(Radio Iowa) -The Iowa State Patrol estimates at least five-thousand vehicles are making their way to the parking lots at the Iowa Speedway today (Friday) — the first wave of traffic heading to Newton for IndyCar racing on Saturday and Sunday. The Patrol predicts daily crowds of 35-thousand at the Speedway on both Saturday and Sunday, with nearly 18-thousand vehicles on Interstate-80 at the Newton exit both days. Troopers are encouraging people to leave early to avoid heavy congestion. Newton Mayor Mike Hansen says keeping IndyCar Racing at the Iowa Speedway through 2024 wasn’t easy. “This was a 14-month negotiation between the City, the State, IndyCar Series, Penske Corp. and Hy-Vee,” he said.

Hy-Vee, the lead sponsor of the event, says a limited number of tickets are still available. The City of Newton has dedicated 33-thousand dollars this year and again in 2023 and 2024 to support IndyCar racing and other events at the Speedway.”So this is a direct contribution for tourism,” the mayor says.

The N-T-T IndyCar Series races will be held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. A pre-race concert Saturday with Tim McGraw begins at 1 p.m. and the race will start at 3 p.m. Saturday’s post-race concert with Florida Georgia Line is scheduled to start at 5:30. Sunday’s schedule includes a concert with Gwen Stefani just after noon with the race starting at 2:30 p.m. The closing event of the weekend is a concert with Blake Shelton.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s congressional delegation split their votes along party lines as Democrats in the U.S. House passed legislation that would ensure nationwide access to contraception. Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says people deserve the right to make decisions about when they want to have children and access to birth control is threatened by recent signals from the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says the bill had provisions that were too extreme. “It allowed for widespread use of abortion pills,” Hinson says. “It would violate conscience protections for health care providers. It could send taxpayer dollars to abortion providers as well.”

Hinson and a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina have proposed a bill that instead would guarantee women could buy birth control pills over the counter at a pharmacy. “That’s something I hear from a lot of women, the want to go to their pharmacy and get that pill,” Hinson says. “Millions of American women safely take these drugs already, so I see our solution as a common sense policy, particularly for women in rural areas who sometimes have to go a significant distance, maybe sometimes up to an hour, to get even a doctor’s appointment, let alone going to the pharmacy.”

Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa says as a state senator she introduced a bill to let women over the age of 18 buy oral contraceptives over-the-counter in Iowa, but Miller-Meeks says she opposed the bill Democrats’ proposed because it would require all health care providers to administer contraceptives despite their moral or religious beliefs. Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull also voted against the legislation. The bill is not expected to come up for a vote in the evenly-divided U.S. Senate.

Republican Senator Joni Ernst expressed her opposition during a speech on the Senate floor. “This bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Ernst said. “While the language touts access to family planning, in reality it’s likely a $5 billion gift to Planned Parenthood and other abortion-related providers.”

The chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party says the Republicans in Iowa’s congressional delegation are undermining the right of Iowans to decide for themselves if, when and with whom they want to have a family.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Cass County businesses and organizations are coming together to address hunger and improve nutrition by growing food. This spring, through a Growing Together grant from Iowa State Extension, Cass County Master Gardeners and Grow Another Row provided free food plants to people visiting food pantries and Grow Another Row stands. When the Atlantic Hy-Vee Lawn and Garden Center closed for the season in July, the store donated additional food plants and herbs to the project. The Atlantic Lions Club also received a grant this spring from the Cass County Community Foundation to expand and enhance the community garden at Mollett Park in Atlantic, adding garden space and installing edible landscape plants.

Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh says, “Combined, these efforts are creating more access to fresh, local produce in yards, gardens and produce stands across the county.”
Cass County was one of 36 communities awarded Growing Together grant funding. Grow Another Row and the Cass County Master Gardeners applied for this grant last winter. The funding is being used to maintain a community donation garden, coordinate produce donations through Grow Another Row, and provide nutrition education to food pantry clients and others in the county. This spring, seeing additional need for space and resources to grow food, the Atlantic Lions Club applied for and received a Cass County Community Foundation grant to expand and enhance the community garden at Mollett Park in Atlantic. Fruit trees we installed, with plans to install berry bushes and educational signage soon, laying the groundwork for a community edible landscape space. Additional raised garden beds were also added, along with rainwater collection units and educational signage which will enhance the garden space that is used for both private and donation gardening.

Where did these ideas come from? Food pantries across the county have seen increased patronage over the past three years. For example, the number of households served by the Atlantic Food Pantry has grown four times over the past four years. Each week the pantry currently provides supplemental food to an average of 68 households (150 people) or about 10 percent
of the people living in poverty in Cass County. Food insecurity is a reality. Additionally, fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrition, and many people prefer to eat fresh produce and enjoy growing their own food. Last year, the Cass County COVID-19 Mobile Food For All program surveyed participants and found a majority were either interested in growing their own food or already doing so. Common barriers to food growing for some individuals and families includes a lack of lawn space for gardening or physical limitations. Using that information, Grow Another Row partnered with area food pantries to distribute free food plants last summer, including many “patio” tomatoes and other plants that grow well in containers. The plants were well-received.

Working together, Grow Another Row, Cass County Master Gardeners, the Atlantic Lions Club, and Cass County Extension are also partnering to provide educational programming on produce gardening, including garden tours, planting demonstrations, and opportunities to assist with garden maintenance and harvesting, to food pantry clients and others in the county. Grow Another Row is a program of the Healthy Cass County coalition that provides free, fresh local produce across the county through a network of produce sharing sites managed by volunteers. Produce donated to the program is also shared through all four Cass County food pantries. Grow Another Row is always looking for volunteers to grow, harvest, bag, and transport produce across the county. Individuals and groups—such as service organizations, churches, or workplaces—are welcome to join the effort! All residents of Cass County are invited to participate in the Grow Another Row program and “take what you need; share what you can”!

For more information on Grow Another Row, and to sign up for the program’s email newsletter or volunteer, visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/content/grow-another-row-cass-county or contact Cass County Extension Director Kate Olson or Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at 712-243-1132. For information on food available at Grow Another Row stands, as well as information on Cass County food pantries, farmers markets, and other local food initiatives, follow the Cass County Local Food Policy Council on Facebook
@CassCountyLocalFood.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Nebraska was arrested Thursday afternoon, at the Pott. County Jail. Authorities say 50-year-old Janelle Marie Young, of Omaha, was taken into custody for Possession of Contraband in-or-on the grounds of the Correctional Facility. Her bond was set at $5,000. 24-year-old Christopher Logan Meadows was arrested on the same charge.

Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputies took custody Thursday, of a woman wanted on a Felony warrant. 36-year-old Jennifer Elizabeth Lindsay, of Omaha, was picked-up from the Douglas County, NE jail and transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail, where she was being held without bond on a State of Iowa warrant for Violation of Probation.

And, Thursday morning. 26-year-old Yom Mabior Aleu was transported from the Sarpy County, NE Jail to the jail in Pott. County. Aleu was wanted on a Felony warrant through the State of Iowa, for:

• Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree/Destruction or Damage of property (The damage was assessed at anywhere from $1,500-$10,000).
• Disarm/Attempt to Disarm an Officer (No discharge of weapon)
• Eluding, plus participating in a felony resulting in serious injury, and,
• Driving Under the Influence/OWI 1st offense.

(Ottumwa, Iowa) – Officials with John Deere say they are moving more of their manufacturing operations out of Iowa. The company says over the next 18 months, it will shift its current production at its Ottumwa facility to Monterrey, Mexico, and revitalize the location for the future. The company announced a similar move at its Waterloo plant last month. Company officials could not specify how many employees at the Ottumwa plant will be affected by the move.

(Stuart, Iowa) – Officials with the Stuart Police Department report their K9 “Ally” has received a bullet and stab protective vest, thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Ally’s vest was sponsored by Lauren Brandt of Marion, IA and embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection provided by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.”.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 4,714 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

Stuart PD K9 Ally (Photo via Stuart PD Facebook page)

The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $960 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1,744-$2,283, weighs an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says the rapid increase in fentanyl-related deaths needs to be addressed with the legalization of fentanyl test strips  “They’re strips of paper that can tell people whether fentanyl is in a product or not. This is a harm reduction program. A harm reduction measure that really makes sense,” according to Miller. “Recently, two states Wisconsin and Georgia, a blue state and a red state have both enacted this. This should not be a partisan issue.”

Miller is a Democrat and says there should also be expanded use of naloxone — which can reverse an opioid overdose. Miller was joined by fellow Democrat and Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald says fentanyl test strips detect the presence of the drug and can help save lives. “This will allow the user to be able to either test the batch they have and if fentanyl … is present during them, they can at that time choose a different batch. They can use less of what they have. They can have the option to have others there when they use it or have Narcan available,” Fitzgerald says.

Iowa AG Tom MIller (Left), & Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald.

Miller also urges people to seek treatment for their drug addiction. Miller says he talked with a few legislative leaders this past session about making the fentanyl test strips legal. “Got a, got a sort of a mixed reaction or at least an openness. So, you know, it’s something we’ll explore as we go out the rest of the year and into next year,” Miller says.

Miller is running for re-election and says he hopes this will be a bipartisan issue. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds hosted a news conference about two weeks ago with the head of the Department of Public Safety and others to talk about the dangers of fentanyl-lace pills. Reynolds did not talk about any specific legislation to address the issue — but was critical of the Biden Administration’s border policy– saying it is part of the reason the dangerous pills have become so prevalent in the U-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Reynolds is awarding three more projects with federal pandemic relief money from the Destination Iowa program she launched this spring. A three-and-a-half million dollar grant is going to Black Hawk County Conservation and Linn County Conservation, to pave 16 miles of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. That will complete a 52 mile route that will run between the Cedar Rapids and Waterloo/Cedar Falls metros.

The City of Maquoketa and Jackson County Conservation are getting 750-thousand dollars to install a whitewater paddling course on the Maquoketa River as well as a disc golf course and hiking trails that meet Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. The third award, of 400-thousand dollars, is going to Colfax to support construction of an R-V campground near Interstate 80.

The first round of grants from the 100-million dollar Destination Iowa account were awarded near the end of June. It included xix million dollars to Universal Television for the Field of Dreams T-V Series. Days later the production was looking for a new broadcast home. Governor Reynolds has indicated the grants are to cover expenses of the projects, so the money for Universal Television will be awarded if and when the production happens.

(Radio Iowa) – The State Historical Society’s mobile museum is touring several cities in Iowa this summer and currently is parked in Sibley. Michael Morain of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs says it brings artifacts to Iowans who can’t make the trip to the State Historical Museum in Des Moines.  “We really think it’s important to take artifacts out and about to Iowans,” Morain says. “After all, the collection belongs to all of us.”

The first tour for the agency’s mobile museum started in 2017. This second touring exhibit is focused on the people and places of Iowa. It includes some artifacts from the earliest inhabitants of Iowa and one of the flight suits astronaut Peggy Whitson, a native of Beaconsfield, Iowa, wore in space. Morain says the team that put the exhibit together chose sturdy artifacts.

The State Historical Society of Iowa’s “History on the Move” mobile museum will visit Audubon Sept. 15 during Fallapalooza. The public is invited to take free self-guided tours of the museum on wheels, which holds a 300-square-foot exhibition called “Iowa History 101.”

“We also made sure that they built some ingenious displays for them so that they could be secure and not rattle around,” Morain says. “We did some test drives over railroad tracks and things like that because many of these artifacts are valuable, maybe not monetarily, but for the state of Iowa they are priceless.” One of the items on display is the pen Iowa Governor William Harding used in July of 1919 to sign Iowa’s ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote.

The mobile museum’s tour with its current collection hit the road this summer, making stops in Sac City and Adair, along with eight other communities across the state, with the goal of stopping in each of Iowa’s 99 counties by the end of 2023. It’s next stops are in Dyersville on August 11th and 12th and in Dubuque on August 20th.

(Radio Iowa) – Employees who work at 28 Planned Parenthood clinics five states, including Iowa, have voted to form a union. According to the National Labor Relations Board, over 90 percent of workers who voted supported the move. Ashley Schmidt who works Planned Parenthood facilities in Nebraska and western Iowa. “As we move forward into what will be a very challenging time, having a union will make sure all of our voices are heard,” she said. “We will start pushing right away to get our first contract.”

There are about 435 frontline employees at Planned Parenthood of North Central States facilities in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and the Dakotas. They are joining the Service Employees International Union, which has about two million members nationwide, many of whom work in health care. April Clark has worked for Planned Parenthood in Iowa for a decade. Clark says negotiations will make sure there are adequate staffing levels.

“We’ve been working on unionization for a long time, but the work is just beginning,” she says. “Now we begin the process of bargaining for a contract: for a seat at the table for front line workers, for fair wages, better benefits.” The union contract will cover nurses, pharmacists and other staff who work at clinics in the five states. Union organizing has increased during the pandemic. The number of petitions with the National Labor Board seeking a vote on union membership has jumped 58 percent over the last nine months.