(Radio Iowa) – Work began this morning (Monday) to remove a railroad bridge in Sioux City that collapsed in June during flooding on the big Sioux River. Charges were set off on the span of the bridge that is on the South Dakota side of the river in North Sioux City.

Amy McBeth of the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad is overseeing the operation.

Crews started removing the span shortly after the explosive charges were set off. McBeth says they’ll set off charges on the span on the Iowa side of at a future date. They will then put up a new bridge.

McBeth says it will take crews around one week to remove the debris from the bridge span on the South Dakota side.

Explosive charges break up the collapsed bridge near Sioux City. (KSCJ photo)

(Radio Iowa) – Attendance at this year’s State Fair has set a record. Over 1,182,000 (One-million 182-thousand) people attended the 2024 Iowa State Fair, which ended Sunday. In addition to the overall record, a single day record of nearly 123,000 was set on Saturday, August 10th. Daily attendance dropped below 100,000 on just two days — last Tuesday and Wednesday.

Iowa State Fair’s Grand Concourse on Aug. 16, 2024. (RI photo)

This was Iowa’s 170th State Fair. The previous attendance record was set in 2019.

(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is reminiscing about his long-time connection to President Joe Biden.

Vilsack, who has served as Biden’s U-S Secretary of Agriculture, spoke this (Monday) morning to the Minnesota delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Biden is to speak at the convention tonight (Monday).

Vilsack says he called the White House chief of staff the day after Biden’s announcement to suggest Tim Walz would be a good running mate for Kamala Harris.

Vilsack says Democrats a window of opportunity to remind voters that President Trump fumbled as a leader during the pandemic.

Vilsack discussed the stakes in races for Minnesota’s congressional seats and legislative races and closed with a reference to the political landscape in Iowa where Republicans control the legislative and executive branches of government and all six members of Iowa’s congressional delegation are Republicans.

Vilsack served two terms as Iowa’s governor and left office in early 2007, when Democrats controlled the Iowa House and Senate.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Two recent graduates of the Cass County 4-H program have received scholarships through the Iowa 4-H Foundation to continue their education. One hundred and one Iowa 4-H scholarships valued at over $106,000 were awarded as a part of the Foundation’s scholarship recognition ceremony. Awards were presented Sunday, July 14th at the Gateway Hotel in Ames. Over 450 applications were submitted, and scholarships were awarded to recipients from 56 counties across the state of Iowa with a wide variety of 4-H experiences. Congratulations to local 4-H member Parker Brock and alumni Emily Plagman for receiving scholarships from the Iowa 4-H Foundation!

Parker received the Delores and Gail Nelson Cass County Endowed 4-H Scholarship. This $500 award is provided by the endowment created in honor of Delores and Gail Nelson, given to a Cass County 4-H’er who has demonstrated leadership skills while in 4-H. The student must be planning to attend any Iowa college, university or community college and will be an incoming freshman in the fall. Parker plans to attend Iowa Western Community College and major in History.

Emily received the Peyton Family Endowed 4-H Scholarship. This $1,000 scholarship is provided through the endowment created by the Peyton Family for any former Iowa or Oklahoma 4-H member who has demonstrated 4-H participation with evidence of strong community service

and leadership in 4-H and at Iowa State University or OSU. The applicant must be a sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student in the next academic year and pursuing a major in or related to agriculture with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. Emily attends Iowa State University with a major in Agriculture Studies.

Cass County 4-Hers Emily Plagman and Parker Brock were honored at the Iowa 4-H Foundation Scholarship reception in July.

“Iowa 4-H Foundation scholarships acknowledge the hard work and dedication of young people who have used their 4-H skills and experiences to ‘make the best better’ for others,” said Emily Saveraid, Executive Director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. “We also are thankful for the many scholarship donors who fund these important opportunities for Iowa 4-H’ers.”

The Iowa 4-H Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides the private financial resources to develop and deliver quality 4-H youth programs throughout the state of Iowa. These opportunities help young people enhance their ability to use critical thinking, leadership, communication, and social skills – tools that will give them a competitive edge in their future endeavors. More information at www.iowa4hfoundation.org.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests took place over the past week. On Aug. 12th, 33-year-old Jennifer Renee Avey, and 35-year-old Andrew Gaston Nickum, both of Casey, were arrested in rural Casey, following a traffic Stop. Both were taken into custody Cass County warrants for Theft in the 5th Degree. Bonds were  set at $1,000 cash or surety, each. Avey and Nickum transferred to the custody of Cass County Deputies, from the location of the stop.

On August 13th, 30-year-old Shawn Douglas Shimer, of Greenfield, was cited for Driving While Barred, following a traffic stop on highway 92. Shimer was released with a citation to appear in court.

And, as we’ve mentioned, 52-year-old Bobby Glen Agan, III, of Stuart, was arrested at around 1:45-a.m. Saturday by Stuart Police. Agan faces charges that include:

• Unlawful possession of prescription drugs – 1st offense.
• Stalking – Possession of a dangerous weapon.
• Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS) – Meth/1st offense.
• PCS – Meth/2nd offense.
• PCS – Marijuana/1st & 2nd offense.
• Possession of drug paraphernalia.
• 2 counts Felon in Possession of a Firearm (guns and ammunition)

Bond at the Adair County Jail was set at $50,000.

ACSO charges for the week ending 8-18-24-compressed

(Creston, Iowa) – Two Creston men were arrested recently on separate warrants. Friday morning, Creston Police arrested 22-year-old Daniel Lee McDowell on a Union County Warrant for Violation of Probation, and Burglary in the 3rd Degree. McDowell was being held without bond in the Union County Jail until seen by a judge.

And, 31-year-old Rogelio Olivera-Martinez was arrested Saturday for Violation of a court order, and two Union County Warrants charging him with Public Intox and Interference with official acts, along with Burglary in the 1st Degree, Domestic abuse assault/1st offense, and Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. Martinez was being held without bond until seen by a judge.

Saturday afternoon, Creston Police arrested 30-year-old Tania Patricia Hernandez, of Creston, for Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication. She posted a $600 bond before being released from custody.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans impacted by the tornadoes, storms and flooding that led to three federal disaster declarations have gotten millions of dollars in FEMA funding. FEMA Spokesman John Mills says they’ve helped some six-thousand people already.

Mills says there have been other payouts as well.

Mills says they encourage anyone who hasn’t visited a FEMA disaster center to stop by.

The time to get help from those centers for the earliest disasters is winding down this week.

This applies to residents of Adair, Adams, Cedar, Clarke, Harrison, Jasper, Mills, Montgomery, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Story and Union counties. Mills says it has been a rough year for Iowa.

Mills says his Midwest crews have been very busy.

You can call FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362) to see if you are eligible for disaster relief. You can also go online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or use the FEMA app.

(Radio Iowa) – About half the Iowa delegates at this week’s Democratic National Convention made the trip to Chicago aboard Amtrak. Gregory Christensen, vice chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, is temporarily being called “the conductor” by his colleagues because it was his idea.

Since they bought the tickets together and got a group rate, the cost of one ticket is about what it costs to park a vehicle in Chicago for a single day.

The infrastructure bill Biden signed into law in 2021 is providing millions to upgrade Amtrak, which Biden used to commute between D.C. and Delaware when he was a U-S Senator. Christensen also notes the Iowa Democrats rode the California Zephyr and the line starts at San Francisco Bay.

A couple of Iowa Democrats in western Iowa boarded the California Zephyr in Omaha. Others got aboard at stations in Osceola, Ottumwa and Mount Pleasant. Christensen says they had some strategy sessions and phone time during the trip.

Christensen says he helped one Iowan re-register to vote. The person had been purged from the rolls because they hadn’t voted in recent elections. The Democratic National Convention is being staged at the United Center in Chicago, the same venue used when Bill Clinton and Al Gore were renominated in 1996.

(Afton, Iowa) – A boat loaded onto a trailer that was parked in a ditch, somehow managed to roll down the ditch and into a pickup truck Saturday night, in Afton. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the owner of the boat/trailer had chocked the tires of the trailer, which struck the driver’s side of his parked, 2016 Chevy pickup truck located in the man’s driveway.

The boat’s propeller went into the side of the pickup. The mishap resulted in a police-estimated $3,000 damage to the pickup, and $300 damage to the lower portion of the boat, owned by Derrick Ellsworth, of Afton. No one was injured in the accident, that happened at around 11:30-p.m., Saturday.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s undeterred by criticism of her proposed alternative to providing food next summer to low income households with children who qualify for a free or reduced price lunch during the school year. The U-S-D-A will provide 120 dollars in electronic benefits for each child in the summer. Reynolds rejected the 29 million dollars in benefits for Iowa families for THIS summer AND next — and is proposing the state provide food boxes to families next summer.

Last week, a U-S-D-A spokesperson said the governor is asserting the State knows better than its own families do about what their needs are. Reynolds says the state’s Summer Food Service Program — which she would expand — has been providing meals and snacks to children in low-income areas of the state. And Reynolds stresses that having the state rather than families buy the food is key.

Iowa was one of 13 states which did not accept the additional food benefits this summer.