(Radio Iowa) This year’s pheasant harvest hit its highest mark in 13 years and the man who tracks bird numbers says things are already setting up for another good year. D-N-R wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz (Boyg-en-shuts), says the weather has been good.

He says the spring nesting conditions were very good for the birds.

He says it was not cool enough to cause major problems. Bogenschutz says rainy days in June don’t have as much impact because the temperatures are higher.

Bogenschutz will find out more about pheasant numbers in August when the D-N-R conducts its roadside survey of birds. Those surveys usually give a good indication of what to expect during the hunting season.

(Radio Iowa) The Iowa Supreme Court has denied the governor’s request to rehear an abortion case it decided less than a month ago.

On June 17th, the Iowa Supreme Court overturned a 2018 ruling that said women had a fundamental right to an abortion under the Iowa Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade the next week. Last Friday, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds asked the Iowa Supreme Court to rehear the case involving a 24 hour waiting period for abortions and adopt a new standard that would make it harder to find that abortion restrictions are unconstitutional. The state court’s refusal to rehear that case means the 24 hour waiting period for abortions in Iowa is likely to go into effect late this week.

Current Iowa law allows abortions up to the 20th week of a pregnancy. Governor Reynolds is asking an Iowa DISTRICT Court to reinstate a ban on most abortions after the sixth week of a pregnancy.

The Creston Police Department reports two recent arrests.

On July 2nd at 10:13 a.m. Creston Police arrested 39-year-old Angel Valdovinos Rodriguez of Creston on a charge of Assault. Rodriquez was taken to the Union County Jail and later posted bond.

On July 6th at 2:12 a.m. Officers arrested 23-year-old Devion Alan Geesey of Council Bluffs at Sycamore and Montgomery. Geesey was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Marijuana 1st Offense, Interference with Official Acts, and False Reports 911 Call. Geesey was booked into the Union County Jail on $1,600 cash or surety bond.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors are set to meet for their regular meeting on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. in the Adair County Courthouse Boardroom.

Their light agenda mostly consists of information from County Engineer Nick Kauffmann. He will discuss a cell phone policy update, discuss a ROW contract, and deliver a report on maintenance and activities.

The Creston Police Department reports an OWI arrest following an accident on July 3rd. The accident was reported at 1:20 a.m. on Adams Street in Creston.

After investigation it was determined that a 1985 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am driven by 19-year-old Adam McElwain of Creston was attempting a burnout and lost control. The Trans Am ended up striking a legally parked 2015 Ford F250 pickup. McElwain was not injured during the crash and was wearing a seat belt. He was later processed for OWI.

The truck sustained an estimated $2,000 damage. The Trans Am was disabled and deemed a total loss at an estimated $3,000 damage.

In recent years, the population of people of Pacific Islander descent in Cass County has increased significantly. This July Healthy Cass County will be hosting Trevy Augustin, the Executive Director of the Iowa Department of Human Rights Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. The event will be held on Monday, July 11, from 12:00-1:00 PM. Augustin will share information on Pacific Islander cultures. The information is expected to be relevant to all businesses and organizations in Cass County that work with or serve people of Pacific Islander descent.

As Cass County Public Health Director Beth Olsen commented, “It is important that all people in Cass County have access to resources. I have found Trevy to be immensely helpful, and I encourage folks to attend this event.”

This event is open to the public. To join the meting virtually, contact Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at bhoegh@iastate.edu or 712-249-5870. The meeting will also be broadcast at the Atlantic Public Library meeting room. Anyone is welcome to attend. Food is allowed in the meeting room, and attendees are welcome to bring their lunch.

(DNR) The Iowa DNR is bringing back the Iowa State Park Passport in 2022 with new prizes and opportunities to enjoy state parks.

Park visitors are encouraged to sign up for the 2022 Iowa State Park Passport and make it a family-friendly challenge to visit and track visits to more than 60 parks and forests featured on the pass.

From July 1 – October 31 2022, visitors can check in for a chance at prizes:

• First 500 people to 5 check-ins earn $5 off a camping night in a state park or forest!
• First 75 people to 10 check-ins get a free t-shirt (limited sizes available)
• Grand prize drawing of a three-night cabin stay at Pine Lake State Park!
• Monthly drawings (for the months of July, August, September and October) for:
• 5 prizes of one-year Iowa Outdoors magazine subscriptions per month!
• 1 gift basket of outdoor goodies and gear from the Iowa DNR, valued at $25 each month

For passport holders who participated in 2021, last year’s passport will expire. The 2022 passport offers the opportunity to start over with all new check-ins between July 1 – October 31, 2022 for prize opportunities. Learn more and sign up at: https://explore.traveliowa.com/checkout/311/travel-iowa/1619/iowa-state-park-passport

(Radio Iowa) About one in ten Iowans has asthma, a rate that’s a little higher than in most other states. Dr. Michelle Freemer, director of the Asthma Program in the Division of Lung Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, says asthma is a chronic airway disease that’s characterized by occasional worsening of inflammation which makes it harder to breathe.

It’s important to learn about advances in preventing, understanding, treating and managing asthma, as Freemer notes, it’s one of the country’s most common and most expensive diseases.

Anyone at any age can develop asthma, but research has found that boys tend to have asthma more often than girls, while women are more likely to have asthma than men.

While there’s no cure for asthma, it is manageable. During the pandemic, asthma attacks dropped significantly in a large study group of children and teens. Researchers believe a better understanding of the factors that contributed to these improved outcomes could lead to better asthma control. For more information, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/breathebetter.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce sent out a notice on Tuesday morning that counterfeit 100-dollar bills have been distributed around town. If your business receives one, please contact the Atlantic Police Department at 712-243-3512.

Shelby County Auditor and Election Commissioner Mark Maxwell announced that absentee ballot requests for the September 13th Harlan Community Schools Bond Measure are available starting today (July 5, 2022). There are a number of ways to obtain a request form. You may call 712-755-3831, Ext. 6., only one request per person per call is allowed. You can also obtain a request in the Auditor’s office which is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. weekdays. You may also email mmaxwell@shco.org to receive a request form that may be printed at home. Producing copies of a blank absentee ballot request from is allowed.

Absentee voting will be available in person at the Auditor’s office beginning on August 29th and will run through September 12th. Absentee ballots will not be sent out after August 29th. Completed absentee ballots must be received in the Auditor’s office by 8:00 p.m. on September 13, 2022.

Auditor Maxwell suggests that voters that intend on voting absentee by mail to get their voted ballots to the Auditor’s office as soon as possible after receiving a ballot in the mail.  If you have changed residence since the last time you voted, get your new address updated now to make your voting process more efficient on election day.