies to the letter, being careful not to entrap a suspect. “We can’t click on a profile and send the first message. We can’t suggest sexual activity. We can’t even suggest meetups,” the chief says. “The officer is trained to just go with the flow based on the conversation. This is all just perpetuated on the suspect’s behalf on what they want, and the officer just communicates as much as they can to try to build that rapport and get them to meet.” Davis says the four suspects suggested sexual activity under their own accord, sent unsolicited nude photos, and suggested discreet meetings. The chief says he was stunned by the depth of the problem.

“It was an eye-opening moment when an officer shows me the amount of potential suspects within a very short amount of time,” he says. “We had people reach out from not only the local area, but we had targets that were from Texas, Georgia, actively looking for ways to come up to meet the undercover officer.” Manchester police arrested the four suspects on grooming, enticing and other charges: 56-year-old William Bockenstedt of New Vienna, 38-year-old Craig Conrad of Epworth, 41-year-old Seth Chambers of Dubuque, and 32-year-old Alex LaFrenz of New Hampton. Several other cases are pending.

Chief Davis says it’s important for the community to be informed about the dangers lurking on the internet. His department will host a Cyber Safety Parent Night on December 3rd at 5:30 P-M in the West Delaware High School auditorium.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a local man on a felony and two Simple Misdemeanor charges, Tuesday night. Authorities report 29-year-old Matthew Henry Paulsen, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 7:30-p.m. in the 1300 block of Highland Avenue. He was charged with felony, Attempted Burglary in the 2nd Degree, Domestic Abuse Assault, and Interference with Official Acts. Matthew Paulsen was being held without bond, in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Omaha & Des Moines) – Thousands of electric power customers were left without power for several hours Tuesday night into early this (Wednesday) morning. Winds gusted to a little more than 45-mph in Atlantic last night. The highest gusts of near or slightly greater than 60-mph were recorded Tuesday night in Denison, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines and Estherville, while Sioux City had a gust to near 70-mph.

As of 3-a.m. the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ interactive map showed the outages in Pottawattamie and Shelby County were down to just two customers in the dark. The majority of outages were being reported in southeastern Iowa’s Johnson County, where there were as many as 535 customers without electricity. Other, scattered outages remained in 11 north-central, eastern and southern parts of the State.

As of 3-a.m., MidAmerican Energy reported scattered outages in Mills, Sac and Sioux Counties in western Iowa, with much less fewer than 100 outages being reported in other areas. The greatest concentration of MidAmerican outages were in the Quad Cities. Previously, MidAmerican had reported outages affecting just over 4,300 customers, the majority of which were in Central Iowa.

Alliant Energy reported slightly more than 2,000 customers were without service as of 3-a.m., with most of those in Dubuque County.  Altogether, 3,582 homes and businesses were without power in Iowa, as of 3-a.m., according to the Iowa Power Outage Map.

Meanwhile in Nebraska, the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) power outage map indicated there were 2,281 customers without power as of 9:45 p.m., Wednesday, most are in Douglas and Sarpy counties, but a vast majority of those people and business had their power restored by 3:15-a.m.