(Anita, Iowa) – A public hearing was held Monday evening during a regular meeting of the CAM School Board, with regard to the sale of a portion of the District’s property. Superintendent Paul Croghan, said the green-space property is located east of the Industrial Arts Building, about four-blocks south of the main campus, in Anita, and is rarely used by the District.

Mr. Croghan said after they agreed to the sale, the Board tabled until next month, action on approving certain Board Policies because they weren’t included in the packet for Board members to read ahead of discussion. They then acted on locking-in natural gas prices.

He said because it’s a risk management option with Wood River Energy, it allows the funds to be taken from Management Fund instead of the General Fund.

Croghan said also, the CAM School Board discussed enrollment and financial projections. He said “Last year we took a hit of about 27.9 students, and this year we’re down about 2.9.

He emphasized discussion about District facilities and a possible future alignment, was just that. The Board asked Croghan to come back on the 28^th at 6:30-p.m., with more information to help determine future options.

He said there will be a Board workshop to come back with as many answers as they can, in the next two-weeks.

(Radio Iowa) – It appears the U-S House will swing to Republican control while it also appears the U-S Senate will remain under a Democratic majority, which Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says won’t mean any changes in his priorities. “My legislative goals would not be any different than they have been the last two years,” Grassley says, “and they will be getting inflation under control, which is the biggest issue, get this economy turned around, and stop the spending that fed the fires of inflation.” Grassley won last Tuesday’s election, defeating Democratic challenger Mike Franken, returning him to the Senate for an eighth term.

While it appears he’ll be in the minority for the next two years, Grassley says he’ll maintain a focus on winning the passage of three key issues. “One, the cattle feeders bill,” Grassley says. “The second one would be taking on big tech because of economic discrimination against small business that uses platforms like Google and Amazon. And then thirdly, fight the big price increases in prescription drugs.” Grassley says he’s thrilled with the “Red Wave” in Iowa that saw all but one statewide race won by Republicans, with G-O-P gains in the Statehouse as well. Grassley couldn’t elaborate on why the party’s message didn’t resonate with enough voters across the country to wrestle back the Senate.

“There was a good intention nationally to deliver the base, which as far as House races are concerned, six-million more Republicans turned out than Democrats, but not presumably the same attention given to the interest of Independents.” Come January, Iowa’s congressional delegation will be all Republican for the first time in 66 years.

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa man is charged with murder in the stabbing death of his older brother. According to the Ida County Sheriff’s Office, shortly after 7:30 on Sunday night, the communications center received a 911 call of a fight in progress on Main Street in Galva. Officers discovered 26-year-old Eduardo Diaz III of Holstein lying on the sidewalk. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect, 24-year-old Jesus Diaz of Galva, allegedly stabbed Eduardo multiple times in the chest and abdomen.

Jesus also allegedly assaulted a witness in the area. He was reportedly covered in blood when he was arrested. Authorities discovered a bloody knife in the back seat of Jesus’ vehicle. Jesus Diaz was booked into the Ida County Jail. Sheriff Wade Harriman says it is unknown at this time what led to the stabbing. The investigation is continuing.

A multi-vehicle collision Monday morning on Interstate 80 in eastern Iowa resulted in the death of a semi tractor-trailer driver, and injuries to another person. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2015 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by 23-year-old Savannah Bothwell, of Montezuma, was in the westbound lane when the vehicle experienced a mechanical failure that caused it to go out of control and strike a cable barrier.

The impact caused the pickup to rotate and re-enter the westbound lanes before coming to rest on the Interstate. Two semi’s slowed down when their driver’s saw the crash, but a 2015 International semi failed to slow down and struck the rear of a 2022 Kenworth semi. The Kenworth then struck a 2017 Volvo semi, which hit the pickup.

An occupant of the third semi died in the crash. They were wearing a seat belt. Their name was withheld, pending notification of family. The injured party was identified as 29-year-old Aden Mohamed, of Columbus, OH. He was not wearing a seat belt. Mohamed was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Grinnell for treatment.

The other semi drivers were identified as 22-year-old Talon S. Long, of Depere, WI., and 31-year-old Najinder Singh, of Ontario, CN.

(Omaha, NE) – Police in Omaha report a Pottawattamie County man died early today (Tuesday),  in a crash that occurred as he was traveling the wrong direction on the one-way, eastbound only Harney Street, in the City’s Blackstone District. Authorities report 27-year-old DJ Michael Myers, of Council Bluffs, died when he lost control of his 2020 Kia Forte, which struck a tree near 37th Street and Harney Street. The crash happened at around 12:20-a.m.

The Kia uprooted a small tree, careened across an empty parking lot and hit a large tree on South 37th Street. Myers was the only occupant of the vehicle. Omaha police say their initial investigation indicates speed was likely a factor in the crash.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she wants to stay on the Appropriations Committee after being elected to a second term. “I think it’s absolutely critical that Iowa continues to have a seat on that committee. I am the only Iowan on the Appropriations Committee,” she says. U-S House Republicans look like they will take back control of the chamber and they will vote today (Tuesday) on leadership in anticipation of that happening. Hinson says her leadership choices have been clear. “Kevin McCarthy for Speaker, Steve Scalise for our majority leader, Elise Stefanik, as our conference chair, and I’m supporting Jim Banks as our whip,” she says.

Republicans took back the only Democrat-held house seat when Zach Nunn defeated incumbent Cindy Axne. Hinson says that will be helpful. “Certainly, we will be able to continue to advocate for the agenda that Iowans sent us to Washington D-C to do. It’s very clear to me the story I was out telling him the district and hearing from Iowans, that they valued our commitment to America and they want to see us execute that,” Hinson says. She detailed what that commitment means.

“The strong economy, the safe nation, the future that’s built on freedom and the government that’s accountable. They want to see us deliver on that. So I think we will be a strong delegation to deliver in that regard,” Hinson says. Randy Feenstra and Marienette Miller-Meeks also won re-election and make up the rest of the Republican House delegation.

(Radio Iowa) – With a few inches of snow forecast for roughly two thirds of the state today (Tuesday), many Iowans are likely to encounter slippery sidewalks, driveways and parking lots for the first time since last winter. Kevin Bultena, a doctor of physical therapy and director of the 21st Century Rehab Clinic in Webster City, says take precautions to protect yourself in case of a fall. “Keeping your hands out of your pocket to try and stabilize yourself, but we also don’t want you to necessarily try and reach out and brace your fall on an extended arm,” Bultena says. “We would rather have a fall where you tuck and roll and hit on a broad base, the leg, the side, the shoulder, kind of diffuse the contact points.”

Bultena says to choose your footwear wisely when the wintery weather arrives to help prevent falls. “It’s the first, obviously, point of contact between your body and the ice,” he says, “and if your footwear is slipping and sliding, the likelihood that you’re going to follow suit and end up on the ground is pretty high.” Iowans who are headed to work will want to wear professional-looking shoes, but they also need to use common sense when selecting the day’s pair of shoes so they don’t end up cracking a tailbone.

“We want shoes that are flat, no heels because that sets you up for falls, but even the type of shoe in terms of the sole matters,” he says, “a rubberized sole or a composite sole is going to hold the ice much better than plastic sole or a leather sole.” More than 800,000 people a year nationwide are treated for falls.

(Radio Iowa) – The corn harvest is heading down the final stretch. The U-S-D-A report finds 95 percent of the corn had been combined by Sunday. That is eight days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the average. Farmers in northeast and south-central Iowa have the most work left — with more than 10 percent of their corn still in the fields. The report found the soybean harvest was virtually complete at 97 percent two weeks ago.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Hastings was arrested at around 1:51-a.m. today (Tuesday), following a traffic stop in Montgomery County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 59-year-old Roy Thomas Barnes was pulled over in the 1000 block of Highway 34, and upon further investigation, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine/1st offense. Barnes was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond. The Mills County K9 Unit assisted during the traffic stop.

(Radio Iowa) – State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald says it’s time to do some personal reflection, and for the Democratic Party to do the same after he lost his re-election bid. Fitzgerald talked with Radio Iowa about the loss almost one week ago. “Well, I guess I was surprised after 40 years…I guess you’re surprised you think you can keep winning. But that’s politics. And sometimes the other team just gets more votes, and that’s what happened. So my career comes to an end the state treasurer,” Fitzgerald says. He says this was the one time he couldn’t overcome a Republican surge.

“There haven’t been any embezzlement’s and all our audits are clean. And the finances were handled well, you know, triple-A rating for the state and I-PERS is solid, and all those kinds of things. But anyway, this was a red wave in Iowa,” he says. The entire Congressional delegation is now Republicans and only one Democrat state officeholder hung on. Fitzgerald says that should lead to some examination by the Democrat party.

“Well, I think they need to do some reflecting and the party needs to know — I think — what are the mechanics they need to do to help develop a message and coordinate campaigns and help candidates all across the state whether it’s the legislature, running for city council, or governor,” he says. Fitzgerald says they also need to examine their party message. “And Democrats themselves need to talk to Iowans, and what do Iowans want to be done that will help make their lives better, and then try to provide it,” he says. Fitzgerald says he believes he served Iowans well in the position.

“I’m very proud of this since 2008, right in the financial crisis, from then on, the State of Iowa has had a triple-A rating. I’ve worked on that. And I’m proud of that,” Fitzgerald says. “But also, I’m proud that I-PERs the big pension plan as well as the others for the judges and peace offices, they’re solid as a rock. They’re not 100 percent — but they’re 90 percent funded, they are solid. Where other states are scrambling, not in Iowa, they’re solid.” He is particularly proud of programs he instituted, including the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt.

“Over 625-thousand Iowans have gotten money back that they thought was lost, we’ve returned it. And College savings Iowa — 280-thousand families have College Savings Iowa accounts. It works, it’s been a great benefit to Iowa families. And so those are the things I’ve developed and presented to the people of Iowa, and I know they’ve been a success. And I’m happy about that,” according to Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald says he will take some time to decide what is next.

“I’ll just do some reflecting myself as to what I can do. I’ve been very fortunate to enjoy good health and maybe there’s some things I can do and I’ll be given that some thought and besides just riding off into the sunset,” he says. But I’d like to stay involved some way and that I got plenty of time to think about it and figure that out.” Fitzgerald says between now and the end of the year he will work with his successor to provide all the information needed to make sure there’s a successful hand-off done in a professional way.