(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has unveiled a state website that lists child care openings.

A couple of years ago, the state created an online platform that licensed child care providers could use to track enrollment and manage payroll. The governor says the 35-hundred child care providers using that system are now part of this new website that shows child care openings and the range of services provided.

State officials believe Iowa is the first state to offer this kind of real-time data in one place online. The website is called Iowa Child Care Connect.

The price for child care is not included, but the site’s designed for smart phone use, so parents can click on a phone numbers and call a provider.

Gov. Reynolds talks about Iowa Child Care Connect (8/22/24 Radio Iowa photo)

Iowa Department of Health and Human Services director Kelly Garcia says the site gives parents a way to drill down into the types of child care available nearby.

Governor Reynolds says she and other policymakers will be able to use the website to pinpoint communities that are child care deserts.

For example, Reynolds says they may discover unmet demand for infant care.

(Radio Iowa) – A long-term recovery group has been formed to help with building materials, food, financial support, and mental health services for part of western Iowa. Jean Logan of the Community Action Agency of Siouxland says the assistance is mainly focused on Woodbury County but is also available for other areas just outside the Sioux City metro area.

Logan says recovering from a natural disaster takes time and money.

Logan says one of the biggest challenges is finding contractors to fix homes.

She says people can also get help with food, financial assistance, and mental health services. Logan hopes the group will continue expanding into other communities as more organizations offer assistance.

(Atlantic, Iowa)  – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests:

On Monday, August 19th, 31-year-old Ianangi Kosuo, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense.  Kosuo was transported to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.

And, on August 15th, 18-year-old Javen Jespersen, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana/1st Offense.  Jespersen was also later released on his own recognizance.

“All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.”

(Radio Iowa) – Most Iowans are familiar with the emerald ash borer and the insect’s threat to our foliage, but we’re also being asked to be on guard for another insect that’s equally as lethal to a much wider variety of trees. Rhonda Santos, a spokeswoman for the U-S-D-A, says August is “Tree Check Month” and Iowa homeowners should examine their trees for the Asian longhorned beetle and report any clues they find about the invasive pest.

Unlike the emerald ash borer, the Asian longhorned beetle likes to feed on a host of trees, including: ash, birch, elm, sycamore, maple, buckeye, poplar and willow. The bug has distinct markings and leaves behind a series of holes and other signs in trees that make it quick to identify.

The beetle is not native to the U-S and has few-to-no natural predators. Santos encourages Iowans to take five minutes and give your trees a close inspection for those round holes or sawdust.

The beetle was first spotted in the U.S. in New York in 1996 and spread quickly. It’s one of a group of invasive pests and plant diseases that costs the nation some 40-billion dollars each year in losses to trees, plants, and crops. For more information or to report the insect or tree damage, visit www.asianlonghornedbeetle.com.

(Radio Iowa) – The State Auditor’s Office is citing a small town in Guthrie County town for significant delays in developing and approving the city’s budget. Citizens in Bagley, a town of about 230 residents, asked the state auditor’s office to review the city’s finances. The auditor’s report shows city officials held a public hearing about the city’s budget plan more than a month after the 2024 fiscal year had started. Bagley’s budget was not finalized until six months of the 12-month fiscal year had already passed by.

The report also says auditors could not find invoices or receipts to support a few purchases made with the city’s credit card — specifically snacks and candy bought at a Dollar Tree and about 100 dollars worth of laundry-related items purchased at a Menards.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a homeless man and woman were arrested Wednesday evening on charges of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree/1st offense. Authorities say 38-year-old Timothy Wayne Trusty and Cheyenne Beth Murry were arrested near the intersection of Howard and Spruce Streets, and the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, respectively. Both were being held without bond, with Trusty in the Union County Jail and Murry being held in the Adams County Jail. Additional details concerning their arrests was not available.

Creston Police report also, 50-year-old Regina Deanne Sanchez, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at the Creston Walmart Store, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.

Wednesday evening, 26-year-old Isaac Wayne Hayes, of Creston, was arrested at his residence for Assault – Fear of Immediate Contact. Hayes was taken to Union County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

In other news, the Creston P-D said officials with the Agriland Fast Stop reported Wednesday, that equipment was missing from their lot at 705 W. Ringgold St. The missing equipment was described as a black, single axle 2014 Finish utility trailer with a full fuel tank, and an orange, Ditch Witch RT24. The loss was estimated at $11,150 altogether

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak reported the arrest on Wednesday, of 31-year-old Steven Austin Ripley. The Red Oak man was arrested for Public Intoxication and Harassment in the 3rd Degree. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $300.

(Franklin County, IA) – A woman from Sheffield died Wednesday evening, when her 2006 Buick LaCrosse SUV rolled backwards and pinned her underneath the vehicle. The accident happened at around 4:15-p.m., just northeast of Sheffield.

The Iowa State Patrol reports 66-year-old Pamela Harvey, of Sheffield, died at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.