(Radio Iowa) – One hundred members of the Iowa legislature have voted to let Iowa dairy farms sell raw milk. If the governor signs the bill into law, it would still be illegal to sell unpasteurized milk at farmers markets or in restaurants, but raw milk and products like cheese or yogurt made with raw milk could be sold at the farm where it’s processed. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, celebrated last (Monday) night as the senate was on the verge of taking a final action on the bill.

“Senate File 315 is the fresh milk, the freedom milk bill I call it…and I have been waiting actually 17 years to say: ‘Madame President, I mooove the Senate concur’…and ask for a yes vote,” Schultz said, getting a round of laughter from his peers. Forty-nine legislators in the House and Senate voted against the bill. Representative Megan Srinivas, a Democrat from Des Moines, says drinking raw milk can be dangerous and as an infectious disease doctor, she’s treated several children who were exposed to bacteria in raw milk.

“As an infectious disease physician, anecdotally I have seen several cases of kids who are brought before me because they’ve been exposed to the bacteria that come from unpasteurized milk,” Srinivas says. “…It’s one thing if it’s an adult choosing what milk that they’re consuming, but when we have children who are falling victim because they are given milk that can make them sick, have permanent or even lethal ramifications, that’s where I get concerned.” Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, says people have been consuming raw milk for thousands of years.

“It’s just an option, just like I can get eggs, a quarter of beef, honey or an apple,” Kaufmann says. “We’re simply adding this to a list of foods that people can get without ‘Jiminy Cricket’ the government sitting on their shoulder and whispering what’s best for their families.”

The dairy industry opposes the bill, arguing if there’s an outbreak of serious illness associated with raw milk, then ALL milk sales will decline. If the bill becomes law, raw milk sold at an Iowa farm would have to be stored below 45 degrees and sold within seven days of a cow being milked.

Sidney, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reported late Monday (this) evening, that at approximately 11:46-a.m., Monday, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office along with the Sidney, Hamburg and Tabor ambulances were dispatched to 508 Main St in Sidney, for a report of a stabbing that had just occurred.

Upon arrival, first responders located two males who had been stabbed.  One subject was transported to Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg, where they were later pronounced deceased.  The second subject was life flighted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska with life threatening injuries. No names were released.

Law Enforcement wants the public to know there is no current threat to the community.  Anyone with information about the stabbing is requested to call either the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office at 712-374-2424 or the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) at 712-322-1585.

This is an on-going criminal investigation, and no further details are being released at this time.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors met Monday evening, at City Hall. Parks Director Wyatt Adderton updated the Board on several matters. Adderton said he recently passed his training and certification for the Lifeguard class.

He said also, the date for the Park Party has changed.

In his Sunnyside Pool update, Adderton said he’s in consultation with a company working to finalize a design for the slide at the pool.

He said the hope is to have to slide installed before the pool opens. The opening date for the pool, by the way, is tentatively set for May 29th (Memorial Day). Wyatt said also, he selected Jenna Brownlee to paint a mural on the back of the pump house building for the Sunnyside Pool. She’s scheduled to complete the work May 1st through the 5th. Tom Berry was selected to paint the pool building in several different, main colors representative of what Board Member Jeremy Butler said would look “Very aquatic.”

Atlantic Parks & Rec Board meeting, 4-17-2023

He say’s in talks with Cappel’s Ace Hardware, they they should get a bit of a discount on the paint, so that will help with the costs. That project will also begin May 1st. And, with regard to the Splash Pad project, Adderton said City Hall is able to accept cash, physical checks, debit and credit cards from persons willing to donate. Board member & Fundraising Committee member Jeremy Butler reported he had received on Monday (Today), an anonymous donation of $50,000 for the project, which brings the current fundraising total at more than $100,000 toward the $600,000 goal.

Wyatt Adderton said some of the new, raised garden beds were installed today (Monday) and the old ones removed at Mollett Park (located at the end of East 3rd Street Place, off of Mulberry St.), in preparation for the leasing period that begins May 1st. Three of the beds have already been spoken for. Leasing applications are available on the Parks and Rec Facebook page and City’s Website. The raised beds cost just $40 per season, and what’s grown in them, are for private use and not public consumption.

However, there will be arioniaberry, cranberry, raspberry and blackberry plants available for the public to pluck the flavorful fruits. And finally, Adderton said new playground equipment will be installed at Harl-Holt Park, in Atlantic. The old playground set was removed and donated to a local apartment complex.

The equipment will span a pad of about 41-by-50-feet, and will include two towers. Assistant Parks Director Jeff Christensen reported to the Parks Board, that the bathrooms in the downtown City Park had been vandalized. The soap dispensers were broken. He said they are exploring whether or not a Wi-Fi monitored security camera system will work, considering the number of trees which may interfere with the signal.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) has over $500,000 available to lend in its Business Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program and is looking for qualified applicants. These RLF dollars may be used in conjunction with local lenders, to provide gap financing, or to serve businesses that have otherwise been turned down from a financial institution.

RLF funds may be used by a new or an existing business with loans available up to $125,000. These loans can be used for a variety of business related expenses including equipment purchases, working capital, and purchasing inventory but not for buildings or building renovations. As loans are repaid into the pool, the fund revolves back out to other businesses for the program.

SWIPCO established the business revolving loan fund in 2009 with grants from the US Economic Development Administration and the US Department of Agriculture to help businesses in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Montgomery, Page, and Shelby counties create and retain jobs. In the past 14 years the fund has made 28 loans to businesses and loaned $1,637,950 to businesses regionally. Over 150 jobs have been created or retained by the fund.

The minimum loan is $10,000 and the goal is to create or retain one job per $10,000 loaned. Currently the interest rate is a very competitive 4%. With interest rates on the rise, this is a major benefit for businesses needing gap financing.

“This program is a great resource for new or existing businesses to get additional financing at a competitive interest rate that they aren’t able to get without the program. With a low interest rate and a loan closing fee of 1% of the loan award, businesses can get the gap financing they need and be able to pay back the loan in a reasonable timeframe,” stated John McCurdy, SWIPCO Executive Director.

To apply, businesses must complete and return an application to SWIPCO. Applications are reviewed by SWIPCO staff, and the final decision is made by a loan committee, which meets monthly. Application materials and guidelines can be found at www.swipco.org under the Business RLF tab. For additional questions contact Erin Hudson at 712-243-4196 or erin.hudson@swipco.org. SWIPCO is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

(Radio Iowa) – Two men from northwest Iowa have been charged with stealing an A-T-M in western Minnesota. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office indicates three men broke through the front door of a general store in Clear Lake, Minnesota and stole the A-T-M inside at about 4 a.m. Friday.

An image of the get away vehicle was captured by security cameras. Minnesota deputies soon located the vehicle in the area and arrested the three men inside after a chase. A 51-year-old from Minneapolis, along with 40-year-old Daniel Johnson of Spencer and 36-year-old Robert McKevitt of Spirit Lake have been charged with third degree burglary. Johnson, the man from Spencer, has also been charged with fleeing a peace officer since he was driving the vehicle.

(Menlo, Iowa) – Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Deputy Coordinator Jeremy Cooper reports, “With the potential for severe weather for our area on Wednesday April 19, 2023, the National Weather Service has requested a date change for the Annual Storm Spotter Training. We were able to confirm availability for the Menlo Community Center for Wednesday May 3, 2023.” 2023 Storm Spotter Class Flyer – Updated Date Change-1

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) recently completed 3 owner-occupied housing rehabilitation Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects in Dexter, Fontanelle, and Leon. These grants addressed updates to HVAC, electrical, plumbing, windows, doors, siding, roofing, handicap accessibility, and lead based paint, bringing the homes up to Iowa’s minimum housing standards. The grants assisted 14 low to moderate income households, with a total of $530,837 spent in grant funded repairs.

Unusually, these projects are outside the normal SWIPCO service area of the counties of Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Cass, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont, and Page. But, in this case SWIPCO had previously contracted with Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG), based in Creston, to provide the inspections portion of their housing CDBG repair projects while SICOG continued to provide overall project administration. In February 2022 due to SICOG being unable to administer CDBG projects due to staffing issues, SWIPCO contracted with the cities to provide administration services for the CDBG rehab projects in nine communities that were currently underway. The three communities of Dexter, Fontanelle, and Leon were the first of these projects to be completed and the remaining are well on their way to completion.

“It is important for us to stand beside our fellow COGs and assist where we can,” said John McCurdy, Executive Director at SWIPCO. “The value of what these grants bring to communities is that they not only help the individual homeowners by improving the safety and energy efficiency of their homes, but they also help improve the value of all the homes in the community over time.”

CDBG is a program funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development managed in Iowa by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. SWIPCO is a council of governments serving the eight counties of southwest Iowa with public transportation, community development, and housing. SWIPCO is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender. To learn more about what current programs are available, visit www.swipco.org or call 712-243-4196.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A woman from Cass County was arrested Sunday on a Cass County warrant charging her with Felony Theft in the 1^st Degree. Rebecca Jean Dreager, age 44, was being held in the Cass County Jail on a $20,000 cash or surety bond. A criminal complaint was filed on April 11^th. Dreager served as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Cass County Chapter of Pheasants Forever. She allegedly used Pheasants Forever funds amounting to more than $18,284 for her personal use.

According to court documents, between the approximate dates of February 26, 2021 and June 3, 2022, Pheasants Forever representatives reported that during that time, a large number of transactions were made that were not made at normal times of spending and were not consistent with the amounts normally spent. Dreager had not turned in receipts for the transactions to support the purchases. Organization representatives said they had made many attempts to gather information from Dreager, and provided law enforcement with a copy of a letter that was sent to her, requesting receipts and additional information. She failed to respond to the request.

It is alleged that the transactions she made with four different entities were paid for by checks written on the Pheasants Forever account. Most of the transactions were for what appeared to be groceries, clothing, household goods, and a large number of gift cards. Pheasants Forever representatives examined the receipts and determined that most of the purchases were not for the local Chapter. They also identified receipts that were consistent with items that would be used for their events and that were in the time frame in which those events took place.

In an interview with Rebecca Dreager, she reporedly identified transactions she claimed were for items related to the organization, and furthermore acknowledged that a large number of transactions were for personal items and not for the Chapter. She said in the interview, that she thought she would be able to pay the money back, and that the spending got out of hand. She said she didn’t realize how much of the organization’s money she had spent.

Dreager remained held in the Cass County Jail pending a court appearance, as of the latest on-line court information.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Pork Producers are once again taking nominations for the best breaded pork tenderloin in Iowa. Spokesperson Kelsey Sutter says the criteria are simple. “We are looking for a delicious hand breaded tenderloin in the state of Iowa. So any restaurant that you visit that makes a really delicious tenderloin in their in house and has it on their regular menu,” she says. You can nominate your favorite tenderloin online. “Go to our website, Iowapork.org, and on our homepage you’ll see the Iowa’s best breaded pork tenderloin. Go ahead and click on that — the nomination process is really easy on our website,” Sutter says. “And we will be taking nominations from the public until June 5th.”

She says they then narrow down the field to five from each of the eight Iowa Pork Producers districts in the state. “We will spend the entire summer judging those 40 with our pork producer members across the state we have a point system and criteria that they need to follow to do the judging process<” she says. “And then at the end of the summer we’ll collect all those forms in the photos that they take, and our restaurant food service committee members will sit down and go through them and pick a top five.”

The winner will be announced in October, which is pork month. Last year’s winner was Lid’s Bar and Grill in Waukon.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant is leading a bipartisan group that’s sponsoring two bills to crack down on so-called puppy mills. Nunn says responsible dog breeders support closing the legal loopholes that have allowed Iowa to be ranked by the Humane Society as the second worst state in the country for puppy mills. “There’s no reason that Iowa should be at the bottom of this pile,” Nunn says. “More importantly, I think this is something that anyone who’s ever had an animal in their home as a companion animal, a dog specifically, wants to see these animals growing up in this hardship.”

One of the bills, called the Puppy Protection Act, would set standards of care for federally licensed dog breeders — requiring that animals get regular check-ups with a vet, adequate housing and a healthy diet. Nunn points to the case of Daniel Gingerich, who was charged with 120 violations of the Animal Welfare Act after USDA inspectors found dead and malnourished on a property near Seymour. “This idea that you would bring puppies into a confinement facility, stack them multiple crates high (to) urinate and defacate on animals below them and then sell that puppy off to become part of a family member’s home — no livestock farmer would treat their livestock that way,” Nunn says.

The other bill Nunn is co-sponsoring, called Goldie’s Law, was introduced two years ago by Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne, who Nunn defeated last November and Nunn is trying to advance it this year. The bill is named for a golden retriever that U-S-D-A inspectors saw was emaciated, but the agency did not order removal of animals from the Wayne County property until months later, when it was too late to save Goldie. Nunn says the local sheriff, who wanted to act sooner, supports the bill.

Cong. Zach Nunn. (Iowa PBS photo)

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture had notified the farm several times that they were in violation, but never followed up, so this is as much as holding the bad actors accountable as it is the federal government,” Nunn says. “…This is something that we’ve picked up and we’ve expanded on with the Puppy Protection Act just to make sure that there are clear guidelines, so that growers know what they can do, realy sets a best practice out there.” Nunn made his comments this weekend on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS.

More than 500 animals were removed from the Gingerich property in Wayne County in Septemer of 2021. Gingerich, who now lives in Ohio, pleaded guilty to two counts of animal neglect last year.