DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today announced mobile office hours across the Iowa Third Congressional District to assist constituents who may not be able to travel to one of the congressional offices located in Creston, Des Moines, and Ottumwa. At these mobile office hours, Iowans will be able to get help from their Congressional office with Social Security, Medicare, passports, visas, veterans’ benefits, military records, tax returns, and other issues with federal government agencies.

“My top priority is providing exceptional service and support to Iowans,” said Rep. Nunn. “My hope is that these mobile office hours will ensure ease of access for all Iowans to receive assistance from my office regardless of where they live in the Third District.”

The (area) schedule for August mobile office hours is below:

Adair County 
Fontanelle Public Library 
303 Washington Street, Fontanelle, Iowa
Thursday, August 1, 2024
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Madison County 
Earlham Public Library 
120 Chestnut Avenue, Earlham, Iowa
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cass County 
Atlantic Public Library 
507 Poplar Street, Atlantic, Iowa
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Adams County 
Prescott Public Library 
607 Second Street, Prescott, Iowa
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Ringgold County 
Matura 
306 South Garfield Street, Mount Ayr, Iowa
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Page County 
Essex Lied Library 
508 Iowa Avenue, Essex, Iowa
Thursday, August 29, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Montgomery County 
Villisca Public Library 
204 South Third Avenue, Villisca, Iowa
Thursday, August 29, 2024
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Additional dates and locations will be announced in the future.

Jace Thomsen of Cumberland had an emotional Cass County Fair.  He was named as the Fair Prince during the royalty coronation to begin the fair.  That gave him a chance to hand out awards and interact with many of the young 4-H and FFA members.  He won a lavender award with his heifer in the FFA Beef Show on Monday.  But, what happened at the livestock sale to close the fair on Tuesday left a number of people with misty eyes.

Jace lost his dad, 60 year old Jeff “Swampy” Thomsen, earlier this summer.

Local auctioneer Mark Venteicher said raising and preparing the cattle for the fair was something Jace and his father enjoyed doing together.  So, Mark and some friends decided to make the sale of that heifer a big one.  The packer price from Tyson Foods was set at $1.95 per pound on the 1,234 pound heifer.  Venteicher and Massena Livestock Sales, along with Anita Vet Clinic, Dave Steffen, 21st Century Co-op, Houghton State Bank, Dan’s Welding, Bill Hosfelt, Curt Behrends, Steve Jorgensen, Tanner Farms, Mike Pellett, Darrin Shafer, Mitch Kleen, Glenn Sonntag, Greg Zellmer and Dave Williamson pooled their money together to provide Jace with a purchase price of $9.25 per pound, making the total on the animal $11,414.50.

Venteicher said they wanted to show support for Jace and provide some money for college.

It was, of course, the biggest sale from another successful livestock auction at the Cass County Fair.

(Iowa DNR News) – Pheasant hunters across the northern half of Iowa had an excellent season last year, and many are looking forward to what 2024 has in store. The fall forecast will be based on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) annual roadside pheasant counts, that begins Aug. 1.

The statewide survey is conducted by Iowa DNR staff between Aug. 1-15, who drive 225, 30-mile routes on gravel roads at dawn on mornings with heavy dew. Hen pheasants will move their broods to the edge of the gravel road to dry off before they begin feeding, which makes them easier to count.

In June the DNR issued its annual prediction for the roadside counts, which uses a weather model based on the snowfall, rainfall and temperatures from the past winter and spring.  The model provides a best guess at what the counts might look like, and it is predicting numbers to be likely lower than last year.

A pheasant flying over corn. (DNR photo)

But the best indicator for the fall season is the August roadside survey that counts actual pheasants seen along more than 6,000 miles of rural, gravel roads.

The August roadside survey has been conducted over the same routes since 1962. In addition to pheasants and quail, the survey collects data on partridge, cottontails and jackrabbits. Results will be posted online at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey in early September. Iowa’s pheasant season begins Oct. 26.

(Radio Iowa) – Thunderstorms have been rolling across Iowa bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Winds were clocked between 60 and 70 miles an hour in Sioux City in western Iowa just before midnight. Numerous power lines were knocked down by falling tree limbs.

Sioux City Fire Captain Ryan Collins says they did have to rescue two people from a home. “A tree had fallen into the house and the occupants were unable to get out on their own and crews were actually able to remove them off their deck using ground ladders and those occupants are being taken care of,” he says. Collins says they had some three dozen calls of trees down on power lines.

He says some neighborhoods were blacked out after losing power and that makes responding more dangerous. “The headlights of the apparatus is the sole means of elimination. It’s tough to see those black power lines that are laying across the road or even large trees that are completely blocking roadways,”Collins says. “A lot of times you’re not going to see it until you’re right up on it. And as always, we respond with caution but especially, you know, after storage, we have to have a little extra bit of caution. We just have to slow it down a little bit.”

Tree down after the storm in Sioux City. (KSCJ photo)

MidAmerican Energy spokesperson Tina Hoffman says line damage from trees can take longer to repair. “Our tree crews often have to get in first to clear away that debris before our line crews can get in and get to work with restoring service,” she says. There were some 1,300 customers without power as of 10 a.m. in Sioux City and Hoffman says they may not have all of the power back on until six this evening.

There were some 16,000 power outages in central Iowa right after the storm came through.

(Radio Iowa) – A lake front property in northwest Iowa that’s been on the market for a decade has sold for nine-and-a-half MILLION dollars — the highest price on record for an Iowa home. The home in Spirit Lake, located on the shore of West Lake Okoboji, is known as Peace Harbor. It was built in 2004 for Tom Bedell. Bedell is the former C-E-O of Pure Fishing and son of the late Berkley Bedell, a former Iowa congressman who founded the company in 1937. The home has eight bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a media room named for Spirit Lake’s first movie theater and a replica of an Irish pub that can host up to 300 people.

A news release says the sale was listed through Christie’s International Real Estate Network in late April and a buyer, whose name was not disclosed, signed a contract within 10 days. The sale was completed Monday.

Peace Harbor in Spirit Lake, Iowa (Photo by Drew Dau, provided by @properties-elleven Christie’s International Real Estate)

The home was originally listed for sale in late 2013 and the asking price was 14-point-nine million dollars. In a statement released by Christie’s International Real Estate today (Tuesday), Tom Bedell said it was a dream to create a home to host family gatherings and raise his kids during their high school years and Bedells are thrilled another family gets to define its new purpose.

(Iowa DNR News) – Fishing for catfish is a fun summer tradition for many Iowa families. Invite someone new to fishing to come along to share the fun and memories. “Catfish will bite most of the time, no matter what the water temperature,” explains Daniel Vogeler, Iowa DNR fisheries technician. “They are biting in most lakes, ponds, rivers and streams across Iowa.” Bring along two coolers with ice, one to keep your bait firm and fresh and another to keep your catch cold and preserve that great taste.

Catfish have a great sense of smell and taste. Try prepared dip baits, chicken livers, minnows or chubs, green sunfish, bluegill, crawdads, frogs, nightcrawlers or dead, but fresh, goldeye or gizzard shad. Lakes stratify, or form layers, this time of year, with cool, oxygen-deprived waters sinking to the bottom. Don’t fish in water deeper than 8 to 10 feet on most lakes.

Look for areas with vegetation, brush piles or rock. Use the DNR interactive fishing atlas to help you quickly find these spots. Fish the upper ends of the larger reservoirs where the water is shallower and baitfish like gizzard shad gather. Use baits fished on the bottom or suspended off the bottom with a bobber and let current or breeze move the bait to find active catfish.

Iowa rivers are loaded with catfish. Look for fish around downed trees and brush piles, but don’t overlook rock piles or other objects that deflect water and form a current seam. Position your bait just upstream of brush piles so the scent of the bait is carried downstream into the structure to draw the catfish out. Anchor the bait with a heavy weight so it doesn’t drift into snags. If fishing the big rivers, try upstream and on the tips of wing dykes and wing dams on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Find more tips for catching, cleaning and cooking catfish on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/Fishing-Tips-How-Tos/How-to-Fish-For-/Channel-Catfish-Fishing.

(Radio Iowa) – A Kansas man has died after his crop-dusting helicopter crashed in northeast Iowa. Chickasaw County Sheriff Ryan Shawver says that at about 1:30 pm Monday afternoon, they received a 911 call of a recording that the owner of the iPhone has been involved in a crash and gave coordinates. Deputies were dispatched and determined a crop-dusting helicopter had crashed northeast of Nashua. The pilot, Eleazar Villafranca Junior of Manhattan, Kansas, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Chickasaw County Medical Examiner.

A full autopsy has been ordered to be completed by the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office. The crash site remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol, the FAA and the NTSB.

(Radio Iowa) – Thunderstorms have been rolling across Iowa bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Winds were clocked between 60 and 70 miles and hour in Sioux City in western Iowa just before midnight. Numerous power lines were knocked down by falling tree limbs. MidAmerican Energy spokesperson Tina Hoffman says line damage from trees can take longer to repair.

“Our tree crews often have to get in first to clear away that debris before our line crews can get in and get to work with restoring service,” she says.

There were some 13-hundred customers without power as of 10 a-m and Hoffman says they may not have all of the power back on until six this evening.

(Council Bluffs, IA) – The future of career-based education in Pottawattamie County is strong, with the Iowa West Foundation committing nearly $1 million to local school districts and education partners as part of its ASPIRE investments for the second year. The initiative allows urban and rural districts flexible funding to grow existing workforce training programs or launch new opportunities for their students that result in meaningful and financially stable career paths. Brenda Mainwaring, President and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation, says “The benefits of ASPIRE are multi-faceted. Not only do students thrive when their education is meaningful to their future, but also the business community benefits when the workforce pipeline is prepared to enter in-demand jobs. We want everyone to imagine a successful future for themselves, right here in Pottawattamie County.”

In addition to the school districts, ASPIRE supports education partners including Iowa Western Community College, STARS, and Avenue Scholars of Southwest Iowa. Of the high schools in rural areas of Pottawattamie County who receive ASPIRE funding, two have elected to use the $25,000 in funding allotted toward a partnership with Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates or iJAG. The Foundation also awarded a series of grants to non-profit organizations that fight hunger and food insecurity in southwest Iowa, which is at an all-time high according to Brian Barks, President and CEO of the Food Bank for the Heartland.

“This grant will have a direct impact on families and individuals living in food deserts across Pottawattamie, Cass, Montgomery, and Shelby Counties in southwest Iowa,” he said, noting the consistent access to healthy foods through its Mobile Pantry Program. “This additional support will deliver hope and nutritious food to neighbors in southwest Iowa, helping them focus, live, and thrive.” Both the Food Bank for the Heartland and the Food Bank of Iowa received $30,000 grants. The Food Bank of Iowa’s funding will supply pantries in Adams, Audubon, Carroll, and Taylor counties and their school-based weekend backpack program. Lastly, Together Inc. received $200,000 to continue pantry operations in Council Bluffs. The organization will move into its new permanent location at the Iowa West Foundation Collaboration Center in September.

Partnerships with local casinos Ameristar, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe make it possible for the Foundation to continuously award outcome-focused grants in southwest Iowa communities. Fees from gaming and income from Foundation investments provide funding for programs and projects that benefit the residents of 14 counties in southwest Iowa.

The Iowa West Foundation has a two-step grants process, with Letters of Inquiry (LOI) accepted year-round. LOIs received by Sept. 1 will be considered in the next cycle with final applications due by Sept. 15^th. All applicants will need to create a Giving Data account to access the LOI and application unless they have already done so. A grant application workshop will be held on July 31^st in Harlan.

2024 Cycle 2 Grants and Initiatives
ASPIRE

• AHSTW Community School District $25,000
• Avenue Scholars of Southwest Iowa $215,000
• Council Bluffs Community School District $325,000
• Iowa Western Community College $69,500
• Lewis Central Community School District $100,000
• Riverside Community School District $25,000
• STARS Scholarships $350,000
• Treynor Community School District $25,000
• Tri-Center Community School District $25,000

American Midwest Ballet: Operating funding, $125,000
City of Carroll: Historic Band Shell in Graham Park, $7,500

City of Council Bluffs: FIRST AVE mural program, $77,500

City of Glenwood: Welcome sign, $15,000

Family Crisis Centers, Inc.: 24/7 Iowa Victim Service Call Center in IWF funding area, $8,500

Food Bank of the Heartland: Support for mobile pantries, $30,000
Food Bank of Iowa: Support for school-based pantries, weekend backpack programs, and mobile pantries, $30,000

Heartland Family Service: Capital funding for the therapeutic education center in Council Bluffs, $365,000

Immigrant Legal Center: Legal services in SWI,$85,000

Iowa Western Community College Foundation: Support for the IWCC Arts Center’s 2024-2025 Season, $34,000

 Metro Revamp Collective: Risk mitigation for property owners who rent to tenants at risk of being unhoused, $30,000

Micah House: Shelter and support services, $80,000

National Alliance on Mental Illness -SWI: Peer-led mental health support, outreach, and services, $35,000

Nature Conservancy of Iowa: Protect and provide public access to 472 acres of Loess Hills prairie habitat near Council Bluffs, $500,000
Nebraska Diaper Bank: Diapers for children in need in Pottawattamie County, $10,000

Kiewit Luminarium: Luminator internship program & STEM enrichment in SWI, $50,000

Omaha Symphony Association: Music education programs in SWI , $21,000

Opera Omaha: Iowa Community Engagement, $15,000 

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.: Healthy relationships workshops in Council Bluffs schools, $10,000 

Silver City Ambulance Service: Cardiac Monitor Defibrillator, $4,000

Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund: Housing repair, $125,000

The 712 Initiative: Operating funding, $125,000

The Rose Theater: Field trips for 17 SWI schools, in-school programs at two Council Bluffs schools, $15,477
The Wellbeing Partners: WhatMakesUs campaign, $5,000

Together Inc.: Council Bluffs Pantry operating expenses, $200,000

Union Pacific Museum Association: Railroad Days 2024, $23,000
University of Nebraska Foundation – Samuel Bak Museum: Field trips for Council Bluffs students, $15,470

Women of Color: Iowa West Foundation initiative, $50,000.