(Radio Iowa) – You can now access the past via your computer through the State Historical Society of Iowa’s online catalog. State Archivist, Anthony Jahn (Jan) says there are some 200 million pieces of history. “For decades we’ve been collecting Iowa’s past — its history. Through the books in our collection, other published materials, through things, items Iowans have donated to us — whether they be photographs or what we call manuscripts collections, they can be books, journals, personal papers,” Jahn says.

Jahn says the online catalog puts it at your fingertips without leaving home. “For decades the only way people could access those materials was by coming in and visiting our research center, our research libraries in Iowa City and Des Moines. Or seeing things that we made available to the public through online exhibits and so forth,” according to Jahn. He says making the catalog available is one of the key duties of the Historical Society. “These collections that we have here at the State Historical Society of Iowa, they’re the peoples’ collections. We’ve been tasked by the government of the State of Iowa to not only collect these materials from Iowans of from the government to organize them and make them available for the people,” Jahn says. “And so this is really a fulfillment of our task in Iowa law and kind of our rules of an organization to help people better connect with their past.”

October is Family History Month. “This is a great month to think about family history and what better place to learn about your family’s history than to come to the State Historical Society and look up marriage records, birth records, probate records, all these records that we have available within our institution,” Jahn says. He says the online catalog is easy to use. “Go to IowaCulture.Gov, and on the website there is a whole section dealing with history. And within that history section, there is a section call research. And if they click into that they can see more detail on our collection catalog,” he says.

Jahn says they hear from a lot of people doing research for projects or their personal information. “We average about 18-19-thousand questions a year. It’s gone up actually a little bit since the pandemic,” Jahn says. The project aligns with the department’s ongoing efforts to increase access to historical research materials, both online and at the State Historical Society of Iowa Research Centers in Des Moines and Iowa City. The society recently expanded visiting hours at both research centers to 9 a-m until noon and 1-4 p-m Wednesday through Friday by appointment.

(Radio Iowa) – Meat processors and agriculture officials are working to make sure they’re prepared for a highly-contagious swine disease. Tyson Foods, the U-S-D-A, the Iowa Department of Ag and other industry groups took part in a mock exercise last month to work on their response to a simulated African Swine Fever outbreak. Rosemary Sifford, with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, says the agency is monitoring the spread of the disease around the world. “Dominican Republic and Haiti right now are our biggest concern in terms of proximity of the virus to the United States and the risk level,” Sifford says, “but we do also still recognize the risk level for products and people moving from other countries that have the virus in Asia and Europe.”

Among the things the groups want to work on is encouraging trucks to get washed as soon as they leave a packing plant to avoid contaminating farms. During the exercise, KatieRose McCullough, with the North American Meat Institute, says the industry found some areas it needs to work on, including:  “Identifying maybe those employees that have hogs at home,” McCullough says. “Are they being provided different PPE to be wearing in our facility or alternative clothing?”

There is no vaccine for African Swine Fever. The disease can be deadly to pigs and economies could also take a hit. Some governments ban pork imports from countries where the disease is confirmed.

(by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests:

• On October 16th, 19-year-old Dominic Anthony Autera, of Council Bluffs, was arrested by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office for driving under suspension, and possession of a controlled substance.  Autera was transported to Cass County Jail, where he later posted bond and was released; 31-year-old Brandon Michael Pahl, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for possession of a controlled substance.  Pahl was transported to Cass County Jail where he is currently being held on bond; and, 61-year-old Linda Sue Johannes,  of Corning, was arrested Saturday in Cass County, for OWI 1st offense.  Johannes was transported to Cass County Jail and was later released on her own recognizance.
• On October 14th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 44-year-old Jennifer Jessie Crom, of Anita, for public intoxication.   Crom was taken to Cass County Jail and where she later pled guilty and was released.