(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Turkey Federation executive director, Gretta Irwin, says the industry isn’t sure why there’s been a cluster of bird flu cases recently confirmed in several northwest Iowa turkey flocks.  “Iowa’s turkey farmers really work diligently to protect their turkey flocks from wild birds. So the cases these last 11 days, really has us a little bit puzzled of what is happening with the birds that are migrating and the virus that they’re currently carrying,” Irwin says.

More than 400-thousand turkeys have died or have been destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease. Wild birds can carry the virus and shed it to poultry. A wildlife extension specialist says the vast majority of wild birds that migrate through Iowa have passed through. But there are some that stay for the winter. And a lot of birds fly through northwest Iowa on their migration south. The virus has been found in commercial turkey flocks in Buena Vista, Cherokee, Ida and Sac counties this month. Tyson Foods owns a turkey processing plant in Storm Lake.

The company didn’t respond to questions about how the loss of those turkeys is impacting processing there. But Iowa State University ag. economist Chad Hart says the loss of those turkeys creates a processing hole. “We’re gonna see a cut in numbers here, not only here initially, but it’ll take a while for those numbers to build back up,” Hart says.

The executive director of the Iowa Turkey Federation says the local impact is large. But it’s a small impact to turkey processing nationwide.

(reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – An Eagle Grove man has been sentenced to a decade in prison after pleading guilty to meth, marijuana and gun-related charges. According to a news release from the U-S Attorney’s Office, 40-year-old Russell Spencer was a mid-level meth dealer in central Iowa. Court records indicate Spencer was part of a drug ring that sold meth in 2021 and he made several trips to California to pick up meth and even had it mailed through the U.S. Postal Service.

Spencer was arrested after he made three meth sales to undercover officers. He pleaded guilty in August to possessing and distributing meth and marijuana as well as a gun possession charge.

(Radio Iowa) – A toddler has died after an apparent street racer slammed into oncoming traffic in Des Moines last (Tuesday) night.  Witnesses tell Des Moines police a sedan and an SUV were involved in an extended street race on Fleur Drive about 6 PM. At Gray’s Lake Park, police say the sedan crossed the median and hit two approaching vehicles. Four people were rushed to hospitals, including a four-year-old who has died, and the 35-year-old Urbandale man who police say was driving the sedan. The other alleged racer, a dark-colored SUV, continued on after the crash and police are asking for the public’s help in finding it, though no further description is being released.

Anyone with information about the incident, should call the Des Moines Police at 515-323-8382 or Crimestoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400 or online at www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A man who posts inspirational thoughts and comments on social media, was honored today (Wednesday) in Atlantic, with the “Angel of Christmas” award, sponsored by Cass Health. The award presented to Tom McLaren recognizes and thanks area residents who symbolize the true meaning of the season. Angels exemplify the true holiday spirit all year long–putting others first, spreading generosity and sharing the holiday spirit with everyone they meet.

CCHS CEO Brett Altman…

Steele McLaren, who suffered a traumatic head injury in Oct., 2020, and went on to make a full recovery after many surgeries and months of therapy, submitted a nomination letter that was read by Steele’s mom Jess Ehrman-Ellis. Here’s a portion of that letter…

Steele said Tom McLaren prays for people nationally and locally every morning, whether he knows them or not.

The McLaren family

CCHS CEO Brett Altman, Tom McLaren & Steele McLaren

He’s posted over 750 straight days. The prayer requests on the Praying for Steele #32strong Facebook page come from all over the country.

For his part, Tom McLaren said the award was “A big struggle” for him because he doesn’t take praise very well, and “I don’t like to share,” which drew laughs among those attending the presentation. He choked-up though, when he spoke about Steele’s accident and the family that rallied around him, and decided to set aside his opinion on sharing.

He said he’s honored the posts on Steele’s page have helped others through times of loss and who are struggling with health issues.

He says people continue to reach out to him, and that “It’s really cool.”

(Creston, Iowa) – An Adams County man was arrested last week on several charges. Officials with the Creston Police Department today (Wednesday), said 53-year-old Darryn Lyn Dugan, of Nodaway, was arrested on Adams Street, on charges that include: Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order; Stalking; Extortion, and Impersonating a Public Official. He was transported to the Adams County Jail in Corning, and later posted bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines community is morning the loss of Natasha Williams. Police say Williams was found dead in her home on Monday. She was a special education associate at Merrill Middle School.

Police say patrol officers conducted a requested welfare check on two people who live at a rental home on the 1600 block of East Glenwood Drive at approximately 10:27 a.m. on Monday. Officers located a deceased woman – identified as Natasha Williams – in the home. Her death was deemed a homicide. Hers was the 18^th homicide in Des Moines, this year.

Merrill Middle school Principal Kate Panek sent a note to families on Tuesday, describing Natasha as effervescent, bubbly and always ready with a smile and a hug for everyone. “Her loss leaves behind an empty space in our school community. She was a special part of our Merrill family and we relied heavily on her big heart and expertise in supporting students,” the note said.

Counselors are available to provide support for students and staff.

(Radio Iowa) – Volunteers will be laying wreaths on hundreds of veterans’ graves in cemeteries across Iowa this Saturday as part of the national event called Wreaths Across America. Luanne Jackson, Hamilton County’s Veteran Affairs director, is coordinating efforts in her area. “It’s a national wreath day of laying wreaths and honoring those who have given their lives during service or since they served,” Jackson says, “so it’s honoring all our veterans.” Organizers say it’s an event which aims to help ensure the people who served our country will never be forgotten.

Jackson says they began last year with the South Marion Cemetery in Stratford and have added several more area graveyards this year. “We started with Lawn Hill and Presbyterian Church in Kamrar,” Jackson says. “We have added to that the Community Church of Kamrar Cemetery and Liberty Center Cemetery.” Among the other Iowa communities taking part on Saturday, volunteers in Urbandale will place more than 100 wreaths on veterans’ graves at McDivitt Grove Cemetery.

Volunteers will also lay wreaths at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, at the Iowa Veterans Home and Cemetery in Marshalltown, and in Iowa Falls. The Iowa cemeteries join more than 3,100 nationwide in the project.

More info. at wreathsacrossamerica.org

(Radio Iowa) – Former University of Iowa president Willard “Sandy” Boyd has died at the age of 95. Boyd was a St. Paul, Minnesota native who practiced law for two years in Minneapolis before joining the U-I law faculty in 1954. He moved up the university ladder — becoming the Iowa City school’s 15th president in 1969. He left to become president of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago in 1981 — returned to the U-I as a law professor in 1996 and served as interim president in 2002-03 before formally retiring 2015.

Boyd’s 12-year presidency saw a large increase in enrollment and major changes in the campus footprint that included the building of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and success in getting the Board of Regents approval for a 500-thousand-dollar upgrade of the University Hospitals building.

Willard “Sandy” Boyd

Boyd is survived by his wife, Susan Kuehn Boyd; their three children, Elizabeth “Betsy” Boyd of Iowa City, Willard Lee “Bill” Boyd III of Des Moines, and Thomas Boyd of St. Paul; and seven grandchildren.

(Radio Iowa) – The Linn County Board of Supervisors will hold its second of three considerations today (Wednesday) on an ordinance changing setback requirements for new hazardous material pipelines. The ordinance sets out a formula for how close a new pipeline could be built near a place of public assembly or dwelling, and would impact Wolf Carbon Solution’s 280-mile pipeline project. Jessica Wiskus has been organizing residents against the pipeline. She opposes the ordinance for what she calls “loopholes” in its language.

“I understand that they want to get something done and I think that that’s admirable but I think that we need to take a look at the fine print and make sure that we really are getting something done,” she says. The ordinance will allow landowners to wave their right to setbacks. It also reduces requirements if the pipeline operator addresses why this reduction is necessary in their petition to the Iowa Utilities Board.

(reporting by Zachary Smith, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – The state legislative director for a union that represents transportation workers says the contract being imposed on the nation’s rail workers sets a troubling precedent. Chris Smith of Tama is a local leader in the SMART-T-D Union, which rejected the tentative agreement in November.  “We’re not happy that congress intervened in a system that’s set up to work without their intervention,” Smith says. “We feel that the railroads did not have to fairly negotiate contracts because they had the leverage of congress forcing us back to work.”

At President Biden’s request, congress voted to avert a strike and force rail workers to accept the terms of a tentative agreement on wages and benefits. Members of seven different unions rallied at the Iowa Capitol yesterday (Tuesday) to voice their objections. Ross Grooters is chairman of the Iowa State Legislative Board for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

“Our issues have not changed and we’re going to continue working to get the kind of workplace we need as workers,” Grooters says. Grooters says there seems to have been a collective sigh of relief in the country that a railroad strike was averted, but he says the issues that are causing supply chain disruptions haven’t been resolved.

“We’re going to continue to have problems with the freight rail system, Grooter says, “and so we’re trying to keep that at the forefront of people’s minds.” Grooters says trains aren’t properly staffed. Freight railroads have pared staff dramatically since 2015 to reduce costs and increase profits. According to the Associated Press, more than 22 percent of the jobs at Union Pacific, C-F-X and Norfolk Southern have been eliminated in the past five years.