(Radio Iowa) – A fundraising effort in eastern Iowa later this month will feature dozens of straw-stuffed scarecrows with the goal of scaring up awareness and donations to help feed the hungry. Cynthia Freese, director of Made in Iowa, says Cedar Rapids will be hosting a Scarecrow Festival on October 18th at Hawkeye Downs. “We do the Made in Iowa markets and this year we decided to incorporate a Scarecrow Festival,” Freese says, “and we’ve had just over 50 people sign up to bring their scarecrows down. So I’m pretty excited that it’s turning out well.”

The Scarecrow Festival is modeled after the Festival of Trees, where each individually crafted holiday tree is put on display — and auction — for charity. Freese says the first step if the new festival is assembling the large collection of scarecrows. “We have age group parameters, and our size parameters are from one inch to six feet,” Freese says. “I know we have somebody who crocheted a teeny, tiny micro one, and I’m super excited to see in person.”

The Made in Iowa Market will feature 150 vendors with a variety of handmade goods, treats, crafts, and one-of-a-kind art, while there will be a series of contests to judge the crop of scarecrows. “The funniest, the scariest, the most creative, the most eco friendly,” Freese says. “We’ve got a young kid that’s submitted one that’s made out of trash that he’s found around the house and on his walks to school, so I’m super excited to see that in person.”

Admission is $5 and Freese says 10-percent of all ticket proceeds go to support Together We Achieve, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger in eastern Iowa. Plus, she says many of the scarecrows will be auctioned or sold to benefit the charity.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say two people were arrested on separate charges, Tuesday morning (Sept. 30). 31-year-old Austin Allan Jones, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 400 block of W. Townline Street, on charges that include Assault with a dangerous weapon, and Possession of a controlled substance/Marijuana-1st offense. Jones was being held in the Union County Jail on a $3,000 bond.

And, 56-year-old Danny Ray Bird, Jr., of New Market, was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, for violating a No Contact/Protective Order. Bird, Jr., was later released after posting a $300 bond.

(Monona County, Iowa) – On Friday, Sept. 26th, representatives with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and their partners at the Iowa DNR, celebrated with a ribbon cutting at the former Little Sioux Scout Ranch. More than 100 neighbors and supporters of the project joined in to learn more, explore and celebrate the new addition to the Loess Hill State Forest. Permanently protected, residents and visitors of Iowa can continue to forge a connection with nature and enjoy remote camping, hiking, fishing, hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation across the nearly 1,800-acre former scout camp.

Background:

In late 2022, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation purchased the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa from the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts of America. INHF raised nearly $2 million before Dec. 31, when it had to exercise an option to purchase the property. Lead donations of $500,000 from Polina and Bob Schlott of Crescent, $500,000 from the Iowa West Foundation of Council Bluffs, $300,000 from the Gilchrist Foundation of Sioux City and $250,000 from the MidAmerican Energy Foundation — along with hundreds of other private donations — made it possible to purchase the vast wilderness area.

The 1,776-acre property has been used as a scout camp for more than 50 years by troops from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. In 2021, the Gilwell Foundation, which owns all the properties used by the council, came to the difficult decision to sell the camp due to declining attendance. At that time, INHF purchased an option to buy the property that expired at the end of 2022, setting a goal to raise $2 million for the project, which will cost more than $7 million in total.

“The support for this project has been amazing,” said INHF President Joe McGovern. “Donors have told us they want to see this place protected — staying in one piece and not being developed — but they’re also excited to see it opened to the public eventually.” In working on the sale with the council, INHF has agreed to do three things: Open the property to the public; maintain the memorial to four boys that died in a 2008 tornado on the property; and honor and share the history of LSSR as a scout camp.

The site is now part of the Loess Hills State Forest and is owned and managed by the Iowa DNR.

Learn more about the project here.

CLIVE, IOWA — Iowa’s beloved Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich is back in the spotlight as the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) narrows its annual competition from 40 contenders to just five finalists. These restaurants now stand among the best of the best, vying for the coveted title of Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin.

2025 Finalists (alphabetical order)

The 1854 – Gilbertville
Dexfield Diner & Pub – Redfield
Hometown Heroes – Grinnell
Sugar’s Lounge & Diner – Council Bluffs
Walker’s – Salix

How the Contest Works:

The public nominates eligible restaurants. To qualify, restaurants must serve hand-breaded or hand-battered pork tenderloins year-round. Seasonal stands, caterers, and food trucks are not eligible. From the 40 top-nominated restaurants across IPPA’s eight districts, mystery diners evaluated sandwiches based on pork taste and quality, physical characteristics, presentation, and experience. IPPA’s Restaurant and Foodservice Committee then selected five finalists. “Our judging process includes a point system with 100 points possible. The area of pork taste and quality is worth 50% of the total where judges are evaluating flavor, freshness, tenderness, moisture and a balance of seasoning,” says Kelsey Sutter of IPPA. “But the first rule I was taught when I took over this contest 14 years ago was there’s no such thing as a 100-point tenderloin!”

Now, a panel of three judges will visit each finalist to determine the first and second place winners. The panel is comprised of a retired chef, a longtime representative of Iowa’s pork industry, and a travel food blogger.

What’s at Stake:

Winner: $500, a plaque, a banner, statewide publicity, and perhaps most importantly: bragging rights that often send tenderloin sales soaring.
Runner-up: $250 and a plaque.
Others in top five: Commemorative plaque.
Nominators of winning restaurant: Entered into a random drawing for $100.

The champions will be announced in mid-October, during Porktober—National Pork Month—celebrating all things pork in Iowa.

Past Winners:

2024 – Dairy Sweet, Dunlap
2023 – Cliff’s Place, Manning
2022 – Lid’s Bar & Grill, Waukon
2021 – Victoria Station, Harlan (closed)
2020 – PrairieMoon On Main, Prairieburg
2019 – The Pub at the Pinicon, New Hampton

See the full list of past winners since the contest began in 2003 at iowapork.org.

Can’t make it to one of these finalists? Try your hand at a Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich at home with IPPA’s recipe and how-to video at https://www.iowapork.org/community/recipes/all-recipes/breaded-pork-tenderloin-sandwiches

(SW IA News) – The Glenwood Police Department, Tuesday, reported a woman from Pacific Junction was arrested early Tuesday morning (Sept. 30) in Glenwood. 35-year-old Maria Ann Brown was arrested following a traffic stop and charged with Driving Under Suspension. And, Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported, but a woman was issued a warning, following a collision last week at Miller Avenue and Summit Streets, in Red Oak.

The report said the accident happened at around 6:25-p.m. Thursday, as a car driven by 21-year-old Jordyn Main, of Red Oak, was traveling west on Summit. As the vehicle turned south onto Miller Avenue, it drove over the southeast curb and struck a motorcycle operated by 53-year-old Victor Vukonich, of Red Oak, as he was stopped and waiting to proceed through the intersection. Red Oak Police issued Main a written warning. Authorities said an improper turn, and possible obstructed vision due to sun glare may have contributed to the collision.

Damage from the collision amounted to $4,000 ($2,000 each for the car and motorcycle).

(Radio Iowa, 10/1/25) – The Iowa Department of Education reports almost half of high school seniors participated in some kind of work-based experience last year — an increase of more than 76 percent over two years. MOC-Floyd Valley assistant principal Grant Hegstad says it’s good experience for the northwest Iowa students.

“To just help shift their mindset from being that of a student to that of being a professional, a lot of the adulting skills that we sometimes just assume they have, and then they get launched into the real world, and we go, ‘Why don’t these kids have these skills?’ So we really work to grow them as innovators, as problem solvers,” he says. Hegstad notes that some students are paid to do internships and even end up with full-time jobs when they graduate.

Sioux City West senior Vance Dudley explores his passion for podcasting at a studio located in the District’s Career Academy. The academy is where students from the region learn about 30 different career pathways and can even earn college credit and intern with local businesses.

“The work you wanna go into, you’re not gonna know what it’s like by just learning about the work you’re gonna go into,” Dudley says. “You’re gonna know by working the work you go into, and this gives you an opportunity to do that and to see if you like it, and if you like it, you can pursue it. And if you don’t like it, don’t pursue it.”

Dudley says he dreams of attending Julliard to study acting or Duke University for law. Either way, he says the skills he learns while hosting a podcast as an intern for the Sioux City School District will help.
The state passed legislation last year requiring students to start exploring different careers starting in fifth grade. The Iowa Department of Education recently reported 45 percent of the class of 2025 took part in work-based learning.

ALLAMAKEE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Allamakee County man was killed in a landslide accident while in his home on Tuesday morning after he was struck by a large rock. The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office said it received a 911 call that a hillside slid down into the 76-year-old man’s home in the 1100 block of Red Oak Road.

First responders said “numerous rocks” rolled down a hill from a nearby property. A large rock then crashed through a wall of the home, hitting and killing the man. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not yet been released.

The accident is being investigated by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Justice Department will investigate whether the Des Moines school district has prioritized race-based hiring practices rather than evaluating job applicants based on merit. That announcement came amid Tuesday’s news that Des Moines superintendent Ian Roberts — detained by immigration agents Friday — had submitted his resignation and the Des Moines School Board met last (Tuesday) night to accept it. School Board President Jackie Norris says it’s the right decision given the circumstances.

“This is not what we anticipated when we welcomed Dr. Ian Roberts into central Iowa and the Des Moines school district a little over two years ago,” Norris said. “It is a sad and troubling end for an individual who gave many people, especially our students, hope.” Roberts was the first black person to lead the state’s largest school district, where about two-thirds of students are minorities. Norris says the board moved swiftly to accept Roberts’ resignation because the district got confirmation from federal officials that Roberts is not eligible to work in this country and state officials revoked his license to be an administrator.

“We didn’t need a longer investigation to address all of the issues,” Norris said. “We needed to look at the two things in front of us, which were just cause.” A Des Moines law firm is working on reopening Roberts’ immigration case, but lead attorney Alfredo Parrish has confirmed Roberts was born in Guyana in 1970 and could be deported at any moment — even in the midst of the federal government shutdown. “They may not have a plane to fly him out, but they may take this opportunity to fly him out,” Parrish said. “We don’t know.”

Betty Andrews, president of the Iowa/Nebraska chapter of the N-Double-A-C-P, says no one should rush to judgment about Roberts’ case. “Obviously Dr. Roberts was a strong voice in the community for education and students,” Andrews said, “and also was someone that many folks in the community were inspired by.” Hundreds of Des Moines high school students staged a walk-out yesterday (Tuesday) to protest Roberts’ arrest and the broader crackdown on illegal immigration. At one point, the students chanted the state motto.

Maryland election officials say Roberts was registered to vote in that state for the past nine years, but had not voted. The Associated Press is reporting Roberts had a Maryland driver’s license from 2001 until last year, when it was exchanged for a New York license. New York law requires a person to make that transaction in person.