(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is renewing his call for the Biden administration to disclose all it knows about the high-altitude Chinese balloon that flew across the U-S in February. N-B-C is reporting today (Monday) that the spy balloon — which China claimed was a weather balloon blown off course — was able to gather intelligence from several U-S military sites and transmit it back to Beijing in real time.  “What the United States needs to do as a result of that balloon,” Grassley says, “we need to know everything that we know about that balloon and Congress needs a briefing on that.”

The report says the balloon managed to make multiple passes over some sites, including flying in a figure-eight, before a U-S fighter jet shot it down off the South Carolina coast. Grassley says there are already clear laws dictating how our airspace is not to be violated.

Grassley says, “The action that Congress needs to take in response to this, but several other things that China is doing, is to build up our military which is losing ground against China.” A total of four balloons were shot down during February, including two near Alaska and a third over Lake Huron. Grassley says America needs to show China and the world our strength and that we’ll defend our borders — and our allies.

“A strong military is the best tool of peace,” Grassley says, “to be prepared to ward off any actions that China may be taking in that part of the world that threaten countries that we have military alliances with.” At the urging of Congress, Grassley says the U-S is also pushing to pull manufacturing out of China and relocate it in the U-S.

(Glewood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood, Sunday, arrested a man from Malvern, for OWI/1st offense. 30-year-old London Tyler was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. His total bond was set at $2,000. He has since posted bond and was released.

(UPDATED) (Cumberland, Iowa) – Firefighters from Cumberland were paged-out to a fully engulfed barn fire Sunday, at around 3:32-p.m. Cumberland Fire Chief Jason Rouse said the incident, which started in an older barn, happened at at 72686 700th Street.

Massena Fire provided additional tanker and grass units at the scene. Two grass fire units from Griswold Fire were also requested. A total of six grass trucks were on the scene.

The barn and its contents was a total loss.

The structure was said to be near a propane tank, and close to a residence to the north.

Rouse said there was electricity run underground to the barn, so it’s unclear how the fire started. No injuries were reported, and the lives of farm animals were sparred because they were away from the burning structure. Rouse wants to thank the other fire departments for their assistance.

Crews were on the scene until about 5:45-p.m.  They went back a couple of times to extinguish some hot spots. And, while the cause of this fire is undetermined, Fire Chief Jason Rouse asks property owners to hold-off on any controlled burns until we get enough precipitation to dampen the very tinder grassland and vegetation.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will meet 8:30-a.m. Tuesday, in their Courthouse Meeting Room. On their agenda is approval of the following projects, using ARPA funds:

• LEC (Law Enforcement Center) Taser gun purchase, in the amount of $28,000.
• Emergency Management Agency (EMA) -Motorola radio purchases in the amount of $25,000.
• Unisyn VoterScans for County Elections, in the amount of $54,347.

The Board will also act to approve renewal rates for FY 23/24 Delta Dental Insurance. They will hold a Personnel Evaluation – mostly likely in a closed session – with regard to the County IT Director (Information Technology).

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Red Oak Police Dept. reports Officers arrested 37-year-old Jacob Wayne Dykes-Vargas, of Red Oak, at around 5:35-a.m. today (Monday). He was arrested in the 2200 block of Highway 48, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd offense – Methamphetamine. He also had a valid Pottawattamie County warrant for Violation of Probation. Dykes-Vargas was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 bond. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in the arrest.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports the arrest on a Union County warrant, of 40-year-old Heather Marie Davis, of Creston. The warrant charges Davis with 12 counts of Dominion/Control of Firearm/Offensive Weapon by Felon, 5 counts Controlled Substance Violation and Failure of Affix Drug Stamp. Davis was transported to the Union County Jail then later transferred to the Adams County Jail. Davis is being held on $90,000 cash or surety bond.

Creston Police arrested two people Friday afternoon: 38-year-old Mathias Cory Becker, of Creston, was arrested in the 200 Block N Birch. Becker was charged on an Adams County Warrant for Possession of Controlled Substance 2nd Offense. Becker was released to Adams County. And, 31-year-old Amanda Marie Steinbach, of Lorimor, was arrested in the 500 Block S Oak. Steinbach was charged on an Adams County Warrant for Failure to Appear. Steinbach was released to Adams County.

Thursday morning, Creston Police arrested 25-year-old Cody Igor Corfits, of West Des Moines, at 300 N Pine. Corfits was charged on a Department of Corrections Warrant for Violation of Probation original charge Kidnapping 3rd Degree, Amended to Burglary 2nd Class C Felony. Corfits was taken to the Union County Jail. Corfits was released on $1000 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – One of the sure signs of spring, Iowans are seeing huge congregations of birds filling the morning and evening skies, giant clouds of feathered creatures that often take several minutes to pass. Steve Dinsmore, a central Iowa ornithologist and bird watcher, says it’s typical during this time of the year to spot birds migrating in tremendously large numbers over Iowa. Those large undulating flocks are called a “murmuration” and may include tens of thousands of birds stretching over several miles.

Dinsmore, a professor of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University, says birds of a feather do flock together to avoid predators, plus, it offers information to the collective about good foraging or feeding sites. He says the murmurations are most likely starlings, blackbirds, redwing blackbirds or common grackles.