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DES MOINES, IA (July 14, 2014) –Wellmark announced today (Monday), it will be awarding $75,000 to celebrate 75 years in business and to thank Iowans and South Dakotans for supporting a locally-based health insurer. For the next 75 days, Wellmark will also be giving back to communities in Iowa and South Dakota by inspiring and encouraging healthy behaviors.

Wellmark is awarding $7,500 to ten projects that are able to demonstrate a long-lasting impact on making the healthy choice the easy choice and improving overall community health and wellness. Examples of projects include improving parks or trails in the community, establishing or improving recreational activities, or improving access to healthy foods.

In order to be eligible to receive the funds, applicants must be classified as a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or governmental entity in Iowa or South Dakota. Qualified organizations can submit applications at Wellmark.com/75 until August 5th. On August 20th, all qualified entries will be available for the public to vote for their favorite project. Public votes are one of four final factors Wellmark will use to determine winners.

To learn more about the award, enter a project or see what Wellmark is doing each day during the 75 days to encourage healthier and better lives for Iowans and South Dakotans, visit www.Wellmark.com/75.

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U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst delivered the response to President Obama’s weekly address for her fellow Republicans this past Saturday. “The problem in America today is that Washington is fully liberals who think that government is the solution to every problem,” Ernst said. “They think that nothing can be solved unless Washington is involved.” Ernst opened the nearly six-minute speech by discussing her military experience and she closed by stressing her farm roots.

“Growing up on that southwest Iowa farm, my family didn’t have much. My mother canned our food and made our clothes, teaching us the lessons of not spending what we don’t have.” Ernst said. “…Today, to get America back on track it’s going to teach each of us working together to advance real solutions to our problems, not more tired rhetoric.” Ernst repeated her call for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would forbid deficit spending and require congress to pass balanced budgets.

“That is how we run our households and we should expect nothing less from Washington,” Ernst said. Ernst faces Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley this fall in the contest for the U.S. Senate seat Democrat Tom Harkin has held for nearly three decades. Braley has been traveling the state since June, citing Ernst statements that “perhaps” younger workers and those just entering the workforce should be able to shift their Social Security taxes into personal accounts and manage their own retirement savings. During her national speech, Ernst said Republicans believe Social Security should “be strengthened.”

“But we also believe, as do some of our friends in the Democratic Party, that these programs must be reformed,” Ernst said. “so America not only keeps its promise to today’s seniors, but is also able to guarantee a safety net is available for our children and grandchildren.” Ernst is a lieutenant colonel and battalion commander in the Iowa National Guard. She’s currently on a two-week training mission in Wisconsin with her troops and she recorded the speech before going on active duty.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report two arrests over the weekend. At around 12:30-a.m, Sunday, 52-year old David Lawrence Howe, of Red Oak, was arrested for Public Intoxication, following an incident at 1st and Hammond Streets, in Red Oak. Howe was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $300 bond.

And, at around 4:30-a.m. Saturday, deputies in Montgomery County, assisted by Red Oak Police, arrested 20-year old Dillon Michael Johnson, of West Des Moines, on a charge of OWI/1st offense. His arrest was the result of an incident in the 1900 block of 207th Street, east of Red Oak. Johnson was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $1,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol says a man and woman from Fort Dodge were killed when a tree fell and hit their all-terrain vehicle. The incident happened yesterday afternoon in Webster County. Authorities say 21-year-old Jordan Ulicki and 20-year-old Sadie Rae Foreman were pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation is ongoing.

AKRON, Iowa (AP) — Autopsies have been completed on a northwest Iowa couple found dead in their home last week, but officials aren’t releasing many details. Eighty-three-year-old Don Neunaber and 80-year-old Esther Neunaber were found dead in their home last Wednesday. The couple’s 44-year-old son has been detained in Wisconsin as a material witness, but hasn’t been charged.

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — Family members of two Iowa cousins whose bodies were found months after their disappearance say they’re trying to keep their own lives on track while hoping for an arrest in the case. Drew Collins says he and his wife are working to move forward as a family, but it’s still difficult. Their 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and 10-year-old Lyric Cook disappeared in July 2012. Their bodies were found months later in a rural area.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lance Armstrong is again planning to join the 418-mile bicycle ride across Iowa later this month. The Des Moines Register reports Armstrong plans to participate in his sixth RAGBRAI and even work as a guest bartender on Saturday in Rock Valley. Up to 10,000 riders are expected to take part in the bike ride that begins next Sunday.

If you’ve always wanted to start a garden, or want to find out about new plants and ideas for your garden, a series of Home Garden Fields Days planned across the state can help you out. Iowa State University extension horticulturist, Cindy Haynes, says the field days this year are focusing on new things. “One of the themes for this year’s gardens are the purple vegetables. So we have a lot of vegetables that you wouldn’t think of as being purple,” Haynes says. “There are purple carrots, purple tomatoes, purple beans. Some of those things that add a different color to it, so kids like it, or everyone wants to try it.” The purple color can in some cases add something to the traditional vegetable. Haynes says in carrots for instance, it adds vitamins.

“It’s not the beta carotene — the orange that you have in a carrot — but there is a carrot out there called purple haze that has a purple outer skin and the orange on the inside, so you can get the advantages of both,” Haynes says. “And it tastes just like a normal carrot, so it really doesn’t taste any different, it’s just a new color to put on your plate.” They will also show off some sun-loving impatiens. “Everyone thinks about impatiens for the shade, but there are some New Guinea hybrid impatiens that will tolerate the sun. And they are resistant to downy mildew — which is a problem we are seeing in some of our shade-loving impatiens,” Haynes says.

Other items on display include compact zinnias and new annual flowers. “We’ll kind of tour them around the different gardens — the same garden at six different locations — and we’ll pull things out of the ground. I’ll pass things around, and some might want to take a few things home. We’ll sample a few things from the garden as well,” Haynes explains. Haynes says more and more people are turning to gardening to grow their own food and the field days offer help to make those efforts a success.

“It’s just about getting people to experience as much of what we have out there as possible,” according to Haynes. “And we talk about the things that did well at all of the gardens, and the things that didn’t do so well so they can write on their little list ‘try this new variety’ or ‘don’t try this’ because it didn’t work out.” Haynes says people are learning you don’t have to live out in the country to have a garden. You can use all different kinds of spaces. “A lot of these things you could put into a small space, you could put into containers. You could even do a square-foot garden. With myself and some of the other I-S-U staff being there, we can answer some of these questions and help you garden better,” Haynes says.

The first demonstration is July 21st at 6:30 at the Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm near Lewis in southwest Iowa. The remaining field days will be: July 23, 6 p-m at the, Horticulture Research Station three miles north of Ames on Highway 69; August 5th at 6:30 p-m at the Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm, 111 North St, Fruitland; August 6th, 6 p-m at the Northern Research and Demonstration Farm, 310 S. Main Street, Kanawha; August 9th at 4 p-m at the Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm, 3321 290th St near Nashua.

For more information go to the I-S-U Extension Department website.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic Party researchers are scrubbing the past and current comments of Republican U.S. Senate candidates in hopes of finding rhetoric that might spook moderate or independent voters.

Democrats hope that controversial remarks by Republican candidates will help counter the upper hand the GOP has gained in many states, including many Midwestern states. Provocative comments about rape and abortion by Republican Senate candidates in Indiana and Missouri undermined their campaigns in 2012.

The best Democrats have come up with this year is in Iowa’s Senate campaign. They have called attention to Republican candidate Joni Ernst’s professed belief in a United Nations’ threat to American property rights. But there is no indication the issue has affected the closely contested race.

Anita and Wiota Fire and Rescue personnel were called to Lake Anita State Park Sunday evening following a report of an accident with two injured. The collision occurred near the Park Ranger’s house, and was reported at 6:47-p.m.

No other details are currently available.

Members of the Elk Horn/Kimballton Board of Education will hold their final, regular Board meeting Monday beginning at 5-p.m., at the High School in Elk Horn, with the newly formed Exira-EHK Community School District School Board to meet about a half-an-hour later. Both meetings will be held in the Family and Consumer Science Room. The districts’ merger became official July 1st, with the official name as the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District. Superintendent Dean Schnoes says the two districts came together in order to provide a continued educational program for their students, after having had a Whole Grade Sharing agreement for the past three years. The voter approved merger means patrons in both districts will see a reduction in their property taxes over the next three-years.

During the EHK Board meeting, the Board will recognize members and others who have been instrumental in the reorganization process and other matters. Action items on their agenda include approval of: A Resolution of Execution of Quit Claim Deed; Delivery of Quit Claim Deed; A Resolution to merge Elk Horn-Kimballton’s assets, liabilities and equity, to the new district, and, approve the closing of bank accounts with the Shelby County State Bank and Landmans Bank.

During the Exira-EHK Board meeting, the Board will act on approving: A second reading of Board Policies, series 100-through 900; A Resolution affirming Reorganization and Merger of assets and liabilities of the new district; The appointment of Marie Larson as Board Treasurer, and Tami Jacobsen as Board Secretary.