(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is joining with Iowa State University on a project to document and help a specific type of turtle increase its numbers. The D-N-R’s Karen Kinkead says the Blanding’s turtles don’t mature and reproduce at a very fast rate. “The average is about 14 years — but it varies individually by turtle before they lay their first eggs. And the nests are very susceptible to predators — particularly raccoons and skunks,” Kinkead says. She says there’s been less trapping in the state and that has led to increased predators for the turtle. The Blanding’s turtles are found in wetland areas of northwest and central Iowa. “They are a state-listed species, so we don’t give out specific locations,” according to Kinkead. “They’ve got a bit of a black market following, so we try to keep that private so that the turtles aren’t collected illegally.”

Blanding’s turtle (IA DNR photo)

The plan is to monitor the turtles with radio transmitters. “The University of Northern Iowa has been doing some work on a different species of turtles for a very long time — and so they’ve sort of figured out the methodology of which transmitters to use and how to set them and how to attach them to turtles. And it should work the same way on the Blandings turtles that we are interested in,” she says. They also plan to work with the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines to gather some eggs and hatch out turtles to be placed back in the wild. “We think that doing it that way a turtle in captivity will be about the size of a three-year-old turtle in the wild after about a year,” Kinkead says. “And just that just gives them a bit more protection and gives their shell will harden and they get to a larger size — so it’s harder for like a great blue heron to swallow them whole for example.”

The Blanding’s turtles can live to be 75 years old. She says it’s important the D-N-R’s Wildlife Diversity Program does what it can to help this species. “They’ve certainly been around a very, very long time and I don’t think it is responsible of us to let them go extinct on our watch if we can help it,” Kinkead says.

The D-N-R is providing 163-thousand dollars for the project, with I-S-U chipping in 57-thousand. They have a two-and-a-half-year agreement to track and detail the lives of the turtles.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The trial for an Atlantic man facing felony charges of Attempted Murder and Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury, has been continued (delayed) for one month. 34-year-old Richard J. Doss, Jr., was set to stand trial this Tuesday, Feb. 22nd, but according to online court records updated Friday (Feb. 18th), the trial has instead been moved to March 22nd, at 9:30-a.m. His Pre-Trial Conference will be held March 14th.

Doss is accused of stabbing a man on Jan. 5th at an apartment complex across from Cass Health, in Atlantic. He has plead not guilty, and earlier waived his right to a speedy trial. Doss Jr., was arrested Dec. 6th, hours after a man arrived at the Cass County Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room on Jan.5th, after being stabbed.

Photo of Richard DOSS Jr. (Iowa DPS photo)

The victim – whose name has not yet officially been released – was treated at the hospital and then transported by helicopter to UNMC in Omaha for further treatment.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – If you’re looking for ideas on how to eat healthy and make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen, a slow cooker workshop is just the thing for you! You are invited to join Leah Brooke, ISU Extension and Outreach Human Sciences Specialist in Food and Health, for a Slow Cooker Meal workshop on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, from 6-until 8-PM, at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic.

Healthy and Homemade is a series of workshops focused on strategies for using your time, money and skills wisely to save money while preparing nutritious food safely right at home. In our slow cooker workshop, we will focus on the benefits of using a slow cooker to prepare meals, discuss safe food preparation tips, and learn about different meal ideas that work well in a slow cooker. Samples will be available for tasting some of the recipes discussed.

Cost for the workshop is $10.00, which includes all class materials. Pre-registration is required in advance of the workshop, and can be done online at https://go.iastate.edu/GALD1L. If cost is a barrier, please contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 to inquire about scholarships. Information about the class is also available on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass or by stopping into the Extension office at 805 West 10th Street in Atlantic.

You can also contact Leah Brooke, Extension Food and Health Specialist, at lbrooke@iastate.edu or 641-782-8426 with questions regarding the class or online registration.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has thrown out a drug possession case in Sioux City involving a drug dog. Yale Stevens of Sioux City was convicted of possessing meth following his arrest when his brother was pulled over in February of 2020 for having a tail light out. Stevens was a backseat passenger in the car and says the evidence should be suppressed because a drug dog indicated drugs were present at the driver’s door — but never indicated he had the drugs in his pocket.

The Supreme Court agreed the drug dog’s positive alert outside the driver’s door did not alone create probable cause to search a backseat passenger without a warrant.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says she and her fellow Republicans in the House and Senate are about two-thirds of the way toward reaching a final agreement on a tax plan. The governor is raising concerns, though, about the Senate G-O-P’s idea to convert more than 800 local option sales taxes into one statewide tax. It’s a legal maneuver so lawmakers could use other state tax money to fill the empty Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Fund, but Reynolds says she’s concerned because the move impose a one percent sales tax in three counties* and four dozen cities that aren’t collecting it today.

Reynolds made her comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S. The other sticking point in the G-O-P tax negotiations is whether to cut the corporate income tax. Reynolds has proposed a significant cut. Senate Republicans propose a cut, along with reductions in some tax credits corporations typically claim. Reynolds says she’s not ready to agree to reducing the research activities tax credit, for example.

Reynolds says that study can start this summer. House Republicans have passed a bill that solely focuses on reducing personal income taxes and would not cut the corporate income tax rate.

*the three counties that do not have a local option sales tax are Clarke, Johnson and Osceola

(Glenwood, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 4:35-a.m. Friday (today), in Mills County, escalated into a pursuit and the arrest of a man and a woman. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Sergeant the the Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The vehicle refused to yield and a pursuit initiated. A short time later, the vehicle stopped, and the male driver took off on foot. His female passenger remained in the vehicle. She was taken into custody without incident.

The Mills County K9 unit, Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputies, the Iowa State Patrol and Montgomery County EMA all responded to the scene. The EMA launched their “Eagle One” drone, equipped with night vision (FLIR) technology, to locate heat signatures. After about two-minutes, the drone located a “hot spot” in the tree line, about one-half mile from where the driver abandoned the vehicle. The image showed a male laying face down.

Crowe & Hernandez (Mills County S/O booking photo)

A K9 search was formed and started down the tree line to locate the suspect. With continued assistance from the drone, the suspect – identified later as Vince Crow, of Seattle, WA, was taken into custody without further incident. An empty handgun holster was found on Crowe. The Mills County K9 “Danken” was deployed, and found the gun Crowe allegedly tossed into the tree line.

A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted, resulting in the recovery of approximately 30.4 grams of heroin, 52.7 grams of marijuana, 90 Oxycodone pills, a small amount of meth, a digital scale, and multiple pieces of drug paraphernalia. Once at the Mills County Jail, the passenger who was in the vehicle gave a false name, but was eventually identified as Mariah Hernandez, of Dallas, Oregon.

Crow faces numerous charges, including: Felony Eluding; Possession with Intent/Heroin; Poss. w/intent-marijuana; Poss. of Oxycodone; 3 counts of Failure to Affix a drug tax stamp; Poss. of a Firearm by a convicted felon; Interference w/Official Acts, and multiple driving citations. Hernandez was charged with Poss. of Meth/3rd or subsequent offense, and providing false information to law enforcement.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office extends thanks to the aforementioned agencies for their assistance in handling the incident.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says she and her fellow Republicans in the House and Senate are about two-thirds of the way toward reaching a final agreement on a tax plan. The governor is raising concerns, though, about the Senate G-O-P’s idea to convert more than 800 local option sales taxes into one statewide tax. It’s a legal maneuver so lawmakers could use other state tax money to fill the empty Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Fund, but Reynolds says she’s concerned because the move would impose that one percent sales tax in 50 local jurisdictions where it’s not collected today.

“With inflation at a 40 year high we have to be really careful about raising taxes right now. I’m interested in lowering taxes,” Reynolds says. “Even though, potentially, it would be an overall tax reduction, we just need to take all of that into consideration as we sit down and start to work through that compromise.”

Reynolds made her comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S. The other sticking point in the G-O-P tax negotiations is whether to cut the corporate income tax. Reynolds has proposed a significant cut. Senate Republicans propose a cut, along with reductions in some tax credits corporations typically claim. House Republicans have passed a bill that solely focuses on reducing personal income taxes.

(Des Moines, IA) The Iowa Department of Public Health reports Abbott is initiating a proactive, voluntary recall of powder formulas, including Similac, Alimentum and EleCare manufactured in Sturgis, Mich., one of the company’s manufacturing facilities. The recall does not include any metabolic deficiency nutrition formulas.

Affected products are in circulation in Iowa retail locations and have been distributed through the Iowa Department of Public Health’s WIC program. If Iowans possess any of the affected products, it should not be fed to infants.

Abbott is voluntarily recalling these products after four consumer complaints related to Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella Newport in infants who had consumed powder infant formula manufactured in this facility.

• Recall is isolated to powder formulas, including Similac®, Alimentum ® and EleCare®, manufactured at the Sturgis, Mich., plant
• Recall does not include any metabolic deficiency nutrition formulas
• No Abbott liquid formulas or other Abbott nutrition powders and brands are impacted
• Parents or customers with impacted product should visit similacrecall.com or call: +1-800-986-8540

While Abbott’s testing of finished product detected no pathogens, they are taking action by recalling the powder formula manufactured in this facility with an expiration of April 1, 2022, or later. No Abbott liquid formulas, powder formulas, or nutrition products from other facilities are impacted by the recall.

Cronobacter sakazakii is commonly found in the environment and a variety of areas in the home. It can cause fever, poor feeding, excessive crying or low energy as well as other serious symptoms. It’s important to follow the instructions for proper preparation, handling and storage of powder formulas.

What Parents and Caregivers Should Do

The products under recall have a multidigit number on the bottom of the container starting with the first two digits 22 through 37, contains K8, SH, or Z2 and with an expiration date of April 1, 2022, or after.

To find out if the product you have is included in this recall, visit similacrecall.com and type in the code on the bottom of the package, or call +1-800-986-8540 (U.S.) and follow the instructions provided. No action is needed for previously consumed product. If your infant has recently consumed one of these products and is experiencing any of the above symptoms, contact your health care provider.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and IDPH will share more details for Iowa families as they are available.

Example: Review numbers on the bottom of product

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court declined to address a lawsuit filed by bar and tavern owners who were forced to close by a COVID public health disaster proclamation. The governor’s proclamation required bars in six counties to close on August 27th of 2020 due to rising cases of COVID. Six establishments in Polk and Dallas County sued — but were denied a temporary injunction against closing. The governor rescinded her order on September 15th and the district court dismissed the lawsuit.

The bars asked the Supreme Court to still rule on the case — saying it is a public importance exception. The Court declined — saying they are not persuaded that the Governor rescinded her order in response to this lawsuit. It says the issues are important — but many of the conditions during late summer of 2020 are unlikely to be replicated — and a decision would not prevent future clashes over different pandemic-related orders made under changed conditions.

(Radio Iowa) – Some 20 counties in north-central and northeast Iowa will be under a Winter Weather Advisory today (Friday), from 2-until 10-p.m., when there is the potential for snow squalls. Meteorologist Brad Small, at the National Weather Service in Johnston, says it’ll be quite windy statewide this afternoon with unseasonable highs in the upper 30s, 40s and even low 50s, but a cold front will arrive late this afternoon and into tonight. “That will bring even stronger northwest winds with gusts of 35, maybe even 50 miles per hour across the north half of Iowa as that front moves through,” Small says. “The front may also bring a period of snow showers, some of those may be intense, with some brief snow squalls as well.”

The weather roller coaster will likely continue over the next several days.  “The weekend looks dry and we have some temperature flip-flops,” Small says. “Cool on Saturday but quite warm Sunday with highs in the 40s and 50s, but then we cool down again. Winter’s not over. We have chances for wintry precipitation, possibly some snow accumulations and multiple precipitation types for a system Monday and Tuesday.” The forecast high temps for Tuesday are only in the teens.

Winter Weather Advisory for those counties in purple; Wind Advisory for counties in light brown. (updated 11:36-a.m.)

Keep up with the forecast at weather.gov.