(Iowa DNR News) – Every year over a hundred volunteers and DNR staff head out to spy on Iowa’s Bald Eagles. Thankfully, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the eagles usually don’t mind and official are able to get valuable data that helps the DNR to evaluate how the birds are doing in the state.

Volunteers help with two surveys: The Bald Eagle Midwinter Survey and the Bald Eagle Nest Monitoring Survey. The midwinter survey takes place in early January each year and requires surveyors to drive a standardized route, counting all eagles seen along the way. During the nest monitoring survey, volunteers collectively watch between 250 and 350 nests around the state and report on a nest’s activity and success in producing and fledgling eaglets.

Photo courtesy Abbie Sue Cartsensen. Taken near Smithfield Foods (Denison, IA).

Photo courtesy Abbie Sue Cartsensen. Taken near Smithfield Foods (Denison, IA).

Some important background to have before reading this year’s results, is that 2022 was the worst nesting season in many years for Iowa’s Bald Eagles. For the first time in the history of the survey the average number of young fledged per nest dropped below the important threshold of 1; only an average of 0.88 young were fledged per nest. This is thought to be the result of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak last summer. A total 1,663.5 miles of waterway were surveyed in January of 2023 and over 2,900 eagles were counted using these waterways!  That works out to almost 2 eagles per river mile surveyed. The most eagles were counted on the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers though the highest density (eagles per mile) was on the Iowa River.  One of the important things we keep an eye on, as it is a good indicator of population health, is the proportion of the count made up of immature eagles. Since the survey started in 1991, that proportion has hovered around 30% and this year was consistent with that at 32%.

From late winter to summer, another army of volunteers around the state monitored 329 bald eagle nest sites. They observed from a distance and recorded whether the nest was active and, if so, if it was successful fledgling eaglets. A total of 66% of the active monitored nests were successful, 12% failed (the remaining had an unknown outcome). There was an average of 1.77 fledglings produced per nest which is one of the highest rates in recent years. This represented a very good recovery after 2022’s poor nesting season! In addition, there was one very surprising observation – a nest that fledged 4 young! Usually, bald eagles only lay 1-3 eggs with the most common being 2 fledglings per nest. The DNR says “We had never even heard of a nest hatching 4 young, much less raising them all to fledgling! However, a very diligent nest monitor was able to capture this very rare phenomenon. Congrats to the parents of the fab four for a job very well done!”

According to the Iowa DNR, this year was characterized by a return to normal after a year of extremes in 2022.  The midwinter survey count was just below the average and the nest monitoring survey had an average number of successful nests and a high number of young produced. Taking into account the success rate, the overall number of known active territories and the average number of young produced by nest, a possible 720 young eagles were fledged by Iowa’s nests!

This paints a picture of a resilient and healthy bald eagle population in Iowa, which is great news for our nation’s symbol! For now, officials will continue to monitor both wintering and breeding eagles in order to help monitor the Bald Eagle’s recovery. The DNR wants to issued “A huge and very heart-felt thank you to the many volunteers and staff who help to make this monitoring possible!”

The latest Des Moines Register/N-B-C News “Iowa Poll” shows former President Donald Trump has the support of just over half of likely Iowa Caucus-goers. Trump leads Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by 32 points and is 35 points ahead of former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Haley spoke to a large crowd on a farm near Waukee Sunday afternoon. Haley pointed to national polls which show her leading President Biden.  “Think about it. That means up and down for our governors, for our Senate seats, for our House seats,” Haley said, “but that means an economy that gets back on track because we have the landslide victory.”

During an appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S this weekend, DeSantis said there is a clear appetite for a different G-O-P nominee in 2024. “I kind of think to myself: If Ronald Reagan were running for a third time, he’d be getting 90% from Republicans,” DeSantis said.

Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy had five percent support, just ahead of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has not campaigned in Iowa. Ramaswamy has been telling audiences first-time Caucus-goers are going to show up to vote for him on January 15th.

(Worth County, Iowa) – A collision Sunday night between a car and an SUV resulted in three people being transported to a hospital in northern Iowa’s Worth County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Chevy Tahoe driven by 36-year-old Corey Tangman, of Manly (IA), was traveling south on Balsam Avenue (west of Fertile, IA) at around 8:37-p.m., and approaching the stop sign with Highway 9, when Tangman failed to obey the stop sign. His SUV struck a 2017 Chevy Malibu on the passenger side, as the car – driven by 22-year-old Sierra Selvidge, of Lake Mills, was traveling west on Highway 9.

Following the collision, the SUV continued traveling east on Highway 9. A 2004 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 43-year-old Brian Charlson, of Leland (IA), was traveling west on Highway 9 just east of the intersection with Balsam Avenue, when Tangman’s SUV crossed the center line and collided with head-on with the pickup. All three drivers were injured and transported by ambulance to MercyOne Hospital. The Patrol says Tangman and Selvidge were not wearing their seat belts.

The crash remains under investigation.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School Board is set to meet tonight at 6:30,in the CAM High School Media Center. The meeting will include business for the Retiring Board, followed by the Organizational and Regular Board meeting. View the agenda, below:

Retiring Board Meeting Agenda
1 Call to Order
2 Welcome visitors
3 Agenda Changes
4 Approval of Agenda
5 Consent Agenda
5.1 Approval of Minutes, Bills, Financial Statements
6 Communications
6.1 Public input on non-agenda items
7 Treasurer’s Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023
8 Acceptance of Abstract of Votes of Election
9 Recognition of Outgoing Board Member
10 Adjournment of Retiring Board

Organizational and Regular Board Meeting Agenda
Immediately Following Retiring Board Meeting
1. Call to Order Organizational Meeting by Board Secretary
2. Administer Oath of Office to Elected Board Members by Board Secretary
3. Election of Board President for 2023-2024 – Administer Oath of Office by Board Secretary
4. Election of Vice-President for 2023-2024 – Administer Oath of Office
5. Appoint Board Secretary/Treasurer – Administer Oath of Office
6. Approval of Agenda
7. Consent Agenda
7.1. Open Enrollments
7.2. Resignations
7.3. Contracts
7.4. Volunteers
7.5. Fundraisers
8. Communications
8.1. Public input on non-agenda items
8.2. Correspondence
9. Administrative Reports
10. Discussion/Action items
10.1. Establish Meeting Date, Time, Location for 2023-2024 Meetings
10.2. Adopt Resolution Naming Depositories, Depository Limits, Authorized Signatories and Updating Bank Accounts Removing Previous President and Updating to New President
10.3. Appoint Official Newspaper Publication
10.4. Appoint Legal Counsel
10.5. Appoint Level 1 Investigators
10.6. Appoint Committee Membership and Assignments
10.6.1. Cass County Conference Board Representative
10.6.2. Facility Committee
10.6.3. Compensation Committee
10.7. Approve the SBRC request for the modified supplemental amount for Open Enrolled Out in the amount of $61,389
10.8. Approve the SBRC request for the modified supplemental amount for At Risk and DropOut Prevention programs in the amount of $135,152
10.9. Approval of Moving PPEL & SAVE from Regular Checking Account to NOW Checking Account at Rolling Hills Bank & Trust
10.10. Approval of Board Policies Revisions 4.01.13 to 403.6E1
10.11. Discuss Facility Project Process
11. Board Report
12. Adjournment

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services says it has taken more than 160-thousand people off the Medicaid roll in the past seven months who no longer qualify. H-H-S Director Kelly Garcia says they check several things when making the changes. “So we have a variety of different systems that pull down and extract data and, and populate the forms ahead of time and we work very hard on that,” Garcia says.

Preliminary state data show 70 percent of those removed through October were for procedural reasons, like not returning required paperwork. Director Garcia says the information they use also helps them ensure they are not taking people off the list that are still eligible. “We feel comfortable with what that looks like. Because we’ve been able to see how many individuals are continuously insured through another form or there’s been an income change in their status as well,” She says.

They started looking to remove people following the end of a COVID-19 pandemic era federal requirement that required states to keep most people enrolled in Medicaid, even if they no longer qualified. The state data show more than 15-thousand people who were taken off the Medicaid roll have had their coverage reinstated.

(Radio Iowa) – Four Republican presidential candidates shared stories of their faith during an event at Dordt University in Sioux Center this weekend. Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra and his wife hosted the event, which attracted several hundred people. “We look to God for our direction and our guidance,” Feenstra said to open the event, “and our leaders should do the same thing.” Nikki Haley talked about the statewide day of prayer she initiated when she was governor of South Carolina. “You never know what tomorrow’s going to bring,” Haley said, “but that faith and that readiness is so important for what we have ahead.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described his faith is his compass. “Faith in God is really the foundation of how I live my life,” DeSantis said, “but also how I conduct myself in an elective office.” Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy told the crowd his Hindu faith led him to take this journey on the campaign trail. “I think that God puts each of us here for a reason,” Ramaswamy said. “My faith teaches me we each have a purpose and it’s a moral duty to realize that purpose.”

The Feenstras also invited Texas pastor Ryan Binkley to the event and he told the crowd God spoke to him in dreams about running for president. “I ignored them for a few years and then it just became more clear,” Binkley said, “that now’s the time.”

Feenstra, who has indicated he may endorse a candidate, praised each candidate on stage, but did not signal who might get his public backing before the January 15th Caucuses.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s second shotgun season is underway through this coming weekend with perhaps 100-thousand Iowa hunters hoping to tag a deer this month, and a mental health care professional urges them all to keep their guns safely secured in the home before and after the hunt. Dr. Emily Rae, a psychiatrist with the Gundersen Health System, says responsible hunters know to always treat a gun like it’s loaded and to keep the weapon locked up when it’s not being used. “There’s gun safes and then there’s different kinds of gun locks,” Rae says. “Real simple ones, trigger locks that are just basically a cable through. There’s smart locks where you have to put your thumbprint on there.”

Rae says guns are the leading cause of death in American youth through age 19, and studies show a child dies in a gun-related incident somewhere in the country every 24 hours. “Most of those are homicides, like intentional homicides, and then there’s suicides,” Rae says, “but a small portion of them — although significant — is accidents, where the child finds a gun and doesn’t realize, ‘Hey, this could kill somebody,’ and uses it and kills someone.”

Suicide is the ninth-leading cause of death in Iowa, but it’s number-two for those between the ages of ten and 35. A report from Trust for America’s Health shows 549 Iowans died by suicide in 2021, which is a drop of three-percent from the year before. Studies find higher rates of suicide among people who live in homes with a gun, another reason Rae says to keep them secured. “So when you’re thinking about risk for suicide, certainly you should make sure those guns are locked up,” Rae says. “You may have it in a safe. Just make sure that the kid doesn’t know where the key to that safe is. It’s often recommended that you store the gun unloaded in the safe and then you lock up the ammunition in another safe.”

If you or a loved one are having thoughts of self-harm, Rae says you need to see a professional, and she notes, depression can be more common during the wintertime. “Some of the more subtle signs you look for, particularly in kids, would be a change in behavior,” Rae says. “If they’re more grouchy, they’re sleeping more, they’re not sleeping well at all, their grades drop — those could all be warning signs for depression.”

Free, confidential, round-the-clock help is available through the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The Gundersen Health System includes a hospital in West Union, and clinics in Fayette, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing, Postville and Calmar.

(Ottumwa, Iowa) – The driver of a pickup truck was killed and three of his passengers were injured, during a single-vehicle rollover accident Sunday afternoon, in southeastern Iowa’s Wapello County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Ford F150 pickup driven by 37-year-old Tristan C. Zimmerman, of Ottumwa, was traveling west on Highway 34, just west of the Highway 16 interchange at around 2:54-p.m., when the vehicle drifted off onto the north shoulder.

Zimmerman lost control of the pickup, causing it to enter the north ditch, where it overturned. Tristan Zimmerman was ejected from the vehicle, which came to rest upright in a  farm field. He was not wearing a seat belt. Three passengers, 32-year-old Shayla C. Zimmerman, a 3-year-old child, and a one-year-old child, were injured in the crash. Shayla was buckled-up, and the two children were secured in their child safety seats.

Shayla Zimmerman was flown by LifeFlight to the UIHC. The children were transported by ambulance to the hospital in Ottumwa.

(DES MOINES, Iowa/KCCI)— Des Moines police have identified the person whose dead body was found Thursday in a wooded area. First responders showed up to investigate a report of a dead body found in a ditch near Southwest 42nd Street and Willow Creek Avenue, police say. The body had been found by a Des Moines Public Works team working nearby. Police identified the woman as Belinda Anne Morris, 55, of Des Moines. An autopsy did not uncover any indication of criminal action that contributed to her death. The investigation remains ongoing.

(DES MOINES, Iowa/KCCI) — Two Des Moines residents are behind bars after being sentenced for their role in injuring an infant last year. Frankie Honeyman and Cheyenne Swink pleaded guilty after a 4-week-old arrived at the hospital with multiple broken bones. Honeyman was sentenced to 15 years in prison for both child endangerment causing bodily injury and neglect of a dependent. Swink was sentenced to two years for aggravated misdemeanor. The bond on appeal is set at $100,000 for Honeyman and $50,000 for Swink.