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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Des Moines, IA) – Officials with The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, Wednesday, announced the death of Billie Lee Ray. The center says the former First Lady of Iowa passed away peacefully in her sleep Wednesday morning at the age of 97.
Her tenure as First Lady began when her husband, Robert D. Ray, was elected Governor of Iowa in 1968. Mrs. Ray held the title until 1983. She then continued her work in public service with various organizations including Terrace Hill Foundation, Iowa Friendship Force, the Cedar Rapids Symphony, the historic Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, the Red Cross, Easter Seals, United Way, Women in Business, Iowa Save Your Vision, Des Moines Civic Center, Blank Park Zoo Foundation, and Drake University.
Together, the Rays started CHARACTER COUNTS! in Iowa in 1997. It was renamed The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University in 2015. The Ray Center works to improve civility through character development and ethical leadership. That extends from early childhood to the corporate, community, and public service areas. Her husband, Robert D. Ray, passed away in 2018. Billie Ray is survived by her three daughters, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
In a statement on the organization’s social media page, they announced “It is with deep sadness we share the passing of Billie Lee Ray, a dear friend, benefactor, alumni of Drake University, and former First Lady of Iowa. Together, Mrs. Ray, along with her late husband, former Governor Robert D. Ray, were champions of many causes—from children and education, to community development.
“Their legacy of leadership will live on through the efforts of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, as we continue to fulfill our mission to improve civility through character development and ethical leadership. We extend our deepest condolences to the Ray family and the many others whose lives were positively impacted by Billie Lee Ray.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Wednesday evening issued this statement on the death of the former Iowa First Lady:
“Kevin and I are saddened to learn of the passing of former First Lady Billie Ray,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Billie set a remarkable example of grace, leadership, and service to others. Her work supporting education and community organizations helped shape opportunities for countless Iowans. In 1997, 14 years after Governor Robert Ray’s tenure, the two started what is known today as the The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, which works to instill meaningful leadership and civil skills in young Iowans that grow along with them through their lives. Billie’s kindness and spirit will be remembered by all who knew her, and her impact on Iowa’s children, women, families, and communities will live on for generations to come. Kevin and I are keeping her family in our thoughts and prayers.”
Mayor Clausen issues the Oath of Office to P&Z Commissioner Connie Briles.
(Atlantic, IA) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, approved the appointment of Connie Briles to the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Afterward they acted on adopting a resolution setting 5-p.m. April 1st, 2026, as the date of a public hearing for the City’s maximum property tax dollars, and the specific levies for submission to the Iowa Department of Management’s digital portal so the Cass County Auditor can send out property tax notices.
City Administrator John Lund said it’s an important first step in nailing down the FY 2027 Budget. He proposed lowering the property tax levy for FY27.
Following discussion and input from those attending the meeting, and approval of the Council, Mayor Rob Clausen issued an Order instructing the City Administrator to begin the search for a Parks and Recreation Department Director. Parks Commissioner Kevin Ferguson said the decision is a positive move in the right direction for the Parks and Rec Department.
John Lund said the Parks Director position had been eliminated in the late summer of 2023 to expand labor resources, elsewhere. He said the City is now in a position to pay for a Park’s Director, based on currently available data and revenue growth. The Parks Director will be paid for by released property tax resources.
In other business, the Atlantic City Council approved FY 2027 Budget – Compensation Adjustments. They also passed Resolutions “Approving Sunnyside Swimming Pool Fees and Applicability Provisions,” and “Amending the City of Atlantic Personnel Policy Handbook, Series 400, Code 401 to Provide a Health Insurance Waiver Incentive though a 401(a) Plan for Eligible Employees.”
The new Pool fee rates are: Daily admission to the Sunnyside pool, $7.00 per person; Seasonal group passes for up to five individuals are $145.00, and are not limited to family members; Individual season passes are now $100.00 per person; The punch pass is $50.00. Each Punch Pass shall include three (3) complimentary visits as part of the established pricing structure. Children ages two and under shall be admitted free of charge. A daily admission rate of $3.00 will apply to young children ages 2 through 5, determined at the point of sale. The pool management team is authorized to offer day-pass gift certificates at the previous $5.00 rate for a limited holiday and Easter promotional period.
The Council also passed (after the required number of Readings), an Ordinance “Allowing Non-Iowa Residents to Be Hired and Employed as Part-Time and Reserve Officers for the City of Atlantic, Iowa.” Police Chief Devin Hogue spoke on how it affects potential applicants for Officer positions.
The Council’s next regular meeting was scheduled for March 4th, but it was changed to March 11th instead, so that Council members may attend Local Leaders Day at the State Capital in Des Moines.
Atlantic, Iowa – Cass County Auditor and Commission of Elections, Kathy Somers, Wednesday (Feb. 18th), announced the filing procedures and deadlines for candidates seeking office in the June 2, 2026 Primary Election and November 3, 2026 General Election. Somers says candidates must file an affidavit of candidacy and nomination petition with the required number of signatures during the appropriate filing period. Forms are available at the Cass County Auditor’s office, 5 W 7th Street, Atlantic, IA. Nomination petitions may be circulated prior to the filing period.
Primary Election Process (for Partisan Offices):
Primary Candidate Filing Dates:
General Election Process (Including No-Party Candidates and Nonpartisan Offices):
General Election Filing Periods:
Offices on the Primary Election and General Election Ballots:
Offices Only on the General Election Ballot:
For additional information regarding election for county offices, contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office at 712-243-4570.
For information regarding state and federal offices, contact the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, or visit their official website, sos.iowa.gov.
(Radio Iowa) – The Sioux City Honey Association unveiled more detailed plans Tuesday on its major expansion of processing operations. Association director of growth Aimee Sandman says the plan includes three phases in the next five years, starting with the renovation of a warehouse they purchased. “So we’ll be upgrading the warehouse with our new racking system that will accommodate our business and then update the corporate office. The warehouse will feature 200-thousand square feet of finished goods warehouse space for us and 26-thousand square feet of modern office,” she says..
The renovation will being in January of next year and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The new warehouse will include six new jobs. The second phase is the construction of a new processing facility near the refurbished warehouse and then all employees will move to that location. The final phase adds more storage for increased production. “Phase three will include a new raw honey warehouse to support our continued membership growth. So this year we increased our membership by 15 percent which is about seven million additional pounds of U-S honey that will be coming into the Sioux City area for us to process,” Sandman says. The Sioux Honey Association has been in Sioux City since 1921.
Association president Kevin Hueser says other states tried to get them to relocate, but local and the state incentives were provided to keep them in Iowa. “At the end of the day, the existing warehouse gave Iowa a tremendous advantage, but also the city of Sioux City, state of Iowa stepped up,” he says. “Working with those communities as well as some of the local contractors that are willing to work with us on a on a build to suit and a lease back. I’m not really concerned. Our financing situation is in good shape and we’ve we’ve had a tremendous amount of support.”
The company currently employees 89 workers and expects to add 40 new jobs by the time the project is completed. Sioux Honey gets raw honey from around 200 beekeepers and produces 35 million pounds of honey annually, which is about 25 percent of the nation’s supply.
(Atlantic, IA) – There will be no jury trial next week for a former Cass County daycare provider charged in the death of a child in her care. According to online court records, a plea agreement was reached in the case against Alison Elaine Dorsey, with sentencing set for Feb. 26th. According to court documents, Dorsey is pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment causing death.
In her plea deal, Dorsey wrote that while she was caring for 11-week old Luka Hodges, she picked him up. She said was being fussy and wouldn’t eat, so she rocked him in her arms harder than she should have. Dorsey said she regrets her actions unintentionally caused the infant’s death. The charges she will plead guilty to carry maximums of five years and two years in prison, respectively.
Dorsey’s trial was previously set to take place Feb. 24th in Cass County District Court. It was to have been her third trial. The first in Atlantic ended ended in a hung jury/mistrial. The second, held June, 2023 in Pottawattamie County, resulted in a conviction for second-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death, but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court because they said, it was improperly moved from Cass to Pott. County. It was reset and scheduled to take place in Atlantic
Dorsey, who ran a daycare center in Massena, will appear before a judge at 9:30-a.m., Feb. 26th to enter her plea and receive her sentence.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says a deal is near that would allow fuel with a blend of up to 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline to be sold year round. Feenstra is one of the leaders of the House Rural Domestic Energy Council that was set up in January when the year-round E-15 policy was stripped from a budget bill. The group met today (Wednesday).
“This is full on, year round E15 and we worked with the small, midsized and large refiners,” Feenstra says. “We worked with all the biofuels folks. We believe we’ve got something that works for all farmers…We’ve got to get it across the finish line.” House Republican leaders gave the group until February 25th to submit a bill for a vote on the House floor. E-P-A concerns about smog during the summer months have prevented the nationwide sale of E-15 from June 1st to September 15th, but the policy has been suspended in Iowa and other Midwest states.
National media outlets like Politico report the proposal that would end the long effort to authorize E-15 sales nationwide all year long would limit the number of ethanol blending exemptions granted to small oil refineries and prevent those operations from passing along the waiver to another refinery. Feenstra says President Trump’s statement — in Iowa last month — that he’d sign the year-round E-15 legislation was extremely helpful in negotiations.
“Agriculture’s the backbone of this state and we have to make sure we’re helping our farmers and that means opening new markets,” Feenstra said. “We don’t want handouts. We want new markets.” A majority of the fuel sold at U-S gas stations has 10 percent ethanol. The executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says expanding E-15 sales would create brand new market demand for ethanol.
(Radio Iowa) – Parents who start homeschooling a child would be eligible for a four-thousand dollar tax credit under a bill the House Education Committee may consider later today (Wednesday). Jeff Pitts, a lobbyist for the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, says homeschooling parents pay taxes to support the public schools they don’t utilize. “We do this willingly and without complaint because we believe in taking responsibility for our children’s education,” Pitts said, “however providing a reasonable level of financial relief is a simple matter of fairness.” The four-thousand dollar tax credit would be available for each kindergartener who starts out as a homeschooler, along with any public or private school student who switches to being taught at home.
Homeschool advocates are urging legislators to make the credit available for children already being homeschooled. Amber Williams of Inspired Life, a Christian organization based in Cedar Falls, says homeschooling families bear the full cost of educating their child.”They are doing the work and they’re paying for it while still funding the system that they’re not using,” Williams said. “This bill simply returns a portion of what those families have already contributed. It is $4000 far less than what the state would spend per pupil in the public system.” This year the state’s per pupil spending level is about eight-thousand dollars for each public school student as well as for each private school student with a state-funded Education Savings Account.
Some parents who homeschool their children are opposed to the bill — and would not claim the tax credit if it’s created. Lauren Gideon is homeschooling five of her children and a spokeswoman for Classical Conversations in Iowa, a Christian homeschooling group. She says the bill creates a wealth redistribution program disguised as a tax credit. “What is somebody’s fair share to somebody else’s hard earned money? Public funds should be handled with care, not handed out like candy because every dollar represents the hard work of Iowa families,” Gideon said. Karen Hebron of Indianola is another homeschooling mom who opposes the bill. “This just compromises the whole private sector education for my family,” she said.
A handful of states — including Illinois and Minnesota — currently offer state income tax credits to parents who homeschool their children.
(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), met in a regular weekly session in their Boardroom at the Courthouse in Greenfield. During their session, the Board acted on Family Farm/Agland Disallowances on a case-by-case basis, as presented. Auditor Mandy Berg:
The Board was scheduled to hear from Heidi Peng, with McGough Construction Company, pertaining to waivers for waste from the Orient Energy Center project taken to alternative sites, but she was unable to attend, and requested to be placed on the Board’s agenda next week. Mandy Berg provided the Supervisors with background information on what the company is requesting.
Berg says the County has an ordinance in-place that requires any waste in the unincorporated areas be taken to the Adair County Landfill unless a written waiver is obtained from the Board of Supervisors. Board member Jodie Hoadley…
In other business, the Supervisors passed a Resolution to award the contracts for two Hot Melt Asphalt (HMA) resurfacing projects that will be tied together. The total project cost is $1,459,318.62. Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman said there are currently no bid tabulations, but in order to proceed, the resolution needed to be passed. The projects include the Casey Stub (N-77), and Rose Acres Road.
And, the Board moved to repeal the Pipeline Ordinance. Supervisor Hoadley explained the reason behind the move.
Mandy Berg said an Ordinance to Repeal the Pipeline Ordinance needs three readings, but the second two readings may be waived a copy of the Ordinance is published prior to the first reading. A public hearing would also need to be held on the matter. The soonest that could be take place is during the first week of March.
(Atlantic, IA) – A Special Election March 31st to fill a seat on the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will feature at least three candidates. Chase Roller announced Sunday on his Facebook page that he’s tossing his hat into the ring.
In his post, Roller stated “I am running because I want to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed and be prepared for life after high school, whatever their path may be. As a longtime member of this community I care deeply about the quality of education and safety our students receive. I also want to support the teachers and staff as our school shapes the future of our community. I believe families should be heard and the board be transparent. I would be honored to serve our community.”
And, Dianna Blake reports she’s entered the race. In her social media post, Blake said (in-part), I’m running for school board because I believe our schools should be places of trust, transparency, and accountability for students, families, faculty, and staff.” Blake said also, “Like every parent, I want them to feel safe, respected, and supported. But I want that for every child in our district, not just my own.” She and her husband moved their family to Atlantic from Southern California in 2021.
Earlier, we mentioned Jordan Zarbano also entered his name in the contest. Nomination papers are due-in to the school district by March 6th.
(Mount Ayr, IA) – A man from Ringgold County was arrested Tuesday evening on an outstanding Ringgold County warrant. The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office reports 36-year-old Kevin Lee Ray, of Delphos, was arrested just before 7-p.m. Tuesday. He was wanted on a warrant for Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd offense. Authorities say the warrant was based on an incident that took place Feb. 14th.
Ray was being held without bond in the Ringgold County Jail, until seen by a Magistrate.
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