(Johnston, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa National Guard say the Guard will conduct the 2024 State Best Warrior Competition (BWC) April 4-7, 2024, at Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center in Johnston, Iowa. The 2024 BWC will represent the first time that a competition event will be expanded into the community, partnering with local agencies and organizations and inviting community members to show their support of competitors.

The purpose of the BWC is to select the best-qualified Soldier and Non-commissioned Officer through a series of tests of endurance, strength, and skills. Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, the Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, says “Our focus is to maintain a ‘Ready’ force, ensuring Soldiers are trained with technical and tactical skills and they are masters of their equipment. These types of events are an opportunity to demonstrate the high standards and professionalism of Soldiers and they improve morale by building on friendships and camaraderie. This year we are also expanding our reach into our community and involving our stakeholders in the spirit of the competition.”

Iowa’s BWC is in preparation for Region IV BWC, also held at Camp Dodge and throughout the community of Johnston, this year in May. Winners from each state, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa, will compete on Iowa soil for the first time in seven years.

2024 will also be the fourth year that Kosovo Security Force members will be participating in the competition as part of the ongoing state partnership between Kosovo and the Iowa National Guard.

(Shenandoah, Iowa) — Officials with the Shenandoah Police Department report three individuals were arrested on separate drug charges over the past nearly three weeks. Authorities say on March 24th, 58-year-old Klifford Keith Kennedy, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree theft, Possession of a controlled substance/1st offense – methamphetamine; Possession of drug paraphernalia, and Interference with official acts. Kennedy was released from the Page County Jail after posting bond.

49-year-old Heather Trena James, of Shenandoah, was arrested March 27th on a valid Page County warrant for original charges of Possession of a controlled substance–methamphetamine; possession of a controlled substance — marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. James bonded out of custody from the county jail.

On March 29th, Shenandoah Police arrested 43-year-old Alexandra Dawn Lasley, of Shenandoah, for Poss. of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia.

Other arrests conducted by Shenandoah Police, include:

On March 16th, 29-year-old Nicholas Alan Perkison, of Shenandoah, for Domestic Abuse 1st offense, and Child Endangerment.

On March 22nd, 35-year-old Shaun Michael Webster, of Shenandoah, who was arrested on a Fremont County warrant on the original charge of Probation Violation.

State officials are asking legislators to ban private companies from selling Iowa lottery tickets and games online. Tyler Ackerson of the Iowa Department of Revenue says businesses called lottery couriers are operating websites and smart phone apps. “Customers sign up on there, fund their account, and then the courier uses that money to purchase lottery products on behalf of that customer,” Ackerson says. “These lottery couriers typically partner with a business who sets up a stand alone, brick and mortar location that becomes a licensed lottery retailer and then all of those lottery products are purchased through that location.”

Jake Ketzner — a lobbyist for Lotto-dot-com — says the company started selling Nebraska lottery products online this week and would like to operate in Iowa at some point “We are active in 18 states. It’s not new,” Ketzner said. “Think of it as kind of an ‘Uber Eats’ model for lotto tickets.” State officials have already turned down an application from Jackpocket, a New York based lottery courier that wanted to start selling Iowa lottery games online. Tim Coonan is a lobbyist for Jackpocket, which is owned by sports betting giant DraftKings.

“We had no plans to bring legislation this year to try to advance the ball or improve our position relative to that denial,” Coonan says, “and we’re hoping to have a more fulsome conversation with policymakers about the service we provide.”

According to the Iowa Department of Revenue, parts of already existing state law prohibit online lottery sales, but the agency’s asking the legislature to include an outright ban in a bill dealing with routine tax matters. The chairman of the Senate’s tax policy committee says the debate about online lottery ticket sales should probably be held in a different committee.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has sent the governor a plan to extend post-pregnancy Medicaid coverage for new mothers and infants from 60 days to a full year. The coverage will be limited to families with incomes at or below 215 percent of the federal poverty line. Representative Devon Wood, a Republican from New Market, says that’s in line with surrounding states. “It would put us higher than South Dakota. It would put us higher than Nebraska,” Wood said. “It would put us comparable with Illinois and it would put us just under Missouri and Minnesota.”

The current two months of Medicaid coverage of post-pregnancy care is available to babies and their mothers in households with incomes 375 percent above the poverty line. Representative Heather Matson of Ankeny is among the Democrats who unsuccessfully urged Republicans to keep that higher income threshold for the expanded coverage. “At a time when maternal and infant mortality is on the rise, we should expand coverage for more women, not less,” Matson says.

House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says with billions of dollars held in surplus accounts, the state can afford to extra seven MILLION dollars to help more low income families with a new baby. “And that’s frustrating because this isn’t an expensive endeavor and the cost is so high for not doing it,” Konfrst said, “the cost to moms and the costs to babies.”

Wood, the Republican who led debate of the bill, says she welcomes continued discussion about supporting more new moms, but the bill is an important step to expand post-pregnancy Medicaid coverage to a full year for uninsured mothers and babies. “This bill, as is, is imperative for those moms who need it most,” Wood says. “It would
still put us at 13th most generous (coverage) in the nation.”

A federal law approved three years ago gave states authority and funding to expand postpartum coverage in the Medicaid program. Iowa will soon join 47 states that have approved the expansion.