(Randolph, Iowa) – One person was injured during a single-vehicle accident that took place at around 9:55-a.m. Friday (today), in Fremont County. Sheriff’s officials say a car driven by 58-year-old Teresa Elliott, of Randolph, was traveling south on 370th Avenue, east of Randolph, when the vehicle drove into the west ditch.

Elliott over-corrected and left the roadway to the left before rolling over and coming to rest on its wheels, in a cornfield. Elliott was transported by medical helicopter to a hospital in Omaha, for treatment of unknown injuries. The Sheriff’s Department said the woman was wearing her seat belt, and that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

Shenandoah Fire and Rescue assisted Deputies at the crash site.

(UPDATE/Radio Iowa) – Three people were found shot to death in the campground at Maquoketa Caves State Park early this (Friday) morning and authorities say suspect has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have identified the suspected gunman as 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, of Nebraska.

Police arrived at Maquoketa Caves State Park shortly before 7 a.m. after reports of a shooting and found the bodies of three campers. The campground was evacuated and the park was closed. The suspect’s body was found between 11 and 11:30 a.m. west of the park.

An agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says there is no threat to the public, but the park will remain closed.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs today (Friday) announced that 13 Iowa communities will receive the state’s support through two creative placemaking programs that put the arts, culture and history at the center of creative community development. The department designated new Iowa Great Places in Jefferson, Oskaloosa, Washington and Woodbine, and re-designated Appanoose County/Vermillion Township, Bondurant, Council Bluffs, Malvern, Maquoketa and the Turkey River Recreation Corridor. The department also designated new Iowa Cultural & Entertainment Districts in Iowa City, McGregor and Winterset.

“The Iowa Great Places and Iowa Cultural and Entertainment Districts form the backbone of our state’s overall community building and tourism strategy,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said. “Each place tells an authentic story, and we’re proud to support their proud community spirit and hard work.” Iowa Dept. of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer says “These communities are committed to transforming their towns and businesses by growing their creative workforce. These programs help Iowans develop and focus a vision for the sustainable development of their cultural places while generating new economic opportunities. We look forward to partnering with them to make their visions a reality.”

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs designates Iowa Great Places to support new and existing infrastructure that cultivates arts and culture, architecture, business, community diversity, historic assets, housing options and the natural environment in their neighborhoods, communities and regions. Today’s (Friday’s) announcement brings the total number of Iowa Great Places to 42 communities, which have collectively received more than $22 million in state support – while leveraging millions more in local investments – since the program started in 2005. Funding for the program comes from the Iowa Legislature through an annual appropriation from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund.

The department designates Iowa Cultural & Entertainment Districts to recognize well-identified, walkable, mixed-use destinations with a high concentration of flagship cultural facilities. Today’s announcement brings the total number of districts to 16. Both designation programs are key components of Iowa’s creative placemaking strategy, which drives cultural community development and economic opportunities across the state.

Arts and culture production accounts for more than $4.5 billion in economic activity, 43,000 jobs, and 2.3 percent of Iowa’s economy and is one of three key sectors that drive regional economies. In addition, more than two-thirds of young people choose a place to live before a job. Amenities and quality of life are key factors in their decisions. In rural areas, research shows that communities with more arts and design businesses, music venues and performing arts facilities attract more out-of-county visitors, have higher business innovation scores and experience faster population growth.

Both the Iowa Great Places and Iowa Cultural & Entertainment District programs are administered by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. The list of new Iowa Great Places and CED designations announced today follows:

In Western Iowa, newly designated Iowa Great Places include:

Woodbine and Willow Lake
Woodbine’s track record includes an iconic artistic grain elevator, historic street lights, the Downtown Sculpture Competition and the CREW Center, a $13 million regional wellness center that opened in 2021. Woodbine was recognized in 2014 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America for its outstanding downtown revitalization. Woodbine Main Street and Harrison County Conservation will lead the new Iowa Great Place project plans.

Woodbine downtown (Michael Morain photos)

Newly designated Iowa Cultural & Entertainment Districts include:

Winterset
The Winterset Cultural & Entertainment District is a walkable and accessible 11-block area that comprises multiple cultural, arts and tourism attractions along with green space, murals and public sculptures. It is anchored by the Winterset Public Library, Winterset Art Center, John Wayne Birthplace and Museum, George Stout Marker, Madhaus Gallery and the Madison County Chamber of Commerce and is home to 78 contributing buildings, such as the Iowa Theater, Madison County Courthouse, Iowa Quilt Museum and more.

Madison. Winterset. Iowa Theater. RAGBRAI, 7-21-19.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University professor is creating a podcast that tracks the subjects of letters written to the host of the popular syndicated radio program “American Top 40.” Emma Murray says she got the idea for a podcast while traveling to Council Bluffs listing to a rerun of the program in 2018.  ” I heard this letter that was submitted back in 1983 in August by a woman from Cedar Rapids and I was like I bet I could find this person,” she sys. “And so that was where it began. Love radio, love those letters that were written by people from all over the world into Case Kasem’s program and ended up finding that person from the 1983 episode and have just kept going from there.”

Kasem would dedicate a song to the person writing the letter based on what they had to say. He was known for telling listeners to “keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.” Murray is an assistant professor of English and started working with her students on the project last fall. She says they are creating a database featuring the “Dear Casey” letters that aired on the broadcast. “There are over 26-hundred letters that were written — so we are building a database to find these people one by one, reach out to them, and tell their stories about — okay you wrote this letter anywhere from 1978 to the early 2000s — where are you now?,” she says.

Emma Murray

Murray says it has been fun to talk to people about their old letters. “The response has been interesting. Most people think, ‘Ah, I didn’t think anyone would care about my letter’, but people did I do,” she says. “And this is just so diverse and just the human experience, love, love loss. Mental health is one topic that’s really popular. And kind of cool to see that back in the 70s. That was talked about, even with today and the mental health stigma.”

The Iowa Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts are funding this project. The first podcast in this series will go on www.dearcasey.org in late August.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s congressional delegation split their votes along party lines as Democrats in the U.S. House passed legislation that would ensure nationwide access to contraception. Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says people deserve the right to make decisions about when they want to have children and access to birth control is threatened by recent signals from the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says the bill had provisions that were too extreme. “It allowed for widespread use of abortion pills,” Hinson says. “It would violate conscience protections for health care providers. It could send taxpayer dollars to abortion providers as well.”

Hinson and a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina have proposed a bill that instead would guarantee women could buy birth control pills over the counter at a pharmacy. “That’s something I hear from a lot of women, the want to go to their pharmacy and get that pill,” Hinson says. “Millions of American women safely take these drugs already, so I see our solution as a common sense policy, particularly for women in rural areas who sometimes have to go a significant distance, maybe sometimes up to an hour, to get even a doctor’s appointment, let alone going to the pharmacy.”

Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa says as a state senator she introduced a bill to let women over the age of 18 buy oral contraceptives over-the-counter in Iowa, but Miller-Meeks says she opposed the bill Democrats’ proposed because it would require all health care providers to administer contraceptives despite their moral or religious beliefs. Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull also voted against the legislation. The bill is not expected to come up for a vote in the evenly-divided U.S. Senate.

Republican Senator Joni Ernst expressed her opposition during a speech on the Senate floor. “This bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Ernst said. “While the language touts access to family planning, in reality it’s likely a $5 billion gift to Planned Parenthood and other abortion-related providers.”

The chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party says the Republicans in Iowa’s congressional delegation are undermining the right of Iowans to decide for themselves if, when and with whom they want to have a family.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Nebraska was arrested Thursday afternoon, at the Pott. County Jail. Authorities say 50-year-old Janelle Marie Young, of Omaha, was taken into custody for Possession of Contraband in-or-on the grounds of the Correctional Facility. Her bond was set at $5,000. 24-year-old Christopher Logan Meadows was arrested on the same charge.

Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputies took custody Thursday, of a woman wanted on a Felony warrant. 36-year-old Jennifer Elizabeth Lindsay, of Omaha, was picked-up from the Douglas County, NE jail and transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail, where she was being held without bond on a State of Iowa warrant for Violation of Probation.

And, Thursday morning. 26-year-old Yom Mabior Aleu was transported from the Sarpy County, NE Jail to the jail in Pott. County. Aleu was wanted on a Felony warrant through the State of Iowa, for:

• Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree/Destruction or Damage of property (The damage was assessed at anywhere from $1,500-$10,000).
• Disarm/Attempt to Disarm an Officer (No discharge of weapon)
• Eluding, plus participating in a felony resulting in serious injury, and,
• Driving Under the Influence/OWI 1st offense.