(Radio Iowa) – Fourteen Iowans have been honored today for their actions in life-threatening situations.

Two groups received the Sullivan Brothers Award of Valor for rescuing people from burning or submerged vehicles involved in traffic accidents. Two state troopers based in Oelwein were recognized for rescuing two people from a burning car in rural Black Hawk County on July 1, 2021. On the last day of 2021, an off-duty Marshall County Deputy Sheriff, his wife who is a former Marshalltown police sergeant and another driver saw two cars slide off Highway 330, strike a cement culvert and overturn into an icy creek.

“Please join me in a big round of applause for these heroic Iowans,” Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephen Bayens said during a ceremony in the Iowa Capitol rotunda. “Their efforts not only impacted the lives they saved, but will have an indelible mark on their families for years to come. Thank you.”

A series of other state awards were given to a handful of other Iowans, including a central Iowa utility worker who alerted a sleeping family their home was on fire and a man who rescued a deer hunter critically injured after falling out of a tree stand in rural Guthrie County. An employee at a Fort Dodge retirement community received a Lifesaving Award for performing the Heimlich Maneuver on a resident who was choking. Governor Kim Reynolds praised the 14 Iowans for springing into action.

“Their calmness in crisis and spirit of self-sacrifice represents the very best of our great state,” she said.

Here’s the list of today’s award recipients.

Three people were honored for their efforts at the scene of an accident near Bloomfield. And a man who suffered burns as he pulled a driver and a passenger from a burning vehicle near Council Bluffs received the Governor’s Lifesaving with Valor Award.

Pictured at left is the group involved in Highway 330 rescue effort, along with state officials and a granddaughter of one of the Sullivan Brothers.

(Radio Iowa) – Walgreens has announced it will not distribute abortion pills in 20 U.S. states, including Iowa.

The move comes after Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and other Republican attorneys general around the country threatened to sue Walgreens if the company sold abortion pills in their states. Medication abortion now accounts for more than half of all U.S. abortions.

According to a Politico story, Walgreens has notified Bird and other attorneys general that it will not sell abortion pills from its stores in their states or mail them into Iowa and those states either.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration announced it would allow pharmacies to apply to fill prescriptions for abortion pills.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Forest City man was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, Monday (February 28, 2023), on charges related to the possession of child pornography. A judge sentenced 53-year-old Gerald Lawrence Von Ruden to 120 months (10-years) in prison, following his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, on April 28, 2021, an Iowa State Trooper pulled Von Ruden over during a traffic stop. Von Ruden had an outstanding arrest warrant. Based on the nature of the warrant, the Trooper seized Van Ruden’s electronic devices. A forensic analysis of those devices revealed that Von Ruden received and possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.

For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Elvis Haas, State Farm, on Thursday, March 2nd, 2023. The Ambassadors joined Elvis and his family in celebrating the opening of his new location in Atlantic with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Elvis graduated high school in 2003 and immediately joined the Air Force where he served for 6 years. After basic training and bootcamp, Elvis attended college and studied Marketing Management and Sales. After graduation, Elvis went into automobile sales where he spent 14 years with Deter Motor Company. Through his career in Car Sales, Elvis had the opportunity to build lasting relationships with community members and their families.

In January of 2022, Elvis began the year long process of onboarding with State Farm which included licensing, training, product knowledge and much more. Elvis spoke about the importance of customer satisfaction, hard work and effort in building a business.

Atlantic Area Chamber Ambassadors Celebrate with State Farm

Elvis and his team opened the doors on February 1st and is ready to serve the community by helping “Managing everyday life, recovering from the unexpected, and helping people realize their dreams.” Elvis Hass, State Farm offers Auto, home, life, health, investment planning and is open Monday – Friday 8-5PM. State Farm is available 24-hours, 7 days a week.

Elvis Hass, State Farm is located at 204 W 7th Street in Atlantic.

Appointments can be made by stopping in or calling the office at 712-243-4824 or visiting https://www.myagentelvis.com/?cmpid=vaessp_blm_0001

Ambassadors Left to Right: Kelsey Beschorner, Colt Doherty, Alisha Hass, Josh Hass, Braeleigh Hass, Braxton Hass, Wyatt Adderton, Elvis Haas, Kim Helper, Kathie Hockenberry, McKenna Nelson, Krysta Hanson, Jeremy Butler, Dolly Bergmann, Calley Hansen, Bailey Smith, Rick Mericle, Anne Quist, Adriana Mendez, Megan Sramek, Scott Bennett, Angie Bitting, Jim Kickland, Ruth Sears, Julie Waters, Graydon Schmidt, Brian Ruge and Chelsie Maddsen.