OMAHA, Neb. — An Iowa man was charged in federal court after screaming about God and demons, attempting to open the cabin doors of a plane before takeoff at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield. Wesley Orban is charged with interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants. According to court documents, Orban was aboard a plane that was about to depart from Eppley heading to LaGuardia Airport in New York on Thursday.

A passenger told authorities that Orban began yelling “God is real” and spoke of demons, then jumped from his seat and ran toward the front of the plane, according to court documents. Flight attendants heard Orban yelling, “open the doors” and he started pounding on the cabin doors, attempting to open them, according to court documents. A flight attendant and four other passengers were able to subdue Orban, who then said, “I’m embarrassed, I don’t know why I did that,” court documents state.

The flight was suspended and the airplane was returned to the gate, with Orban being taken into custody by the Omaha Airport Authority Police Department.

(West Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with Hy-Vee announced Monday, that all Hy-Vee locations will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. In a news release, Hy-Vee says the stores plan to close so that the company’s more than 75,000 employees can “enjoy the holiday with friends and family.” .

All Hy-Vee grocery stores, Dollar Fresh Markets, Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, Wall to Wall Wine and Spirits, and Hy-Vee Wine and Spirits will be closed, but customers will still be able to pay at the pump for fuel at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh locations.

Jeremy Gosch, Hy-Vee’s CEO, said in a statement, “As we head into the holiday season, we want to once again show our appreciation for all our hardworking employees by providing them with quality time to spend with their loved ones.By closing our stores on Thanksgiving Day, our employees can focus on and enjoy their own celebrations.”

The company said that customers who buy holiday meal packs will be able to schedule a time to pick up their order before the holiday or by curbside pickup from 8 to 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested two men on separate charges late Monday night. At around 11-p.m., Officers conducted a traffic stop near Broadway and Maple Streets, in Red Oak. They arrested 18-year-old Michael David Johnson, of Red Oak, on two active warrants: one out of Page County for Violation of Probation ($2,000 cash-only bond), and on a Taylor County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree ($5,000 cash-only bond). Johnson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

And, at around 11:25-p.m., Monday, Red Oak Police arrested 52-year-old Philip Luke Turner, of Red Oak, in the 1400 block of Miller Avenue. Turner was taken into custody for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense. He was being held without bond, in the Montgomery County Jail, pending an appearance before the Magistrate.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest U-S-D-A crop and weather report shows Iowa’s soybean harvest is nearly complete and 94 percent of corn that’s harvested for grain is out of the fields. The 2023 corn harvest in Iowa is about 10 days ahead of the five year average.

According to the U-S-D-A, 58 percent of Iowa’s topsoil is short or very short of moisture. Subsoil moisture levels are worse, with only 30 percent considered adequate. Just one percent of subsoil in the state is considered to have excess moisture.

Temperatures over the past week averaged seven degrees above normal across the state. The high spot for precipitation was Clinton County, which recorded two-tenths of an inch.

(Radio Iowa) – An advocacy group for older Iowans is raising concerns about Alliant Energy’s proposal to raise its natural gas and electric rates. Brad Anderson is state director for A-A-R-P. “We look at pocketbook issues that impact older Iowans,” Anderson says,”and we have determined that now is just not t e right time to be raising rates on older consumers.”

Alliant has asked the Iowa Utilities Board to approve a five percent rate increase for its 250-thousand natural gas customers. Alliant is seeking a seven-point-seven percent increase in rates for its half a million electric customers in Iowa. Anderson calls that excessive.

“The proposal will raise residential natural gas and electric rates by nearly $300 million over the next two years,” Anderson says. “…This amounts to around $250 per year for residential customers.” Anderson says A-A-R-P is urging the Iowa Utilities Board to carefully review Alliant’s application, including its return on equity, which is a measure of its profitability.

“AARP certainly is paying attention to utility rates across the country because of the fact that older Iowans on a fixed income have been struggling over the last several years with inflation and that means that older Iowans have had to choose between paying for prescriptions or paying for food and rent,” Anderson says, “and we don’t want to add utilities into the mix here.”

Alliant says it needs to modernize and strengthen its energy grid by moving overhead power lines underground — and that will reduce power outages. About 20 percent of the company’s lines are underground today. Alliant’s last rate hike was in 2019 and since then the company says it has dealt with inflation and the repair of infrastructure damaged by the derecho in August of 2020. The Iowa Utilities Board has held four public hearings this month on Alliant’s rate hike request.

ATLANTIC, IA (November 14, 2023) – Produce in the Park’s 10th Annual Harvest Market 2023 is being held at the Cass County Community Center on Monday, November 20 from 3-6 pm. This fall farmers market offers local and handmade foods and crafts, and local foods will be making a strong showing.

3 Bee Farms will be at Harvest Market with honey, jams, jellies, syrups, popcorn, eggs, and a variety of produce.

Food vendors at Harvest Market 2023 will include:
● Bridgewater Farm – lots of produce such as greens, sweet potatoes, and squashes
● 3 Bee Farms – honey, eggs, jams, jellies, syrups, popcorn, squash, turnips, onions,
potatoes, and garlic. Frozen apple pies are available by preorder only by calling (402)
677-2460.
● Brun Ko Farm – chicken, lamb, granola, honey, garlic, and onions. Pies are available by
preorder only while supplies last at https://www.brunkofarm.com
● Noble Provisions – beef and more
● Neighborhood Bakehouse – breads
● Piper’s Brae Farm – aronia berries, jellies, and eggs
● Corn 4 a Cause – popcorn on the cob
● Frosting Inc. – gourmet cupcakes and other baked goods
● Kringleman Pastries – Danish kringle, letters, creamhorns, rye bread, and pastries
● Cakes, Cookies, and Confections – cookies, cupcakes, brownies, bars, and flavored
breads
● Sugar Mama Cookie Co. – pastries and desserts
Craft vendors:
● 360 Design & Landscape – Live gradlands, wreaths, swags, and artificial center pieces
● Imagine Garden Gift – Garden-inspired gifts, holiday decorations, plants in festive pots
● Solis Wolf Woodworking – Cutting boards, coasters, and wood decorations
● Aubrey’s Bows – Hair boys for infants and children
● Creekside Crystal and Crafts – Crystals, crystal jewelry, and macrame items
● Sharon Johnson – Baby blankets and dish cloths
● Crawleys Christ-Centered Creations – Wooden decor
● DeLaine’s Designs – Doll clothes
● JD Crafters – Cutting boards, charcuterie trays, coasters, cribbage boards, gifts, and
keepsakes
Food Truck: Game Time Eats – Cheesesteaks, burgers, and nachos with a variety of toppings

Harvest Market is held the Monday before Thanksgiving, so shoppers can pick up local foods and more to enjoy at holiday celebrations. Produce in the Park continues to accept vendor applications for Harvest Market, and additional holiday markets planned for winter 2023-2024. Vendor applications can be found online at  www.ProduceInTheParkAtlanticIowa.com; printed copies of the application are available at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce (102 Chestnut St., Atlantic, IA 50022).

Produce in the Park seeks vendors selling handmade or homegrown products, including local foods, as well as beauty products, candles, crafts, art, and decorations.

Harvest Market 2023 is sponsored by Cass County Farm Bureau, Cass Health, Gregg Young of Atlantic, 1st Whitney Bank & Trust, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Atlantic.

For the latest information on Harvest Market, and all Produce in the Park markets, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/).

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna reports, ” Pursuant to Code of Iowa Sec. 50.51, the Secretary of State’s Office has ordered a post-election audit of the November 7, 2023, City/School Election. By random selection, Precinct 5 City of Grant Mayor Race will be the precinct audited. The polling place location for Precinct 5 is the Elliott Community Building.

“The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office will conduct this audit on Wednesday, November 15 starting at 9:00 a.m. The audit will take place in the Supervisor’s meeting room in the Courthouse, 105 E Coolbaugh Street, Red Oak. Said proceeding shall be open to the public.”

(Radio Iowa) – An elderly central Iowa couple was killed in a car crash last night (Sunday night). Des Moines police say a Buick was turning at an intersection when it was struck on the passenger side by a Camaro. The Buick hit a utility pole and overturned, killing both occupants. They’re identified as 76-year-old Fred Lehman, and his 79-year-old wife, Mary. Both were from Des Moines.

Police say the driver of the Camaro was an 18-year-old Des Moines man.

Fred & Mary Lehman (Picture supplied by family via DMPD)

A news release says witness statements and evidence at the scene indicate a significant contributing factor in the crash was — the Camaro traveling at a high-rate of speed.

The teen driver’s name has not been released and there’s no word yet on any charges.

(Radio Iowa) – The board that governs Iowa’s three state-supported universities has shortened its name and released a new logo. A state government realignment law took effect July 1st. It shifted the Iowa School for the Deaf and Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired to be part of the Iowa Department of Education. The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, which previously managed those two organizations, is now to be known as the Iowa Board of Regents.

The board’s new logo includes this line: Governing Iowa’s Public Universities.

The Iowa Board of Regents has released a new logo today. A spokesman for the board says it was designed internally.

A news release from the Iowa Board of Regents describes the new logo and tagline as fresh, simplified — and a future-focused look for the Board of Regents’ brand.

On July 18th, Governor Reynolds unveiled a new logo and slogan for Interstate welcome signs and state agency websites. The Iowa Board of Regents has created its own branding. A spokesman for the board says the logo was designed internally.

(Radio Iowa) – Long-range weather forecasts predict favorable conditions in Iowa for Thanksgiving next week, while the travel forecast indicates it’ll be a very busy holiday on Iowa’s roads. Brian Ortner, spokesman for Triple-A-Iowa, says their estimates are showing a significant boost in Thanksgiving travelers for our region of the Midwest, which contains Iowa and five other states.

In the months since the COVID-19 pandemic ended, we’ve seen a steady increase in travel numbers for Iowa and across the country, as Ortner says many people are taking a “YOLO” attitude. “Back in late August, there was an initial survey done of our AAA members, asking them why they’re traveling now and why they’re traveling in more numbers, and a lot of them said because it’s the ‘You Only Live Once’ belief, and people want to get out and spend time with friends and family.”

When people make plans to take a trip, gasoline prices often won’t make an impact once their decision is made, but Ortner says it’s a nice bonus when pump prices fall in correspondence with a holiday. “If we look at the price per gallon today, on average across the state, we’re at $3.05,” Ortner says. “That’s a great number and there are some spots around the state that are even less than that $3 level. We compare that to a year ago at this time, we were at $3.51 a gallon so, more than 40 cents difference.”

The motor club says about four-point-three million people in our region will be traveling over Thanksgiving, with three-point-eight million going by motor vehicle and another 231-thousand will be flying. “We’re at a new high for what we consider ‘other travel,’ so that’s cruises, trains, bus and that sort of thing,” Ortner says, “and a lot of folks are heading for those destination cruises. That number is up almost 13% over last year.”

Nationwide, Triple-A projects 55-point-four million people will be traveling at least 50 miles from home over the four-day Thanksgiving holiday.