WRIGHT COUNTY, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, on behalf of the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, said that at approximately 9-a.m. Monday, June 17, 2024, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible deceased person located at a rural Clarion residence.

Upon arrival, deputies located the bodies of a deceased male and female inside a residence. After further investigation, the incident is believed to be isolated and there is no threat to the public at this time.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was called to assist. An autopsy will be performed by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner.  This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.

(Radio Iowa) – Heavy rains and high winds hit parts of northwest Iowa this (Monday) morning. There was widespread tree damage in Estherville and a 60 mile per hour wind gust was reporting at the Estherville Airport around 3:30 a.m. A downed tree briefly blocked Highway 4 in Estherville, but crews quickly removed the tree and the road was open to traffic by 4:30.
Damage was also reported in Dickinson County. Emergency Management Director Mike Ehret says crop damage was reported around Milford and there are rising concerns about flooding due to the heavy rain.

Ehret says there’s minor flooding along the Little Sioux River, mainly affecting pastures. He says the water levels in the Iowa Great Lakes are very high, but it’s not quite yet at the point where boats are restricted to going no more than 5 miles an hour on the lakes.

State and federal officials have detected a case of bird flu in another herd of dairy cattle in Sioux County. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.

While avian influenza is fatal to birds and poultry, nearly all cattle who contract the virus recover.

Reminder: Tickets available for pre-sale through Friday, at garden locations on day of event.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Master Gardener group is excited to host walking tours of 4 private gardens in Atlantic on Sunday afternoon June 23. The garden walk will feature four unique garden spaces for participants to explore at their leisure and gain inspiration for their own gardens, while enjoying a variety of garden styles and designs. Gardens will be open for touring between 2-6 PM and may be visited in any order. Highlights from featured gardens included sun and shade gardens, custom garden décor, antique themed garden areas, unique seating areas and paths, pollinator gardens, perennial beds and more! Follow the Cass County Master Gardeners on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CassCoMG for sneak peeks of featured garden spaces leading up to the day of the tour.

The walk is coordinated by the Cass County Master Gardeners, but is open to everyone interested in gaining some gardening inspiration. Tickets for the walk are $10 each, with all proceeds going to support local Master Gardener projects and activities. Tickets are available now for purchase at the Cass County Extension office, and a registration form can also be printed at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Tickets should be presented at each location for admission.  A map of the tour locations and description of each garden is on each ticket purchased. Additional tickets may be purchased at any of the four locations on the day of the event. Tour locations will be shared online as the event date gets closer.

For more information about upcoming Master Gardener activities in Cass County, or to learn about becoming a Master Gardener, visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/master-gardener-program, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu.  In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!

(Radio Iowa) – The state says swimming is not advised at Pine Lake State Park in Hardin County due to high E-coli levels, while two public beaches at Storm Lake in Buena Vista County also exceed the state’s advisory threshold for the bacteria. That makes a total of 12 state park beach advisories issued so far this year. Daniel Kendall, the Iowa D-N-R’s lake and beach monitoring coordinator, says people should enjoy Iowa’s lakes and rivers, but he strongly recommends wearing life jackets.

People most at risk of getting sick are children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with underlying medical conditions, like cancer and diabetes. During the summer months, Iowa D-N-R staff collect water samples each week at 40 beaches to monitor for harmful bacteria and blue-green algae toxins. The DNR Beach Monitoring Website and Hotline are updated on Fridays.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Missouri was cited for Failure to Maintain Control, and arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/marijuana along with Possession of drug paraphernalia, following an accident that occurred just before Noon last Thursday (June 13th).

Authorities say 48-year-old Aaron Lee Becker, of Kansas City, MO., was driving a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup truck southbound on Talon Avenue near the intersection with White Pole Road.

A 2000 Peterbilt semi tractor-trailer driven by 22-year-old Nicholas Wayne Benshoof, of Winterset, was stopped at the intersection facing southbound. Becker failed to notice the stopped semi and rear-ended trailer, causing a total of $22,000 damage. No injuries were reported.

Becker was evaluated for driving under the influence and implied consent was invoked. A urine specimen was obtained and sent to the DCI lab for evaluation. Authorities say Becker admitted using his cell phone prior to the accident, but did not clarify if he was texting or calling someone.

DES MOINES, Iowa (June 17, 2024) – Food Bank of Iowa has received a $25,000 grant from State Farm to support mobile food distribution, helping Iowans to recover from the May tornadoes. The funds will provide the equivalent of 41,667 nutritious meals, supporting families recovering from these tragic storms.

“This generous grant from State Farm will help us to provide additional food assistance as we respond to the needs of residents in some of our hardest hit counties,” said Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book.

Food Bank of Iowa serves 11 of the 18 counties with disaster declarations: Adair (Greenfield), Adams, Clay, Dallas, Hardin, Jasper, Kossuth, Marshall, Palo Alto, Warren and Webster. The food bank stocks the shelves of more than 700 community and church pantries, school pantries and meal sites across 55 counties, as well as provides food assistance through mobile distribution and the elementary BackPack Program.

“At State Farm part of our mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life and recover from the unexpected,” said Apsara Sorensen, State Farm corporate responsibility assistant vice president. “State Farm is proud to team up with Food Bank of Iowa to help Iowans recover faster from these devastating storms.”

Food Bank of Iowa operates 46 mobile pantries across 30 counties. Families who need food assistance, including those recovering from disaster, receive a variety of shelf-stable and fresh foods, including produce, protein and dairy. Food is distributed at a prearranged site farmers market-style or in some cases, in a drive-through format.

In addition to mobile pantries, the food bank has been offering more frequent distribution, extra routes, additional distribution and other assistance to partners in the affected areas. Food Bank of Iowa also delivers and loans generators to partners to ensure food is kept safe and distribution can continue without interruption.

(Radio Iowa) – Sioux City Parks and Recreation dedicated its new Cone Park mountain bike trails this weekend. Spokesman John Byrnes says the trails are designed for riders of any age.

He says the Cone Park bike trails set Sioux City apart from anything else that’s available.

The city held a Trails Fest this weekend to introduce the new park.

Cone park already had splash pads for kids and walking trails. It also has winter tubing and the mountain bike trails are expected to bring in many more people to the area.

(Radio Iowa) – Delegates at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention adopted a resolution calling for a cease fire in the Israel-Hamas war. The statement calls for the immediate and safe return of all Israeli hostages being held by Hamas and the release of over nine-thousand Palestinians who’ve been jailed under Israeli martial law.

The Iowa Democratic Party resolution calls for delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza as well as an immediate, permanent and bilateral ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.

The decision from delegates was not unanimous. Some objected to the last part of the statement which calls for a halt to the sale or transfer of arms to Israel that may be used in contravention of international law. During debate on the topic, one delegate said the party shouldn’t chicken out on taking a stand on U-S military aid to Israel.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests were made and two citations were issued. Friday afternoon, 28-year-old Joshua James Jost, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Barred, after he was pulled-over for having too dark of a tint on his pickup’s windows. He was released from the scene with a citation. Friday night, 28-year-old Dereck Lorenzo Mitchell Elliott, of Stuart, was arrested near Menlo, for Driving While License is Denied or Revoked for OWI. His arrest followed an investigation into a non-injury accident at 110th Street and Pinewood Avenue in Adair County. Elliott was released later that same night on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Wednesday afternoon (June 12th), 20-year-old Anthony Arnold Anderson, of Prescott (IA), was arrested near Greenfield, for Driving While License is Denied or Revoked for OWI. He was issued a citation and released from the scene of his traffic stop. Anderson was also issued a written warning for Possession of Nicotine by a person under the age of 21.

And, On June 11th, 40-year-old Lindsay Lee Hommes, of Adair, was arrested by Sheriff’s deputies following an incident outside of the Subway Store in Adair. Following an investigation, Hommes was taken into custody for Assault with Bodily Injury, and Interference with Official Acts for allegedly lying to law enforcement about the circumstances surrounding the incident. She was released later that same day on a $1,000 cash-only bond.