(Winterset, Iowa) – Three members of the Madison County Ambulance Service are no longer employed with the county. According to KCCI, the county Board of Supervisors last week, voted to let go of Director Tadd Davis. Davis was put on administrative leave in May pending an investigation.

Two other employees also faced investigation, but their names were never disclosed. Last week, employee Bryan Snyder resigned from the service and Kayla Whitten had her employment terminated.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed two bills into law that are designed to address a lack of treatment options for Iowans seeking mental health care services. One bill sets up a loan repayment program for students who agree to work in an underserved are of Iowa after they get a degree in the mental health field. Representative Timi Brown-Powers of Waterloo says it will hopefully boost the number of mental health professionals working in rural Iowa.

“Right now we are only meeting 40% of the need of mental health folks in the state of Iowa, so this bill through student aid, I hope, will expand feet on the ground, hands in the air for our folks with mental illness,” Brown-Powers said. The other new law will let a state board issue provisional licenses to doctoral students in psychology — so they can practice during their internship with a license psychologist.

Senator Jeff Edler of State Center says it’s another in a long line of bills that have addressed the workforce shortage in the mental health field. “You know this will help provide avenues for treatment for people in mental health distress,” Edler says.

Governor Kim Reynolds signed a total of 21 bills into law on Monday. One will let adults with liability insurance drive all-terrain vehicles on two-lane primary highways — if the A-T-V is equipped with headlights. Another will increase the state incentive to school districts that share superintendents, special education directors and school resource officers.

(Shelby, Iowa) – Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo reports that at around 6:24-a.m., Monday, the Shelby County 911 Center was notified of a structure fire on Des Moines Street, in Shelby, and that there were possibly people inside the residence.

Shelby Fire and Rescue, Minden Fire and Rescue, Medivac, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelby County EMA responded. Two people were transported to the hospital. The fire is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshalls Office.

Additional details were not released.

(Cylinder, Iowa) – The driver of one vehicle died and the other was injured during a near head-on collision Sunday night, in northern Iowa’s Palo Alto County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2011 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 45-year-old Brian M. Freeman, of Garner, was traveling west on Highway 18 at around 10:07-p.m., and approaching a slight right-hand curve in the road. The pickup failed to follow the curve, and crossed the center line before colliding with an eastbound 2006 Chevy Trailblazer SUV.

The driver of the SUV, 26-year-old Landon R. Schiek, of Algona, died at the scene. Freeman was injured and transported by Mercy Air to Mercy Hospital in Mason City. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office, Cylinder Fire Dept., Emmetsburg EMS, Emmetsburg Police, and the Palo Alto County Medical Examiner.

(Radio Iowa) – An attorney for the Iowa Utilities Board says the staff is reviewing several items in Carbon Solutions’ proposal to construct approximately 681 miles of pipeline through Iowa to carry liquefied carbon dioxide. A couple of people spoke during the public comment period of the I-U-B meeting about pipeline concerns. Cynthia Hansen and her siblings own a century farm in Shelby County in western Iowa.

“We have landowners who are being what we considered harassed by the land agents who are showing up multiple times when they’ve already been told know that the landowner is not interested in signing for voluntary easements,” she says. Hansen had another concern as well. “We have surveyors who are showing up even though landowners have not signed or have not received proper notice, and have not accepted proper notice through the U-S mail. And we would like to see that stopped,” Hansen says.

She says two people have told her that their elderly family members in the nursing home have been approached multiple times by landowners or land agents, even though they have told them no. I-U-B chair Geri Huser told Hansen there is a way to deal with these issues. “You have the right to file in the docket if there are situations that are arising that you believe are outside the statutory framework for proceeding of this type,” Huser says. She says the Board’s legal counsel would then review those filings to make a determination on how to proceed.

“Whether or not there’s any jurisdiction that the Iowa Utilities Board has to take action related to those complaints or situations that are arising,” she said. Hansen and another speaker asked about the number of landowners involved and how to get that information. They also expressed concern that last-minute changes would not allow them to take action before the proceedings began. Huser said they can talk with the I-U-B staff and get an update on the landowners, and the Board’s attorney said they will have all the information updated before moving forward.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s commissioner of elections says early voting in this year’s Primary Election will set a record in a non-presidential year. Secretary of State Paul Pate says more than 73-thousand Iowans voted by absentee ballot. “Redistricting and a lot of districts getting merged now and new faces and then of course we have a U.S. Senate race on the Republican and Democratic sides and a big primary here in the Polk area for a congressional race — I think you put all that together and it’s going to put some people out there to make sure their voice gets heard,” Pate said.

Pate’s been working today in the state election office in the Lucas State Office Building. He says county auditors report in-person voting today (Tuesday) was steady, but….”I’m not seeing, I don’t think, an overwhelmingly high number,” Pate says. Pate and his staff are guessing that means total turout is likely to be around 15 percent. “That’s very unscientific. I have nothing to go with it,” Pate says. “That’s just a gut check right now.” Pate has ordered all 99 counties to conduct a post-election audit of the primary election.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), there will be a random drawing to select one precinct in each county to be a audited. Pate says that will trigger a hand count of the paper ballots in each of those precincts. “Compare them to what the tabulator said
the results were and if there happen to be any discrepancy those will have to be resolved to determine what the issue might have been and also to determine if we need to take further action,” Pate says. “When we’ve done these post-election audits of General Elections in the fall, every one of them we’ve done has been 100% match, so I’m optimistic we’ll see the same again.”

Pate says in-person voting today (Tuesday) went smoothly and there were no reports of major issues.

(Atlantic, Iowa) [clarifies some info. in this update, 6/14/22] – Two people who are suspects in the theft of a wallet from a Wisconsin woman’s purse late Saturday morning, in Atlantic, are being sought by police. The incident happened at the Walmart store, sometime between 10:30-and 10:53-a.m. The elderly female victim reported she was in an aisle of the store when a woman with an accent approached her, and asked for help in finding the Alfredo sauce. 

During their interaction, and while the 84-year-old victim’s back was turned toward the shelves, the suspect’s accomplice quietly unzipped the victim’s purse, which was in a shopping cart, and pulled out her leather-style wallet. The suspect in the face mask allegedly took the wallet and zipped the purse back-up before the victim knew it was missing.

The suspects used the Credit card to make purchases at Walmart, Hy-Vee and Dollar General, in Atlantic. The victim was made aware of the theft, thanks to a call from her credit card company, asking if she had made the purchases. Hy-Vee officials confirm the suspects purchased multiple gift cards. In another store, cash was received from an ATM. The total loss from at least two of the stores), was at least $1,500, with a $455.95 purchase at Hy-Vee. An official with Walmart said an attempted transaction at the store was declined.

The wallet, complete with the victim’s checks, ID and medical information, was found on the ledge of a dumpster near the McDonald’s construction site. Some cash was missing, along with the debit/credit and credit card. The wallet was turned over to Atlantic Police, who have since returned it to the victim, who was visiting relatives in Atlantic.

Atlantic Hy-Vee surveillance images. Courtesy Hy-Vee and APD Officer Thompson.

Police were able to obtain surveillance video of the suspects at Hy-Vee. The footage at Walmart did not reveal anything of note, with the exception of the victim’s arrival in the parking lot. Police said other victims were affected by a similar scam, but further details are not available. If you have ANY information as to the identity of the persons shown in the still-frame images in this story, or have seen them and/or their getaway vehicle, please call the Atlantic Police Department.

(Radio Iowa) – A middle school teacher from Urbandale was crowned the new Miss Iowa over the weekend to conclude the three-day scholarship competition in Davenport. Twenty-four-year-old Bailey Hodson says when they called her name as the winner, she went completely numb and had no idea what to do, even though they’d practiced everything with each contestant during rehearsals.

“Luckily the Teen and Miss Iowa of the previous year, they’re so great. They just shuffled me across the stage and they’re like, ‘Okay, now we’re gonna put the crown on your head and just hold really still.’ It just had so many emotions and thoughts running through my head,” Hodson says. “I was like, ‘This is crazy. I’m going to Miss America. I’m going to be Miss Iowa,’ and it still really hasn’t sunk in completely.” Hodson says she’s stepped into a wonderful whirlwind and knows the next year ahead is going to be exceptionally busy.

Baily Hodson, Miss Iowa 2022 (via Facebook)

“I will resign from Urbandale in my teaching position but my students were really excited and they knew all about the program and what I was doing and they they’ve been rooting for me,” Hodson says, “so I don’t think it’s going to be a sad farewell but more of an exciting adventure to pursue.” Hodson, a Berwick native who graduated from Grand View University in 2020, hopes to return to teaching once her duties as Miss Iowa are finished. Her platform, what’s now called a social impact plan, is focused on an anti-bullying campaign.

“I want within my initiative to really implement these curriculums within schools to combat the imbalance that bullying creates within our classrooms, and educate teachers on what they can do to see warning signs of bullying going on in their classrooms,” Hodson says. “So, I think I would love to tie that more into what I do already as a teacher.” Her vocal performance for the competition was singing “A Million Dreams” from the musical “The Greatest Showman,” though she’s not sure if that’s what she’ll perform during the Miss America Pageant in December.

Never before has a contestant from Iowa won the national event and Hodson says that’s not yet on her radar. “My mind is completely overwhelmed with joy of just having the opportunity to even go,” Hodson says. “I know that so many people would have loved to have this opportunity. I’m just trying to really soak that in and be grateful that I’m even going. Becoming Miss America just hasn’t even really crossed my mind yet to be honest.”

Part of the prize package for Miss Iowa is more than 12-thousand dollars in scholarships, money Hodson plans to apply to her student loans.

(Radio Iowa) The director of international development for a manufacturing company based in Pella is in Washington, D.C. this week, urging members of congress to fully fund the U.S. international affairs budget. Daryl Bouwkamp has worked at Vermeer for 30 years. He says having diplomatic and humanitarian missions around the globe benefits trade.

“Having a U.S. projected, rules-based, stable global environment, which the U.S. really needs to lead, is incredibly important to us as a state.” Bouwkamp is participating in a forum sponsored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. The group estimates nearly 20 percent of the jobs in Iowa are tied to international trade. China has stepped up its spending to secure trading partnerships with countries around the globe. Bouwkamp says the U-S needs to maintain its spending on international aid to ensure companies like Vermeer can access global markets.

“Being there as the U.S. in times of need for other countries and being at the table, negotiating and helping write the rules, enforce the rules so that we have stability and reduce corruption,” he says. About one percent of the federal budget is spent on international affairs. Bouwkamp’s message to Iowa’s congressional delegation is that American diplomacy must be maintained.

“It is the best money spent,” Bouwkamp says. “If you don’t spend it here, you’re just going to have to purchase more bullets.” This is the seventh Global Impact Forum Bouwkamp has attended — although the last two were held virtually due to the pandemic. He says faith leaders and non-profit groups are represented at the event as well as 500 businesses and hundreds of both current and retired members of the military and U.S. diplomatic corps.

(Radio Iowa) – A southwest Iowa native who sang the theme song for the early 1990’s hit T-V show “Twin Peaks” has died at the age of 65. Julee Cruise also appeared on Twin Peaks as a singer and was featured in both sequels. She recorded four solo albums and toured with the B-52s in 1992, filling in when singer Cindy Wilson took a break from the band. In 2018, Cruise announced on Facebook she was retiring from performing due to systemic lupus.

Julee Cruise (Via Facebook)

Her husband told the New York Times that Cruise had struggled with depression and her health and took her own life. Cruise was born in Creston. After graduating with a music degree from Drake University, she moved to Minneapolis before leaving for New York City in 1983.