(Radio Iowa) – A district court judge has ruled Iowa counties may provide voter registration forms, ballots and other election materials in languages other than English. A court injunction issued in 2008 required Iowa election materials to be printed in English. LULAC — the League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa — challenged the policy in court. Last week a Polk County district court judge ruled county election officials may provide voting forms in other languages, but they are not required to do so. Joe Henry is LULAC’s Iowa political director.

“There’s between 40,000 to 50,000 people in Iowa (for whom) English is not their primary language and it’s not just Spanish,” Henry says. “It’s other languages from the Middle East, Asia, and so forth and so on, so this is a victory for everyone and it assures our constitutional right to vote.”

A spokesperson for Iowa’s secretary of state says state officials are in contact with county auditors and Iowa’s attorney general about next steps. Secretary of State Paul Pate, who was named in the lawsuit, could appeal the district court ruling. Governor Tom Vilsack signed legislation in 2002 requiring the English language to be used in all state government documents unless documents are necessary to secure a constitutional right. In 2003, state election officials began offering voting materials in other languages and Steve King, who was an Iowa congressman at the time, sued — leading to the 2008 decision that has barred the secretary of state from providing voter registration forms in any language other than English.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors met this (Wednesday) morning, and acted on several matters to come before them on their agenda. First-up, the Board received an update from County Engineer Karen Albert.She said the Secondary Roads Department has been hauling contract road rock and cleaning-up some trees that fell during a recent storm.

A Public Health update was received from Montgomery County Public Health Director Samantha Beesen, who mentioned she is taking on additional duties in the County.

Beeson said the State of Iowa has merged DHS and Public Health at the State level, and “there is talk coming down from the State level, that in the next couple of years, Public Health (departments) will be regionalized.

In other business, the Board acted on approving contracts with the Villisca and Elliott Libraries, for services totaling $13, 665. And, they approved a tobacco/tobacco products permit application from the Red Oak Country Club. The Supervisors passed a resolution which essentially tracks lease agreements/paperwork, as required by Iowa law. And, they passed a resolution to accept a bid from Peterson Contractors, for work on a new box culvert project on 180^th Street, in Montgomery County.

The Board discussed, but took no action at this time, on a lease agreement with Family Connections, for additional Annex building space. Chair Mike Olson suggested the current rate of 30-cents per square foot the County charges for the 3,410-Sq.ft facility, is “a little low.” Family Connections currently rents 1,800 square feet of the building. The County pays the utilities, mowing and snow removal for the building. FC would like to update the addition previously occupied by West Central. Both the Board and Family Connections representative Chelsie Hirt FC Director/Therapist, agreed they need to put together some updated information and figures before approving a renegotiated agreement.

And, the Supervisors discussed with officials from the City of Red Oak and Montgomery County Development Corporation (MCDC), a resolution for one-half of the financial support ($1,500 of the $3,000) needed for maintenance of a rail spur. During their meeting this past Monday, the City Council in Red Oak voted 3-to 0 to approve a one-year economic development support agreement with MCDC for repair of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad spur that spans a distance between the Bunge plant and the railroad’s main line, along with authorizing the transfer of ownership of the spur from the Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association to MCDC.

After a considerable amount of discussion, the Board voted 4-to1, with Vice Chair Donna Robinson opposed, to pass the Resolution. Supervisor Mark Peterson read the resolution as presented. Here is a portion of that Resolution…

The Board then reviewed and approved by a similar vote of 4-to-1, a Memorandum of Understanding between the County,City of Red Oak, and MCDC, which spells out the additions, changes and/or corrections as presented. The hope is to begin repairs on the spur this month, with the goal of having it operational by August 1^st.

(Radio Iowa) – You may have missed it over the long holiday weekend, but the experts confirm a rare derecho (dah-RAY-cho) blasted across far southeastern Iowa last Thursday. It was relatively minor compared to the derecho that swept over Iowa in August of 2020 which is considered the most costly thunderstorm in U-S history. State climatologist Justin Glisan says last week’s powerful, long-lasting wind storm began forming in northeast Missouri and caused plenty of damage across Iowa and two other states. “We saw several rounds of severe weather across southern Iowa including the start of a derecho which occurred in southeastern Iowa and then flowed through Illinois and Indiana,” Glisan says.

Wind gusts in that corner of Iowa exceeded 100-miles an hour, toppling trees and power lines and damaging roofs. Two people were reported hurt in the storm in Illinois. Glisan says the derecho put a severe end to a relatively calm month of June for Iowa. “Temperatures averaged right around 71 degrees,” he says, “and that’s a little over a degree above average with warmer conditions across the northwestern part of the state.” Iowa is seeing drought conditions worsen, week by week, and he says June brought little help — and little rainfall. “In terms of precipitation, rainfall, hail, June is the wettest month climatologically for much of the state,” Glisan says, “and we were definitely below average, just slightly under three inches statewide, and that’s about 2.4 inches below average.”

State Climatologist Justin Glisan

The long-range forecasts indicate July may not be as hot as we’re used to in Iowa. “We’re actually seeing an elevated signal for cooler temperatures across much of the upper Midwest and that’s surrounding and centralized on Iowa, which is a good signal to see on the precipitation side as well, above average chances of wetter conditions.”

The latest map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows only parts of two counties in northwest Iowa are seeing normal moisture levels, while the rest of the state is abnormally dry or experiencing drought, ranging from moderate to severe to extreme. Those extreme drought conditions are in far western Iowa and in south-central and southeast Iowa.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest on Monday, of a woman from Hastings (IA). 43-year-old Sara Rainey was arrested for OWI/1st offense. She has since posted a $1,000 cash or surety bond, and was released.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say a man residing in the 500 block of N. Chestnut Street, in Creston, reported Monday morning, an incident of vehicle vandalism. The man’s truck was spray painted sometime between 1-a.m. and 5-a.m., Monday, with the damage estimated at $2,000.

(Mount Ayr, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Ringgold County report a Clarke County man faces charges following an injury accident that occurred early Saturday morning (July 1st) in southern Ringgold County. Authorities say 43-year-old Jaycob Leroy Waske, of Murray, was traveling west on Highway J-55 a little after 3-a.m., in an are open only to local traffic, due to construction. The report said Waske ignored signs leading toward the construction and drove through warning cones indicating a roadway drop-off of approximately one-foot in the westbound lanes leading to the bridge.

The 2008 Chevy Impala he was driving then struck the bridge deck at a high rate of speed, totaling the car and damaging the construction area. Waske and his passenger, 45-year-old Joshua Lewis, of Mount Ayr, were treated at the Ringgold County Hospital and later transferred to Mercy in Des Moines, as the result of suffering multiple fractures during the crash.

Jaycob Waske was charged with Interference with Official Acts, and cited for Failure to Obey a traffic control device (Signs), along with Leaving the scene of an accident-Failure to provide aid or information after an effort to hide the accident from law enforcement. His bond was set at $300.

Jaycob Waske (Ringgold County S/O photo)

(Knoxville, Iowa) – A single-vehicle crash Tuesday evening in Marion County resulted in the death of a woman who was a rear-seat passenger in an SUV. The Iowa State Patrol reports 34-year-old Whitney Marie Brown, of What Cheer, was a passenger in a 2013 Chevy Equinox driven by 49-year-old Tamara Goodlife, of Altoona, when Goodlife failed to negotiate an “S” curve on southbound Highway S-45, west of Knoxville.

The vehicle went off the road and into a ditch until it came to a driveway, and vaulted over it. The SUV then went airborne and struck a tree on the other side of the ditch. Brown was not wearing a seat belt, and died at the scene of the crash, which took place at around 5:15-p.m., Tuesday. Three other occupants of the vehicle were injured and transported to the local hospital.

(Radio Iowa) – Fort Dodge police say a person was fatally shot shortly before 10 o’clock last (Tuesday) night. The 15-year-old male victim was found in the street on the southwest side of the intersection of 15th Street and Fourth Avenue South. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was being withheld until all family members are notified. Fort Dodge and Webster County authorities continue with their investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The new law allowing the sale of raw milk went into effect on July 1st, but it is unclear how much of the unpasteurized product will be sold here. Iowa State University Extension Dairy Specialist, Fred Hall, says they’ve been getting questions since the law passed. “What we’re hearing from are the questions that are coming from the folks who are currently milking one or two cows. Maybe they would fit in the homesteader category if you had to pigeonhole them,” Hall says.

Milk sold in Iowa was required to be pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria before the new law. Hall says it’s unlikely the large-scale dairy producers will sell raw milk because it can’t be delivered to stores for re-sale. “That’s one of the provisions in the legislation, that it has to be sold directly to the consumer. There’s not, you know, any milk truck gonna pick it up and, bring it to a central market,” he says. “In fact, they cannot take milk to a farmers market or central market or the Casey’s.”

I-S-U will present a webinar on raw milk in conjunction the Iowa State Dairy Association on July 12th from 6 to 9 p-m. Hall says they will have an expert on the webinar who can answer some of the questions. “Mark McAfee is owner and operator of the largest raw milk dairy in the country. He’s in California,” Hall says. “And we’re asked him, just tell us how you did do this? You know, give us some of the guidelines. So folks don’t have the same pitfalls that maybe you experienced early on.” They will also have an expert on handling the milk. “How do you process it so you make sure that you’re keeping the integrity of that product safe when you bottle it when you hand it off,” he says.

Raw milk. (Iowa Dairy Assoc-photo)

Hall says those who are thinking of running a raw milk dairy would have to be in a community that is large enough to have a viable market. “I would say 70-thousand people in metropolitan area or the town probably is a good start,” Hall says. “The other side of that is if you are in the community, and you have lots of family, and you have five or six family members who want to buy milk from me, that’s another niche that I think is very workable.”

Those interested in the webinar on July 12th are asked to pre-register at least one hour before it starts. Go to www.extension.iastate.edu to find the link.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being warned about a new type of phone scam called “smishing.” It’s similar to “phishing” except now crooks are using text messages to try and get you to give up your personal financial information. Paul Benda, a cybersecurity officer with the American Bankers Association, says people should know not to reveal sensitive information like their passwords and Social Security numbers, even if the source appears legitimate.

“They’ll send a text that looks like it comes from your bank. It may look exactly like texts you’ve seen in the past, and it’s a fraud alert asking you if you’ve made a purchase. You hit ‘Yes’ and someone then immediately calls your number and then tries to convince you that they’re from your bank,” Benda says. “So the challenge we’ve got is that a lot of times, the caller ID even shows the name

“They’ll talk you through, they’ll sound very professional, and then they’ll start asking for your details,” Benda says. “They’ll ask for you to confirm your username, your login, and things your banks would never ask. Then they’ll send you that one-time passcode because they’re logging in ‘on your behalf,’ and then they’ll ask you for that passcode and again, your bank’s never going to ask you for that passcode. Once they’ve got that, they’ve got access to your account.”

Iowans should recognize there’s a red flag when the supposed bank representative asks for your account information — which that representative should already have. “They’re going to try and pressure you. They’re going to try and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to close your account unless you respond.’ Your bank is never going to break up with you over text,” Benda says. “The other thing is, they might ask you to send money to yourself. ‘Oh, to protect your account here, we’re going to have you send money to yourself using your cell phone number.’ Your bank’s never going to ask you to send money to anyone.”
The Federal Trade Commission says Americans lost more than 5.8-billion dollars to phishing and other fraud in 2021, an increase of more than 70-percent compared to 2020.