(Red Oak, Iowa) – A burglary investigation in Red Oak resulted in an arrest this (Monday) afternoon. According to Red Oak Police, 42-year-old Richard Alexander Doran, of Red Oak, taken into custody a little before Noon, in the 1600 block of E. Summit Street, and charged with Burglary in the 2nd Degree – a Class C Felony.

Doran was being held on $10,00 bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – There are over 70 public skate-parks in Iowa — and the newest is in northwest Iowa. Sheree Hausmann served on the committee that raised nearly 390-thousand dollars for construction of a skate-park in Cherokee. “We started raising our money in the fall of 2021 and we’ve received quite a few local donations and quite a few grants and so we came up with the money,” she says, “and the skate-park was supposed to have been done earlier this year, but when the floods came in June, everything came to a standstill, so we had to wait for everything to dry out.”

A California company that started building skateboard ramps in 1997 was the contractor for the Cherokee skate-park. Hausmann says unfortunately, the company had all its forms set up and was ready to start pouring concrete when the flooding hit Cherokee in June. “The forms are actually real heavy-duty Styrofoam and they all washed away in the flood,” Hausmann says. “We had to put our feelers out and start looking for them and, if you know Cherokee at all, you know there’s a lot of green space and a lot of trees, but as luck would have it we found all those forms and they were all able to be used.”

Cherokee’s skate-park covers about 10-thousand square feet and has typical features like ledges and a big bowl for skateboarders. Construction started in April and a grand opening was held at the end of September.

Des Moines, IA – Every fall, Medicare beneficiaries are provided an opportunity to review and change their Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan during the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) from October 15 to December 7.   It’s important for Medicare beneficiaries to remember that Prescription Drug Plan and Medicare Advantage Plan costs, benefits, and providers can change each year, so evaluating your options could help you find better coverage, and even save money.

Medicare beneficiaries will receive information about any plan changes in the mail. Most will receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in September from your Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan.  This is a summary of any changes in the plan’s cost, coverage and service area that will take effect on January 1 of the next year.  Other Medicare beneficiaries could receive information that their plan may not be renewed for the next year, and they will need to find a new plan during the Open Enrollment Period. It is critical to ensure that all mail from your plan is read to stay informed about all possible changes.

“Navigating the Open Enrollment Period can seem daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone,” said Kristin Griffith, Director of the Iowa Insurance Division’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP).  “We have well trained SHIIP/SMP counselors across the state equipped to help you with this process.”  Iowans seeking assistance can visit shiip.iowa.gov to find a counselor in their county, or find additional information on how to compare plans at shiip.iowa.gov/medicare-open-enrollment-period.

“There are a number of changes for Medicare beneficiaries to be aware of occurring in 2025 that are a result of the adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.” Griffith added.  “These include a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket drug spending as well as the implementation of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.”  A summary of those changes can be found at the Iowa SHIIP website.

Key dates to remember:

October 15th Open Enrollment Begins

December 7th  Open Enrollment Ends

January 1st    Coverage Begins

If you’re currently a Medicare beneficiaries and have reviewed your plan changes and are happy with your current coverage, you don’t need to do anything during the Open Enrollment.  Help from Medicare is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

SHIIP/ SMP provides counseling, assistance and education to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers.  These programs help people navigate the complexities of Medicare and related insurances and prevent Medicare fraud.  SHIIP and SMP are operated by the Iowa Insurance Division, and supported by federal funds.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are joining the 46 other Republicans in the U-S Senate in co-sponsoring a statement of unwavering support of Israel as the country marks the deadly terrorist attacks of last October 7th. The resolution calls for the safe release of U-S citizens being held hostage in Gaza and the complete defeat of Hamas. Senator Grassley says the U-S stands with Israel in the face of ongoing Iranian aggression. Ernst says Iran is the main backer of Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi militants fighting against Israel. “National security — it is so important to every one of us,” Ernst said. “Take a look around. The world is literally on fire.”

Ernst says the Biden-Harris Administration has not done enough to deter Iran’s aggression.”They have open bounties on President Trump’s head, Mike Pompeo’s head, John Bolton’s head, you name it,” Ernst says, “active bounties on American citizens in our homeland.” Ernst made her comments Saturday at a fundraiser for Governor Kim Reynolds after leading a three day bus tour in Georgia for the Trump-Vance ticket. “Think about four years ago when President Trump was in office. The world was relatively stable. We had order in the Middle East,” Ernst said. “I know that we still had the Global War on Terrorism, but he was trying to wind that down.”

Ernst, who has made four trips to Israel in the past 12 months, says Israel remains under attack from all fronts and it’s time to cut off the source of terrorism from Tehran. In a statement released early this (Monday) morning, President Biden said he and Vice President Harris remain fully committed to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel and its right to exist and defend itself against attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran.