Ames, Iowa – The Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) say they are excited to announce the commencement of the 15th annual Iowa’s Best Burger contest. The highly anticipated event has become a hallmark of culinary excellence, showcasing the diverse and delicious burgers crafted by Iowa’s talented chefs and restaurateurs.

This contest is not just a competition; it’s a celebration that showcases the valued partnership between Iowa’s cattlemen and food service providers through memorable and delicious beef experiences. Past winners of the Best Burger contest have seen a significant increase in foot traffic, attracting new patrons eager to savor the award-winning burger.

To qualify for the title of Iowa’s Best Burger, the burger must be a 100% real beef patty and served on a bun or bread product. Nominations will be accepted online through March 12^th. Voting will close at 5 p.m. on March 12^th. The Top Ten list will be announced March 18^th. The 2024 Best Burger in Iowa will be announced on May 1^st with the kick-off of May Beef Month in Iowa.

Key Highlights from the 2023 Iowa’s Best Burger Contest:

Since being named the home of Iowa’s Best Burger for 2023, Flight Bar + Grille in Huxley has been serving a record-setting number of burgers. “Overall, our restaurant sales have doubled since winning this highly-coveted award,” said Matt Pacha, who owns the restaurant with his wife Marianne. “In May, after the announcement, we sold 5,000 Foundation burgers. Before receiving the honor, the most Foundation burgers we sold in a month was 859.”

The Foundation burger at the Flight Bar & Grill, in Huxley.

In addition to crushing the previous sales records, winning the annual Best Burger contest resulted in across-the board increases for many food items during May:

• Foundation burgers sold: 5,000 (last year, the average monthly sales were 250)
• Pounds of beef turned into burgers: 4,600 (compared to 1,200 pounds in May 2022)
• Pounds of French fries sold: 4,500
• Pounds of white onions used: 1,300

“Through initiatives like Iowa’s Best Burger contest, we aim to highlight the quality and flavor of beef while fostering a sense of community and culinary pride,” said Kylie Peterson, Director of Marketing and Communications for IBIC. “As we commemorate the 15th anniversary of this contest, we extend an invitation to all Iowa restaurants to participate.”

CLICK HERE FOR CONTEST DETAILS.

(Radio Iowa) – A leader in the Teamsters union is calling on members to prepare for action if the legislature passes a bill that could dissolve some union bargaining units that represent government employees. Jesse Case is secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 238, which represents workers in the private sector as well as state and local government employees, including school bus drivers and snow plow drivers. “We’re not going to let them burn down the house of labor without a fight,” Case said. “…Prepare for rolling strikes across the state of Iowa.” Public employees in Iowa are barred from striking. A statement on the local Teamsters union’s website does not mention strikes, but says there will be rallies, pickets, press conferences and protests against the G-O-P legislators who back the bill.

“Here’s what we’re going to do: we’re going to take the fight to them,” Case said. “We’re going to take the fight to their town, to their county, to their farm, to their business.” In 2017, the legislature passed a law that requires public employees to vote before contract talks begin on whether they want union representation in negotiations. The bill would automatically end union membership for public sector workers if their employer fails to send a list of eligible voters to the state agency that oversees the recertification elections. The Iowa Public Employment Relations Board says 40 percent of government agencies failed to submit those lists in the past four years and Republican senators say they believe union members are pressuring their bosses to avoid recertification votes. Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum of Dubuque says it’s not the union members who failed to follow the law, but their managers.

Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum (D=Dubuque) on Iowa Press set on Feb. 9, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Iowa PBS)

“That bill is a union busting bill,” Jochum says. “…It’s just wrong and it’s just the final nail to try to end collective bargaining for public workers.” Jochum supports the Teamsters’ call for protests and pickets if the bill passes. “It’s a call to action,” Jochum says. “If you believe in your right to collectively bargain in good faith for your wages, your benefits and your working conditions we need you and we need your voice now.” Jochum made her comments this weekend during an appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports a central Iowa man was arrested last week on an Adair County warrant. 23-year-old Trayvon Damontas Patrick Taylor, of Des Moines, was arrested Wednesday morning on a warrant for Failure to Appear on an original Violation of Probation, charge. Taylor was being held in the Adair  County Jail without bond, until being released later that same day following time served.

And, on Feb. 6th, 25-year-old Austin Brian Lanny Benge, of Greenfield, was pulled over for a traffic violation (no seat belt). A records check confirmed Benge’ drivers license was barred and there were three withdrawals in effect: for a suspension related to failure to re-file an SR-22 Insurance form; Habitual Offender; and a Revocation for OWI. The Deputy noted also, the vehicle’s registration was not current.

Benge was transported to the Adair County Jail and issued a citation for Driving While Barred and the Registration violation. He was issued written warnings for No Seat Belt, No Insurance, and Unlawful possession of a license, as well as failure to transfer a vehicle’s title. Benge was released after being issued his citations.

(Radio Iowa) – A state senator from southeast Iowa says the Iowa Fertilizer Company near  Wever has been a massive economic success for the region and is poised for possible expansion. The Dutch company that owns the facility is selling it to Koch Industries for three-point-six BILLION dollars, if federal regulators approve the deal. Senator Jeff Reichman is a Republican from Montrose, which is about 20 miles northeast of the plant.

“I am personally excited about the sale and I share the excitement with Southeast Iowa Regional Planning, Greater Burlington Partnership and Lee County Economic Development about the possibilities of expansion and investment,” Reichman says. Democrats in the Iowa House say the sale will make consolidation in the fertilizer industry worse and will likely lead to higher fertilizer prices for Iowa farmers. They also say the tens of millions in state and local tax breaks awarded more than a decade ago to the company that built the plant were intended to spur competition with Koch Industries, which is the country’s largest privately-held company.

Reichman says liberals are obsessed with Koch Industries because Charles and the late David Koch have been influential donors to Republican candidates. “They are a leader in this fertilizer market and do want to continue to grow,” Reichman says. The fertilizer plant was first proposed in 2012 as a project of Orascom, a construction company based in Egypt. Orascom was purchased the following year by O-C-I, which is headquartered in the Netherlands.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to set new standards for future pipelines and electric transmission lines as well as wind farms and solar arrays is among the many bills that face a deadline. Bills have to clear a committee in the Iowa House or Senate by the end of this week or they’re set aside for the year. Republican Senator Dennis Guth of Klemme says one goal of his bill is to ensure companies that install pipelines and electric generating facilities on farmland are responsible when problems — like sink holes — crop up long into the future. “It’s pretty scary when you’re going through a field with combine and suddenly there’s a hole right in front of me,” Guth says. “I stopped one time with my corn head hanging over the hole going, ‘Oh! I need to back up here.’”

Guth’s bill would require that all pipelines and any underground transmission lines be buried at least eight feet deep to ensure proper drainage through tile lines. “It also makes sure that landowners that are resistant are not harassed by the companies. It allows for initial contact and, after initial contact, the landowner has to sign off on a letter to say: ‘Yeah, it’s OK. I want to continue negotiating,’” Guth says. “I know there have been some landowners, especially older landowners, that finally gave in just because they just wanted these people to go away and that’s really not the way to win a contract.”

Governor Reynolds has said she’s open to changing state regulations for pipeline permits in the future, but she says it would be unfair to change the rules for carbon pipeline developers Summit and Wolf. Guth’s bill is not retroactive. “It does not actually affect the current pipelines,” he says. “Kind of wish it did, but I know that anything that’s doing that is not getting anyplace in the senate.”

Earlier this month, the GOP leader in the senate said there’s no consensus among the 34 Republican senators on a pipeline-related bill.

(Radio Iowa) – With Valentine’s Day this week, one expert says the best gift some couples can give each other is a healthier relationship based on honest communication. Amber Sherman, a licensed clinical social worker in Iowa, says all couples have disagreements, but to keep things from spiraling out of control, she suggests couples set ground rules for “fair” fights when they’re not in the middle of one. “Having that conversation when we’re not arguing is a big deal, you know? So we’re going to take some time as a couple just to decide when things get heated, this is how we want to handle it,” Sherman says. “I might take a timeout, I might walk away, we might develop a phrase that kind of checks the other person and says, ‘Nope, this is too much and we’re going to step away and come back to this conversation.'”

She says conflict resolution for a couple is much easier when that couple isn’t already embroiled in a conflict. Disagreements need to be productive, Sherman says, not nasty, which is why some basic rules are really helpful. “Deciding on that outside of an argument is huge, because I think that what happens is, our fight-or-flight instinct kicks in and we can’t make rational decisions,” Sherman says, “and so we really encourage people to decide how to fight fairly when you’re not fighting.” Some people face relationship challenges based on how they were brought up, their personal preferences and personality types, but Sherman says everyone is capable of having a healthy relationship. For some, she says counseling may help, as it takes work.

“Self-reflection is important, whether you’re in a relationship or whether you’re not,” Sherman says, “being able to kind of seek to understand how you tick and what you need in a relationship, or even in the rest of your life, is really something that a therapist or counselor can help you sort through.” Sherman is manager of the Employee Assistance Program at Gundersen Health System, which has clinics in Fayette, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing, Postville and Calmar, and a hospital in West Union.

(West Des Moines, Iowa/KCCI) — A teacher at a West Des Moines high school accused of having sexual contact with a student is pleading guilty. Kristen Gantt, of Des Moines, was teaching English at Dowling Catholic when she was arrested last April. Police say she admitted to inappropriate contact with a student at least five times in her classroom.

In a criminal complaint, police say they found evidence of “clear and concise grooming activity” in conversations between Gantt and the student, including some with “direct sexual overtones.” Court records show she pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation by a school employee.

Gantt faces up to two years in prison and must register as a sex offender.

(Stuart, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch) – For several months in 2023, an Iowa nursing home employed an aide with a history of theft, and a hospice program employed a caregiver on a registry of known abusers. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says State records indicate that in March 2022, Community Care Center of Stuart hired Justin Harlan to work in the facility as a dietary aide. In November 2023, the nursing home learned from local police that Harlan had outstanding warrants for his arrest due to alleged probation violations in the state of Arkansas.

The home’s management then contacted Arkansas authorities and allegedly learned that in 2018, Harlan had been convicted of felony theft by receipt of $25,000 or more, and that in 2022, after starting work at the Stuart facility, he had pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. Harlan was fired a short time later, with the company stating that because of his criminal record, state regulations barred him from working in an Iowa nursing home.

An administrative law judge recently presided over a hearing on Harlan’s application for unemployment benefits. The judge found that at the time of his hiring, Harlan had informed the care facility of his 2018 conviction. On the form where he was to provide specifics of the crimes, Harlan wrote “theft by receiving” but did not provide the location or date of conviction, and his application made no mention of having lived in Arkansas. The employer ran a background check at the time, but only for criminal charges initiated in Iowa, and so the check showed no criminal history and Harlan was hired, Administrative Law Judge Stephanie Adkisson found.

Adkisson ruled recently that Harlan is entitled to unemployment benefits, noting that at the time of his hiring he had disclosed his one criminal conviction and “had made no attempt to hide his criminal background.” The home, Adkisson found, “did not follow up with (Harlan) to gather additional information relating to his criminal history, despite his disclosure of a conviction on the application.”

Five other Iowa health care workers had their unemployment cases held recently before a judge. An administrative law judge recently awarded benefits to a fired caregiver who had been working in hospice care while on a state registry of abusers. The four other workers’ unemployment claims were denied by a judge.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Parent-Teacher conferences in Atlantic, scheduled for February 14th and 15^th, will embrace the theme “Trojan CommUNITY: Explore Our OpportUNITIES.” School officials say in a first-of-its-kind event for the commUNITY, the Atlantic High School will open its doors not just for discussions about student progress, but to exhibit the talents, projects, and unique opportunities that our school offers. From the fascinating world of aviation projects to the creative expressions in our art classes, every department will present something special.

Event Highlights Include:

Interactive Showcases: Engage with our educators and students in interactive displays, spotlighting the dynamic learning environment at Atlantic High School. CommUNITY Engagement: Experience a soup supper hosted by district educators, with free will donations that will be used to support AHS’s Lullaby Fund (a fund that helps with special needs of our students–clothing needs, SWITA passes, gas cards, etc.). District educators will serve the community while supplies last, during this event.

Cultural Advocacy: Explore various booths showcasing after-school programs and community resources. AHS Prinicipal Heather McKay says “We are excited to open our doors and share the heart of our school with the community. This event is more than a conference; it’s a celebration of our students, educators, and the strong community bonds that make our school a special place.”

Atlantic High School

McKay says “We warmly invite all parents, guardians, students, and community members of Atlantic to join us in this unique and engaging experience. Together, let’s celebrate the achievements of our students and explore the opportunities that lie ahead.”

The event will be held Tuesday February 14th (from 5-8 PM) and February 15th (from Noon-4 PM, & again from 5-8 PM), at the Atlantic High School, 1201 E. 14th St.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report two arrests and an incident of theft. At around 5:37-a.m. Saturday, Creston Police arrested 24-year-old Keifird Kewaun Griffith, of Mississippi. Griffith was charged with OWI/2nd Offense and Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/2nd offense. Griffith was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $3,000 cash or surety bond.

And, a little after 12-a.m. today (Monday, Feb. 12), 38-year-old Skyler Lee McIntosh, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense and Driving while Barred. McIntosh was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $3,000 cash or surety bond.

And, a Creston man reported to police last Thursday afternoon, that someone broke into a storage garage at 502 N. Walnut, in Creston. Two chainsaws valued at $750 were reported missing.