(Radio Iowa) – Mild temperatures this fall left leaves lingering on Iowa’s trees longer than normal, and after a cold, snowy weekend, the branches are now mostly bare. A predicted warm-up this week may afford the chance to rake up the last of those leaves, but if you get stuck with a pile, soil scientist Carl Rosen says it may be a great time to start composting. “I collect my leaves in the fall and I compost them through the following year,” Rosen says, “and then the following fall I’ll mix that in in the garden or the following spring before planting my vegetables.” Rosen says composting science is all about soil health, but for many that was not the original problem to be solved.

“The initial motivation however was more due to sending all those leaves to landfills,” Rosen says. Creating and maintaining a compost pile only requires a quick and easy checklist, he says, and it’s relatively simple. “Basically, water, air, oxygen and they need nutrients,” he says, “and if you have those in balance then that’s kind of the key to the composting process.” Learn more about composting at the Iowa D-N-R website:
https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/DNR-News-Releases/ArticleID/383/Tutorial-Learn-How-to-Compost-at-Home

(Elliott, Iowa) – Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County, Saturday morning, arrested a man in Elliott for Public Intoxication. Authorities say Deputies were dispatched at around 12:25-a.m. to a flight complaint, in Elliott. Upon arrival, they saw a man later identified as Mathew Nicholson standing in the road on 5th Street. The man was found to be highly intoxicated, based on Deputies’ prior experiences.

Nicholson preliminary breath test (PBT) registered .211 (Just under 3 times the legal limit). He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) – One person escaped injury but another died during a house fire Sunday night, in Des Moines. According to KCCI, a woman who was trapped inside the burning home died in the fire on the east side of the Capital City. The fire was first reported just before 6 p.m. near the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Glenbrook Drive near Union Park.

Des Moines fire Lt. Rick Thomas said the woman was sleeping on the couch when flames tore through the house. Her adult son was outside when fire crews arrived at the scene. Crews quickly tried to battle through conditions to reach the woman, but a burned out floor slowed their progress. By the time firefighters found the woman, she had already died. Her name was not immediately released.

Officials say the son wasn’t injured, and a dog was safely taken out of the home. Investigators are looking into what caused the fire.

(Creston, Iowa) – One of three passengers in a small car was injured when the vehicle went out of control and struck a small concrete wall in Creston, Sunday night. According to Creston Police, a 2009 Toyota Yaris driven by 19-year-old Kimberly Elizabeth Webb, of Macksburg, was traveling east through the intersection of Adams and Sumner Streets at around 7-p.m.

As she was turning north onto Sumner, the car went out of control and proceeded outside of the roadway before striking the concrete wall. Webb was not injured, but her passenger, 19-year-old Sabrina Stewart, of Creston, suffered suspected minor, non-incapacitating injuries. She complained of pain and was checked out by medical personnel at the scene, but did not transported to the hospital.

Webb was cited by Police for Failure to Maintain Control. Damage to the car was estimated at $3,000. The wall, owned by the City of Creston, sustained $200 damage.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is offering a narrow interpretation of the bill she signed into law last month about Covid vaccination requirements for private sector workers. According to Reynolds, only those workers who claim a religious or medical exemption — and have that claim rejected by their employer — are eligible for unemployment benefits.

“They just don’t decide to not get one and then get on unemployment,” Reynolds says. “They actually have to submit a waiver and if the waiver is rejected, then they qualify for unemployment.” Reynolds made her comments during an interview with Radio Iowa. In late October, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry told legislators the law didn’t solve the problem they were trying to solve and there’s a risk businesses will have to pay higher state taxes to cover this new group of employees who’ve refused Covid shots and now qualify for unemployment benefits.

Reynolds suggests it won’t be a large group of unvaccinated Iowans qualifying for employment. “We’re not going to let that get out of hand,” Reynolds says. “We’re going to continue to manage it, but you know we’re protecting Iowans and their rights and their freedom and liberty to make the choice for their health care and that’s where we’re going to stay.”

Reynolds says she heard from Iowa employers, particularly in the health care industry, who have been worried about staffing shortages if they’re required to dismiss workers who don’t get a Covid shot. Reynolds has joined three, multi-state lawsuits challenging federal vaccination requirements that would impact tens of millions of workers.

(Radio Iowa) – As the strike at a dozen Midwest John Deere plants enters its second month, union workers are scheduled to vote Wednesday on a modified contract offer from the company. The U-A-W issued a statement late Friday, saying the company had made some modest modifications in its second contract offer and the union described the tentative agreement as Deere’s last, best and final offer. Neither side has disclosed details about the changes.

On November 2nd, the second tentative agreement between Deere and the U-A-W was rejected on a 55 to 45 percent vote by union members. More than 10-thousand John Deere employees have been on strike since October 14th.

The second tentative agreement would have provided an immediate 10 percent pay increase, with five percent pay hikes in the third and fifth years of the six-year-long contract. Deere executives had indicated that was the maximum the company would offer in terms of new costs.

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) report that at around 3:15-p.m. Sunday, November 14th, West Burlington Police were dispatched to Pat Klein Park, 631 Swan Street, West Burlington, Iowa, for a report of shots fired.  Upon arrival, police discovered an eighteen year old victim that was shot.  The eighteen year old victim was transported to the South East Iowa Regional Medical center where he was declared deceased.  Law Enforcement took into custody a juvenile related to the investigation.  Law Enforcement does not believe there is any risk to the public at this time.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was requested to respond to the scene and conduct an investigation.  The investigation is ongoing and DCI is being assisted by the West Burlington Police Department, Burlington Police Department, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol.

The investigation is ongoing.  Those with information related to the shooting are asked to contact the West Burlington Police Department.

(Hamburg, Iowa) – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested Sunday in connection with a residential burglary that occurred Friday, in Hamburg. Deputies were able to determine the identity of a suspect and on Sunday observed the suspects and the suspect vehicle at a gas station parking lot in Hamburg.

Teri Clark

Gerald Landers, Jr. (Photo’s courtesy the Fremont County S/O)

Taken into custody were 52-year-old’s Gerald Elmer Landers, Jr., and Teri Clark, both of Nebraska City. A search warrant was conducted and evidence was recovered from the vehicle. Clark was arrested for Conspiracy to Commit Burglary. Landers was arrested for Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools, possession of drug paraphernalia, and Possession of Methamphetamine (less than 5 grams) with Intent to Distribute.

Both are being held at the Fremont County Jail.

(Montrose, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa DNR Sunday afternoon, said that at approximately 11:50 PM Saturday, a train collided with a barge that had been parked along the shore of the Mississippi River near Montrose, in Lee County. The southbound train operated by BNSF hit the stationary barge, derailing two locomotives and overturning several coal cars between the main line and side track.

Several hundred gallons of diesel was released on the ballast material, and was seeping into the Mississippi River from the locomotive fuel tank.  A number of coal cars spilled an unknown quantity of coal into the river. No injuries were reported.

Iowa DNR is working with local emergency responders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Coast Guard.

(Creston, Iowa) – A car struck a building in Creston Sunday morning, causing $10,000 damage to the building, and minor injuries to a store employee. According to Creston Police, the accident happened a little before 10-a.m.  Officials say a 2007 Ford Taurus was parked in a handicap parking spot facing north, in front of the Dollar Tree at 801 Laurel Street, when the vehicle ran up on the curb and struck the southwest corner of the building. The vehicle, driven by 68-year-old Mary Teresa Latus, of Creston, sustained an estimated $1,500 damage.

An employee of the store was in the office when the accident occurred. The impact of the car into the building caused 46-year-old Holly Meikle, of Creston, to fall and injure her right knee. Medical personnel arrived on the scene to check her out, but Meikle was not transported to the hospital. No other injuries were reported.

No citations were issued.