(Radio Iowa) – Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Benjamin Corell says the soldiers in his ranks are a wealth of talent for the state not seen since World War II, but during the annual “Condition of the Guard” address this (Thursday) morning at the Capitol, Corell said the Guard is going to lose some soldiers due to the Pentagon’s Covid vaccine mandate.”Let me be clear: federal Covid-19 vaccine mandates will no doubt impact our organization,” he said. “These mandates have already started to create dilemmas within our ranks where our members must decide to get vaccinated or leave military service.”

After the speech, Corell told reporters about 80 percent of the Iowa Army National Guard soldiers and Iowa Air Guard airmen are fully vaccinated. Airmen in the Iowa Air Guard faced a December deadline to get vaccinated. The deadline for soldiers in the Iowa Army National Guard is this summer. Some of the unvaccinated are seeking medical or religious exemptions, which must be approved the secretaries of the Army or Air Force.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Corell

Corell revealed in early 2021 that he had lingering Covid symptoms after being hospitalized for the virus in November of 2020. He was featured in a state public service announcement encouraging Iowans to get vaccinated. Last year, Corell says 81 percent of Iowa Army National Guard soldiers who faced the decision reenlisted. The rate was higher among Iowa Air National Guard airmen, as 93 percent reenlisted. Soldiers and airmen sign an intial contract to serve eight years and then are given a choice to reenlist every eight years after that.

(Des Moines, Iowa/KCCI) – KCCI in Des Moines reports Police in the Capital City have identified the person who was struck by a vehicle and died, early Wednesday morning. Authorities say 32-year-old William “Cody” Kline died after being struck just before 3 a.m. Wednesday near Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Southeast 8th Street. Police said someone in a yellow Chevrolet Cavalier hit Kline and left the scene. No suspect has been identified or charged. They’re still searching for the driver.

Shortly after the crash, police asked for help to find the car. They said someone helped turn it in several hours later. But they are still searching for the driver. Anyone with information regarding the crash, or the identity of the driver is asked to call the Des Moines Police Department Traffic Unit at 515-323-8370. You may also submit anonymous tips through CrimeStoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400, or online at www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com.

Reward funds are available.

(Radio Iowa) – The name of the man whose body was found in a central Iowa pond is being released. Authorities in Marshall County have recovered the body of a Laurel man after responding to a report of a vehicle submerged in a rural farm pond. On Tuesday afternoon, sheriff’s deputies responded to the pond between Laurel and Melbourne. When authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered a vehicle that was partially submerged in a body of water. An area dive team was brought in to assist with recovery efforts, at which time authorities found a man’s body inside the vehicle. Authorities later identified the victim as Ricky Pierson, age 60, of Laurel.

The incident remains under investigation. Authorities say foul play is not suspected.

(Radio Iowa) – The first pair of bills to come out of the governor’s child care task force has cleared initial review in the Iowa House. One bill deals with low income families who get government-funded child care assistance or C-C-A. It would let child care centers to collect more money from those low-income parents to help make up the difference between what the government pays and the actual cost. Representative Ann Meyer, a Republican from Fort Dodge, says they’d have to agree in writing to pay extra. “This is not going to be a requirement,” she says. “CCA spots at their current pay rate will still be available. This is an option for families if they choose to take it. It’s not a requirement.”

Democratic Representative Tracy Ehlert of Cedar Rapids, says her child care center took a loss because she accepted families receiving assistance. “But I also was a working single mom who was on CCA myself and had my kids in a program and there’s no way I would’ve ever been able to pay the difference,” she says. “And I did have a co-pay and some weeks that was not manageable for me because it was a decision between am I going to pay the copay or am I going to pay food or am I going to pay a bill?”

A Department of Human Services official says the proposal could put the poorest of the working poor at a disadvantage when it comes to getting child care. The other bill that advanced would loosen the minimum staffing requirements for child care centers, so one worker could care for eight two year olds and the minimum ratio would be one worker for 10 three year olds. Child care advocates say the higher staff-to-child ratios could add to employee burn-out and safety concerns.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katarina Sostaric)

(Radio Iowa) -A massive winter storm system will blow into Iowa on Friday which forecasters say may drop nearly a foot of snow on a wide region of the state. Senior meteorologist Rod Donavon, at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says it’s likely all 99 counties will get at least -some- snowfall, but northern and central Iowa may be in for the worst of it. “Our current forecast right now is in that six-to-ten, seven-to-11 inch range,” Donavon says, “and that’s generally a good portion of our forecast area which includes from Estherville to Mason City and southward, through the Des Moines metro right now looks to be the target area.”

Winter Storm Watch (counties in blue); Winter Storm Warning (counties in pink)

While northern and central Iowa may bear the brunt of the approaching storm, eastern and western Iowa may get three to six inches, with less in the far northeast. It’ll likely snow most of the day, so if you have somewhere to go on Friday, Donavon suggests the going will get tougher as the day wears on, while the Friday evening commute could be a mess. “We are having snow moving into the area from northern Iowa towards the south, getting into the Des Moines metro by mid-morning and by the southern Missouri border by around noon,” Donavon says. “The heaviest accumulations right now are looking like during the afternoon into the early evening hours. We could have some accumulations approaching one inch per hour at times.”

As far as winter storms go, he reminds, it could always be a lot worse. “The fortunate part is, at least the precipitation type is going to be mainly snow with this and no ice,” Donavon says. “It’s going to be generally lighter winds with it, initially. We are going to have some increasing northeast winds later in the event. It’s not going to be blizzard criteria by any means.”

Keep an eye on the changing forecast at weather-dot-gov.

(Corning, Iowa)  – In anticipation of anywhere from 5-10 inches of snow falling from Friday into Saturday morning, officials with the City of Corning have declared a 24-hour snow emergency, effective at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, January 14. No parking will be allowed on marked snow route streets during the first 12 hours of this snow emergency.

Except for the business district, parking during the first 12 hours on all other streets will be on the South and West side only. For the remainder of this snow emergency, parking will be allowed on the North and East side of the street if not prohibited by signs. All No Parking signs and direction of travel parking will be enforced.

(Wiota, Iowa) – Joining forces, the Wiota Fire Department and Wiota Community Boosters are excited to announce their annual fundraiser, a comedy night, is back! It happens Friday, February 11, 2022, and Saturday, February 12, 2022, at the Wiota Fire Department. Doors open both nights at 6:30 pm with the comedian starting at 8:00 pm.

After putting the annual fundraiser on hold last year due to COVID, officials with the Wiota Fire Department says they’re gearing up to bring back their annual Valentine’s Day weekend fundraiser event. To that end, they are currently raising funds to purchase a much-needed new truck for their department. Officials say Wiota has seen a recent surge in revitalization with the Wiota Community Boosters banding back together around a shared goal and vision of renovating the city park. Because of this, the Wiota Fire Department has decided to combine forces with them to put on this fundraising event, which will now benefit both the Wiota Fire Department and the Wiota Community Boosters. Proceeds for the Wiota Community Boosters will be ear marked for their “Let’s Build a Playground” initiative, which serves as phase one for the city park renovation project.

Tickets for the comedy night are $30/person and good for one night only. Be sure to specify if you’d like tickets for the Friday night or Saturday night event when purchasing. Your ticket gets
you in the door and a robust charcuterie board at your table. A bar will be available all evening, and drink tickets can be purchased at the door upon arrival and throughout the evening. The
doors will open each evening at 6:30 pm for drinks, food and mingling and then the comedian, Mark Poolos, will start at 8:00 pm. Seating is limited each evening and tickets are anticipated to
sell quickly!

To get your tickets for the Wiota Community Fundraiser Comedy Night, contact Mitch at 712-250-0078, stop into the Wiota Steakhouse or Venmo your ticket cost, which night you’d like to
attend and your mailing address to @wiotafire.

A man from Montgomery County was arrested Wednesday night on a warrant for Contempt of Court. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies picked-up 48-year-old Jerry Lee Dawson, of Red Oak, from Montgomery County Deputies, at around 9:30-p.m. The transfer of custody took place at the Mills/Montgomery County line. Dawson was being held in the Mills County Jail, without bond.

The Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations are reminding nonprofit organizations in both counties, that the deadline to apply for grant funds is Tuesday, February 1. Applications are currently being accepted online for the spring grant cycle with approximately $125,000 available in each county to support their respective county nonprofit organizations and community projects. Full application details, a fact sheet, and a link to the application form can be found online at www.swiowafoundations.org, and selected either Cass or Audubon County. Applications will only be accepted through the online system, and only from nonprofit organizations in each county. For example, Cass County nonprofits cannot cross over and apply for funds in Audubon County, and vice-versa.

This cycle of grants is made possible through the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license. Only organizations providing services in Cass or Audubon County are eligible to apply. In each county, those organizations must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support and be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity, a local municipality, or a fiscally sponsored project.

For Spring 2022, the Community Foundations will entertain requests for capital and program support. General operating support will only be considered for extenuating, non-recurring circumstances. Please contact Stacey Goodman (stacey@omahafoundation.org) or Sydney Calcagno (sydney@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458 with application-related questions. All completed grant applications will be considered at the March board meeting, with applicants being notified of funding decisions by the end of March.

More area news from Ric Hanson.

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