(Radio Iowa) – The holidays are a time for families to come together, but friction can sometimes develop that will ruin the festive atmosphere if the wrong conversational subjects are broached. University of Iowa professor and psychologist Michele Williams says the old adage about not discussing politics and religion holds true, but there are other topics to avoid, too. She suggests using a technique called LARA, which stands for Listen, Affirm, Respond and Ask questions. “When someone says something that triggers you emotionally, you tend to jump in and you fight back, you might be defensive,” Williams says. “If you slow down, with methods from dialogue like LARA, it helps you.”

You may want to skip chatting with your aunt or uncle about things like inflation, gasoline prices or even vaccines, as they can be hot-button issues. Williams says we tend to talk too much and listen too little, so she suggests striving to have a dialogue, not a debate. “Often, you’ve probably seen this, too, you see an argument and both people seem to be saying the same thing because they’re not actually listening to the other side,” Williams says. “They’re responding so quickly that they never know that there are points where they agree and information that could improve both of their thinking.”

Subjects that are not usually prone to prompt conflict include food, sports, art, or even just the kids. Williams says to try and keep positive feelings front and center during holiday gatherings.  “You could do that by having pictures, mementos, wear a piece of jewelry that the other person had given you as a child, things around you that are kind of touchstones,” she says, “to remember that this conversation is with someone you love and the reason you’re coming together as a family is to really celebrate those relationships.”

Williams is a UI professor of management and entrepreneurship in the Tippie College of Business and she’s a psychologist who specializes in management communications and relationships.

(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Senate has confirmed the appointment of a northeast Iowa native to a key role in the U-S Department of Agriculture. Alexis Taylor is now the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs in the U-S-D-A. During a confirmation hearing in late September, Taylor told senators she’d work to remove trade barriers and ensure countries adhere to science-based regulations. Taylor also said she expects to work on the international food crisis created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Taylor grew up on a farm near Holy Cross and earned a political science degree from Iowa State University in 2005. She served in the Army Reserves and did a tour of duty in Iraq. Taylor, who was appointed director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture in 2016, previously worked in the U-S-D-A, overseeing the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services division.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests and incidents that took place from Dec. 12th through the 19th. Authorities say on Monday, Dec. 19th, the Sheriff’ Office received a report about a hit and run that occurred on Highway 148 and 6th Street, in Corning, and a person had been injured. The male subject was transported by Adams County Ambulance to CHI in Corning. On Wednesday, Dec. 21st, Deputies arrested 38-year-old Tara Squibbs, of Corning, following an investigation into Monday’s incident. Squibbs was booked into the Adams County Jail, on charges  that include: Failure to Provide Aid or Information; Death or Personal Injuries; Leaving the scene of an accident; 3 counts of Driving While Suspended; Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree, and Proof of Financial Liability – Accident (related).

On Dec 18th, Adams County Deputies initiated a traffic stop at around 12:42-a.m., on the driver of a vehicle who failed to maintain his lane at Quincy and 10th Streets, in Corning. Upon further investigation, Lincoln Alan Calvin, of Lenox, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His BAC registered .218. Calvin was also cited for Open Container.

On Dec. 17th, Adams County Deputies arrested 50-year-old Jamie Calkins, of Corning, for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop at Chestnut Avenue and 160th Street. Calkins later posted a$ 1,000 bond and was released. On Dec. 16th, Deputies in Adams County responded to a reported incident of Assault at the Corning Hy-Vee store. An investigation resulted in the arrest of 52-year-old Rhonda Thompson, of Corning, on charges that include Assault Causing Bodily/Mental Illness, and Harassment in the 2nd Degree/Hate Crime. Thompson was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $3,000 cash-only bond.

And, on Dec. 12th, Kelley Malone, of Corning, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. She was also cited for Fraudulent Use of Registration, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability. She was released on her Own Recognizance, pending a court appearance.

**”Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations, and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

(Radio Iowa) – An orchestra from Ukraine will be performing in Iowa next year. The Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra will be touring in the United States — and David Stuart, board chairman of the Ames International Orchestra Festival Association, says they’re booked for March 3rd in Ames.

“We appreciate not only what they’re going by going through, but what they are doing to responding to that by going out in the rest of the world and performing concerts as ambassadors from the Ukraine,” Stuart says. Two months after Russia started its offensive in Ukraine, the orchestra had just finished performing “Prayer for Ukraine” at an outdoor concert in Lviv when air raid sirens went off. The video of that moment was widely shared online.

Stuart says one way of preserving culture is performing music and the orchestra from Lviv is doing that in the midst of war.   “I think artists of all sorts — musicians, orchestras, actors, actresses, opera companies — go perform when they can,” Stuart says, “in spite of the difficulties in what may be going on around them.” One of the pieces the Lviv orchestra will perform in Ames is from Dvorak’s New World Symphony, which many believe has a connection to a small northeast Iowa town.

“Rumors, so to speak, are he did a lot of work on that symphony when he was in Spillville,” Stuart says. The Lviv orchestra’s concert in Ames will be held March 3rd in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium on the Iowa State University campus. Tickets went on sale Wednesday.

(Radio Iowa) – Gas prices continue to fall in Iowa, with the price for regular unleaded well below three dollars in most Iowa cities. According to Triple A, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was two-86 ($2.86) on Wednesday. That’s a nickle below the average price in the middle of last week and 17 cents lower than it was a year ago. Diesel prices are also declining in Iowa, down to an average of four-dollars-and-33 cents a gallon ($4.33). While that’s 16 cents lower than last Wednesday, it is still 23 percent higher than a year ago.

According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, propane and heating oil prices dropped in the past week, too.

(Radio Iowa) – A federal agency called the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority is set to take over the over the regulation of drug testing for thoroughbred horses in January. Iowa Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilkoh  says that will impact Iowa’s only horse track at in Altoona.

“The intent is for uniformity across the country. It’s something that some states view it favorably — many states do not — but what we do know is that there will definitely be some changes in terms of how racing is regulated,” he says, “not only at Prairie Meadows, but at every racetrack throughout the country. ” The federal government has assessed Iowa a fee of more than one million dollars for these services. If the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission picks up and conduct the tasks outlined in the different federal regulations, the state will receive a credit of approximately 400-thousand dollars. That leaves around 650-thousand dollar that the race track and horse industry have to figure out a way to pay.

“And that, you know, at this point is really kind of the major factor in terms of how those fees will be paid, who will pay for them and how that those payments will trickle down and impact the rest of the industry in terms of number of people that are able to continue to participate number of starters per race,” Ohorilkoh says. He says Prairie Meadows already pays the state a fee — but it includes more than horse racing.

“The regulatory fees currently for Prairie Meadows are just north of a million dollars. And that includes the regulation of casino gambling, sports betting, thoroughbred racing and quarter horse racing,” Ohorilkoh says. Regulators and the groups involved in horse racing have has some discussion on the issue, and Ohorilkoh says that will continue.

“We’re working towards compliance and in trying to determine what will everyone will play and how it will be paid for,” he says. The I-R-G-C has hired a company that is conducting a study of the horse racing industry. Ohorilkoh says the potential impact of the federal regulation is one of the things included in the study. It will also look at things like the scheduling of races and the marketing of the track and how to maximize its benefits.

(Updated) [Atlantic, Iowa] – The Atlantic City Council met Wednesday evening, and adopted two Resolutions. The first was for the Final Plat associated with the Prairie Hills Development Subdivision, in Atlantic. The second Resolution was to Amend the City of Atlantic’s Personnel Policy, “By repealing and replacing Series 100 and Series 200 Codes through 206, with New Codes numbered as the same.”

City Administrator John Lund says he and Mayor Grace Garrett spent a considerable amount of time the past Spring, Summer and Early Fall, going through the City’s Personnel Policy, and the Personnel and Finance Committee met in September and reviewed the proposed changes. The Committee has endorsed the proposed amendments as written. In his report to the Council, John Lund, who conferenced-in by phone, said “Everything now is really about budget. I will be working on that over the next week.” He said they hope by then he has more more concrete numbers to work with.

The State Legislature convenes January 9^th. The Council will have to digest all the information Lund will have available, when they meet in January (2023). Mayor Grace Garrett reminded the Council of the importance of getting to Des Moines in January and having Council persons get to know the “decision makers, and what it’s going to take to continue to allow a rural America, specifically Iowa, to continue to thrive.”

In other business, the Council heard from Atlantic native Ali Pieken, with regard to the development of a Splash Pad. Ali is a member of the Splash Pad Executive and Fund Raising Committees tasked with overseeing the project. She was also at a meeting of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Tuesday afternoon. Pieken said what’s been decided so far, is for a bean-shaped splash pad area with 5,000-square feet of play space.

Ali Pieken speaks about the Atlantic Splash Pad project (12-21-22)

The facility will have features for all ages and water comfort levels, including a “toddler bay,” shade and seating. The bean-shaped space calls also for a sand volleyball course, dual-play playground equipment that will compliment the Splash Pad.

Splash Pad layout, 12-2022

In other news, Mayor Grace Garret reported that in-person interviews with two finalists for the Parks and Rec Director’s job will take place on December 29th.

(Radio Iowa) – Des Moines police have made an arrest for a murder that happened nearly seven years ago.

Sixty-two-year-old Kirk Blunck, a prominent architect in Des Moines, was found injured in the stairwell of a six story building a few blocks from the Iowa Capitol on January 24, 2016. He died a short time later. Blunck had worked on the restoration of several historic structures in Des Moines, including the Teachout Building where he was found.

According to a news release from Des Moines Police, Zachary Allen Gaskill of Des Moines was seen in surveillance photos near the crime scene. Gaskill, who was in his mid-20s at the time of Blunck’s death, is now 32. He’s been charged with second degree murder.

In 2016, the county medical examiner concluded the architect had died of blunt force trauma after a fall from some height.

(Radio Iowa) – State, county and city snow plows are gassed up and ready to roll as a winter storm arrives. Hamilton County engineer Ryan Weidemann says their snow patrol is ready to tackle the roads, though the heavy snow and strong winds could create a challenge.

“It looks like a good chance for some blizzard conditions Thursday and Friday,” Weidemann says. “We have to take into account the safety of our operators and so if the visibility were to get to a point where it reduced to zero, there may be times where we’re not able to be out on the road.”

DOT Snowplow cam

Tim Zahn, the Hamilton County Emergency Management director, says Iowans need to heed the warnings and cancel or postpone their travel plans. “They really should stay home probably until Saturday,” Zahn says. “If you can’t stay home, check the weather, check the 511 app, and just go super slow. Part of the danger is, it’ll be white-out conditions and that bitter, extreme cold. You’re not gonna last long if you have to get out of your car.”

Make sure to have the appropriate winter gear in the car in the event of a roadside emergency. The kit should include things like: blankets, water and snacks, a flashlight with fresh batteries, tools, a shovel, an ice scraper, jumper cables, sand and a first aid kit.