(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Workforce Development merged its system for filing unemployment claims into the IowaWorks system used to train and find people new jobs at the start of the month. I-W-D director Beth Townsend says they made the merge without major technical issues. “When you’re converting from one system that you’ve been on for over 50 years to a brand new system, there are moments when you’re just thinking, ‘oh, good Lord, I hope this works.’ And it did, it exceeded our expectations in terms of how smoothly it went,” Townsend says. There were a few things that popped up that they had to adjust.

“What happens when you do these kind of large scale stand ups of new systems — it’s those unique situations that only affect a few 100 people that that pop up that maybe either didn’t get considered or the process you had and planned for those didn’t work exactly the way you hoped that it would. So there’s been a little stops and starts,” she says. Townsend says they added extra people to answer the phones as they get the system up and running. “The first couple of days, obviously they were significantly higher than we’d like them to be, but by the end of the week, they were back down to no wait times,” Townsend says. “…So that was a good indication that as we worked through the week, people were able to get their claims filed and and didn’t need assistance.”

Townsend says the the goal with the upgrade was to make things easier. “We’ve been getting good feedback that they people that are using the system say it’s easier to use. So, they like that it’s more accessible and people are getting paid, their claims got paid. So at the end of the day, it’s been a really smooth transition as from our perspective,” she says.

You can go to Iowaworks.com to file for unemployment or look for a new job.

(Radio Iowa) – Plans to move a child care center into unused space in a small town nursing home would create a first of its kind operation in Iowa. Melissa Michels — director of Kids Express Daycare in Sanborn — says a wing of the Prairie View Nursing Home has been vacant since 2022. “They’ve been trying to figure out what to do with that space for several years,” she says. “They approached us and they asked us to move in with them.” There are inter-generational facilities Europe where children interact daily with elderly residents, but Michels says it’s still a fresh idea in America.

“We really are going to be a model of how nursing homes and child care centers can come together,” she says, “especially in rural Iowa.” Research shows this kind of a partnership in Europe helps reduce the social isolation of the older generation and Michels says the kids benefit, too. “If their grandparents live far away and they don’t necessarily get to see them, it gives them some of those experiences and it also helps them be more understanding and kind and caring because they can see them aging and they can ask questions,” Michels says. “It’s just a beneficial experience for both the seniors and the kids.”

The non-profit child care center and the nursing home in Sanborn will remain two separate operations, but have shared activities. “We plan on hiring a music and art teacher to come in and do music programs, art with the residents and kids together,” Michels says, “even having the people that are in the assisted living part of the facility come down read to the kids, rock babies — grandparent roles that they can take in the daycare.” The Kids Express Daycare in Sanborn currently has slots for 57 kids.

Michels says once the project is completed, they’ll have slots for twice that many. “Our wait list right now is over a year long. I don’t have a spot for a new child to come to my center until April, 2026,” Michel says. “so it really is beneficial for us as a business, but also for our community.”

About half a million dollars has been raised for the project. Michels says their goal is to raise another 130-thousand dollars, start the remodeling in September and move the child care center into its new space early next year.

Police in Council Bluffs Sunday night said the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Traffic Unit is investigating a Personal Injury Accident that occurred at around 6:50-p.m., Sunday, at 16th Avenue and S. 12th Street. Officers were advised the driver of a van struck an individual on an motorcycle in the intersection.

Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue along with Council Bluffs Police arrived on location and the driver of the motorcycle was to transported to UNMC for further medical attention.  No names were immediately released.

This incident is still be investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit. At the time of their report, authorities said it was unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor to the accident.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Officials with the Red Oak Police Department say two men were arrested Saturday afternoon, following an investigation into an incident that had taken place earlier in the day. Authorities say 21-year-old Payton Neil Gray and 37-year-old Charles Randall Brown, III, both from Red Oak, were arrested at around 3:30-p.m., Saturday.

Gray was charged with assault causing bodily injury, and assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Brown was charged with operation without owner’s consent. Both men were taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond, each.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a Red Oak man was arrested early this (Sunday) morning on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County, for Homicide by Vehicle-Operating under the influence. 19-year-old Aiden William Wright was arrested at around 1:20-a.m. in the 1000 block of N. 6th Street, in Red Oak. Wright was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $50,000 bond. Officers with the Red Oak Police Department assisted in the arrest.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Pottawattamie County was arrested Saturday night in Red Oak, on a warrant out of South Dakota. Red Oak Police report 57-year-old Steven Michael Campbell, of Honey Creek, was arrested with the assistance of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department and the Sheriff’s Dept. K-9 at around 10:35-p.m., on a Fugitive From Justice warrant. Campbell was taken into custody in the 800 block of N. 2nd Street in Red Oak and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held without bond.

(Sidney, Iowa) – Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope, today (Saturday) reported the arrest on Friday, June 20th, of 35-year-old Kameron Davis Boyer, of Anderson (IA). Boyer faces charges that include:

• 1 Class-C Felony count of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd degree, of a child victim related by blood, and,
• 1 Class-D Felony count of Incest.

Authorities allege  Boyer committed a sexual assault against a child, related by blood, at a residence in Anderson in the fall of 2023. He was being held in the Fremont County Jail on a $15,000 cash only bond.

It should be noted that a criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa (KCRG) – One person is dead and another is seriously injured after a shooting in rural Williamsburg.  The Iowa County Sheriff’s office said they received reports of a shooting at the Interstate 80 westbound on-ramp of exit 225 around 9:00 pm Friday.

As a result of the shooting, authorities said one person died and another has serious gunshot injuries. Officials said more details on the shooting and names of the victims will be released on Monday, June 23rd.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) officials, Friday, confirmed water coming out of the system’s treatment plants continues to meet federal safe drinking water standards.  The regional water production authority said the lawn-watering ban has been effective at reducing load and allowing treatment facilities to keep the drinking water nitrate levels below the federal limit, despite near historic levels in source water.

At a press conference Friday, CIWW executive director Tami Madsen said “We don’t anticipate that there’s going to be any concern with our water not meeting safe drinking water standards because of the hard work that everyone is doing with the lawn watering ban.”

CIWW issued a lawn watering ban on June 12th due to exceptionally high levels of nitrate which can cause problems like blue-baby syndrome or other adverse health effects when consumed in high concentrations.

Rumors circulated on social media Thursday that CIWW was expecting nitrate concentrations in output water to exceed the federal safety standards, but Madsen shut down the rumors and said CIWW has “no concerns” of that happening, because the lawn watering ban has been so effective.

Madsen said while CIWW does not expect its output to exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standard, which for nitrates has a maximum of 10 milligrams per liter, but if it did CIWW would communicate with the public.

Des Moines Water Works’ Fleur Drive plant and the Saylorville Water Treatment plant have the capacity to remove nitrates from the water. CIWW has plans to expand treatment capacity by 25% in the coming years, which would help to reduce future lawn watering bans.