(Radio Iowa) – Michael Franken, the Democrat running against Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, says American ingenuity is the answer to the country’s energy challenges. Franken, a retired admiral, says his experience in the Navy indicates nuclear power can be an option. “The Navy puts nuclear reactors way underwater and way up in space and on surface ships all over the world, so this is known technology,” Franken says. “We can adapt this.”

Franken says a small nuclear reactor, about the size of a house, with a core-life of 30 years could be managed by a very small staff and used to power small to medium sized cities. Franken says Iowa could make more use of solar power as well. “There’s a lot of land out there that can be used in solar arrays,” Franken says, “and solar arrays are getting better and better all the time.”

Franken says other countries, like Portugal, get a good share of their electricity from solar power. “Entire nations whose electrical grid is predicated on a good solar underpinning,” Franken says, “and they’re at a latitude that’s north of us.” This past weekend, Franken campaigned in Sioux Center, about 10 miles east of his birthplace in the small Sioux County town of Lebanon.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports two arrests took place late last week. 28-year-old Marvis Eugene Routh, II, of Des Moines, was arrested by Adair County Deputies on I-80 in Adair County at around 4-p.m., Friday. He was taken into custody on an Adair County warrant for Driving While License Denied or Revoked for OWI. He remains held in the Adair County Jail.

And, the Iowa State Patrol arrested 25-year-old Maliki Allen, of Omaha, at around 6-p.m. Friday, on I-80 in Adair County. Allen was being held in the Adair County Jail on warrants out of Nebraska for Failure to Appear on original Felony charges of Theft and Possession of Controlled Substances, and Domestic Assault.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa parents will want to make sure their trick-or-treaters stay safe when they make rounds this week. Tammy Noble, a registered nurse and educator at the Iowa Poison Control Center, says one thing to be careful with is glow sticks. “Sometimes we see kids break those,” Noble says. “They put them in their mouth. They might bite into it or sometimes even when they’re trying to open it and make it start glowing, it somehow will break and they can get the liquid splashed in their eyes.” While it’s important to stay visible during the nighttime candy runs, it’s also important to avoid hazards. The chemicals in glow sticks can be a problem if they splash a kid’s face.

“It’s really irritating to the eyes,” Noble says. “You need to irrigate the eyes really well for 15-20 minutes. But also, if they get it in their mouth, it stings and usually that will go away within an hour. Just wipe out the mouth and give them a little something to drink.” If the stinging persists longer than an hour, she suggests calling the poison center. Noble say to be selective if you’re buying make-up or face paints. “You want to make sure that you’re looking for something that is listed to be non-toxic,” Noble says. “Anything that looks old and maybe doesn’t smell right or doesn’t look right, just throw it away. It’s probably best not to keep it year after year after year. And you do want to test it on the skin beforehand.” In fact, she says to test those colors on the skin 48 hours before trick-or-treating, just to be on the safe side.

Some newer costumes light up and will come with a small battery pack to power those lights, which Noble says may also present a hazard. “We have to be very careful because sometimes those costumes contain a button battery,” Noble says. “Those types of little round, like the size of a small coin, like a dime, those could be swallowed and kids that could get it stuck in their esophagus.” Those batteries could cause internal burns if swallowed. Noble recommends kids wait until they get home to open their treats so parents can inspect the goodies for any signs of tampering.

The Sioux City-based Poison Control Center Hotline is available around-the-clock at 800-222-1222.

(Radio Iowa) – A wind turbine south of the Williamsburg exit on Interstate-80 caught fire overnight and sparked a field fire. According to a Facebook post by the Williamsburg Fire Department, the head of the wind turbine was fully engulfed in flames when fire fighters got to the scene shortly before 1 a.m. Falling debris set the field surrounding the tower on fire. Officials say the fire was put out by 3 a.m. and a crew from MidAmerican arrived on scene to oversee operation of the turbine.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican candidate Todd Halbur says his record as a state government whistleblower shows he has the courage to be state auditor. Halbur says as chief financial officer of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, he discovered the agency was overcharging Iowa restaurants, bars and retailers for liquor. “When I disclosed that information, I ultimately paid that price and they fired me,” Halbur says. “…Two weeks, ago the jury saw what I saw.” A jury awarded Halbur a million dollars in his lawsuit alleging his 2018 firing was done in retaliation. “If you look at the actual court document, I sued the Alcoholic Beverages Division and its administrator, Stephen Larson,” Halbur says. “I did not sue Governor Reynolds, even though Stephen Larson is an appointee of Governor Reynolds.”

Halbur was hired during Governor Terry Branstad’s administration and fired after Kim Reynolds became governor. During an appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S, Halbur said he had suggested an investigation of the liquor control agency. “That we should go to the auditor’s office, the AG’s office and the governor’s office through the Department of Management,” Halbur said. Halbur was asked: “Did that happen?” Halbur answered: “No….I was fired. I don’t know the reason why.”

During the trial, state officials said they took corrective action after Halbur found the discrepancies and he was fired for other reasons. Halbur’s allegations about overcharges in liquor sold by the state and Halbur’s firing happened before current State Auditor Rob Sand was elected. Sand says his agency has reviewed Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Commission procedures and have confirmed the overcharging is no longer happening. Iowa is one of 18 states where a state agency acts as the statewide wholesaler for liquor.

(Cass County, Iowa) – A man from Atlantic, last week, waived his rights and, through his attorney, entered a plea of guilty to charges associated with an incident on Cedar Street, in May 2022. 30-year-old Anthony Rey Asay was charged with Willful Injury, Assault Causing Bodily Injury and Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana) 1st Offense, in connection to an incident of stabbing.

Asay remains held in the Washington County, Nebraska jail, on charges of 2nd Degree Assault, 3rd Degree Assault, Possession of a Deadly Weapon by Prohibited Person and Use of Weapon to Commit Felony. Those charges were the result of an investigation into a Blair, NE. stabbing incident that occurred in August.

A month earlier (July, 20220) a jury in Cass County found Asay Not Guilty on charges of Attempted Murder, Arson 1st Degree and Assault Causing Bodily Injury that stemmed from a May 4th house fire on Cedar Street, in Atlantic.