(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports two men were arrested Tuesday, on separate charges. At around 11-a.m., Officers arrested 38-year-old Jason Dames, of Creston, at the Creston News Advertiser. Dames was charged with Disorderly Conduct. He was transported to the Union County Jail where he was later released on his own recognizance. And, at around 5-p.m., Tuesday, 31-year-old Kevin Jungers, of Lenox, was arrested at Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston. He was charged with violation of a court order. Jungers was taken to the Union County Jail where he was waiting to be seen by magistrate.

(Albia, Iowa) – A pedestrian in southern Iowa’s Monroe County died Tuesday afternoon, after being struck by an SUV. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2011 Chevy Traverse driven by 33-year-old Michael Lee Cox, of Albia, was traveling south on Clinton Street at around 1:10-p.m., and proceeded through the intersection of S. Clinton and E. Washington Streets, as 56-year-old Timothy Allen Olson, of Polk City, was crossing S. Clinton in a crosswalk from the west, which was to the right of the SUV.

When Cox failed to see Olson, his vehicle struck the man, who died at the Monroe County Hospital from his injuries. The accident was under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa school districts are about to resume classes without having the funding to provide free lunches for all students. Two years of pandemic aid ended in June, leaving districts scrambling to get qualified families to re-submit applications for free or reduced-price lunch. Shenandoah Schools superintendent Kerri Nelson says the district is keeping lunches free through the Community Eligibility Provision. Nelson says the program will be a cost to the district, but it’s needed.  “To help provide a little bit of a buffer and a transition for our families,” Nelson says, “and we’ve let families know that this is a temporary intervention, we’ll do it as long as we’re able to.”

She says their cash reserves will get them through at least one semester. Des Moines will be providing free lunch to all students through the same program. Dan Barkel, superintendent at Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn-Remsen-Union, says he’s disappointed the federal aid wasn’t extended. “For some families, this might be a bit of a stretch just because obviously, they’ve gotten used to not having to pay,” Barkel says, “and of course, with inflation hitting the pocketbooks of a lot of folks, I have a feeling that it’ll be a bit of a shock.”

Barkel says he thinks the last two years have broken down some of the stigma to being on free or reduced-price lunch. He just hopes the schools don’t see an increase in negative balances, as the costs return to parents.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – The state director of A-A-R-P says the F-D-A’s approval of new rules allowing the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids will have a big impact on Iowans. Brad Anderson says this is something A-A-R-P has pushed for the last five years. “It is a game changer for roughly 40 million older adults currently experiencing hearing loss. And we anticipate the new rule and the new devices that are in the pipeline, will quickly transform the market,” Anderson says. The rules announced Tuesday are for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Anderson says the devices can help prevent bigger issues brought on by hearing loss. “It can lead to risk of isolation, depression, and even dementia,” Anderson says. “The current market however, because hearing aids cost thousands of dollars, and they require a prescription and a fitting, many Americans experiencing mild or moderate hearing loss, simply let it ride and they don’t do anything about it,” he says.

Anderson says they expect the market to bring hearing aid costs down.  “They cost around 23-hundred to as much as six-thousand dollars. What we’re experts believe that these new over the counter hearing aids will cost between 250 and one thousand dollars per pair,” according to Anderson. He says they are still expensive –but that is a big cut in the expense. Anderson says A-A-R-P fought for the change through a bipartisan law, written by Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Democrat Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. He says part of the lengthy process was the time it took for the F-D-A figure out all the rules for the over-the-counter devices. “Everything from…what will be allowed in the hearing devices, …what will be allowed within the marketplace, where the new devices will be sold. How do people return the devices if they don’t work? So there are a lot of things that go into these rules,” he says.

Medicare will NOT cover the cost of the new hearing aids — but Anderson hopes that comes in the future. “A-A-R-P has long supported Medicare coverage of hearing aids, but one step at a time. So they will still be required to be paid for out of pocket,” Anderson says, “but, again, the cost savings, the F-D-A estimates that the average consumer will save around 28-hundred dollars per pair, given the new rule.”

People with severe to profound hearing loss are still advised to get prescription devices which can be more accurately tuned to the individual’s needs by a professional.

(Radio Iowa) – The Democratic Party’s nominee for state ag secretary says the Iowa Department of Agriculture needs to represent both producers and consumers. “We have to have an eye on the world and where the world is going and maybe think about the secretary of agriculture as the secretary of food, land and water.” John Norwood is a business consultant and currently serving as a Soil and Water Commissioner in Polk County.

Norwood says Iowa’s ag industry is tremendously productive, but there’s an imbalance and the state’s voluntary approach to reducing farm chemical run-off isn’t working. “We send a billion pounds of nitrates down our Mississippi and Missouri River systems and into our reservoirs like Saylorville Lake here and that creates major drinking water issues, water recreation issues, access to water issues,” Norwood says. “Over half of our state waters are impaired.”

Norwood’s first job out of college was at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority which handled drinking water and wastewater. Norwood has not proposed specific limits on nitrogen and phosphorus application on cropland. He says innovative thinking is needed to improve Iowa’s water quality AND reduce top soil loss. “We have among the richest soils in the world here in Iowa and in some cases we’ve lost a third of the top soil, ten times the rate of loss that we make in any particular year,” Norwood says. “That’s unsustainable.”

Norwood says if Iowa is to weather more frequent floods and droughts, it needs healthy soil — and more acres planted with cover crops like oats, barley, rye and hay. “That might mean bringing more livestock, outdoor livestock which are important to soil health,” Norwood says. Norwood says Iowa needs to dedicate more ag land to crops that aren’t corn and soybeans. “We should be thinking about how do we feed 3.2 million Iowans and the 80 million people who live within a day’s drive Iowa,” Norwood says, “because places like California, which supply more than half of our fruits and vegetables is facing…drought.”

Norwood worked with cattle ranchers, nut growers and other farmers in California before settling in Iowa in 2002. Norwood made his comments on the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. Current Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig (NEGG, rhymes with “egg”), a Republican, has been in office since the spring of 2018 and in this year’s election he’s seeking a second full term.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Republican party held a special nominating convention, Monday (Aug. 15), to nominate the Republican candidate on the November ballot for the position of Cass County Auditor, as required by the State of Iowa. Kathy Somers, of Atlantic, was elected as the party’s candidate to be placed on the ballot for the November election.

Somers has local government experience, having served on the Atlantic City Council for 12 years.  She has served on the Atlantic Personnel & Finance Committee, the Landfill Board, and the Cass County Public Safety Commission. She has experience with human resources, labor laws, payroll, employee benefits, and insurance.  She has been an active volunteer in the community and the Republican party.

Somers has been employed as the HR & EEO Officer/Safety Coordinator at A.M. Cohron & Son, Inc. for 13 years. In April, 2022, the Cass County Board of Supervisors appointed Sara Harris to the post, following the resignation of long-time Auditor Dale Sunderman.

Harris’ term expires at the end of the year.

(Radio Iowa) – While parts of Iowa saw up to two inches of rain on Monday, it may be too little, too late for many of the crops that have been critically damaged by the long string of hot, dry days. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says there are big differences in corn crop conditions across the region, especially compared to areas in northwest Iowa that are in extreme drought.

“We really have done the damage already and things are looking pretty bleak in some places,” Todey says. “We have some places that we could maybe still help limp through a little bit, but it’s interesting because in contrast, you go up to northeast South Dakota or eastern Iowa, parts of Minnesota, conditions are pretty good.” While any more rain that falls on Iowa this week may green up our lawns a bit, Todey says precipitation at this stage on the calendar will be of limited help to farmers.

“There are still some chances for some rainfall, some hit-and-miss rainfalls, that could help some soybeans still, but we’re late enough now, the chances of being able to help much are not great,” Todey says. “Then the overall outlooks, they’re not terribly optimistic for great improvement.” The latest map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows moderate drought now stretches all the way from Iowa’s eastern border to the western border and that about 64 of the state’s 99 counties are in some form of drought.

“The other thing we’re concerned about now is starting to look towards fall soil moisture recharge,” Todey says. “We’re going to need some rainfalls in the fall to get some moisture back in the soils.” The climate outlooks show above-normal temperatures and below-normal rain for most of the region through much of September.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Department of Education says 900 Iowans with remaining federal student loans from the defunct I-T-T Technical Institute will get the balances deleted. Iowa borrowers owed almost 16-million dollars to the chain of schools, which closed in 2016. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller joined his counterparts across the country in seeking to get the loans forgiven. He says I-T-T was involved in significant fraud, including job placement.

“And then there were claims about the quality of education that just didn’t bear out. One of the real problems was that ITT’s quality of education was just not very good- they represented it as much better than that,” he says. Miller says students should consider a community college instead of for profit schools – – which he says can be less expensive and provide a higher quality of education.

(reporting By Tony Sarabia, Iowa Public Radio)

DES MOINES, IA – A man from Des Moines was sentenced Tuesday (Today) to 12 1/2-years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says in addition to his sentence, 56-year-old David Alan Callison must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

In April 2019, Callison was the sole back seat passenger of a car stopped by law enforcement. In a bag next to Callison, law enforcement found over 600 grams of methamphetamine, more than $13,000, and a digital scale. The investigation revealed that Callison repeatedly obtained large quantities of methamphetamine for redistribution. Callison was on parole for a state of Iowa drug conviction when he committed this offense.

Last year, Callison’s co-defendants were sentenced. Angel Luis Toledo Castillo, age 37 of Des Moines, received a 162-month sentence, after he was found guilty by a jury in November 2019 of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Demetrio Cortes Montano, age 46 of Des Moines, received a 139-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gustavo Martinez, age 30 of Des Moines, received a 120-month sentence for conspiracy distribute methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department investigated the case, assisted by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

ATLANTIC, IA – Market Manager Brigham Hoege reports Produce in the Park will welcome two new food trucks to the park this Thursday, August 18. Reyes Tamales and Soulshine are both much anticipated food vendors. Soulshine operates with the motto, “If we don’t think our food will make your soul shine, we won’t serve it.” On August 18, Soulshine will be selling a variety of gourmet hot dogs and BBQ-inspired foods, such as mac and cheese topped with smoked pulled pork, chili dogs, and hot dogs topped with BBQ and mac and cheese, in addition to traditional smoked pulled pork sandwiches and hot dog kids’ meals.

Reyes Tamales will be selling their homemade tamales in pork, chicken, and veggie (a customer favorite), along with refreshing cold drinks made with fresh produce (cucumber and pineapple are expected). While tamales will make
for a delicious meal Thursday evening, Arturo also sells them wrapped up and ready for the freezer (tamales freeze well and are easy to re-heat weeks later).

Family business Reyes Tamales will be selling tamales and refreshing drinks at Produce in the Park on August 18

In addition to fabulous food vendors, this week Produce in the Park offers a free concert in the park by Jason Reed, and Guest Chef LaVon Eblen will be providing free samples of Caprese Salad on a Stick. Caprese Salad is a simple, delicious salad made with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. The salad will be served on a stick in celebration of State Fair time.

Fresh, local produce at park this week includes tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, garlic, eggplant, peppers, and more. Vendors will also be selling local meat (chicken, beef, pork, and lamb), honey, farmfresh eggs, popcorn, fresh-squeezed lemonade, pastries and desserts, and a variety of crafts, plants, and jewelry. Activities at the park this week include a park scavenger hunt, yard games, and water games.

Details for Produce in the Park August 18
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
Live Music: Jason Reed
Food Trucks: Reyes Tamales, Soulshine Food Truck
Activities: Yard games and more with Atlantic Parks and Recreation, Scavenger hunt with Produce in the Park
Fresh local produce: Tomatoes, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Onions, Garlic, and more!
Guest Chef: LaVon Eblen will be serving Caprese Salad on a Stick
Fresh Produce: Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, garlic, Meats: Beef, pork, lamb, chicken
Staples: Honey, farm-fresh eggs, granola
Treats: Kringle, pastries, fresh-squeezed lemonade, popcorn
Crafts and More: Jewelry, candles and melts, bath salts, art prints, plants
Free drawing for Mums (donated by Sue’s Country Garden) and farm-fresh eggs (sponsored by the Cass
County Local Food Policy Council)

Payment methods accepted: All vendors accept cash. Many accept credit cards, Venmo, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Senior and WIC checks. All qualifying food vendors accept SNAP/EBT (also known as food stamps). All fresh produce vendors both accept and distribute Double Up Food Bucks (coupons given for SNAP/EBT purchases of fresh produce).

Produce in the Park August 2022 farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass County Tourism, Cass Health, First Whitney Bank and Trust, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Deter Motor Co.
For updates on Produce in the Park, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/), or visit the Produce in the Park website to sign up for the e-newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.

For information on vending at the park, contact Market Manager Brigham Hoegh at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com or 712-249-5870.