(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report a man was arrested at around 3:30-p.m. Thursday. 23-year-old Jonathan Michael Palmer, of Creston, was arrested at his residence, on charges that include Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, and Disorderly Conduct. Palmer was being held in the Union County Jail on a $10,300 cash, or approved surety bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s warm, dry weather has worsened the drought situation, while in states to the south, too much rain is the problem. That’s according to the latest Iowa Drought Monitor map which was released Thursday morning. The map shows over 56% of the state in abnormally dry conditions or some level of drought. That’s an increase of almost 10 percent. The hardest hit area is still northwestern Iowa. Extreme drought conditions, shown in red, have now extended into four counties there.

The Drought Monitor summary says “The Midwest saw a mix of degradations and improvements in the Drought Monitor this week, after weather was highly variable across the region. Hot and dry weather covered south-central and southwest Missouri, where flash drought continued to intensify and agricultural problems continued as a result.” Heavy rain fell in two areas, one from southeast of Kansas City to southeast Missouri, and a second in central, eastern, and northeast Missouri. The latter caused flash flooding in the St. Louis area and a record one-day rainfall at St. Louis Lambert Airport.” (click on the image to the right to enlarge)

Improvements to the drought situation occurred in parts of northeast Illinois, though heavier rains missed the severe drought area centered near Champaign. Drought expansion paused this week in the Michigan Lower Peninsula where widespread rain fell. Localized improvements were made in parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky where short-term conditions improved due to heavy rainfall. A mix of improvements and degradations occurred in Minnesota and Wisconsin around areas where heavier rain fell. Soil moisture deficits continued to mount in far northern Wisconsin, where moderate drought developed.

The latest 10-day forecast shows little chance for rain in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) -The last of the original staff members who got the Iowa Lottery up and running is preparing to retire. Larry Loss was working for a beverage distributor in Spencer when the Lottery started hiring to go into business. “There were 22-hundred people applied for 30 jobs. And I was fortunate enough to get one of those 30 jobs. And so I was able to start in July of 1985, with the Iowa Lottery,” Loss says. Larry was able to impress his new employers enough that they overlooked his last name when they hired him.  “I understand. There was some interesting conversation about that before I was hired, whether the lottery should hire anybody with the name of loss or not. I’m glad they decided they could,” Loss says.

It worked out well for both as Loss started as one of the youngest employees hired at 26 years old — and just marked his 37th year with the Lottery on July 28th. The Iowa Lottery is much different today than it was then when they started with one scratch ticket called “Scratch Match.” “We produced that one game, did everything of signing up retailers, getting locations ready to sell tickets, distributing tickets out to the retailers, so they could go on sale, ultimately, in August 22 of 1985,” he says. Loss says it was exciting for the employees to be making history and getting things underway — but it was also hectic.

“Oh, it was it was just wild, in some respects. Because the lottery started up in a hundred days,” Loss says. “And so from staffing and getting locations for offices, and vehicles and everything, the tremendous amount of work going on.” As a district sales reps he went out and worked with retailers to complete the license applications, they had to evaluate stores, get them licensed and get them ready to sell tickets when they eventually went on sale. Today’s jackpots are in the millions and some surpass one BILLION dollars but the top prize in the fist ever game was five-thousand dollars. Loss had one of the first big winners on the day ticket sales started in 1985 at the store in Spencer.

“The energy that was produced in Spencer that night with somebody winning a five-thousand dollar ticket, you know, it’s just incredible that first, everybody in the store was excited that somebody had won,” he says “the paper came down and took a picture of the winner, and everybody you know. It was a five-thousand dollar prize — but at that time it was a big deal.” He has a newspaper clipping of the story and picture from that day. Retailers had to stamp each ticket with their store name and number in the early days. Loss says technology has been one of the biggest changes he’s seen in the nearly four decades since then.

“Technology has opened the door that you can, with barcodes, with computers with communication systems that are way better — cell phone connections between terminals — you can just do things faster and easier than you could back in 1985,” according to Loss. Loss moved up from his first position to become regional manager of the Iowa Lottery’s Storm Lake office. He then moved to Lottery headquarters and advanced to his current position as the Lottery’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. He even had a two week stint at acting C-E-O during a transition in leadership. He says the constant challenges and opportunity kept the job interesting.

“It’s been tremendously fun to be part of a small organization that offers a statewide product. I’ve been able to be involved in the development of new products, and as technology changed, how can you use that technology to do different things with the tickets,” Loss says. “I’ve been involved with the design and development of the scratch tickets, which is the product that we sell the most of. And so, you know, there’s a lot of art and science and a little bit of luck that goes into creating those games and promotions around them. And it’s really been a lot of fun. And I’ve enjoyed it every day.”

Loss’ last day is August 18th, and says he will take a few months to enjoy retirement and decide what comes next. He does say he will continue on the board for the Heart of Iowa Mental Health Region, and explore other volunteer opportunities. It’s also rumored Loss has a lawn mowing passion and will continue those efforts.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – It’s day number three of the seven-day Cass County Fair in Atlantic. Activities begin at 8-a.m. with the Rabbit Show, followed by Part 2 of the Horse Show, at 9-a.m. The Dog Show gets underway at 11, and the Clover Kids Animal Show takes place at 3:30-p.m. The kids will get a chance to participate in the fast-paced Mutton Busting at 6:30-p.m., and the big event takes place at 8-p.m., with the Bull Ride, which is always popular.

The highlighted meal at the Fair today is chicken and noodles. The Cass County Fair is Free! No fee to park, and admission to all exhibits and entertainment is free. The bulk of the Cass County Fair runs through Monday evening. The week concluding Tuesday morning with the Livestock sale.

Here’s the complete Fair Schedule (click on the image to enlarge):

(Radio Iowa) – The State of Iowa spent nearly three-point-two million dollars over a decade in defense of former Governor Terry Branstad’s attempt to replace the state’s Workers Compensation Commissioner. The state’s Executive Council has approved the final payment of 371-thousand dollars to the Des Moines law firm that represented Branstad. Iowa Workers Compensation Commissioner Christopher Godfrey filed a lawsuit in 2012.

He accused Branstad of singling him out because he was gay, pressuring him to resign, then cutting his salary by a third when he refused . In 2019, a jury awarded Godfrey one-and-a-half million dollars. Two years later, the Iowa Supreme Court tossed out the jury’s verdict, ruling that there was no evidence to prove Branstad is anti-gay. Godfrey also alleged he was fired because business groups complained about his rulings on workers’ compensation cases.

The Supreme Court ruled whether correct or not, Branstad was entitled to take that perception into consideration and ask Godfrey to resign before his term had ended. Godfrey is now director of Workers’ Compensation Programs at the U.S. Department of Labor.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa plans to offer a major in Risk Management and Insurance starting in the fall of 2023 as a way to strengthen the state’s largest non-agriculture economic sector. A U-I finance professor, Thomas Berry-Stoelzle,  will direct the new major. For now, he says U-I students can only get a certificate in the insurance program, which is similar to a minor.

“There used to be an insurance major here at the university that was discontinued in the mid-80s,” Berry-Stoelzle says. “I would say the local companies always wanted to get a major back. We started the certificate 15 years ago and there was always a push to expand the program.” The goal is to attract 20 students to the new major in the first year, expanding to perhaps 80 students within five years. Risk Management and Insurance may not have the curb appeal of some other majors, but Berry-Stoelzle believes it will definitely attract interest.

“The biggest selling point are the job opportunities here in the state. The insurance industry accounts for 11% of the state’s GDP and there are great career options for students in the state and in the region,” Berry-Stoelzle says. “The insurance industry is important for the economy as a whole and less cyclical when you think about longer-term careers.” The new major will be offered in the U-I’s Tippie College of Business, where graduates will be able to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree.

“The Risk Management insurance program at the University of Iowa is already recognized as a global center of insurance excellence by the International Insurance Society, and that puts us within the top 25 Risk Management insurance programs in the country,” Berry-Stoelzle says. “We hope that the major will further help us to elevate our reputation and become a top 10 program in the near future.”

Des Moines is one of the nation’s top hubs for insurance, and has been ranked third in the world behind Hartford, Connecticut and London, England. Some 212 insurance companies are now operating in Iowa, with dozens of them based in the Des Moines metro. So what makes Iowa such an insurance mecca? “A big advantage for insurance companies in the state is the predictable regulatory environment,” Berry-Stoelzle says. “There’s less politics involved in terms of regulation here in the state of Iowa, compared to other places.”

More than 60,000 Iowans work in the insurance and risk management profession. The industry is expected to grow in the future, as climate change, cyberattacks, and other hazards will require companies to better manage those risks.

The 2022 Cass County Fair King and Queen contest was held on Thursday night in front of the gardens at the Cass County Community Center. Keira Olson was named the 2022 Queen and Bryan York was named King. Olson is the daughter of Jon and Kate Olson of Atlantic and is a member of the Pymosa 4-H club. York is the son of Dave and Kristy York of Atlantic and he is a member of the Bear Grove Blazers 4-H club and the Atlantic FFA.

Paige Jensen was named the 2022 Princess. Paige is the daughter of Ryan and Eva Jensen and is a member of the Grant Guys and Gals 4-H club and CAM FFA. Logan Evans was named the 2022 Prince. He is the son of Ryan and Jessie Evans and is a member of the Griswold Clubsters and the Griswold FFA.

Miss Congeniality for 2022 is Elizabeth Anderson. She is the daughter of Jason and Lori Anderson and is a member of the Bear Grove Blazers 4-H club. Mr. Congeniality was Dylan Comes. He is the son of Chad and Tresa Comes and is a member of the Atlantic FFA.

All the candidates were judged through a process that included individual and group interviews at a previous gathering at the Cass County Community Center and some final judging during the ceremony Thursday. The contest included 12 queen candidates and 7 king candidates.

A large group of kids participated in the Little Miss and Little Mister Contest as well. Winners were drawn at random and the 2022 Little Miss is Greta Parks and the 2022 Little Mister is Jase Ohms.

Keira Olson earns the right to represent Cass County in the 2022 Iowa State Fair Queen Contest.

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DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs have announced more than $2.3 million in grants have been awarded to 191 Iowa organizations and individuals working in arts, culture, history, humanities, film and media in 69 communities, including Corning, Creston, Council Bluffs, Earlham and Elk Horn.

The grants are designed to support creative placemaking, a strategy that centers arts and culture in community and economic development. The funding supports Iowa’s creative workforce, revitalizes historic districts, launches public art projects, advances film stories “from script to screen” – and more.

Cultural attractions – including museums, performing arts venues, science centers, gardens, film and music festivals – draw in visitors and engage their communities through arts and culture. The new grants support cultural destinations that collectively offer more than six million days of engagement every year.

The grants are administered by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs’ divisions: the Iowa Arts Council; interim Iowa Humanities Council; State Historical Society of Iowa and State Historic Preservation Office of Iowa; and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production.

Funding is made possible through annual appropriations from the Iowa Legislature and through state-federal partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding comes from the nonprofit State Historical Society of Iowa, Inc., and through the state’s Resource Enhancement and Protection Act, which the legislature enacted to provide funds to preserve, conserve, interpret, enhance and educate the public about Iowa’s historical resources.

The department also supports 60 of Iowa’s leading arts and cultural organizations as Cultural Leadership Partners, which maintain high standards, attract tourists, generate economic activity and sustain high-quality jobs.

The grants announced today are divided into four broad categories:

Arts & Culture
The Iowa Arts Council awarded $1,550,979 in grants to 146 projects in 51 Iowa communities. These grants support a variety of creative placemaking initiatives that combine arts and culture with community development. In addition to the annual grants announced today, the Artist Catalyst Grants, Creative Places Project Grants and School Arts Experience Grants are now offered quarterly, and the next application deadline is Aug. 1.

In southwest Iowa, the Creston Community High School will bring 70 students to Mainframe Studios in Des Moines, as part of its “Create Arts as a Career” workshop. The program is designed to expose rural youth to careers in the arts and creative fields and to help students see that creative people can live, create and thrive in Iowa.

And the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn received a total of $45,000 for two projects including for “The Future of Video Storage.”

Museum of Danish America Visual Storage

(Radio Iowa) – Workers rallied outside of the Bridgestone-Firestone tire plant in Des Moines today (Thursday) as union and corporate negotiators approach a deadline to reach a new labor contract. The United Steelworkers Union represents around 950 out of the 13-hundred employees at the factory that makes tires for tractors and other agricultural equipment. Bill Campbell, a vice president of the local union, says Bridgestone’s proposal is far from what the union is demanding on wages, health care and retirement.

“Things can happen very quickly. Hopefully, they do,” he said. “The goal is not to go on strike, for everybody, it’s to get a fair contract, but we are ready to go if need be.” The current contract expires tonight at 11. Campbell says work at the plant could continue without a new contract if negotiations are going well. Otherwise, union negotiators could call for a strike or the company could lock out its employees. It was nearly a year ago that John Deere workers across several states went on a month-long strike. Campbell believes Bridgestone workers still have leverage.

“John Deere is different from Bridgestone-Firestone. They did a good thing and got what they needed up there,” Campbell says, “and hopefully we can do this without having to do what they had to do.” About four-thousand union members at facilities in Des Moines, Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee and Ohio are covered by the contract.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Grant Gerlock)

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller accuses tobacco companies Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds and 16 others of defrauding Iowa of millions of dollars by withholding payments due under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. “Just an enormously complex case, but it comes down to their ability to withhold this money from us – huge amount of money – 133 million dollars over a large number of years, 18 years now,” Miler says.

The settlement agreement requires tobacco manufacturers to pay billions annually to participating states in exchange for the states agreeing not to sue for health-related damages to citizens.

The lawsuit was filed in the Polk County District Court today (Thursday).