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Nunn says ‘America First’ should be top priority of congress

News

August 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant says he’s running for a second term in the U-S House to ensure congress has an “America First” mindset. “One that really puts our priorities at the top of the line,” Nunn said. Nunn, who represents Iowa’s third congressional district, says there is no greater threat to the U-S than the situation at the southern border.

“Too many in Washington are treating it like this is every day business,” Nunn said. “…Eight million illegals coming into our country is a direct threat to our nation. In fact I don’t think there’s a more direct threat to our country…We have to secure our border before we can talk about any kind of immigration reform.” Nunn says he’ll have three priorities if he wins reelection: securing the border, lowering taxes and opposing changes to Social Security and Medicare.

“Let’s keep our momentum in Washington with real leaders out there and not move backwards to the way that we’ve been,” Nunn said. “This is doing to be a competitive election year…This is an opportunity for each of us to stand up for things that are important.” Nunn made his comments on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

Nunn is facing Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam, who’s scheduled to speak at the fair late this (Monday) afternoon.

Iowa State Fair dairy cattle entries stable amid bird flu concerns

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The number of exhibitors in dairy cattle shows at this year’s Iowa State Fair is nearly identical to last year — despite new bird flu testing requirements for milking cows entered in the contests. Mike Eilers is the superintendent for dairy cattle at the Iowa State Fair. “There was definitely an increased number of heifers. At some of the farms, their heifers happened to be on a different location didn’t have to be tested if they didn’t have cows in that location,” Eilers say, “but there still was roughly 120 to 130 cows here at the show which is pretty good given all they had to go through with the testing and stuff.”

Eilers grew up on a dairy farm and showed Guernsey cattle, but has what he describes as an office job now. Eilers says for the past decade he’s been managing the State Fair dairy shows to stay connected to the industry and make sure kids, in particular, have a place to showcase their work. “Just to be able to come here and compete to see the quality of the animals they have and compare it to everybody else in the state and the other animals, and just to meet and hang out,” Eilers says. “There’s a lot of families and kids from all over the state that get to become friends just because they come to the fair.”

2024 Iowa State Fair Youth Dairy Show (RI photo)

Mike and Rhonda Guy of Newton were in the State Fair Livestock Pavilion this weekend, watching their granddaughter show her Brown Swiss heifer in the youth dairy show. “The value of this is tremendous. It teaches them a work ethic,” Guy said. “It’s nice to see them do things that we did as well — carry on a tradition, to some extent.” Rhonda Guy grew up on a dairy farm and showed Brown Swiss cattle as a kid. Watching her granddaughter in the show ring was a thrill. “It’s fun to be at the top of the class,” she says, “but just to be in the class at the Iowa State Fair is a big deal.” Mike Guy and his brother shut down their milking operation about 20 years after deciding they either had to expand or get out of the dairy business.

According to the latest data from the U-S-D-A, there were about a thousand dairy farms in Iowa in 2022.

Iowa mints new disability advocacy leaders

News

August 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – Thirteen students, ranging in age from 14 to 21, have just graduated from the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council Youth Leadership Academy. The program’s goal is to develop young leaders who learn skills that build their confidence.  A dozen students from Iowa welcomed one from Illinois who is attending school in Iowa. Together, they learned during the weeklong academy how to be more effective advocates for their communities.

That’s exactly what 21-year-old Andrew Allen, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, autism and severe separation anxiety, was looking for when he applied.

The annual academy teaches students ways to advocate for themselves, become more civically engaged and to be of service in their communities. 19-year-old University of Iowa student Jackie Corless, who said she has an intellectual learning
disability, also took part in the Youth Leadership Academy. She said the topics ranged from advocacy to communicating, and lots of useful skills in between.

The Youth Leadership Academy is a partnership between the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, Disability Rights Iowa, ASK Resource Center, the University of Iowa Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and Access to Independence.

CAM School Board meeting to take place Monday evening

News

August 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The CAM School Board is set to meet Monday evening, in Anita. Here is the agenda:

UPDATE 8:29-a.m. 8/11/24: 2 men from Omaha die from shooting incident in Mills County

News

August 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

PACIFIC JUNCTION, Iowa – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation reports two men from Nebraska died Saturday night during a shooting incident at a concert near Pacific Junction. Authorities say at approximately 8:59- p.m. on August 10, 2024, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at the I-29 Speedway in Pacific Junction. An outdoor concert was about to begin when the shooting occurred in the parking lot. Two men, 28-year-old Marcus L. Johnson, and 27-year-old Charles A. Williams Jr., both from Omaha, Nebraska, died as a result of the shooting.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, Omaha Police Department, and several surrounding law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement is asking anyone who has information about the shooting to contact the Mills County Sheriff’s Office at 712.527.4871. This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.

Previous report by KJAN…

(Pacific Junction, Iowa) [UPDATED 7-a.m. 8/11/24]- Two people are now confirmed to be dead, and at least one person was critically injured during a shooting at a concert at the I-29 Speedway near Pacific Junction. One of the subjects was flown by LifeNet 1-1 from near Loess Hills Harley Davidson to Bergan-Mercy Hospital. The incident occurred at around 9-p.,m., during the concert that followed “The Pull Up Car Show and Music fest,” featuring musical acts Lil Bossie, Rob49, Rich the Factor and others.

The concert was cancelled just before 10-p.m. It was scheduled to end at 11-p.m.  Emergency crews staged near Agri-Vision while law enforcement was working to secure the scene. Authorities were looking for at least three suspects, reportedly in a black Mercedes sedan. Omaha Police helicopter ABLE-1 was requested to conduct a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared Radar) [Heat seeking]  search of the area.

As of 10:10-p.m., a heavy law enforcement presence was still on-the-scene. At least two-thousand people were leaving the scene as the concert closed down, according to law enforcement. They were being stopped at gate checkpoints to look for possible suspects and/or witnesses.

Additional details are currently not available. The area was still an active crime scene late Saturday night.

(UPDATED) 2 dead, at 1 critically wounded in a shooting Saturday night during a concert near Pacific Junction

News

August 10th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Pacific Junction, Iowa) [UPDATED 7-a.m. 8/11/24]- Two people are now confirmed to be dead, and at least one person was critically injured during a shooting at a concert at the I-29 Speedway near Pacific Junction. One of the subjects was flown by LifeNet 1-1 from near Loess Hills Harley Davidson to Bergan-Mercy Hospital. The incident occurred at around 9-p.,m., during the concert that followed “The Pull Up Car Show and Music fest,” featuring musical acts Lil Bossie, Rob49, Rich the Factor and others.

The concert was cancelled just before 10-p.m. It was scheduled to end at 11-p.m.  Emergency crews staged near Agri-Vision while law enforcement was working to secure the scene. Authorities were looking for at least three suspects, reportedly in a black Mercedes sedan. Omaha Police helicopter ABLE-1 was requested to conduct a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared Radar) [Heat seeking]  search of the area.

As of 10:10-p.m., a heavy law enforcement presence was still on-the-scene. At least two-thousand people were leaving the scene as the concert closed down, according to law enforcement. They were being stopped at gate checkpoints to look for possible suspects and/or witnesses.

Additional details are currently not available. The area was still an active crime scene late Saturday night.

Creston man arrested on a Missouri warrant for SOR violation

News

August 10th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Union County was arrested early this (Saturday) morning on a warrant out of Missouri for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrested 48-year-old Theodore R. Barrett , of Creston, after a deputy stopped to assist a motorist near the Adams/Montgomery County line, at around 12:19-a.m., Saturday.

Barrett also goes by the aliases of “Mustafa Hussein Bin Beyyette,” “Beyyette H Bin,” and Mustafa Hussein Beyyette. Barrett was convicted in Nov., 2001, of having Incident Contact with a female 12 years of age or younger, in Clarinda.

“Mustafa Hussein Bin Beyyette.” Missouri State Hwy Patrol Sex offender Registry photo from 2012.

Following is arrest this (Saturday) morning, he was transported to the Montgomery County Jail where is awaiting extradition to Missouri.

Webster County animal neglect investigation results in 29 dogs & puppies being seized by law enforcement

News

August 10th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

WEBSTER COUNTY, Iowa — The Webster County Sheriff’s Office says an animal neglect investigation has resulted in the seizure of dozens of dogs and puppies from a residence near Badger. WHO-TV reports the investigation began on July 29th when Webster County Animal Control contacted WCSO about a possible case of animal neglect in rural Webster County. Investigators determined a property owner possessed around 25 dogs and puppies that were malnourished and not receiving veterinary care.

The WCSO said two of the puppies were released by the owner to Animal Control and taken to a veterinarian. They were found to be emaciated, underfed, and had a severe worm infection. The veterinarian’s report showed the puppies’ body condition was listed as a two out of a nine.

A search warrant was executed by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday and 29 dogs and puppies were seized from the rural Webster County residence. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa and Webster County Animal Control assisted in removing and relocating the animals.

The WCSO says the investigation is continuing and there are criminal charges pending in the case.

Injunction lifted on Iowa law restricting books in K-12 school libraries

News

August 10th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) The Iowa law prohibiting school libraries from having books containing sexually explicit material can go into effect, federal appeals court judges ruled Friday. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, the three-person panel moved to lift the injunction blocking the law from enforcement, on Friday. Portions of the 2023 law were previously blocked in January by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that Locher’s decision was based on a “flawed analysis of the law.”

The law prohibits school libraries from including books with written and visual depictions of sex acts from, in addition to banning instruction and materials involving issues of “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. These regulations will now be allowed to take effect as legal challenges continue. The law is being challenged by multiple parties.

Iowa State Education Association President Joshua Brown said in a statement that the organization was “disappointed” by the appeals court decision. Critics of the measure say that the law will keep classic literature — like the books “Brave New World” and “Ulysses” — from being available in school libraries, but that a majority of the books removed from school shelves are those focused on stories about race and LGBTQ+ issues, like “Gender Queer,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” and “The Color Purple.”

Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” was among more than two dozen books removed last month from a school library at Goddard, Kansas, following a challenge by a parent. The books have since been returned to the shelves. Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector

Educators have criticized the state for not clarifying the rules surrounding the law, as the Iowa Department of Education did not respond to advocates’ request to provide more information on what materials are considered “age-appropriate” under the law. The state department has said they plan to address allegations of noncompliance on a case-by-case basis.

But Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said the appeals court decision was a win for Iowa parents. “We went to court to defend Iowa’s schoolchildren and parental rights, and we won,” Bird said in a statement. “This victory ensures age-appropriate books and curriculum in school classrooms and libraries. With this win, parents will no longer have to fear what their kids have access to in schools when they are not around.” Gov. Kim Reynolds also released a statement supporting the court opinion:

“Today, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit confirmed what we already knew – it should be parents who decide when and if sexually-explicit books are appropriate for their children,” Reynolds said. “Here in Iowa, we will continue to focus on excellence in education and partnerships with parents and educators.”

The lawsuit found that the district court decision did not properly evaluate the law under existing precedent — referring specially to the 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Moody v. NetChoice, a lawsuit involving speech on social media platforms. However, the judges also rejected the state’s argument that school library materials constitute “government speech.” They also found that a transgender student whose school district banned gender-sexuality alliance clubs due to concerns about the law has standing to sue.

The decision returns the case to district court for further action.

Decatur County man dies during a crash Friday evening

News

August 10th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Leon, Iowa) – Authorities say a medical condition may have caused a single-vehicle crash Friday evening in southern Iowa, that resulted in a fatality. The Iowa State Patrol reports 61-year-old Edward Ray Hiebing, of Leon, was driving a 2007 GMC Sierra pickup truck east on Highway 2 at around 6:45-p.m., when the vehicle left the road to the south and struck the Long Creek Outfitters Building at 1601 W. 1st Street.

Hiebing was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, and Leon Fire and Rescue.