(Radio Iowa) – Three of the Iowa Republicans who serve in the U-S House have filed their nomination papers for the June Primary on the opening day the lists of petition signatures are being accepted. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion collected far more than the 17-hundred-26 minimum required for U-S House candidates to qualify for the primary ballot.

“I am submitting more than 7500 signatures today which I think is a strong showing of our level of grassroots support and the network we have built in the second congressional district,” Hinson told reporters. Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant submitted more than 10-thousand signatures on his nominating petitions for the third congressional district race and Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who’s seeking reelection in Iowa’s first congressional district, submitted her nominating papers, too.

Secretary of State Paul Pate is Iowa’s top election official. He says Nunn was the first candidate to file when the office opened at 8 a.m. and several candidates for the state legislature have submitted their paperwork this (Monday) morning. “They’ve got ’til March 15 to get their petitions filed here and I encourage people to do it earlier not late because things can happen,” Pate says. “Our staff now will be reviewing the petitions to make sure they have the right count.” Candidates with the bare minimum number of signatures run the risk of having a rival campaign review the petitions and challenge the validity of some signatures.

In 2018, Ron Corbett — a Republican candidate for governor — was ruled ineligible for the June Primary due to a lack of signatures. In 2022, a challenge of Abby Finkenauer’s nominating petitions for the Democratic party’s U-S Senate Primary went all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials in Union County have placed the county under a burn ban (effective today [Feb. 26] at noon). No open burning will be allowed outside of the specific conditions found in Iowa Code 100.40 without a permit until further notice.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports four arrests occurred last week. Two arrests occurred during the early morning hours of Feb. 20th: 39-year-old Natasha Kay Peninger, and 35-year-old Tyrone Anthony Morris, both of Stuart, were arrested by Stuart Police. Their arrests took place following the execution of a search warrant at 615 SW 7th Street, in Stuart, during which narcotics and four minor children were found in the residence. Peninger was charged with Child Endangerment. Morris was charged with Child Endangerment, Possession of drug paraphernalia, and Possession of marijuana/2nd offense.

According to the report, Stuart Police found “The overall state of the residence was dirty and in disarray, with large piles of clothing, trash and rotten food located in various parts of the residence. There were also numerous broken doors, mirrors and large holes in the walls. Bugs were seen in multiple rooms and areas of the residence. In the kitchen, a glass pipe containing burned marijuana residue and a tray with marijuana residue, were located in a cabinet that would be accessible by all of the minor children, and in the living room, a coffee table drawer was found to have a marijuana shake, which was also accessible to the children. In addition, in the bedroom belonging to Peninger and Morris, Police found a grinder with marijuana residue. In another bedroom, a glass pipe containing burned marijuana was located under the bed, and marijuana residue was located on a dresser. Multiple packages of empty cigarettes were found in the trash, and a vape [pen] was found in a juvenile’s backpack.

Morris claimed Peninger doesn’t smoke marijuana, and that all the paraphernalia belonged to him. He also admitted to smoking in the residence earlier that day, and he acknowledged it was a mistake for doing so with the children present. Peninger and Morris said they knew one of the juveniles in the homes had been smoking marijuana. Peninger was released later released on a $2,000 cash or surety bond. Morris was released on a $3,300 c/s bond.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports also, 41-year-old Heather Marie Blair, of Indianola, was arrested last Thursday morning, on an Adair County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Her cash-only bond was set at $300. And, 30-year-old Hoss Franklin McKay, of Fontanelle, was arrested Friday night for Domestic Abuse Assault with injury or mental illness. His bond was set at $1,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Healthy Cass County and Cass County ISU Extension have updated the Cass County Urgent Need Resource Guide. The guide can be found on the Cass County ISU Extension website (https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/family-food), and in this pdf link: February 2024 Cass County Urgen Need Resource Guide PDF

According to Cass County Community Wellness Coordinator Grace McAfee, “In times of need it is especially important to have all of Cass County’s resources compiled in one place. This guide has resources such as Crisis Assistance, Family, Legal, Food, Health, Mental Wellness, Housing, Substance Misuse, Transportation, and other resources.”

The organizations collaborating on the document are asking for assistance in making sure the document reaches everyone in Cass County. Healthy Cass County is a community-focused volunteer network formed to promote the health and well-being of Cass County residents.

Follow Healthy Cass County on Facebook @HealthyCassCounty (https://www.facebook.com/HealthyCassCounty/). Reach out to Cass County Wellness Coordinator Grace McAfee at mcage@casshealth.org or call 712-250-8170 for more information

Council Bluffs, Iowa – An open burning ban will be in effect immediately for all areas and jurisdictions in Pottawattamie County. The ban prohibits all open and controlled burning in Potawatamie County, including all incorporated city limits within the County.

The current dry conditions throughout the region have caused an increase in wild land fire incidents over the weekend. As dry conditions persist, dead and dying vegetation is the perfect fuel to spread fires rapidly. A Red Flag Warning was issued today due to conditions being prime for extreme fire behavior. This type of fire behavior is difficult to control and is extremely dangerous to responders and the public.

During these dry conditions, citizens are reminded to not throw out cigarettes from moving vehicles, and discontinue burning yard waste, piled tree debris or other items during the ban.
Violations of a burn ban can subject a person to criminal penalties as well as civil liabilities for any damages, losses, or injuries resulting from the fire.

Visit the Emergency Management website at https://pcema-ia.org for more information on burn bans and the law. All residents are also encouraged to sign up for AlertIowa at the website to receive alerts for fire danger, evacuation notices, severe weather threats, and community emergency notifications.

(Radio Iowa) – A Red Flag warning is posted today (Monday) for most of Iowa and residents are warned not to do any open burning, as vegetation is very dry and winds will be gusting. Meteorologist Kristy Carter, at the National Weather Service, says high temperatures may climb into record or near-record territory in the 60s and 70s this afternoon.  “We’re even going to be approaching the all-time February record high at some locations,” Carter says. “We’re going to combine that with some extreme fire danger as well. So that warmth with those strong winds, it’s going to lead to those extreme fire weather conditions, so certainly burning is not recommended today.” She says any fires that are set could quickly spread and burn out of control.

A big turnaround in temperatures is coming as forecasters say we’ll see lows across Iowa tomorrow night in the single digits and teens with snow possible. “Our temperatures are going to drop drastically through the day,” Carter says. “We’ll start warm, but by the afternoon into evening, temperatures are going to plummet. Our winds are also going to increase as well, so that’s going to send our wind chills down toward zero or below zero even by Wednesday morning.” Carter says the mid-week cold snap won’t last long with a return to warmer temperatures to welcome the first weekend of March.

“On Wednesday, we’ll actually be closer to typical highs for the month of February in the mid 20s to mid 30s, but that will be very short lived,” Carter says. “We’re heading into the 50s by Thursday and then we’ll be approaching records again by the weekend.” The first day of Spring is March 19th.

(Hamburg, Iowa) –In an update to our earlier report, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), said a Rock Port, MO. woman was recently charged following an investigation into a fatal accident that took place at around 6-p.m. on January 25th. 77-year-old Nancy Bartles, of Rock Port, MO, was charged with Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian, resulting in death. Authorities say neither speed, alcohol, drugs nor distracted driving were factors in the accident.

A 77-year-old Hamburg resident, Willie Donn Thorp, was identified as the victim in the accident. Thorp died at a nearby hospital, after he was struck by the pickup truck Bartles was driving, while he was carrying items to his vehicle from a local community center.

(Sidney, Iowa) – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested on separate drug charges over the past week:

• On Sunday (2/25), Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s K9 Unit, arrested Adam Glen Woodruff, of Nebraska City, NE. He was taken into custody in the 1900 block of Highway 2, and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. Woodruff was being held on a $5,000 bond in the Fremont County Jail.
• On Feb. 22nd, 51-year-old Timothy Clayton McCollum, of Coin, was arrested in the 800 block of Fremont Street (near Shenandoah), for Poss. of Meth, Poss, of Drug Paraphernalia, and Open Container. McCollum was released from custody after posting a $5,000 surety bond. That same day, 52-year-old Michael James Johnson, of Malvern, was arrested at the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, for OWI/1st offense, Poss. of Marijuana, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. Johnson was later released on a $1,300 bond.

Other arrests in Fremont County include:

On Feb. 24th: 45-year-old Dewight Eugene Binau, of Sidney, who was arrested for Assault on an Officer, Public Intoxication, and Interference with Official Acts. Sidney Rescue assisted the Sheriff’s Office at the scene at the corner of Webster and Illinois Streets, Saturday. Binau was being held in the Fremont County Jail on a $1,000 surety bond.

Adkisson

Baldwin

Binau

Johnson

McCollum

Woodruff

On Feb. 21st, Deputies arrested 23-year-old Elijah Storm Baldwin, of Lincoln, NE., for Violation of Probation. He was arrested in Nebraska and extradited to Iowa. He was released on a $2,000 cash bond. And, 20-year-old Jonathan Jay Adkisson,of Sidney, was arrested for Reckless Driving. He was taken into custody in the 800 block of Clay Street, in Sidney, and later released on a $300 cash bond.

BRANDON, Iowa (KCRG) – A semi crash on Interstate-380 Friday morning near Brandon, in eastern Iowa, caused traffic delays for several hours, also resulted in the death of at least 12 cows. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s office released said the driver was heading northbound on I-380 when he fell asleep at the wheel. The semi entered the median and crashed through the guardrail, hitting a cement bridge rail. That caused the semi to overturn and go into Lime Creek.

A pickup truck also traveling on I-380 hit some of the debris in the road after the initial crash. Officials estimated the damage to the pickup truck at around $1,500. Neither driver was hurt in this crash. The semi driver was cited for failure to control his vehicle.

Linn County Regional HazMat Team Facebook photos

The semi was carrying about 60 cows. The sheriff’s office said about 12-15 of the cows were killed in the crash, or died afterward. The crash and cleanup efforts caused the roadway to be reduced to one lane for several hours. A Linn County Regional Hazmat Team had to be called in because the semi was leaking diesel into a nearby creek.