United Group Insurance

Sioux City pharmacy faces charges from state licensing board

News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy alleges it is no longer in the public interest to let a western Iowa Walgreens store distribute controlled substances. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the board has charged a Walgreens store in Sioux City with committing acts that render its registration under the Controlled Substances Act “inconsistent with the public interest.” The board has not publicly disclosed the nature of the alleged acts or any other basis for the charges. Businesses that stock or dispense controlled substance are required by law to be registered under both the Iowa and the federal Controlled Substances Acts. Federal registration is handled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, while state regulations are the province of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy.

The Board of Pharmacy has also charged the Sioux City store with failure to create and maintain complete and accurate records, and with failure to maintain accountability of controlled substances. A hearing on the charges has been scheduled for Sept. 11. The street address of the Sioux City store has not been publicly disclosed by the board, but the corporate store number referenced in the charging documents corresponds to that of the store located at 4650 Morningside Ave.

Earlier this year, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy charged eight other Walgreens stores in central and eastern Iowa with violating pharmacy-recordkeeping regulations related to controlled substances.

While the basis of those charges was not publicly disclosed, they could be tied to a set of sanctions imposed in 2022, when the stores were penalized for a variety of alleged violations, including missing narcotics, a lack of qualified personnel and issues that caused some Iowans to lose access to their medications.

Cass County Extension Report 6-26-2024

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

June 26th, 2024 by Jim Field

w/Kate Olson.

Play

California ‘price gouging’ ripples to Iowa

Ag/Outdoor

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – Farm advocates claim price gouging on meat and poultry in California is spreading across the country, including in Iowa, which is the nation’s largest hog producer.
California passed a law banning the use of gestation crates for raising hogs, and producers said it increased production costs which are rippling across the country to Iowa. Iowa has similar regulations on gestation crates. The agriculture advocacy group Farm Action has issued a report which shows in addition to blaming the California law, corporate meat producers also continue to use supply chain disruptions as an excuse to price-gouge.

Joe Maxwell, chief strategy officer for Farm Action, offered as evidence a 20% hike in California pork prices.  “It’s just a part of their doing business now,” Maxwell pointed out. “They find excuses in the markets to gouge that consumer. And one thing we want to be very clear on is that the consumer knows it’s not the farmer. The farmer’s getting squeezed just as much as is the consumer.”

Iowa is the nation’s leading hog producer, but still lost $32 per hog in 2023, a number experts said could grow this year. They blamed increased demand but have also come under scrutiny for trying to meet demand by raising hogs in large confinements, which are known to cause environmental damage.  Farm Action is the same group which, not long after the official end of the pandemic, asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate egg prices, which had tripled in some cases. The group researched U.S. Department of Agriculture data and said the numbers did not justify the price hike. Producers said other factors are driving up prices, including inflation and animal illness.

Maxwell added corporate food producers have positioned themselves to have outsize control over the market. “They’ve got that control over the farmer, not unlike oil companies have over oil fields,” Maxwell argued. “They now have that control because there are very few buyers of farmers’ commodities, so they have that control over the farmer, the producer.”

Iowa produces almost 50 million hogs a year. It costs nearly $4 billion a year just to feed them.

Texas teen enjoying success at Knoxville Raceway

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

A Texas teenager is in the points race at the Knoxville Raceway this season. Two years ago as a 17-year-old Chase Randall began competing in the 360 sprints at Knoxville with the goal of getting noticed.

After winning the 360 track title last year Randall is in his first season driving for TKS Motorsports in the 410 division. He has two feature wins already and sits fourth in points as a 19-year-old.

Both of Randall’s feature wins have occured in the past month and he likes how the team has progressed.

Randall says he had to transition to dirt racing after coming to Knoxville.

High School Softball Scores from Tuesday

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten 

Shenandoah 3, Essex 0
#9 Clarinda 13, St. Albert 3
Kuemper Catholic 6, Denison-Schleswig 0

Western Iowa Conference

#7 Audubon 12, CAM 4

Corner Conference 

Bedford 7, Stanton 2

Rolling Valley Conference 

Ar-We-Va 9, South Central Calhoun 7

Pride of Iowa Conference 

Southwest Valley 7, Central Decatur 4
#1 Martensdale-St Marys 7, #2 Wayne 4

West Central Activities Conference 

#10 Interstate-35  13, Panorama 1
#10 Interstate-35  16, Panorama 2
Woodward-Granger 11, Madrid 0

Tests To Be Required For Dairy Exhibitors

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says dairy exhibitors will be required to submit additional tests before their dairy cattle can be transported to a show to help minimize the potential spread of Avian Influenza. The Department’s order for fairs and exhibitions will go into effect on July 1st. The order will require dairy exhibitors participating in Iowa fairs or exhibitions to complete testing for Bird Flu within seven days of moving to the exhibition.

Secretary Naig says in a statement the state wants to strike a balance between allowing our 4-H, FFA, and dairy exhibitors the opportunity to show their animals, while also requiring additional testing to protect livestock and minimize the potential spread of the virus.

High School Baseball Scores from Tuesday

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten Valley 7, Lewis Central 2
Clarinda 7, St. Albert 2
Kuemper Catholic 7, Denison-Schleswig 3

Western Iowa Conference

IKM-Manning 3, Exira-EHK 1
Underwood 7, Woodbury Central 0

Corner Conference 

Bedford @ Stanton – Postponed, In the Bottom of 3rd, Stanton 1-0

Rolling Valley Conference 

South Central Calhoun 8, Ar-We-Va 2
Alta-Aurelia 8, Coon Rapids-Bayard 1

Raccoon River Conference

Winterset 12, Nodaway Valley 2

Pride of Iowa Conference 

Martensdale-St Marys 12, Wayne 0
Southwest Valley 10, Central Decatur 0

West Central Activities Conference 

Pleasantville 1, Ogden 0
Pleasantville 9, Ogden 6
Interstate-35  4, Panorama 0
Woodward-Granger 9, Madrid 8

Man arrested in Red Oak on assault & child endangerment charges Tuesday night

News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man was arrested Tuesday night in Red Oak, on assault and child endangerment charges. According to the Red Oak Police Department, Nathan Allen Aldrich was taken into custody at around 8:20-p.m., in the 200 block of S. 8th Street. Aldrich was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense, and four-counts of Child Endangerment. He was being held in the jail without bond, as of the latest report.

Severe storms Tuesday night pound parts of IA & NE with large hail & damaging winds

Weather

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, IA & Omaha, NE) – The National Weather Service offices in Des Moines and Omaha have compiled reports on the storms that whipped through Nebraska and Iowa late Tuesday. The reports ranged from cold air-type funnel clouds that never reached the ground, to tornadoes on the ground, and hail ranging in size from ping-pong balls to tennis balls. Winds in excess of 65 miles per hour caused damage to trees, power lines and structures.

Here are some of the reports from the Des Moines NWS Office:

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0354 PM     Funnel Cloud     1 SW Granger            41.75N 93.84W
06/25/2024                   Dallas             IA   Public

0409 PM     Funnel Cloud     2 E Perry               41.83N 94.06W
06/25/2024                   Dallas             IA   Public

0631 PM     Tornado          3 W Cumming             41.48N 93.81W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Emergency Mngr
            Location estimated.

0641 PM     Funnel Cloud     3 WNW Cumming           41.50N 93.84W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Public

0643 PM     Tornado          4 ESE Van Meter         41.50N 93.88W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Law Enforcement
            Brief tornado, dropping up and down near
            105th Ave and Timberview.

0644 PM     Funnel Cloud     5 WSW Cumming           41.45N 93.84W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Trained Spotter

0646 PM     Funnel Cloud     6 N Patterson           41.44N 93.87W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Public
            Funnel cloud reported by General Public.

0650 PM     Tornado          2 N Patterson           41.38N 93.88W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Trained Spotter
            Spotter reported brief touchdown north of Patterson.

0710 PM     Funnel Cloud     2 NW Winterset          41.36N 94.05W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Trained Spotter
            Spotter reported funnel cloud about 25% down from the cloud base.

0728 PM     Hail             4 NE Winterset          41.39N 93.96W
06/25/2024  E0.75 Inch       Madison            IA   Public
            Submitted photo of penny sized hail northeast of Winterset along Cumming Road.

0730 PM     Funnel Cloud     4 NNE Lorimor           41.19N 94.04W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Trained Spotter
            Funnel cloud along outflow boundary. Location estimated by radar.

0754 PM     Hail             Winterset               41.34N 94.02W
06/25/2024  M2.75 Inch       Madison            IA   Broadcast Media

0755 PM     Funnel Cloud     5 W Winterset           41.35N 94.11W
06/25/2024                   Madison            IA   Trained Spotter

0756 PM     Hail             5 S Earlham             41.42N 94.13W
06/25/2024  M2.50 Inch       Madison            IA   Trained Spotter

0757 PM     Hail             Winterset               41.34N 94.02W
06/25/2024  M1.50 Inch       Madison            IA   Emergency Mngr
            Ping pong hail in winterset.

0758 PM     Hail             1 NE Winterset          41.34N 94.01W
06/25/2024  E1.75 Inch       Madison            IA   Public
            Public reported golf ball sized hail on the northern edge of Winterset. 

0800 PM     Hail             Winterset               41.34N 94.02W
06/25/2024  M1.50 Inch       Madison            IA   Broadcast Media

0849 PM     Funnel Cloud     Charter Oak             42.07N 95.59W
06/25/2024                   Crawford           IA   Emergency Mngr
            Funnel cloud near town.

0850 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 NNW Audubon           41.73N 94.94W
06/25/2024  M65 MPH          Audubon            IA   Mesonet
            Measured by personal weather station.

0903 PM     Hail             Audubon                 41.72N 94.93W
06/25/2024  M1.00 Inch       Audubon            IA   Emergency Mngr

1000 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Stuart                  41.50N 94.32W
06/25/2024                   Adair              IA   Emergency Mngr
            Storm siren pole knocked down and tree limb damage.

1017 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 NE Adel               41.62N 94.02W
06/25/2024                   Dallas             IA   Public
            Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken; Shingles blown off.

1020 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     Lorimor                 41.13N 94.05W
06/25/2024  M62 MPH          Union              IA   Trained Spotter
            62 mph recorded wind gust on handheld anemometer. Blinding rain sheets.

1044 PM     Hail             Kellerton               40.71N 94.05W
06/25/2024  E2.00 Inch       Ringgold           IA   Trained Spotter
            Quarter to 2.25 inch diameter hail. Six minutes of hail. Small twigs broken off.

From the Omaha NWS Office:

1005 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Oakland                 41.31N 95.40W
06/25/2024                   Pottawattamie      IA   Public
3 very large tree limbs blown down.Numerous other trees blown down.

1054 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Clarinda                40.73N 95.03W
06/25/2024                   Page               IA   Public
            Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken; Power poles broken.
1004 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 WNW Macedonia         41.21N 95.48W
06/25/2024  M63 MPH          Pottawattamie      IA   Public
            From a personal weather station.

1002 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 S Council Bluffs      41.20N 95.86W
06/25/2024                   Pottawattamie      IA   Public
            Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken; Power poles broken.
0959 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     7 WNW Oakland           41.35N 95.53W
06/25/2024  M64 MPH          Pottawattamie      IA   Public
0940 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     5 E Council Bluffs      41.24N 95.76W
06/25/2024  E62 MPH          Pottawattamie      IA   Public
            From a personal weather station.
0946 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     Mcclelland              41.33N 95.68W
06/25/2024  M59 MPH          Pottawattamie      IA   Public
            From a personal weather station.
0805 PM     Hail             Harlan                  41.65N 95.33W
06/25/2024  M1.75 Inch       Shelby             IA   Public
0718 PM     Hail             Neola                   41.45N 95.61W
06/25/2024  E2.50 Inch       Pottawattamie      IA   Emergency Mngr
            Time estimated from radar.
0800 PM     Hail             Missouri Valley         41.56N 95.89W
06/25/2024  E1.50 Inch       Harrison           IA   Law Enforcement

0814 PM     Hail             Harlan                  41.65N 95.33W
06/25/2024  E1.50 Inch       Shelby             IA   Public
            Report from mPING: Ping Pong Ball (1.50 in.).
0806 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 E Harlan              41.65N 95.28W
06/25/2024  M72 MPH          Shelby             IA   Public
            A 72 mph wind gust was measured on a
            personal weather station 2 miles east of
            Harlan.
0803 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 NW Harlan             41.66N 95.34W
06/25/2024  M62 MPH          Shelby             IA   Public
            A 62 mph wind gust was recorded on a
            personal weather station on the northwest
            side of Harlan.

Creston woman injured in a collision between a UTV and a car

News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) – A collision between a UTV and a car Tuesday evening in Union County resulted in one person being transported to the Creston hospital. The Union County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened at around 6:42-p.m. on the High and Dry Road, south of Creston.

According to the Sheriff’s report, a 2012 VW Passat driven by 17-year-old Rebecca Janae Hoffman, of Diagonal, was traveling south on the High and Dry Road, and had attempted to pass a 2024 Polaris UTV operated by 24-year-old Alexis Elizabeth Baker, of Creston. Hoffman didn’t realize Baker was slowing down to turn left into a driveway, because the UTV had no functioning turn  signals.

Hoffman swerved to avoid colliding with the UTV, but her car clipped the left front tire of the UTV. Following the collision, the car entered the east ditch and came to rest. Baker was thrown from the UTV and suffered head injuries. She was transported by Medic 1 to the Greater Regional Hospital in Creston. Damage from the collision amounted to an estimated $3,400.

No citations were issued, but the Sheriff’s report noted Alexis Baker failed to signal her intentions as  a contributing factor in the accident.