RED OAK, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) report that at around 10:30-p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2024, the Red Oak Police Department received a call from an individual requesting assistance at an apartment complex on West Reed Street in Red Oak. Responding officers found a 48-year-old male suffering from a stab wound. The victim was medically treated by the Red Oak Fire Department and later transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska for further medical care.

A suspect in the incident, 32-year-old Miguel Ramone Martinez, was taken into custody without incident by the Red Oak Police Department and transported to the Montgomery County Jail.  He faces a charge of Willful Injury, a Class C Felony.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.

Note:  A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

(Radio Iowa) – The Ankeny-based Casey’s convenience store officially announced the acquisition today (Friday) of 198 stores in the southern U-S that includes 148 in Texas and 50 in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. . Casey’s is purchasing the CEFCO convenience stores for more than $1.145-BILLION dollars. Casey’s C-E-O Darin Rebelez talked about the purchase in a conference call for investors. “This acquisition will quickly expand Casey’s presence in Texas, a very attractive market for Casey’s, in addition we’ll be able to expand our footprint further into the South as well,” he says.

Casey’s had already owned 22 stores in Texas and will have 29-hundred stores overall once the acquisition is complete. Fikes Wholesale owns the stores and Rebelez says they will fit well with their operation. “Acquisitions this size and strategic fit do not come along very often. And we seize the opportunity to add these large, high quality stores to our network. The fit between fives and cases is outstanding,” Rebelez says. “CEFCO’s large format stores average over 48-hundred square feet. comparable to the news stories at Casey’s builds today.”

He says the Texas stores are mostly in smaller towns in the Dallas to San Antonio to Houston triangle. The Florida stores are mainly in the panhandle area. CEFCO is known for its chicken, and Rebelez says they plan to remodel the kitchens to bring in Casey’s pizza. “CEFCO has done a really nice job of building their own food business and they have kitchens and a lot of their stores, so that should make the integration process go a little smoother for us. But still we see that as our biggest synergy. Fuel it’d be the next largest synergy that we have,” according to Rebelez.

(Casey’s photo)

CEFCO has a fuel terminal that is included in the agreement. Rebelez says the plan is to put the Casey’s name on the stores. “It would be our intention over the next couple of years as we are able to remodel that we would rebrand these stores to Casey’s. There are a handful of stores that have some Q-S-R ours and they’re, they’re under franchise agreements and so we’ll have to navigate that and that’s not unusual,” he says.

Rebelez says they acquisition will help them meet the goal they set in 2023 to expand by 350 stores in half they time they had expected. The acquisition should be completed by the end of this years.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns, today (Friday), said the filing period for candidates for Non-party political organization (NPPO) and Non-Affiliated persons for the upcoming General Election to be held November 5, 2024, are as follows:

• Non-Party candidates and Township Trustees- August 5^th-August 28th
• Soil & Water Commissioners and Agricultural Extension-August 5^th – August 28th
• Hospital Board of Trustees- Anytime with a deadline of Wednesday August 28^th.

County positions open are:

1. Board Of Supervisors District 1, District 4 & District 5
2. County Auditor
3. County Sheriff
4. Edna Township Trustee
5. Union Township Trustee
6. Soil & Water Commissioners (3)
7. Hospital Board of Trustees (3)
8. Ag-Extension (4)

For more information and for the number of signatures required for each office, please contact the Auditor’s office at 712-243-4570. Anyone interested in running as an NPPO or Non-Affiliated candidate or any of the positions listed above for the General Election may pick up Nomination Papers and Affidavits of Candidacy in the Auditor’s Office, located at 5 W 7^th Street, in Atlantic, from 8:00 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/general/index.html (Iowa Secretary of State website)

Absentee ballot request forms are available online at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/absenteeinfo.html ( Iowa Secretary of State website) or in the Cass County Auditor’s Office.  The registered voter must request the application form themselves, you may not request on behalf of another registered voter.  Request forms can not be returned to the auditor’s office until August 27, 2024.  Last day to request a ballot to be mailed is Monday, October 21, 2024.

Please contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office with any questions regarding absentee voting or candidate filings.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest of a woman on two-counts of Child Endangerment, Authorities say 34-year-old Marie Brown, of Glenwood, was taken into custody Thursday on the Pottawattamie County warrant, and was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond, until seen by a magistrate judge. And, 46-year-old Sean Carlson, of Glenwood, was arrested today (Friday) in Glenwood, for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was also being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending an appearance before the judge.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s annual sales tax holiday returns Aug. 2nd & 3rd, just in time for families looking to save a little money while back-to-school shopping. Iowa’s sales tax normally ranges from 6-7%, but that tax is waived on certain items during the tax-free weekend. All businesses open during the holiday must participate, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue, and eligible items purchased online, or by mail order or catalog, are also exempt as long as they’re ordered and paid for during the exemption period. This year’s exemption period runs from 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2, until midnight Saturday Aug. 3. Sunday, Aug. 4 is not included in the tax-exempt period.

Find the state’s list of sales tax-exempt items — and items that are taxable — here.

Some of the tax-free items include clothing and shoes under $100 (Such as underclothes, sneakers, coats and jackets, belts, jeans, diapers, work uniforms, costumes and bridal apparel).

The exemption does not apply to any item that costs $100 or more. It also doesn’t apply to backpacks, garment bags, watches and jewelry, umbrellas, clothing repairs or alterations, sporting equipment or other special clothing or footwear for athletics. Items purchased online are included in the tax exemption as long as they fit the normal requirements. As long as items are ordered and paid for during the holiday, it does not matter if delivery isn’t complete until after the holiday has concluded.

Image from https://itrfoundation.org/iowas-sales-tax-free-weekend-is-coming-up-but-is-it-good-policy/

The National Retail Federation estimates families will spend an average of $874 this year on back-to-school items. That’s slightly down from last year, but still the second-highest average recorded. Of that spending, families are expected to shell out more than $300 for electronics this year and more than $400 on clothing and accessories. Another $142 is expected to go toward school supplies.

Carol Ehlers, a human sciences specialist in family well-being with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, said families need to plan ahead and budget for back-to-school purchases. In a news release, Ehlers provided these tips to Iowans ahead of the tax-free holiday weekend:

• Plan ahead: Plan for major clothing and shoe purchases before you go shopping during Iowa’s sales tax-free weekend event.
• Set a budget and stick to it: Be careful not to overspend just because the tax-free weekend is occurring.
• Compare prices: Use the sales circulars from your newspaper to compare prices on the items you wish to buy. Visit websites of several stores where you usually shop. If you tend to buy your kids’ jeans or sneakers at national retail outlets, visit their websites during tax-free weekend to find out which store is offering the better deal.
• Know the rules and expect a busy shopping weekend: The Iowa Legislature approved the tax holiday in 2000 to help boost the economy and give consumers a break. Previous tax-free holidays have shown to pump up sales for everyone from big-box retailers to mom-and-pop shops. Some merchants report double-digit increases in sales, compared to a typical August weekend.

(Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa DNR News) – Hemorrhagic disease, commonly referred to as EHD or Bluetongue, has been impacting deer in Iowa for over a decade, with severe outbreaks occurring in 2012, 2013, 2019, and 2023. As a way to better understand disease impacts, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has created an online tool where hunters and landowners can report dead deer resulting from hemorrhagic disease outbreaks.

The new reporting tool, plus an annual dashboard, is linked off the Deer Hunting and Deer Health Webpage (www.iowadnr.gov/deer). Hemorrhagic disease has previously gone under-reported and this new tool will help to simplify the process, as well as improve the accuracy of the number of deer and local areas impacted. Submitting these reports assists the DNR in understanding and managing Iowa’s deer populations.

Characteristics of hemorrhagic disease are:

• Mortalities generally occurring between July and September, occasionally later during unseasonably warm weather
• Finding more than one deer carcass
• Discovering carcasses near a water source
  

  Deer are often found near water sources where they will try to drink away a burning sensation that is a symptom of hemorrhagic disease. Image courtesy of the Iowa DNR.

Outbreak severity has varied from year to year and there is no effective treatment or known prevention for wild deer. Hemorrhagic disease typically doesn’t impact county deer populations uniformly, meaning that deer on one property may experience a severe outbreak while deer on a neighboring property do not.

Generally, deer populations in areas where outbreaks occurred have recovered to near normal levels within 2-3 years with no additional management actions. However, counties with low or declining deer populations that experience an outbreak may need additional help to facilitate recovery.

AMES, Iowa — The Iowa State University College of Design, in partnership with ISU Extension and Outreach, will host the Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop (IMDW) July 30–31 on the Iowa State campus. Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett and Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh, are the only two mayors from southwest Iowa who were invited to the event. Mayors from Cedar Falls, Fort Madison, Marshalltown and Ottuwma were also extended an invitation to attend and present their projects. As we previously reported on KJAN, Mayor Garrett will be working with the College of Design’s team, on projects for Bull Creek and the Schildberg Recreation Areas.

The IMDW will serve as a space to identify and address complex design issues communities in Iowa face, said Erin Olson-Douglas, College of Design associate dean for extension and outreach and director of the ISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development program. The two-day workshop will bring together mayors and community leaders from six Iowa towns to connect with ISU faculty, research and extension staff, and design professionals from local firms to enhance the vitality of their regions for current and future generations. 

Modeled after the 2022 Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) the College of Design hosted in Des Moines, the inaugural Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop will focus on water-related issues, including opportunities for the enhancement of riverfront areas, resilient flood management, trails and parks for recreation, adjacent development and integration of nature-based remedies, according to Olson-Douglas.

Learn more about the workshop, HERE.

(Radio Iowa) – The group Disability Rights Iowa is celebrating 40 years of advocating for — and protecting the civil rights of — Iowans with disabilities. Catherine Johnson, the organization’s executive director, says job accommodations, access to medical care, and a lack of long term support for people to live in their communities continue to be major concerns. “There is no one specific issue that I think faces Iowans with disabilities,” Johnson says. “It’s many of the same issues we have been addressing for years in and years out.”

The organization has worked to ensure access to public accommodations and voting. More recently, D-R-I filed lawsuits to improve children’s mental health care and to stop the use of certain punishments at the Boys State Training School in Eldora. Johnson says within the next 40 years, she wants the nonprofit to have strong relationships in each of the state’s 99 counties.  “We take it very seriously that we are here for all Iowans with disabilities, which is essentially almost 400,000 Iowans identify as having a disability,” Johnson says. “We want to be known to every single Iowan with a disability so that they know we are the place that they can come to for help and support.”

The group is celebrating its legacy with the 40-34 Equal Access Festival tomorrow (Saturday) in Des Moines, that’ll also recognize the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Then-Iowa U-S Senator Tom Harkin was a key architect of the A-D-A. Johnson made her comments this week on the Iowa Public Radio program “Talk of Iowa.”

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU-TV) — While learning construction and the skilled trades are typically reserved for high school and college students, in northwest Iowa, Girls Inc. participants are wrapping up a building project where they made sheds this summer.

Local contractors and businesses are donating their time and supplies to help the girls build two “She Sheds.” In that process, they learned valuable skills such as plumbing, electrical skills and construction skills. The project is set to finish at the end of summer. With their new knowledge, organizers hope the girls can use what they were taught in their futures.

Girls Inc. of Sioux City Executive Director Mandy Engel-Cartie, says it’s a chance for the organization to help the community, and help the girls grow into independent, economically sufficient adults. She says even if the girls aren’t interested in skilled trades, it gives then a great set of skills to have throughout their lives.

Once the sheds are finished, Girls Inc. plans to hold an event where they will auction-off the sheds to anyone who is interested.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Kansas man was sentenced Wednesday (July 24, 2024), to 235 months (19 1/2-years) in federal prison for transportation of child pornography.

According to public documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Derek Levi Hendrickson, 33, transported three internet capable computer devices across state lines in September 2022 when he moved to Waukee, Iowa. Those devices – two cell phones and a laptop computer – contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography. At the time of his offense, Hendrickson was a registered sex offender due to a 2015 Kansas state conviction for possession of child pornography.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Hendrickson will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Hendrickson was also ordered to pay $38,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Nebraska State Patrol.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.