(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services says it has taken more than 160-thousand people off the Medicaid roll in the past seven months who no longer qualify. H-H-S Director Kelly Garcia says they check several things when making the changes. “So we have a variety of different systems that pull down and extract data and, and populate the forms ahead of time and we work very hard on that,” Garcia says.

Preliminary state data show 70 percent of those removed through October were for procedural reasons, like not returning required paperwork. Director Garcia says the information they use also helps them ensure they are not taking people off the list that are still eligible. “We feel comfortable with what that looks like. Because we’ve been able to see how many individuals are continuously insured through another form or there’s been an income change in their status as well,” She says.

They started looking to remove people following the end of a COVID-19 pandemic era federal requirement that required states to keep most people enrolled in Medicaid, even if they no longer qualified. The state data show more than 15-thousand people who were taken off the Medicaid roll have had their coverage reinstated.

(Radio Iowa) – Four Republican presidential candidates shared stories of their faith during an event at Dordt University in Sioux Center this weekend. Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra and his wife hosted the event, which attracted several hundred people. “We look to God for our direction and our guidance,” Feenstra said to open the event, “and our leaders should do the same thing.” Nikki Haley talked about the statewide day of prayer she initiated when she was governor of South Carolina. “You never know what tomorrow’s going to bring,” Haley said, “but that faith and that readiness is so important for what we have ahead.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described his faith is his compass. “Faith in God is really the foundation of how I live my life,” DeSantis said, “but also how I conduct myself in an elective office.” Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy told the crowd his Hindu faith led him to take this journey on the campaign trail. “I think that God puts each of us here for a reason,” Ramaswamy said. “My faith teaches me we each have a purpose and it’s a moral duty to realize that purpose.”

The Feenstras also invited Texas pastor Ryan Binkley to the event and he told the crowd God spoke to him in dreams about running for president. “I ignored them for a few years and then it just became more clear,” Binkley said, “that now’s the time.”

Feenstra, who has indicated he may endorse a candidate, praised each candidate on stage, but did not signal who might get his public backing before the January 15th Caucuses.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s second shotgun season is underway through this coming weekend with perhaps 100-thousand Iowa hunters hoping to tag a deer this month, and a mental health care professional urges them all to keep their guns safely secured in the home before and after the hunt. Dr. Emily Rae, a psychiatrist with the Gundersen Health System, says responsible hunters know to always treat a gun like it’s loaded and to keep the weapon locked up when it’s not being used. “There’s gun safes and then there’s different kinds of gun locks,” Rae says. “Real simple ones, trigger locks that are just basically a cable through. There’s smart locks where you have to put your thumbprint on there.”

Rae says guns are the leading cause of death in American youth through age 19, and studies show a child dies in a gun-related incident somewhere in the country every 24 hours. “Most of those are homicides, like intentional homicides, and then there’s suicides,” Rae says, “but a small portion of them — although significant — is accidents, where the child finds a gun and doesn’t realize, ‘Hey, this could kill somebody,’ and uses it and kills someone.”

Suicide is the ninth-leading cause of death in Iowa, but it’s number-two for those between the ages of ten and 35. A report from Trust for America’s Health shows 549 Iowans died by suicide in 2021, which is a drop of three-percent from the year before. Studies find higher rates of suicide among people who live in homes with a gun, another reason Rae says to keep them secured. “So when you’re thinking about risk for suicide, certainly you should make sure those guns are locked up,” Rae says. “You may have it in a safe. Just make sure that the kid doesn’t know where the key to that safe is. It’s often recommended that you store the gun unloaded in the safe and then you lock up the ammunition in another safe.”

If you or a loved one are having thoughts of self-harm, Rae says you need to see a professional, and she notes, depression can be more common during the wintertime. “Some of the more subtle signs you look for, particularly in kids, would be a change in behavior,” Rae says. “If they’re more grouchy, they’re sleeping more, they’re not sleeping well at all, their grades drop — those could all be warning signs for depression.”

Free, confidential, round-the-clock help is available through the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The Gundersen Health System includes a hospital in West Union, and clinics in Fayette, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing, Postville and Calmar.

(Ottumwa, Iowa) – The driver of a pickup truck was killed and three of his passengers were injured, during a single-vehicle rollover accident Sunday afternoon, in southeastern Iowa’s Wapello County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Ford F150 pickup driven by 37-year-old Tristan C. Zimmerman, of Ottumwa, was traveling west on Highway 34, just west of the Highway 16 interchange at around 2:54-p.m., when the vehicle drifted off onto the north shoulder.

Zimmerman lost control of the pickup, causing it to enter the north ditch, where it overturned. Tristan Zimmerman was ejected from the vehicle, which came to rest upright in a  farm field. He was not wearing a seat belt. Three passengers, 32-year-old Shayla C. Zimmerman, a 3-year-old child, and a one-year-old child, were injured in the crash. Shayla was buckled-up, and the two children were secured in their child safety seats.

Shayla Zimmerman was flown by LifeFlight to the UIHC. The children were transported by ambulance to the hospital in Ottumwa.

(DES MOINES, Iowa/KCCI)— Des Moines police have identified the person whose dead body was found Thursday in a wooded area. First responders showed up to investigate a report of a dead body found in a ditch near Southwest 42nd Street and Willow Creek Avenue, police say. The body had been found by a Des Moines Public Works team working nearby. Police identified the woman as Belinda Anne Morris, 55, of Des Moines. An autopsy did not uncover any indication of criminal action that contributed to her death. The investigation remains ongoing.

(DES MOINES, Iowa/KCCI) — Two Des Moines residents are behind bars after being sentenced for their role in injuring an infant last year. Frankie Honeyman and Cheyenne Swink pleaded guilty after a 4-week-old arrived at the hospital with multiple broken bones. Honeyman was sentenced to 15 years in prison for both child endangerment causing bodily injury and neglect of a dependent. Swink was sentenced to two years for aggravated misdemeanor. The bond on appeal is set at $100,000 for Honeyman and $50,000 for Swink.

(AMES, Iowa/KCCI) — One of the three Iowa State University students involved in a harassment case has been cleared. Tyler Ekstrom was charged with assault and extortion. He originally pleaded not guilty. Police say he and two other Farmhouse Fraternity members tried to force another member to perform a sex act and threatened to shoot that person with an airsoft gun if he didn’t do it. On Friday, a judge granted a motion to dismiss the charges against Ekstrom. Another member, Grant Kuehnast, was sentenced earlier in the week to two years probation and an $855 fine.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa/KETV) – The Council Bluffs Police Department is ending 2023 with a new police chief. Matt Davis was sworn in at a ceremony in late November. Davis is settling into his position as the top cop in Council Bluffs.  He previously worked for the Illinois State Police for 25 years and worked right under the chief there. With 2024 on the horizon, Davis already has goals for his 118 sworn officers. He already knows recruitment is a top priority. The chief said he’s ready to lead. Davis replaced Chief Tim Carmody, who retired earlier this year. Carmody spent 40 years with the department.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a man was arrested early this (Sunday) morning on multiple charges and a repeat charge. Authorities say 36-year-old Brandon Hurshel Whitfield, of Creston, was arrested at this residence on Five Union County Warrants and Probation Warrants. His original charges include: Violation of Probation/Domestic Abuse Assault (a simple misdemeanor)  – no bond; Violation of Probation/Eluding (a serious misdemeanor) – no bond; Possession of Controlled Substance/2nd Offense, and Possession of Controlled Substance/Marijuana-2nd offense, with a $2,000 cash-only bond; Violation of no Contact/Protection Order – $300 cash or surety bond; 2 counts of Violation of no contact/protective order, and Interference with Official Acts. Whitfield also face a new/additional charge of Interference with Official Acts. He was taken to the Union County Jail and was being held without bond.

A little before 10-p.m., Saturday, Creston Police arrested 28-year-old Joseph Jason Blakely-Luddington (no known address) at the Creston Union County LEC.  Blakely-Luddington was charged with Disorderly Conduct-Loud Raucous Noise. He was taken to the Union County Jail and held on a $300 cash or surety bond.

(Dawson, Iowa) – A man from Audubon County died Friday afternoon, when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a pickup truck west of Dawson, in northwestern Dallas County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2017 Dodge RAM pickup driven by 64-year-old Gary Bugger, of Boone, was traveling west on Highway 141 at around 1:30-p.m., and attempting to turn left onto C Avenue, and in doing so, turned into the path of an eastbound 2010 BMW motorcycle operated by 56-year-old Daniel Royce Beattie, of Audubon.

Beattie was ejected from his motorcycle during the collision. He landed in the south ditch and died at the scene.

The State Patrol was assisted at the scene and during the investigation, by the Dallas and Guthrie County Sheriff’s Departments, and the Dallas County Medical Examiner.