(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports 59-year-old James Chandler Sash, of Creston, was arrested Monday, at his residence. Sash was taken into custody on a Union County Warrant for Failure to Appear, on an original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine/1st Offense, a Serious Misdemeanor. Sash was transported to the Union County Jail where he is being held on no bond till seen by a Judge.

And, on July 7th, an Afton man reported to Creston Police that someone had entered the cab of his Peterbilt semi-tractor, while the rig was parked at the hoop building on East Adams St., by the Under Pass. The victim stated numerous items were moved around, and it appeared that someone had slept in the bunk of the truck. Missing from the vehicle, were two, brand new Sony 5×9 car speakers still in the box, worth an estimated loss $80.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s housing market has been a boon for people selling houses — but the supply shortage of houses is also showing up in the rental market. Anne Bacon is the chief executive officer of IMPACT, which helps low-income residents in central Iowa. She said lower-income Iowans are seeing higher rent prices, with fewer options due to lower supply. “Many thousands of families were in apartments they could afford, who were living a life that was doable, and then the pandemic hit and suddenly they cannot afford where they’re living. But there aren’t any affordable housing units available in their price range,” she says.

Bacon says that creates a stalemate. “Everyone is currently stuck where they were before,” Bacon says. Many communities are trying to find ways to overcome the shortage of homes and rental options. The city of Ottumwa for example is offering an incentive for people who build a new home there. Bacon made her comments on the Iowa Public Radio program “River to River.”

(Radio Iowa) – As the world’s biggest online retailer celebrates its birthday today (Tuesday) and Wednesday with sales on a wide range of products, Iowans are warned to be doubly cautious before they double-click. Amazon’s two-day Prime Days event is compared to Black Friday or Cyber Monday, but Bao Vang at the Better Business Bureau says beware of phishing scams, misleading ads and lookalike websites. “We just cannot resist a sale and scammers know that,” Vang says. “They know our emotions are running high at this moment.” Vang says to read everything carefully, even on Amazon’s own sales, in case something seems too good to be true.

While Amazon may be offering some good deals, Vang says online shopping can be risky. “Amazon has now risen to the number-one spot, the number-one brand most impersonated by scammers,” she says. Vang warns Iowans to check the fine print on whatever it is they’re buying to make sure they’re actually paying for what they want and not a cheap knock-off.

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowa corn fields were battered or knocked over by last week’s storms and I-S-U Extension Field Agronomist Gentry Sorenson says over the next few days, the upper stalk of the corn may start to shift. “What’ll happen is the corn will ‘goose neck’ — that’s what they call it,” he says. “It’ll try to upright itself It’ll form a crook in the base of the stalk and it’ll upright itself using base roots, trying to get into an upright or verticle fashion.”  Goose necked corn creates headaches during harvest, as the corn cobs fall or break off before they’re captured by the combine.

The latest Iowa crop and weather report indicates the vast majority of Iowa’s corn crop is in good shape. The latest U-S-D-A analysis indicates there were pockets of crop damage from the derecho that swept through northern Iowa last week, but the report does not offer any estimate of the damage. Eighty-one percent of the corn crop is rated in good or excellent condition. Iowa’s soybean conditions: 79 percent in the good or excellent category.

Storms that rolled through dropped rain on parched areas of the state. The state climatologist says the statewide average precipitation last week was over two inches — twice what’s normal this time of year. Spirit Lake recorded the most rainfall for the past week — more than six inches.

(Radio Iowa) – The United States Army Reserve Center in Dubuque was named Sunday in honor of a local soldier who died during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Ronald D. Rennison was assigned to the 14th Quartermaster Detachment after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Rennison was one of 26 people killed in Saudi Arabia on February 25th, 1991 by a Scud missile. He had only been there six days.

The ceremony honoring Rennison in Dubuque. (KCRG TV photo)

Ronald’s brother Randy spoke with KCRG TV about the naming of the Reserve Center. “Oh, it’s a great honor knowing that, you know, the community comes together and wants to pay their respect to a fallen soldier,” Ronald Rennison said. Rennison had joined the U.S. Army in 1987. He served in South Korea as a motor transport operator including missions along the demilitarized zone. He was then assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and completed missions in Honduras and Egypt.

Rennison’s awards include the Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, Overseas Service Medal, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal from the Government of Saudi Arabia. His father and brother both also served in the U.S. Military.

(Radio Iowa) – A 73-year-old man rescued from a burning home in the Des Moines suburb of Altoona early this (Monday) morning, has died.

Altoona’s Fire Department got the report of a house fire at 2:40 a.m. and when fire crews arrived, a 71-year-old woman had already been rescued from a first story bedroom window by a neighbor. Firefighters rescued a 73-year-old man from inside the home and both victims were taken to a hospital, where the man later died. No names have been released.

The State Fire Marshal’s website shows 10 Iowans died in fires during the first half of this year.

(Radio Iowa) – The long-range forecasts are calling for hot and dry conditions to persist likely into August for Iowa and the rest of the Missouri River basin. Meteorologist Doug Kluck, the climate services director for the Central Region of the National Weather Service, says the outlook for the next month shows plenty of summertime heat for much of the nation’s midsection.

“Above-normal temperatures are going to be prevalent, Texas up through the Central Plains, really the whole probability extends all the way up to Canada,” Kluck says, “but the strongest and probably the warmest and the biggest anomalies are going to be to the Central and Southern Plains.” While large sections of Iowa have seen a few plentiful rain showers in recent days, Kluck says less precipitation is expected going forward over the next month.

“Precipitation outlook, not a strong forecast here,” Kluck says, “but below normal for the Southern and Central Plains, Lower Basin, Missouri Basin, and then equal chances elsewhere for the most part.” He says the forecast models point to a slightly-elevated chance for below-normal precipitation for Iowa and the region. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is predicting runoff into the Missouri River system will be far below-normal through the end of the year.

(Radio Iowa) – Public health officials in Iowa’s largest county have confirmed the first case of monkeypox in Polk County.
According to a news release from the Polk County Health Department, the patient was likely infected during travel within the United States, is isolating and receiving outpatient care. Iowa’s first case of monkeypox was confirmed on July 1st in an adult from north central Iowa.

Public health officials say the virus does not spread easily and most who are contracting the virus in the U.S. have had inmate, sexual contact with someone who has the virus. People with direct close contact with a monkeypox patient are offered a vaccine series that can prevent symptoms or serious illness.

Monkeypox symptoms can first appear up to 21 days after an exposure. While some patients only develop a rash or lesions, others get enlarged lymph nodes and a fever in addition to a rash.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold their regular monthly meeting Wednesday, in the High School Media Center, following a 12:30-p.m. Lunch. At 1-p.m., a Public Hearing will be held, during which the Board will consider the proposed plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimate of cost for the Achievement Center roof improvement project. The public may comment and/or object to the plans, specs and form of contract, or to the estimated cost of the improvements. Bids for the project will be opened Tuesday afternoon. (The proceedings may be viewed at this link: https://youtu.be/GhbE9FGWvK4)

Following the Public Hearing, the Atlantic School Board will receive reports from school administrators, including High School Asst. Principal/Athletic Director Andy Mitchell. In his notes, Mitchell says: the Atlantic Booster Club annual golf outing is this Friday, at the Country Club (AGCC); the High School Gym Floor is finished except for the last layer of sealant, and the new sound system for the HS gym will be installed next month; Mitchell reports also, to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the 2002 State Championship football team, a recognition will be held for the team prior to the varsity football game on Sept. 15th, vs. Ballard.

The Board will act on approving the following resignations: Matt Smith, Boys Head Soccer Coach; Joseph Brummer, Head Baseball Coach, and Julia Hansen, Washington Paraeducator. They will also act on Contract Recommendations for: Chase Roller, Asst. HS Wrestling Coach; Michaelin Juhl, Volunteer Cheerleading Coach; Adam Roberts, Vol. Archery Coach, and Laurie Fell, Washington Grade Level Teacher.

Other, action items on their agenda for Wednesday afternoon, include: Spring 2023 Coaching Recommendations; 2022-23 Teacher Leadership Contract Recommendations (Total $105,966.45 from the General Fund); 2022-23 Workers Comp/Liability Insurance Renewal (which is experiencing another significant price increase, according the District’s agent); Fuel Bids for ethanol blends unleaded, #1 & #2 diesel, and propane.

The Atlantic School Board will also act to approve 2022-23 Adult/Student Meal Prices, which calls for an increase in adult lunch meals to $4.13 (breakfast $2), and leaving the student prices unchanged for at least the last four years (Breakfast $1.80 & lunch $2.55 at WA, $2.75 at SE & MS, and $2.80 at the HS). The final order of business, is to accept a bid for the Achievement Center roofing project.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Iowa Courts Online records show an Atlantic man, 20-year-old Michael Gehling, was sentenced today (Monday, July 11), to five-years in prison in connection with a stabbing that took place April 4th. Gehling’s sentence was on a charge of Willful Injury. He had previously pleaded guilty to the charge, after the court, in early May, agreed to dismiss a more serious charge of Attempted Murder.

Michael Gehling (Booking photo courtesy the Cass County Jail)

His sentence will run concurrent with another case in which Gehling was sentenced to a total of nine-years in prison on charges that include Burglary in the 3^rd Degree, Criminal Mischief in the 2^nd Degree and Theft in the 3^rd Degree. Those charges are with regard to an incident in February, when Atlantic Police were called to investigate a broken store window at 200 Chestnut Street.