(Radio Iowa) – A change in state law on July 1st now allows you to buy raw milk, but if you are thinking about trying it, an expert says you need to be aware of the importance of proper handling. Iowa State University Extension Dairy Specialist, Fred Hall, says those who grew up on a dairy farm know that keeping things clean is key. “And I think that’s one of the difficulties we’re going to find with folks who didn’t grow up with that mindset, the importance of that sanitary routine that you make sure things are clean, because bacteria can get away from you really quick,” Hall says. Halls says you should check out the dairy where you buy raw milk to see that it passes the standard.

“If you’re going to be a consumer, make sure you’re comfortable with the people you’re buying from. “Walk around look at their calves, look at how they milk, make sure that yeah it looks clean I trust this producer,” he says. Hall says raw milk needs to be kept properly cooled, which means you can’t leave it in your car while you are out and about.

“You know, they buy a couple of gallons and decide they have to make a stop at the supermarket or go to the kids’ soccer game. And that milk goes from 40 degrees to 80,” he says. “They’ve introduced an opportunity for that bacteria to grow.” Hall says even pasteurized milk can have problems in left too long in a warm car while you are out during the summer.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The driver of a semi tractor trailer was injured when the vehicle, which was hauling meat, left eastbound Interstate 80 and went into the south ditch, near the Elk Horn Exit (Exit 173), Monday evening. The accident happened at around 5:30-p.m.

The driver of the truck, who was trapped until rescue crews arrived, was transported by Cass EMS to Cass Health in Atlantic, before being flown to a trauma center.
Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies, the Marne, and Atlantic Fire Departments, along with Cass EMS and Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon assisted the Iowa State Patrol at the scene.

The DNR was notified also, about a fuel leak coming from the semi’s tractor.

Photo via Cass County EMC Mike Kennon

(Radio Iowa) – As temperatures in Iowa are forecast to climb into the mid to upper 90s all week, the prolonged heat is hard on people, pets — and plants. Angie Rieck Hinz (REEK-hines), a field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, says farmers will be watching for signs of crop stress, though she says her region of north-central Iowa is in decent shape heading into the heat wave. She says this area is lucky as it got a little more rain that other areas, though it’s been two weeks since a significant rain and we’re overdue. Some corn hasn’t tasseled yet and Rieck Hinz fears the hot, dry weather might impact pollination.

She says the soybeans in north-central Iowa are doing well this summer, though she’s seen a few diseases on the plants, things like bacterial blight and frog-eye leaf spot. Forecasters say the heat wave will likely last through Friday, and perhaps right into the weekend, with a few outside chances for scattered showers.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say a woman was arrested Monday evening on a Pottawattamie County warrant. 29-year-old Nicole Anne Kimpson, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 7:42-p.m. on the warrant for Violation of Probation on original charges of Child Endangerment and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Her bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $5,000.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A semi tractor-trailer’s mechanical issues resulted in a an SUV being struck by pieces of the trailer’s brake shoes. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the driver of the semi, Jorge Urizar, of Bakersfield, CA, told deputies that he lost the set of dual tires on the trailer. He stopped and picked them up before continuing west on Highway 34.

While back on the road, the brake shoes fell off of the axle of the semi’s trailer, and damaged a 2020 Jeep Wagoneer, driven by Brandon Bennett, of Arlington, WA. The accident happened at around 4:30-p.m. The SUV sustained disabling damage. Urizar was cited for Driving or Towing an Unsafe Vehicle. No injuries were reported.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted by Red Oak Police.

(Radio Iowa) – There will soon be just one Ben Franklin store left in Iowa. Fifty years ago, there were more than 100 Ben Franklin stores in the state, but there’s a store closing sale underway at the Ben Franklin in Eagle Grove — and the Ben Franklin in Sheldon will be the last one operating in Iowa. Phil Warnke says he and his wife were relatively young when they bought the store in 1991.

“Most of the others have retired as they get into their 70s,” Warnke says. “Some of the other younger ones did change the name and go with other names, where we chose to go with the Ben Franklin name.” The original Ben Franklin chain went bankrupt in 1996, but Warnke has been paying a licensing fee just to be able to keep the name on the building.

“There’s been a store associated with that name in our town for over 100 years,” Warnke says. “We figured no matter what we changed the name to, to the local people it’s always be the old Ben Franklin store, so we thought it was just better identification if we just kept the name.” Warnke says when the Ben Franklin company went out of business 27 years ago, that actually helped his operation because as a franchise, his store had to buy and stock company products.

“It did open up different products for us that we weren’t able to carry by being just a strictly company Ben Franklin store,” Warnke says. The Ben Franklin store on the town square in Winterset closed in December after 83 years in business. The owner of the Ben Franklin store in Nevada retired last November and the store closed. The Ben Franklin store in Eagle Grove announced its “store closing” sale on Facebook a few weeks ago, but has not set an end date.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Community School District (ACSD) say the District is currently hiring a variety of certified and support staff positions. The variety of positions varies greatly with the highest need under the umbrella of our Paraeducator support staff positions.  ACSD currently has multiple positions available for Paraeducators.

The State of Iowa has changed the online application website platform for which both certified and support staff employment opportunities in the educational sector are available to view and apply for.

Previously the website, TeachIowa was utilized. In July, the website changed to IowaWorks. Under this new IowaWorks website interested individuals can browse all state-based government and/or educational positions within the state of Iowa.

The new IowaWorks website also provides a significant amount of information and resources about employment in Iowa, resources and support for both job seekers and employers looking for the perfect candidate.

Interested in joining the ACSD team as a Paraeducator or one of the other current available positions? All available positions can be found and applied for under the new state website, IowaWorks.

Specific questions regarding employment can be directed to the ACSD Central Office: 712-243-4252.

(Radio Iowa) – A Texas firm that invested in Mercy hospital in Iowa City says the facility is on the verge of insolvency. Preston Hollow Community Capital, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, says it is seeking a court-appointed receivership to restructure the debt of Mercy hospital in Iowa City. The firm’s statement says Mercy Iowa City’s board of directors has failed to shift its approach to deal with unsustainable financial issues and avoid closure of the facility.

Two years ago, Mercy Iowa City rejected the University of Iowa’s more than 600 million dollar offer to buy Mercy Iowa City and turn it into a community division of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

According to Mercy Iowa City’s website, 250 doctors are on staff and the hospital has 194 beds for acute care, 25 outpatient surgery rooms and a 23-bed nursery. A spokesperson for the hospital was not immediately available for comment.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson is featured in a national interview with Norah O’Donnell on the C-B-S program “Person to Person.” The Beaconsfield native reflected on her recent space flight, the fourth in her long career. In May, Whitson led a crew to the International Space Station as part of the private Axiom 2 mission. Whitson says the toughest part about the flight was readjusting to Earth’s gravity after the 10-day mission was over.

She retired from NASA in 2018 and joined Axiom, which plans to build a commercial space station beginning as early as 2025. Whitson hopes the company will expand on some of the medical experiments that were conducted during her latest mission, including cancer research. With her latest flight, Whitson increased her U-S record for most time spent in space — to 675 days.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials have begun planning for upgrades at a popular, state-owned campground in northwest Iowa. Jake Schaben of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says it’s been decades since there have been major renovations at Gull Point State Park in the Iowa Great Lakes region.”It’s probably been at least 50 years since there have been any real improvements aside from upgrading some rest rooms facilities,” Schaben says. “This is going to focusing on roads and camp pads.” There are 112 campsites at the park, which is near Milford. About half have electrical hook-ups.

Schaben says the upgrades at Gull Point State Park may be similar to what was done at state owned campsites that are about 10 miles away. “Two years ago we finished up with a campground renovation up at the Marble Beach State Recreation Area on Spirit Lake,” Schaben says. “Got a lot of complements on the results we got with that by kind of expanding campsites and full-hook-up amenities and some 50 amp electricity.”

Gull Point State Park is the second most popular park in the state-owned park system. In 2021, one-point-six MILLION people visited the park. The D-N-R will host an open house at the lodge in Gull Point State Park on August 22nd to discuss the proposed campground upgrades with the public.