(Johnston, Iowa) – The Iowa Army National Guard is set to conduct a comprehensive domestic operation training exercise at Camp Dodge from August 7th through the 10th. Officials say the exercise aims to simulate real-world events, including flooding, a derecho, and hazmat concerns, to enhance the readiness and coordination of our forces during emergency response situations.

The exercise will be conducted in collaboration with multiple Iowa county emergency management teams, fostering interagency cooperation and strengthening our collective ability to respond effectively to crises.

During the training exercise, Iowa Army National Guard units will showcase their ability to swiftly respond to a range of emergency scenarios. The simulated events will challenge participants to effectively manage and mitigate the impacts of flooding, a derecho, and hazmat incidents. By replicating these real-world challenges, officials say the Iowa National Guard can assess their readiness, identify areas for improvement, and refine emergency response protocols.

The exercise will include the participation of several Iowa county emergency management teams, private entities such as Mid-American Energy which will allow for a comprehensive and integrated response effort. This collaborative approach will facilitate effective communication, coordination, and decision-making among multiple agencies, ensuring a unified response to emergencies.

The training exercise will be evaluated by personnel from Army Northern Command. Their expertise and guidance will provide valuable insights to further enhance our emergency response capabilities and strengthen partnerships with federal agencies.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congreswoman Ashley Hinson says it’s critical that the U.S. support Taiwan with military hardware as China threatens the independently-governed island. Taiwan produces 60% of the world’s supply of computer chips, while about 14% are made in the United States.

“It’ll take a long time to rehome many of those things here to the United States,” Hinson said early this afternoon, “so it is critically important that we protect Taiwan and our interests there.”

Hinson, a Republican from Marion, made her comments during a foreign policy forum in Cedar Rapids. Hinson is a member of the House Select Committee on China and the committee is hosting a field hearing in Dysart later today about China’s theft of agricultural technology.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, on left, hosts Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher and Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson at The Bastion Institute event today in Cedar Rapids.

“This is a huge threat and I think we’ve kind of been asleep at the wheel for decades in how we’ve handled China,” Hinsaon said at The Bastion Institute forum. “We’ve allowed them into the World Trade Organization. They continue steal our intellectual property…down to our seeds.”

Hinson cites the 2013 arrest of seven Chinese nationals accused of digging up seeds from Iowa farms and sending them back to China. One of the men, caught digging into an Iowa corn field in 2011, pleaded guilty to stealing seeds produced by Monsanto, Dupont Pioneer and LG Seeds.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest Drought Monitor report shows a little deterioration in the conditions in the state in the last week. D-N-R hydrologist Tim Hall says that doesn’t reflect the most recent storms. “The rain that came in southern Iowa over the last two days came after the cutoff for the Drought Monitor,” he says. The monitor shows a large part of eastern Iowa has moved from moderate to severe drought. Hall says the rains we’ve had recently will help.

“Over the last month things have remained relatively stable across the state,” he says. “We ended up behind normal for rainfall in July, although we did get more rain in July than we got in June, so that’s good.” Hall says rainfall in mid July did impact the level of drought, but we haven’t seen consistent enough rain yet to get rid of all the concern. “We’re sort of still on the edge of drought that could become much more significant but it hasn’t gotten appreciably worse,” Hall says. He says the recent rains helped with the much needed soil moisture.

“The other thing that’s working in our favor is that in about another month or so, we’ll get through the peak demand time of the year. So the demand for water will start to drop as we move from August into September. And that certainly helps to preserve whatever waters in the system,” according to Hall. The weather outlook has indicated we could see more rain in August, which would also help the drought situation.

(Radio Iowa) – The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is smaller this year, primarily because the Mississippi River basin is so dry, the waterway is moving less water and carrying fewer nutrients from states like Iowa. Nutrient pollution, in the form of nitrogen and phosphorous, is the main cause of low oxygen levels that threaten marine life in the Gulf.

In Iowa, those nutrients commonly come from excess farm fertilizer that washes into waterways. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says federal infrastructure funding will help states scale up conservation efforts. Long-term studies show the rate of surplus fertilizer applied to the land has slowed in recent years.

This summer’s dead zone covers just over three-thousand square miles. That’s among the smallest it’s measured since 1985, but over a five-year average, the hypoxic zone is still more than twice as large as the goal set by river states and federal regulators.

(Bedford, Iowa) – A jury in Taylor County today (Thursday) convicted a Kellerton man on five felony counts stemming from a November 20, 2022 arson fire in Bedford. Online court records show 69-year old Ellis Earl Houk was found guilty of charges that include: 1st Degree Arson (Class B Felony); Attempted Murder (Class B Felony); Willful Injury -Causing Serious Injury (Class C Felony); Burglary in the 1st Degree (Class B Felony), and Criminal Mischief in the 1st Degree (Class C Felony). His trial began on July 26th.

He faces up to 25-years in prison on each of the Class B Felonies, and at least 10-years on the Class C Felonies, plus a fine of up to $13,660. Sentencing was set for Sept. 19th.

According to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, a fire broke out at 1871 Orange Ave. in Bedford. A female resident of the home was able to escape, but suffered serious injuries. She was treated by Taylor County EMS before being flown to a burn center.

Houk – who was 68 at the time of the incident – was arrested a few days later in Texas and extradited to Iowa.

(UPDATED) – Atlantic, IA – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Friday, announced that Cass Health was awarded a rural hospital “Center of Excellence” designation. As part of that designation, grant funding to support and improve healthcare delivery in rural Iowa will provide $250,000 in funding each year for three years, totaling $750,000.

Centers of excellence increase access to multi-disciplinary specialty care and are devoted to tackling major health needs and disparities confronting rural Iowans. Cass Health plans to use the grant to focus on fetal and maternal health services in southwest Iowa. According to the Governor’s office, the awarded funds will help regional and local health systems build and enhance systems to ensure rural Iowans have the same access to specialized care as those living in metro areas.

Over the last twenty years in Iowa, there has been a major decline in the number of hospitals that provide labor and delivery services, most often in rural areas. The Cass Health Centers of Excellence program aims to improve rural maternal health services in southwest Iowa. Cass Health Chief Executive Officer Brett Altman said “Over the last three years, Cass Health has developed collaborative partnerships with Montgomery County Hospital in Red Oak, Iowa, and CHI Corning Hospital in Corning, Iowa, to continue to provide maternal health services in Montgomery County and Adams County. Cass Health has also collaborated with Adair County Health System in Greenfield, Iowa, to initiate a maternal health outreach clinic in Adair County.”

CCHS, Atlantic, IA

This regional partnership will provide women in these communities with maternal health services, including prenatal and postnatal care, that they would not have access to otherwise. Sustaining and growing OB outreach clinics in this rural region aim to reduce transportation and financial resource barriers. This will increase routine access to prenatal and postnatal care. “Cass Health is fortunate to be in a position where we can grow as a regional leader in obstetrics care, notably because of the outstanding team of physicians and nurses here and because of our partnerships with healthcare organizations in our region,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Kolton Hewlett.

As counties around Cass have ceased deliveries, Cass Health has increased deliveries as women and families travel to Atlantic for healthcare services. In 2022, Cass Health delivered 144 babies from 34 unique zip codes, representing fifteen counties across three states. Hewlett said “Over the next three years, Cass Health will use this grant funding to continue OB outreach services in Adair County, Adams County, and Montgomery County. We have also established an OB Navigator position which will be instrumental in expanding access to care. This role will navigate expecting parents through the health system, help coordinate care, and remove any barriers the patient may encounter by identifying critical resources.”

Iowa was recently ranked second in the nation among all states for the best health systems based on cost, access, and outcomes.  The other awardees are: 

Mahaska Health : Mahaska Health’s Centers of Excellence will offer services in the fourteen-county region of Jefferson, Appanoose, Davis, Iowa, Jasper, Keokuk, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington. This project aims to improve access to high quality, specialty health care by creating regional hubs of medical expertise. Regional alliances exist in maternal care, obstetrics, and general surgery. This project will build upon these partnerships and expand them to cardiology and oncology. 

Van Buren County Hospital : Van Buren County Hospital’s Centers of Excellence will offer services in Van Buren, Davis, Jefferson and Lee counties. Local partners came together to form the Southeast Iowa Complex Care Network, which will focus on the needs of geriatric patients and will offer an innovative system of collaboration and managed care that will guide patients with complex care needs to all available resources, while simplifying access to services and delivering improved health outcomes. 

Each awardee will receive up to $250,000 per year for three years. Contracts will be established with each awardee later this month to begin this work. 

Hardin County, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa DCI Thursday, said officers in Ackley shot at a man during an incident that occurred at around 4-a.m., Thursday. After the Hardin County 9-1-1 center received a call about a person having a mental crisis in Ackley, a Hardin County Deputy and an Eldora Police Officer responded to the scene.

When law enforcement made contact with 22-year-old Cristian Alejandro Larios, of Ackley, he was brandishing a knife. A taser was deployed when Larios refused to cooperate, became combative, and assaulted law enforcement with the knife. Two officers then discharged their service weapons as Larios retreated into the basement of a home. The man was not struck by the discharged weapons.

Shortly thereafter, he was taken into custody. Larios was transported to the Hardin County Jail and charged with attempted murder. Authorities have not yet released the names of the officers involved in the shooting.

In addition to the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and Ackley Police, Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol assisted at the scene.

(Radio Iowa) – The State Board of Education today (Thursday) approved the permanent rules for state-funded Education Savings Accounts for private school expenses. Board attorney Thomas Mayes says they replace the emergency rules created to get the program going, and there are a few changes. “The first would allow the director, allow the Department to consider income reductions after the filing of the previous year’s tax returns. Sometimes things happen,” he says. He says the permanent rules also clarifies who can provide services.

“The emergency rules say ‘an approved provider that has a license or a credential issued the State of Iowa.’ The proposal is to clarify that the credential or license must be relevant to the service being provided,” Mayes says. “I think that is a common sense clarification, add some greater accountability for approved provider, some greater assurances for parents that if somebody hangs out their shingle as an approved provider, they’re actually providing and have the authorization to provide what they say they’re providing.” Mayes was asked about the appeal process to the Board of Ed.

He says it won’t be “everybody that has an ax to grind will immediately get on the agenda, he says it will be the same process for any other appeal. The issue will first be heard by an administrative law judge just like any other appeal. The state announced earlier that they’d received some 29-thousand applications for the program. The latest update as of July 26th shows nearly 18-thousand-500 have been approved, and the others are in the process of being reviewed.

(Radio Iowa) – It appears cyberhackers may have hit a hospital in southeast Iowa. The Jefferson County Health Center in Fairfield is alerting patients that private information may have been compromised. The health center discovered that on May 30th, suspicious activity was detected on its network between April 24th and 25th.

JCHC has no evidence of any identity theft or fraud in connection with this incident, and has set up a dedicated assistance line to help answer any questions clients may have. JCHC also notified state and federal regulators, as required. Under U.S. law consumers are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureau

(Radio Iowa) – Court records show two southeast Iowa women have been accused of breaking into a home and assaulting a man two weeks ago. The Ottumwa Police Department says 43-year-old Emily Schlotter forced open a locked door at a residence in Ottumwa while accompanied by 19-year-old Haylee Beck. Once inside, the two women confronted a man inside the home over a family member’s ashes.

Authorities allege Schlotter hit the man with a baseball bat. Beck allegedly struck the man with her hands. The pair were arrested a week later and they each face a charge of first-degree burglary, a Class B felony. Schlotter and Beck are currently free after posting bond.