(Clarinda, Iowa) –  The Page County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported after a helicopter struck a power line, cutting the line, Sunday evening. According to Sheriff Lyle Palmer, Deputies were dispatched a little after 6-p.m., to the area of 180th Street and Redwood Avenue, about 1.5-miles north of Clarinda, where the blades of a Bell Model 206 Helicopter had accidentally struck and cut the power line, while the chopper was in the process of spraying a field.

The pilot, Oren William Perkins of Abbeville, LA., returned the helicopter to the designated landing zone near 205th Street and T Avenue in Montgomery County, where it landed without incident. The chopper is owned by JBI helicopters of Abbeville, LA.

A Bell Model 206 helicopter similar to the one involved in the Page County incident.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office notified the FAA of the incident. A damage estimate for the helicopter was not available. Damage to the MidAmerican Energy power line and Southwest REC transformer, was estimated at $270,000.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Clarinda Fire Department at the scene.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing today (Tuesday), on the 2^nd reading of revision/amendments to the Solar Power Zoning Ordinance. The hearing was part of the Board’s regular weekly meeting. They also passed a motion to waive the third reading, and passed the Ordinance as written. Last week, the Board approved the 1^st reading that made language in the Ordinance more consistent and removed unneeded definitions. They also added some sections with regard to the availability of funds for decommissioning, ground cover, and noise.

Board Chair Mark Peterson read the Ordinance which amends one that was created/updated in 1997. Here’s a part of what he said..

In other business, Chairman Peterson administered the the Oath of Office Jill Ozuna, the new Montgomery County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections. She will succeed Stephanie Burke, who resigned to take a job with the Stanton Community School District. Ozuna will fill the seat by appointment, effective August 1^st, and until at least the General Election in November.

Jill Ozuna is administered the Oath of Office as County Auditor/Commissioner of Elections (7-26-22)

The Montgomery County Supervisor’s also approved a request for use of the Courthouse lawn on Aug. 20^th, for the Red Oak Farmer’s Market; They approved an ARPA funding request for the Law Enforcement Center’s LED lighting upgrade. Sheriff John Spunaugle said MidAmerican Energy is providing the County with an incentive that pays for 25 percent of the project. The cost to replace the fixtures is $34,487, with MidAmerican kicking in $8,600. It’s estimated the new lighting would save the county around $7,634 per year.

Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm and his associate provided the Board with a proposal for pipeline inspection and related services. The Board took the proposal under consideration. And, they approved the abatement of taxes for County-owned property.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Environmental Council is calling for updating the system for measuring pollution in Iowa waterways. The state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy program uses models to estimate the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in Iowa’s water. Iowa Environmental Council water program director Ingrid Gronstal says a lack of in-stream sensors makes it difficult to accurately assess water quality. “The public needs to know what their tax dollars are going toward and whether that money is being spent wisely,” Gronstal says. “So, are we actually getting a water quality benefit out of that?”

According to the Iowa Environmental Council, the State of Iowa has spent 100 million dollars since 2013 on water quality projects, but a lack of real-time water measurements means its difficult to determine if the investments are working. Gronstal says the models currently being used to estimate water quality can exclude factors that may impact a waterway – like land use changes or extreme weather patterns. “These are models that were developed close to a decade ago,” she says, “and they didn’t account for climate change effects then, and so certainly not responding to climate change effects now.”

The Iowa Environmental Council is calling for the state to release all of its water quality monitoring information to the public.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kendall Crawford; additional reporting by Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson)

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report the arrest on Monday night, of a Council Bluffs woman. 37-year-old Jessica Jo Clymer was arrested two outstanding Pott. County warrants, including Violation of Probation. She was being held in the Pott. County Jail. Sheriff’s Deputies served two separate warrants in inmates being held in the Pott. County Jail, Monday:

• 29-year-old Mitchell Lee Bronston, of Omaha, was presented with a warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. He was being held on bond amounting to $6,000.
• 20-year-old Dalton Michael Fastnacht, of Council Bluffs, was served with a warrant for Violation of Probation.

Both inmates were then returned to their cells by Corrections Staff. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office said also, 39-year-old Amanda Marie Gordon, of Omaha, was transported from the Douglas County, Nebraska Jail to Pottawattamie County, to address a valid Pott. County warrant for Absence from Custody, and on a hold for another agency. Her bond was set at $1,000.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston said Tuesday (today), that on July 18th, a woman from Creston was cited for allowing an animal to run At Large. Amanda Montanye was presented with her citation at the scene of the incident, and released on a promise to appear in court.

(Radio Iowa) An international organization is now classifying the migratory North American monarch butterfly as endangered, and efforts underway in Iowa will aid the helpful insect if more people get onboard. Laura Iles, director of the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic at Iowa State University, says the monarchs’ status change should bring more awareness. “It’s important to always draw attention to insects and other animals and the impacts that habitat loss and things like that can have,” Iles says. “It doesn’t legally change their status like the Endangered Species Act does, but it does remind people that it’s important to protect these really cool insects.”

Last week, the International Union for Conservation of Nature issued a report showing monarch populations have fallen up to 72-percent and are at risk of extinction. The U-S Fish and Wildlife Service has -not- listed the monarch as an endangered or threatened species in the U-S but will revisit that status in 2024. Iowans are aware of the monarchs’ plight and many are taking action, she says, by keeping pollinators in mind when planting their gardens and plotting out landscapes. Iles says, “The key with a garden that protects and invites pollinators in and all those beautiful butterflies is having lots of flowers, which most of us who garden like pretty flowers anyway, so it’s kind of a win-win.”

She says growing plants for insects is an amazing way to enjoy nature in your own back yard. “Have those pollinating plants available all summer long, especially early and then later into the fall if you can,” Iles says. “Having those blooming plants available and then reducing any insecticide use in your yard because those insecticides can’t pick and choose between just the pest insects, so you have to accept sometimes a little bit more pest damage when you’re gardening for pollinators.”

Besides planting plenty of flowers, Iles suggests Iowans also plant milkweed, as it’s the only plant on which monarchs will lay eggs. “We’ve got several different species of milkweed in Iowa,” Iles says. “The common milkweed is probably the one that people are most familiar with and very often, it just comes up as a weed in the garden. I just leave it. One less weed to pull and I’ve got some habitat there for monarchs.”

In addition to butterflies, common insect pollinators in Iowa include honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees, beetles, flies, ants and wasps. Bats, birds and other animals that visit plants can also be pollinators.

For more tips, visit:
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/attract-butterflies-and-other-pollinators-your-garden-and-landscape

(Radio Iowa) – The Mega Millions estimated jackpot for tonight’s (Tuesday) drawing has been increased. Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, says increased sales prompted the change. “The jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing at this point is an estimated 810 million dollars annuity 470-point-one million cash option. And I say at this point, because it’s really kind of into the unpredictable territory now,” Neubauer says.  She says sales pick up rapidly when jackpots hit this type of number. “And that causes the jackpot to be raised, sometimes in between drawings, just like what happened with this amount now. So by the time the drawing happens at 10 p-m, it may be even higher than it is now,” Neubauer says.

Neubauer says this jackpot would be the third biggest in Mega Millions history. “We have a long ways to go before we hit the record territory. The biggest jackpot in the Mega Millions game was more than…one-point-five billion dollars, won in October 2018, in South Carolina,” according to Neubauer. “But it is definitely climbing and lots and lots of folks are talking about it, that’s for sure.” She says many new players jump in when the jackpots increase — and it doesn’t matter how many buy tickets — your odds don’t change. “I think there are all sorts of superstitions or beliefs out there. But you know, the odds are the same for every ticket purchased in the game, the odds never change, you know, if the odds changed with every ticket that you bought, we would never be able to predict what they are. So the odds and megamillions come from all of the different ways that you can combine the numbers in the game to make a play,” she explains.

And those odds are pretty long. “The odds of winning in Mega Millions are about one in 302-point-six million,” she says. One thing that is known about the jackpot is lottery terminals will be busy today (Tuesday). “The majority of tickets for any particular drawing are purchased on the day of the drawing. I think we as human beings procrastinate, and we even procrastinate when it comes to buying lottery tickets,” Neubauer says. “So just keep in mind, there is a sales cut off for Tuesday night’s drawing the sales cut off here in Iowa is 8:59 p-m,” Neubauer says.

If you buy a ticket after that, it would be for the next drawing.

(Red Oak, Iowa) — One person was transported to the hospital by helicopter, following a collision that occurred east of Red Oak, Monday morning, According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, the crash occurred on Highway 34, about one-half of a mile west of K Avenue, at around 7:45-a.m. Authorities say a 2005 Chevy K2500 pickup driven by 18-year-old Slade M. Graham of Stanton, was westbound on Hwy 34 when it crossed the center line and struck an eastbound 2020 Kenworth T680 semi tractor-trailer, driven by 62-year-old Robert L. Mosby, of Omaha. Mosby said he tried to avoid the collision by moving to the right in his lane, but the pickup impacted the sleeper area of the semi’s cab and both rear axles. The pickup continued down the left side of the semi trailer, where it damaged the tires and brake lines of the trailer. The pickup crossed the eastbound lane, exited the roadway, and struck a tree in the south ditch before coming to rest.

Graham was extricated from the pickup by rescue personnel, and was taken by Air Evac medical helicopter to an Omaha hospital for were believed to be non-life threatening injuries. Mosby was not injured in the collision. Damage from the accident amounted to $25,000. The pickup was considered a total loss. At the time of the Sheriff’s report, no citations had been issued.

(Union County, Iowa) –  Two women from Creston were injured during a collision Sunday night northwest of Creston. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, a 2014 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 44-year-old Jessica Diane Lens was traveling east on 150th Street at around 11:48-p.m., when the vehicle ran a stop sign at the intersection with Highway 25. The pickup struck a 2013 Ford F-150 pickup that was northbound on Highway 25, and driven by 36-year-old Teagan Rae Gordon. Both vehicles came to rest in the northeast ditch. Upon arrival at the scene, Deputies detected the smell of alcohol coming from Lens, who also had bloodshot, watery eyes.

Both drivers were transported to the hospital in Creston before being flown by medical helicopter to hospitals in Des Moines. Authorities say Lens consented to a preliminary breath test, the results of which came in at .140%, or nearly twice the legal limit for intoxication. The report did not indicate if there were any citations or arrests.

Damage to the vehicles from the collision amounted to $45,000. Both pickups were declared a total loss. A fence, fence post and cast iron pipe on property owned by James Walsh, of Creston, sustained $1,200 worth of damage.

(Radio Iowa) – The leaders of two Iowa health care groups say they’re concerned about the pending closure of the state-run Glenwood Resource Center for residents with profound disabilities. After a federal investigation of how residents were being treated, state officials announced the facility would close in 2024. Di Findley is the founder of Iowa CareGivers, an advocacy group for health care workers and those who receive care. While Findley understands ending institutional care is a priority, she says transferring Glenwood residents to community or home-based care will be difficult.

“I don’t know who’s going to do that work,” Findley says. Findley says many of the families of Glenwood residents will not be equipped to provide direct care.  “I have serious concerns about how people are going to be able to access good care in the home,” Findley says, “(to) keep them safe.” Brent Willett is president and C-E-O of the Iowa Health Care Association. It represents nursing homes, the primary destination as al Glenwood Resource Center residents are transferred by the end of 2024.

“The priority is being on placing them in the community, which we absolutely support,” Willett says. “The concern that we have is that the infrastructure is not there and the timeline is aggressive just for these folks.” Willett says his association would like to see deep new investment in the facilities and services that are caring for frail and elderly Iowans  “The 30,000 people in nursing homes across the state of Iowa have some of the highest acuity levels, which is their level of illness, than any other state in the country,” Willett says. “…We need to face that reality that folks that are in nursing homes overwhelmingly cannot return home, and so we simply cannot have a long-term care continuum without a robust nursing facility system to support and care for those individuals.”

Willett and Findley made their comments during a recent episode of “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.