(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s “deeply saddened” to learn four Iowa-based Army Reservists were killed in Kuwait on Sunday by an Iranian drone, including a West Des Moines native, but Grassley says the mission of Operation Epic Fury remains clear. Grassley, a Republican, rejects arguments that President Trump should have better articulated to the American people why the U-S was launching large-scale military strikes on Iran. “Most of the criticism here in Washington is that he should have talked more about it ahead of time,” Grassley says, “but I think he didn’t want to detract from what he was hoping would be a successful diplomatic negotiation — that fell through.”

While it’s evident a commander-in-chief wouldn’t want to offer advance notice to enemies about a looming attack by going public, Grassley says the signs were clear. “He did continually move American military capabilities into the area,” Grassley says. “He did talk about the fact that there could be destructive action taken, but I don’t think he wanted to emphasize it to too great of an extent to think that he was interfering with the negotiations that are going on.” Grassley says he and his wife are praying for the loved ones of the American soldiers who’ve been killed, but he adds, the president has made it known why this operation is underway. “The administration has stated its objective for these military operations against Iran,” he says, “like destroying Iran’s missiles, annihilate its navy, cripple its terrorist proxies, and prevent the gaining of nuclear weapons.”

Grassley says he attended a classified briefing on Epic Fury on Tuesday, while as Senate president pro-tem, he says Trump did as required and sent him written notification within 48 hours of taking military action.

(Des Moines, IA) – Officials with the non-profit Preservation Iowa organization, say they have designated 6 properties in Iowa for 2026 Most Endangered Designations. Among them is the Holliwell Covered Bridge in Madison County, and the Riverton Chautauqua Pavilion, in Fremont County. The other properties are:

• Meyers Farmstead District within Pleasant Grove Heritage Park, Lisbon, Linn County
• White Springs Supper Club, McGregor, Clayton County
• Trinity Church, Forest City, Winnebago County, and
• 100-102 N. Main Street, Conrad, Grundy County

Preservation Iowa’s Most Endangered Property program began in 1995 and was implemented to educate Iowans about the special buildings and historic sites that are slowly and that are “gradually slipping away from us,” according to a news release from the organization. Over the past 30 years, Preservation Iowa has designated over 200 archaeological sites, commercial buildings, homes, churches, landscapes and a variety of other properties in over 70 Iowa counties.

The Most Endangered Properties program helps to bring to the public’s attention the risks to a designated historic property and introduces owners of an endangered property to preservation advocacy and resources that can help preserve their historic property. Additionally, there have been interest groups who have been able to use the designation as a mechanism to leverage other financial resources to restore and preserve properties. For more information about the Most Endangered Program, check out Preservation Iowa’s website at www.preservationiowa.org or contact Preservation Iowa at info@preservationiowa.org.

#1 Holliwell Covered Bridge, Madison County

Spanning the Middle River near Winterset, the Holliwell Covered Bridge is one of five remaining original covered bridges in Madison County. The bridge was completed in 1880 by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster at a time when timber truss bridges were practical and economical in areas where wood was plentiful. Having a roof and sides slowed the deterioration of the timber framework extending its lifetime. At 110 feet, the Holliwell Bridge is the longest of the extant Madison County covered bridges. It remains in its original location and carried vehicular traffic until the mid-1980s. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the Holliwell Bridge is a reminder of an era of wooden bridges before the widespread use of iron. Madison County’s famous covered bridges, including the Holliwell, draw thousands of tourists each year. The Holliwell Bridge was also a filming location for the 1995 film The Bridges of Madison County.

Lacking substantial maintenance since the mid-1990s, the bridge’s structural integrity has become compromised. Preservation Iowa says the deteriorating truss members are causing the bridge to lean, and decay and erosion are taking its toll on the bridge’s roof, floor beam supports and abutments. Without repair, the bridge will likely have to be closed to the public within the next 10 years. The covered bridges are owned by Madison County and maintained by the Secondary Roads Department which is responsible for the upkeep of over 220 bridges leaving limited resources for the maintenance of a non-vehicular bridge. Over the past few years, the County has sought to find alternative funding for repairs to the bridge but has not yet been successful.

#4 Riverton Chautauqua Pavilion, Fremont County

The 12 sided pavilion sits atop a hill in the City Park at Riverton. The open air structure was completed in 1897 and intended to provide a stage for encampments of the newly founded Patriots of America. William Harvey founded the populist organization to advocate for returning to the free coining of silver and support political candidates favorable to that cause. Harvey is said to have put up $500 toward the Riverton pavilion’s construction. He reportedly chose Riverton because Fremont County had the greatest number of Patriots of America lodges of any county in the U.S. Yearly encampments of the fraternal organization were held in Riverton between 1897-1901. The order died out shortly thereafter.

Since then, the pavilion has hosted Chautauqua shows, Sunday School and church services, school graduations, May Day services and other community events. The pavilion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.The Riverton Hometown Pride group has lately taken an active role in preserving the pavilion. They received a Paint Iowa Beautiful grant in 2024 and a State Historical Society of Iowa Field Services grant to hire a consultant to evaluate the needs of the structure. That evaluation showed that there is much more that needs to be done to preserve this piece of local and U.S. history.

Significant repairs to the pavilion were done as a community bicentennial project in 1976. In more recent years, moisture and lack of regular maintenance has led to deterioration of the roof and supporting cedar posts

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a bill that would forbid ALL Iowa colleges, universities and community colleges from hiring students from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela or Syria who are in the U.S. on a temporary H-one-B Visa. Those countries are considered foreign adversaries of the United States. Republican Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull says it’s about national security, preventing espionage, and protecting sensitive research. “Aligning with broader U.S. concerns over foreign influence in academia,” Wheeler said, “while prioritizing American or allied talent.” The policy would take effect July 1st.

Representative Timi Brown-Powers, a Democrat from Waterloo, says it will affect hundreds of students, teachers, professors and researchers in Iowa’s public and private colleges, including 300 at the University of Iowa, over 100 at Iowa State University and 16 at U-N-I. “This has, really, the potential to make it very difficult to hire research professors and graduate students that do teaching at all three of our Regent (universities),” Brown-Powers said. Wheeler says U.S. universities are for Americans first.  “Do you really believe we should have members of the Chinese Communist Party teaching economics or political science or government in our Regents universities? Do you really believe that we should individuals from Russia or Iran influencing future voters in this country?” Wheeler asked. “I do not.”

The bill passed on a 68-to-27 vote and now goes to the Senate.

(Guthrie Center, IA) – Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 28! Panorama Elementary School in Panora will be the site for the 10th annual Guthrie County STEM Festival coordinated by staff at the Guthrie County Extension Office. “Building Your Future in STEM” is the theme for this interactive event designed for hand-on learning activities for children of all ages. A planning committee has been working on the details since late January. About twenty booths of STEM exhibitors will be on hand to work with students from pre-school through 6th grade. Parents or adults who will be bringing students are also encouraged to make the rounds of exhibitor tables. The event is free starting at 9:00 am and running until 12:00 pm.

“STEM is a very important discussion right now in Iowa and across the nation as employers are searching for qualified candidates to fill many open positions in the workforce. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are critically important work skills no matter what your job is. This is true in all career areas, from medical to technology, to agriculture to manufacturing. STEM is an attempt to increase knowledge of what businesses do in their specific fields, and how we can help students think about the skills they will need to become part of that future workforce”, according to Casey Wenstrand, the STEM Manager in the Southwest Region of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Program.

Exhibitors attending this event are AC/GC FFA, Panorama FFA, Guthrie County Farm Bureau, Guthrie County REC, Iowa Trust and Savings Bank, Raccoon Valley Radio, Iowa Corn Growers, POET Biorefining, Guthrie State Bank, Guthrie Hospital, Panora Fiber, Iowa Motor Truck Association, Guthrie County Master Gardeners, Blender Bike, Iowa Soil and Water, Guthrie County Cattlemen, Quick Photography, and Dallas County Hospital-Panora Clinic.

Questions regarding the event may be directed to the Guthrie County Extension Office at 641.747.2276.

(Creston, IA) – Police in Creston say a woman was arrested Feb. 26th at her residence. Authorities report 65-year-old Kathleen Janelle Portwood, of Creston, was arrested at around 10:15-p.m., and charged with Animal at Large. Portwood was released from custody at the scene, on a Promise to Appear in court.

(Radio Iowa) – March came in like a lamb, but State Climatologist Justin Glisten says as we move from winter to spring it could bring just about anything. “We can see all types of weather. We can see severe weather, we can see snowfall. We’ve had it all. So as a transition month, who knows, it’s a flip of the coin sometimes,” Glisan says. Glisan says March could help improve some of the dry conditions across the state. “As a state, we typically see slightly under two inches, that’s the 30 year average. And this varies from two-point-three inches in southeast Iowa, all the way up to one-point-six inches in northwest Iowa. So the wetter part of the state is the southern, southeastern (areas),” Glisan says.

Glisan says there is some optimism March could be wetter than normal. “If you look at the short-term outlooks getting into first half of March and even the full March outlook from the Climate Prediction Center, we are showing higher probabilities of warmer and wetter conditions possible,” he says.

April, May and June are generally the wettest months of the year in Iowa.

(Des Moines, IA) – The National Weather Service says the first severe weather threat of the year is possible Thursday and Friday. Officials say the threat encompasses most of Iowa, with the first round of marginal, isolated severe storms coming late Thursday night (mainly after midnight) across western and central Iowa. The main feature of the storms will be penny- to half-dollar sized hail (.75-1.25″ in diameter), along with winds of up to 60-mph.

The second round of storms Friday evening brings a slight risk of damaging winds (50+mph), large hail and scattered tornadoes, with the threat area covering most of the State, with the exception of the northwest and northern tier counties, where there is a marginal risk of severe storms. The east/northeast parts of the State face the greatest risk of severe storms, according to the latest information.

Be sure to have multiple ways of being informed when storms threaten, including a weather radio, and prepare to take shelter when warnings are issued.

(Radio Iowa) – A 20-year-old Iowan is among the six American soldiers who were killed Sunday in Kuwait. Sergeant Declan Coady of West Des Moines was an Army Reservist and a sophomore at Drake University. Coady and five other U-S soldiers were killed in what the military describes as a drone hit on a tactical center at a civilian port in Kuwait.

Coady was part of the 103rd Sustainment Command based at Fort Des Moines — and three other soldiers in the unit from Florida, Bellevue, Nebraska, and White Bear Lake, Minnesota are among those killed in Kuwait. Coady enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army Information Technology Specialist. Drake University, in a statement, said Coady was a highly dedicated Drake University student who had an incredibly bright future ahead of him. He was studying information systems, cybersecurity and computer science at Drake.

Iowa officials have been issuing statements after the military announced the deaths of Coady and the three other soldiers from the Des Moines-based unit. Senator Chuck Grassley says the four Army Reservists represent the best of Iowa and America. Senator Joni Ernst said they served in a noble endeavor and their sacrifices can never be repaid. Governor Reynolds asked Iowans to pray for the Coady family.

The leaders of both of Iowa’s major political parties issued statements of condolence to Coady’s family and asked for prayers for the safety of America’s soldiers who are in harm’s way.

(Radio Iowa) – House Republicans have created their own “Make America Healthy Again” agenda and their bill calls for new standards for school lunches, limits on access to digital devices in early elementary grades and a continuation of the state policy that bars food stamps from being used to buy things like candy and pop. Representative Austin Harris, a Republican from Moulton, says the goal is to enhance the health and well being of Iowans.

“For too long, discussing uncomfortable topics like this has been taboo in politics, but here are the hard truths,” Harris said. “Iowa ranks the 11th highest for adult obesity; 77.7% of Iowans are obese or overweight; we have the sixth highest rate for excessive drinking; we rank 43rd out of the 50 states for exercise.” The bill calls for Iowa students to take the Presidential Fitness Test and Iowa schools would have to ensure students in kindergarten through fifth grades have 120 minutes of physical activity each week.

High school students would be required to participate in at least one extracurricular activity. Republican Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull says being part of a group or team is important. “Not just in sports, but it could be something else. It could be FFA. It could be chess club — something where you’re involved, where you have to socialize,” Wheeler said, “where you have to get to know people and you’re a part of something.” Representative Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights, says extracurricular activities are great for students, but not all families can afford it.

“While I appreciate the idea, making it a requirement puts undue hardship on kids and doesn’t consider that not all kids are going home and playing Xbox,” Konfrst said. “Some are going to work to support their families.” Another section of the bill would limit digital instruction in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms to 60 minutes a day. There would be some exceptions for things like computer science instruction or math and reading programs on laptops or tablets that are tailored for a student’s individual use. Representative Samatha Fett, a Republican from Carlisle, says these are reasonable guardrails.

“Teachers and parents have raised consistent concerns about attention, focus and the depth of learning as screen exposure increased,” Fett said. “Research and classroom experience now show that excessive screen time can undermine comprehension, memory, behavior, early literacy and math development.” If the bill becomes law, a list of dyes and additives could no longer appear in the food or drinks served in Iowa schools and students would have to be taught the nutritional benefits of animal-based protein, dairy, vegetables and fruit.

The bill has some elements of the governor’s MAHA bill, including a move that could give Iowans over-the-counter access to ivermectin if a pharmacist agrees to sell it without a prescription. Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines who is a doctor of internal medicine, says research shows ivermectin is not an effective treatment for COVID or cancer — and misusing ivermectin can cause dangerous conditions like seizures and liver failure.”Perhaps that is why there is a clause in this bill that gives immunity to pharmacists who are handing this out now like candy because people want to experiment on themselves from on something they read on the internet,” Baeth said.

Representative Harris, the Republican who guided debate on the bill, responded. “Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Idaho have legalized this. A total of 49 million people have access to over-the-counter ivermectin and in that time there have been zero reports of overdoses from this,” Harris said. Last fall, officials in Colorado — where there are NOT over the counter sales of ivermectin — say a 74-year-old woman died after taking ivermectin intended for use in horses.

The health policy bill Governor Reynolds proposed included an increase in tobacco taxes and a new tax on vaping products, but that’s not included in the bill that cleared the House last night.

(Creston, IA) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say no injuries were reported following a collision that occurred at around 3:10-p.m., Tuesday. The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 34 and Laurel Street. Authorities say a car driven by 19-year-old Daysen Allan Gregg, of Lenox, was traveling west on Highway 34, and a pickup driven by 18-year-old Kolyn Elaine Beckwith, of Corning, was traveling on Laurel Street. Both drivers claimed they had a green light.

The car continued westbound and struck the pickup on the rear passenger side. Following the impact, the pickup spun around 360-degrees before coming to rest. Police say both vehicles were totaled in the collision ($10,000 damage altogether).

There were no citations issued.