(Creston, Iowa) – A woman from Creston was arrested Monday night on a warrant. The Creston Police Department reports 46-year-old Karina Lynn Wilkinson was arrested at 809 W Adams Street, a little after 7:30-p.m. Wilkinson was charged on a Union County Warrant with Possession of Controlled Substance-Meth 2nd Offense and Possession of Controlled Substance-Marijuana 2nd Offense. She was transported to the Union County Jail and later released on a $3,000 cash or surety bond.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report a man was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning. 61-year-old Daniel Mark Kinnersley, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 5:26-a.m., near N. 2nd and Joy Streets. He was charged with two counts of Harassment in the 1st Degree. Kinnersley was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,o00 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – We’re about one month into the new school year and some drivers are still forgetting to stop when school buses are dropping off and picking up kids. Sioux City Police Sergeant Mark Huberty says they’ve had to issue a number of tickets. “Just a reminder to citizens that you have to stop going toward them or when you’re behind them, so either direction you have to stop when those lights are on in the school bus stop sign is out,” he says. Huberty says violating the school bus law involves more than a ticket.

“First of all there’s a court appearance required, and the fines are from 345 dollars to 930 ,” Huberty says, “and the D-O-T will also suspend your your driving privileges for 30 days.” Huberty says they’ve seen too many drivers recently not paying attention. “Last week we had five of those violations come out, so want to make citizens aware that they need to be careful around the school buses. They have pretty good cameras and it’s pretty easy to see.” He’s referring to the cameras on the buses which can record the violation and information on the drivers.

(Radio Iowa) – A handful of public school districts in Iowa are holding classes four days a week and educators say other districts are considering the idea. Chris Coffelt is superintendent of the Central Decatur Community School District, based in Leon, AND the Lamoni Community Schools.

“I think that we have to look at it as a potential teacher recruitment and retention strategy,” Coffelt says. “There are school districts in our area that are evaluating it. There are school districts across the nation that are implementing it, so we are looking to see if that is something that makes sense for us.” Advocates of the move say it reduces student absences and gives teachers more time to plan and collaborate with other teachers.

“We’re also looking to see what would be the impact on students and families on that day that we’re not in session and ensuring we have supports for them,” Coffelt says, “so that child is taken five days a week even if they’re just in school four days a week.” The Cardinal Community School District in Eldon switched last November to holding classes Tuesdays through Fridays and Murray Community Schools made the move this fall.

A decade ago, WACO Community School District in Wayland was the first Iowa district to shift to a four day school week. Mormon Trail in Humeston and Moulton-Udell have also switched to four day weeks. About 90 percent of the U-S schools now holding classes just four days a week are in rural areas and the other 10 percent are suburban or urban settings. Brad Buck is superintendent of Waukee Community Schools, Iowa’s fastest growing school district, and he says they’ve had informal conversations about a four-day school week.

“There’s a school district in Missouri that’s about our size that went to it a year or two ago and so we’ve kind of been cautiously watching them to see if it’s something that we might consider,” Buck says. “The biggest challenge is that fifth day…What are students doing that’s productive and on that fifth day when they’re not in school?”

Buck and Coffelt made their comments earlier this month on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – The board that governs the three state universities will ask for less money from the Iowa Legislature for the new fiscal year than they requested last year. The Board of Regents will discuss an increase of just under 15 million dollars in general funding from the Legislature at their meeting in Iowa City Thursday. The Regents requested 32 million dollars last year and the Legislature approved a status quo appropriation with no increase.

The Regents then approved a three-point-five percent tuition increase for in-state students, and also approved salary or retention bonuses for the three presidents at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests.

Saturday evening, 46-year-old Andy Charles Andrew, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at 195th St/Highway 34, for Eluding, and Operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent. Bond was set at $3,000.

Early Friday morning, 44-year-old Kristopher David Lydon, of Glenwood, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. He was being held without bond.

Thursday night, Mills County Deputies arrested 44-year-old Tara Jean Hemiller, of Villisca, for Driving Under Suspension ($300 bond); Thursday evening, 46-year-old Ronald Lester Hemiller, of Villisca, was arrested for Driving While Barred ($2,000 bond); and, Thursday morning, 58-year-old Ruth Helen Starkey, of Omaha, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia (Bond $5,000).

(Radio Iowa) – Around 600-thousand central Iowans would get their water from the Central Iowa Water Works, under a plan to combine the Des Moines Water Works with 12 other systems. They would share wells, river intakes, treatment plants and other infrastructure under the plan. Des Moines Water Works C-E-O Ted Corrigan says a combined system would be more resilient, for instance, when drought makes water scarce.

“The last thing we want to do is start fighting over which community, which growing community, which established community, has the rights to use that water,” Corrigan says. “We want to work together.” Once a final agreement is approved, Corrigan says it would take about one more year for the new entity to take over operations. West Des Moines Water Works General Manager Christina Murphy says sharing infrastructure will spread out the cost of expanding in the future.

“Those technologies are not cheap,” Murphy says. “Going where you can find the best source water quality or the best quantity of water helps keep costs down for everybody.” Public meetings are planned in Des Moines and West Des Moines beginning this week to take public comment on the proposal.

Under the plan, the regional utility would provide water at the same wholesale rate to member utilities, and those members would still be in charge of delivering drinking water to homes and businesses.

(Radio Iowa) – A review committee is recommending the elimination or consolidation of 43 percent of state boards, commissions and advisory groups — slightly fewer than were listed in the committee’s initial report. The temporary review panel was established by the state government reorganization law Governor Kim Reynolds signed this spring and its report will be forwarded to state lawmakers, who’ll make the final decisions. Iowa Department of Management director Kraig Paulsen, who led the group, says it’s an important conversation.

“We searched and could not find a single other instance in our state’s history where there’s been a global conversation about boards and commissions,” Paulsen said. The review panel is recommending the consolidation or elimination of one-hundred-11 (111) state boards or commissions. “I realize some struggle to conceive of a situation where government is smaller and less intrusive,” Paulsen said, “but everyday Iowans can conceive of that.”

State Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, says he’s concerned by the recommendation to get rid of the so-called gender balance requirement that men and women be represented equally on state boards and commissions. “My concern has always been that we reflect who Iowa is when we put these boards and commissions together,” Bisignano said. The committee’s final report will be publicly released later this week.

The panel met this (Monday) morning at the statehouse and approved about two dozen changes to its initial recommendations. Iowa’s membership in the Midwest Higher Education Compact is no longer in doubt, after the group learned the compact saves the state millions through group purchasing. The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service had also been targeted for elimination in the review committee’s initial report, but that endangered 32 million dollars in federal funds for seven-thousand AmeriCorps volunteers who do community service work.

(Clive, Iowa) September 25, 2023 – The Iowa Pork Producers Association is partnering with four Iowa State University football players to promote the pork industry. Through an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal, Cyclones Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann, and Caleb Bacon are leading the new “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” marketing campaign. The goal is obviously to push Iowans to buy pork products. More specifically, they want you to purchase more ham and bacon.

“After the ‘Hamann Bacon’ photo went viral on social media following the Cyclones’ season opener, we knew we had to jump on this opportunity,” said Trish Cook, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “These four young men are not only great football players, they also have strong academic records, and great last names! We couldn’t be more excited to work with them in this fun initiative to publicize Iowa pork.”

October is National Pork Month, aka Porktober, and this promotion will be part of that monthlong celebration. The Iowa Pork Producers Association will run ads on social media featuring the four players surrounded by delicious Iowa pork and strategically using their names to encourage pork consumption. In conjunction with the NIL partnership, the Iowa Pork Producers Association will donate $1,000 of pork to each player’s food pantry of choice. “Iowa pork producers and pig farmers care about their communities, and while this partnership is a fun way to promote our industry, it’s also one way we can give back,” Cook said. “Food insecurity remains an issue for many people and we’re glad to partner with these Cyclone football players to help their local food pantries.”

Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, and Caleb Bacon were all named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in 2022. Tommy Hamann was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2022. The Iowa Pork Producers Association is pleased to work with these student-athletes to promote pork and the work of Iowa pig farmers, while aiding local communities. “It’s something unique and it feels good to be able to do something for a good cause,” said Cyclones Defensive Back Myles Purchase, a junior from Denver, CO. “It’s a really crazy way to incorporate all of our names and I think it’s a great way to promote Iowa pork producers too,” said Cyclone Tight End Tyler Moore, a redshirt sophomore from Des Moines.

When the picture of Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon together on the field went viral on social media, the players had several friends sharing the photo with them. “I think it’s just hilarious being able to use play-on words on our last names in a super clever way to promote Iowa pork and it’s just an all-around great opportunity to bring us all together,” said Hamann, a redshirt freshman defensive end for the Iowa State Cyclones. Caleb Bacon has heard jokes about his last name for much of his life. “People said I should take advantage of it, and it just came to fruition in that picture. I think it’s just good for our teammates and I’d like to thank the Iowa pork producers for the opportunity.” Bacon is a sophomore linebacker from Lake Mills, Iowa.

Iowa is the number one state in the nation for pork production and nearly 150,000 Iowans are employed by the pork industry.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office report the arrest on September 21st, 2023, of 29-year-old Nicholas Renner, from Atlantic. Renner was arrested on two warrants for Violation of Probation.  He was picked up and transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On September 20th, 36-year-old Jonathon Jones, of Houston, TX, was arrested in Cass County, on warrants for Theft 1st Degree and Burglary 3rd Degree.  Jones was picked up and transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On September 17th, Cass County Deputies arrested 40-year-old Casey Anders, of Walker, MO, on the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  Anders was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

And, on September 15th, 64-year-old Kenny Carl, of Harlan, was arrested in Cass County on a warrant for Harassment 3rd Degree.  Carl was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.