Red Oak, Iowa – Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst has announced that former South Caroline Governor, U-N Ambassador and 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley, will be one of her special guests at her annual Roast and Ride taking place on Saturday, June 3, 2023.  Ernst, who is from Red Oak, said she is “Thrilled to welcome Nikki Haley to Roast and Ride this year.” Ernst said also, her annual Roast and Ride is the perfect opportunity for here “…to showcase Iowa to all of our Republican candidates, and for them to speak directly with countless folks from all corners of the state. Iowa Republicans, Ernst says, are maintaining our FIRST in the nation status, and we take our job of vetting presidential candidates very seriously. Roast and Ride is THE event to be at in 2023, there’s no doubt about it!”

Nikki Haley speaks during an event in Denison, IA. April, 2023

Ernst, a combat veteran, donates the proceeds from her annual Ride to a veterans charity. This year, she will be honoring the Freedom Foundation of Cedar Rapids.  Nikki Haley says “America’s veterans are our greatest treasure and have sacrificed so much for our freedoms. We are blessed by their sacrifices, and it is an honor to work with Joni and the Freedom Foundation in supporting Iowa’s veterans on and off the battlefield.”

All 2024 Republican presidential candidates and hopefuls have been invited and additional special guests will be announced soon.  Senator Ernst’s first Roast and Ride was  held in 2015. Over the years, the event has featured some of the biggest names in Iowa and national politics, including President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott, Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Mike Huckabee, Governor Terry Branstad, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and many more.

Sen. Joni Ernst on a “Roast and Ride.” (2016 file photo from Radio Iowa)

(Creston, Iowa) – A Taylor County man was arrested late Tuesday night on an assault charge, in Creston. According to Creston Police, 51-year-old Pedro Quintanilla-Flores, of Lenox, was arrested at 611 W. Adams St., at around 10:17-p.m.

Quintanilla-Flores was charged with Assault. He was cited and released on a Promise to Appear in court.

(Radio Iowa) – The board that governors the three state universities will hold the first reading of a proposed three-and-a-half percent tuition increase in a meeting Thursday. The Board of Regents’ staff is proposing that increase of in-state tuition for Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa for the 2023-2024 academic year after the Iowa Legislature provided no increase in overall funding to the schools. U-I students would see a 305 dollars tuition increase, I-S-U students 304 and U-N-I students would pay 285. The proposal would also increase mandatory fees at the U-I by 306 dollars, 60 dollars at I-S-U, and 32 dollars at U-N-I.

The Board will consider the final reading of the increase at its meeting in June.

(Radio Iowa) – A program underway in Iowa is using opioid settlement funds to provide opioid prevention toolkits for surgery patients as part of the “Billion Pill Pledge” that’s designed to cut the use of prescription painkillers. Goldfinch Health is administering the program in conjunction with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Doctor John Greenwood co-founded the company and says their approach involves teaching how to cut opioid use. “Consultation, education of providers and hospitals, and those involved in really the prescriptions of the opioids on some of these better alternatives, and these better approaches to treating people and their pain around surgery so that we are not relying on opioids nearly as much,” he says. The toolkits also contain what’s called an R-X destroyer to deal with extra painkillers.

“They’re actually able to have in their hands an ability to denature and destroy any leftover opioid pills, so we can safely dispose of them,” Greenwood says. The education includes what’s called “Enhanced Recovery”, to better prepare patients before surgery. Greenwood says that involves educating providers that the old notion you can’t eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your operation doesn’t fit. You can have a clear drink up to two hours prior to your operation. “I want to be very clear, you cannot have, we don’t want to have food on your stomach. But a clear drink up to two hours prior gets through your stomach and leaves you with all of the benefits of electrolytes and carbs and water — but it doesn’t increase your risk of aspiration and any of those potential fallouts,” Greenwood says. He says there’s also education on the proper timing of pain medication.

“We’ve all heard the idea of get ahead of the pain stay ahead of the pain. Well, let’s take that thought to its natural conclusion,” he says. ” When does the pain start? Not when you wake up from your surgery after your surgery, it’s when your scalpel that scalpel hits your skin during the operation. So we’re educating providers on nonaddictive pain medications provided to the patient before the procedure even begins.” The preparation before the surgery also helps patients use less medication after surgery. “And so when you come out of surgery, we’re encouraging staggering, alternating Tylenol and ibuprofen for most patients. And that has been that combination has been shown to be three times more effective at treating pain than drugs like Percocet,” Greenwood says. “So that’s how we’re able to treat pain better, with better timing with better a mixture and dramatically reduce the number of opioid pain medications that people needed.”

The Cherokee Regional Medical Center and Floyd Valley in Le Mars, Decatur County Hospital in Leon and the Regional Medical Center in Manchester are the first four hospitals to sign up. Greenwood says they will be rolling out more soon.

(Radio Iowa) – Warmer spring weather may finally be here to stay and Iowa motorists are being urged to keep a sharper eye out for motorcycles. Colleen Powell, spokeswoman for the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and she’s reminding drivers to look for motorcycles, looking over the shoulder and not just in the mirror. When following a motorcycle, Powell says to give them plenty of room, as “they’re much more vulnerable than people in cars.”

Powell says 49 motorcyclists were killed on Iowa’s roads last year. Iowa is one of just three states that has -no- motorcycle helmet law, and she notes, about 75% of motorcyclists who are killed aren’t wearing helmets.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop a little after 9-p.m. Tuesday, in Red Oak, resulted in an arrest. Red Oak Police report 36-year-old Robert Edward Reafling, of Red Oak, was arrested for Driving Under a Suspended license in the State of Iowa. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $491.25 bond.

(Harlan, Iowa) – A former middle school teacher with the Harlan Community School District faces charges of sexual exploitation of a minor. According to KETV in Omaha, 31-year-old  Eric Croghan was released on bond in Shelby County, according to court documents.

In March, Croghan was placed on leave amid an investigation alleging he communicated with an undercover agent online, requesting nude photos of a child. According to court documents, Croghan allegedly distributed an image depicting child pornography to an undercover FBI agent and admitted that, while using Kik, received images depicting child pornography more than 100 times and sent images depicting child pornography less than 100 times.

Croghan also allegedly told the agent that he slept with three female students between 14 and 16 years old, according to court documents. FBI agents tracked the IP address, phone information, social media and property information for the username to Croghan. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s cybercrime unit was alerted and, in February, served a warrant on Croghan for all digital and electronic devices.

According to court documents, Croghan was interviewed on the same day as the search warrant and he admitted to using Kik, as well as sending and receiving images depicting child pornography. In March, the district put him on leave, calling the allegations troubling, and accepted his resignation

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says China is the greatest threat to the peace and prosperity of the world and the U.S. cannot shrink from the challenge. “That goes for trade, that goes for energy and most certainly it goes for the global world order,” Ernst says. The commander of U.S. Naval Intelligence recently warned that China is building up every part of its military — from space and cyber to its navy. Ernst, a Republican, is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. She suggests China’s president Xi Jinping is a lot like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

“China is trying to engage in those same type of activities as Russia as they look towards the South China Sea and Taiwan,” Ernst says. Ernst says cloud computing firms in China are trying to infiltrate and undercut U.S. companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft. Ernst is calling on the Biden Administration to impose sanctions on China and encourage the same response from allied countries that are facing the same economic and national security threats from China’s technology.

“I believe in America first, but never America alone,” Ernst says. “There is so much potential that we can tap into out there from our partners and our allies.” Ernst made her comments at a recent foreign policy forum in New York City.

Atlantic, Iowa – On April 29, the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) team made up of administrators, office staff, and 51 drivers came together for a day for professional development, training, and recognition. The biannual Drivers’ Meeting, held in spring and fall, was held at Atlantic Golf and Country Club and the SWITA facility in Atlantic. Drivers refreshed their skills, engaged with office staff and their fellow drivers, and celebrated each other. The theme for the training was “Back to Basics” with a strong emphasis on safety. SWITA prides itself on being a safe, affordable transportation for all and this year’s meeting made sure to focus on that. Drivers attended breakout sessions on topics such as wheelchair securement, vehicle inspections, incident reports, etc.

Another highlight of the spring drivers’ meeting is awards. Recognition awards were presented to Driver of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Kelly Davis Servant Leadership Award, staff years of service recognition awards, and Outstanding Driver Awards. All drivers have the opportunity to nominate their fellow drivers for the awards, which allows drivers to give their input on who they feel has shown commitment to service to riders and are dedicated SWITA team players.

Dean Driskell received Driver of the Year award based on his ability to go above and beyond for his fellow drivers, his passengers, and dispatchers. He is a friend to everyone. He knows his passengers well and they enjoy having him as a driver. He is knowledgeable and great at sharing his knowledge with others, especially those who are new. He takes pride in his job, and you can see that in the way he cares for his bus and his passengers.

Wray Ludington received Rookie of the Year award based on how quickly and efficiently he has taken on the SWITA driver role. He is eager to learn and often is cross training on other routes. He has been a “GO TO” driver when it comes to getting shifts covered, day or night. He has a very good understanding of many routes and is proficient in driving them safely. He is pleasant to work with and he goes above and beyond for his passengers and dispatch.

Kristen Templeton, Transit Coordinator, received the Kelly Davis Servant Leadership Award recognizing her commitment to the SWITA team and her ability to serve that team with distinction. The Kelly Davis Award honors the memory of former Transit Coordinator Kelly Davis, who passed away in 2022. This award is presented yearly to an employee who demonstrates a desire to serve their community and team in the way that Kelly did; with a sense of purpose and selflessness. Kristen currently oversees six transit staff and 75 drivers. She is responsible for the majority of the scheduling for the agency and has to match the right drivers with the right routes. Kristen has a positive attitude and works hard every day to get the people in southwest Iowa where they need to go.

This years Outstanding Driver Awards went to Jon Parsons (Cass), Lynn Baumbach (Montgomery), Mike Ames (Page), Don Lantz (Harrison), and Terry Musich (Shelby).

Years of Service Recognition was presented to the following drivers: Mike Clark (5 years), Dennis Nelson (5 years), Dennis Giedd (5 years), Jerry Josephson (5 years), Larry Anderson (15 years), Jacqueline Williams (15 years), and Barbara Smithson (15 years). Also recognized were the following retired drivers: Roger Matson, Bernie Budwell, Dave Aylsworth, Richard Retz, and Carol Rehm.

SWITA is Southwest Iowa’s public transportation system. SWITA has around 75 drivers and is available to all residents in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties. SWITA is Iowa’s largest rural public transit agency and has continued to grow since the Covid Pandemic, while all other Iowa transit agencies have seen declining ridership. In fiscal year 2022, SWITA had 480,229 rides which is an increase from FY21 at 377,547 rides and FY20 at 305,932 rides. SWITA is projected to have a total of approximately 515,000 rides by the end of FY23. SWITA would not be able to operate as efficiently and as safely as it does now without the hard work and dedication of all of the SWITA transit staff and drivers.