(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Small Town Poll has tracked a sharp decline in membership in local service clubs. David Peters, a rural sociologist with Iowa State University Extension, says the poll started surveying residents in 125 Iowa towns in the early 1990s.

In the early 1990s, about 20 percent of the residents in a typical small Iowa town were members of a fraternal group.

Peters says the Iowa Small Town Poll found membership in service clubs was relatively stable from 1994 to 2004 and the sharp decline started about 2010.

National data shows membership all organization, including churches, has been on decline for the past 40 years. But Peters says the decline has been particularly severe with fraternal groups.

Peters says another factor is younger adults who might want to be involved are commuting longer distances to work and don’t have as much free time in their home communities. When service clubs disappear, Peters says small towns lose the infrastructure that organizes and raises the money for a variety of events and causes.

Peters says his research shows younger adults DO want to help their communities, but they want shorter meetings, more flexibility, virtual options AND a group effort that’s not necessarily aimed at putting on the same events, year-after-year.

(Dubuque, Iowa) – Two people died following a crash Thursday afternoon south of Dubuque. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened at around 1-p.m. at the intersection of Skyline Road and U-S Highway 15, when the driver of an SUV failed to obey a stop sign and yield the right-of-way to a semi tractor-trailer before the SUV was struck by the semi.

The driver of the SUV died at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle was transported by ambulance to a local hospital and later flown by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, where they later died from their injuries. The driver of the semi was not injured.

The names of the victims were being withheld by the State Patrol pending notification of family.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A male suspect is in custody following a domestic incident involving shots fired Thursday morning in Council Bluffs.  According to KETV in Omaha, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s deputies say shots were fired at 6 a.m., and a male was not allowing a female to leave an RV.

Pottawattamie County dispatch placed the scene on Monument Road near the Lewis and Clark Monument and Park. The Iowa State Patrol and Council Bluffs Police assisted at the scene.  A deputy said the location has been a place of interest for months. Deputies said they took a while to make contact with the suspect but talked to him on the phone and arrested him without incident after about two hours.

Pottawattamie County confirmed the female is cooperating with law enforcement. The ages and identities of the two people involved are unknown at this time.

(New Market, Iowa) – A home in rural Taylor County sustained extensive damage during a fire late Thursday morning. The bulk of the damage occurred in the living room of the home at 1271 140th Street, near New Market. Extensive smoke and water damage was sustained elsewhere throughout the structure.  According to reports, firefighters from New Market, Villisca and Corning responded to the blaze, at around 11:30-a.m.

The home’s residents escaped without injury by the time firefighters arrived. Crews remained on the scene for a little more than two hours before operations was terminated. No firefighters were injured.

Photo courtesy of Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Sioux City, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports 34-year-old Shawn Juan Brown, who was convicted of Robbery 2nd Degree in Woodbury County, failed to report back to the Sioux City Residential Treatment Facility as required, Wednesday.

Shawn Brown (IA Dept. of Corrections photo)

Brown is a 5 Foot, 4 inch (5’04”), 186-pound Black Male. He was admitted to the work release facility on September 25th, 2024.

Persons with information on Brown’s whereabouts should contact local police.

(Radio Iowa) – If it’s been a while since you’ve seen an older relative, Iowans may be noticing certain signs over the long Thanksgiving weekend in how they’re acting that might indicate the start of a problem.

Megan Benzing, program manager for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says it’s supposed to be a joyful time, but it’s also an opportunity to take note of potential warning signs which may warrant further action.

“This is the time of year where families start gathering around the dinner table,” Benzing says. “It’s a very difficult time because this is going to be the time where all the family members may start to notice that their loved ones are experiencing changes in their memory, their thinking and their behaviors.”

Some of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s, especially early on, include forgetting recently-learned information, challenges planning or solving problems, and difficulty completing familiar tasks. It can be troublesome to watch a loved one struggle with what should be a simple chore.

“That might be confusing for a lot of people. They may not know what’s going on with their loved one but they should know that the Alzheimer’s Association is available around the clock 365 days a year,” Benzing says. “If you need to reach out and talk to somebody, we are available through our 24/7 helpline.”

That number is 800-272-3900. There are also a variety of resources available online.