(Radio Iowa) – Steam engines well over a century old are chugging to life in southeast Iowa as the annual Midwest Old Threshers Reunion gets underway in Mount Pleasant. Event spokesman Grant Davidson says the machines of yesterday that helped build Iowa into the farming giant it is today are all on display — and they’re still running strong.

The agricultural heritage event includes antique cars, tractors, vintage steam engines, and a steam-run railroad headed by a locomotive built in 1891.

(Midwest Old Threshers Reunion photo)

The five-day event draws tens of thousands of visitors to see the dozens of steam-powered contraptions that were once the latest technology for performing important chores in the field.

DES MOINES – U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today(Thursday) announced September mobile office hours across Iowa’s Third District to assist constituents who may not be able to travel to one of the Third District Congressional offices in Creston, Des Moines, and Ottumwa. At these mobile office hours, Iowans will be able to get help from their Congressional office with Social Security, Medicare, passports, visas, veterans’ benefits, military records, tax returns, and other issues with federal government agencies.

The schedule for September Mobile Office Hours is below:

Guthrie County
Menlo Public Library
505 5th Street, Menlo, IA
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Adair County
Stuart Public Library
111 West Front Street, Stuart, IA
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
12:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Dallas County
Adel Public Library – Study Room
303 S 10th Street, Adel, IA
Thursday, September 7, 2023
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Page County
Lied Public Library
100 East Garfield Street, Clarinda, IA
Friday, September 8, 2023
9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Page County
Shenandoah Public Library
201 South Elm, Shenandoah, IA
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
10:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Madison County
St. Charles City Hall
113 South Lumbar Street, St. Charles, IA
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Madison County
Winterset Public Library
123 North 2nd Street, Winterset, IA
Thursday, September 14, 2023
12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Guthrie County
Mary Barnett Memorial Library
400 Grand Street, Guthrie Center, IA
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Cass County
Griswold City Hall
601 2nd Street, Griswold, IA
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
10:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Montgomery County
Red Oak Public Library
400 North 2nd Street, Red Oak, IA
Thursday, September 21, 2023
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Cass County
Cumberland Public Library
119 Main Street, Cumberland, IA
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Cass County
Massena Public Library
122 Main Street, Massena, IA
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Cass County
Anita Public Library
812 Third Street, Anita, IA
Thursday, September 28, 2023
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County combined City/School election will be Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Currently (August 28, 2023) candidacy filing is open, and will remain open until Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. City candidates should file with the Adair County Auditor’s office located at 400 Public Square STE 5. School candidates should file with their respective school board secretary. The following candidacies are open.

Candidate Filing – City/School Election – Tuesday, November 7, 2023

City of Adair – Mayor (Vote for 1)

City of Adair – City Council (Vote for 3)

City of Bridgewater – Mayor (Vote for 1)

City of Bridgewater – City Council (Vote for 3)

City of Bridgewater – City Council (To Fill Vacancy) (Vote for 1)

City of Fontanelle – Mayor (Vote for 1)

City of Fontanelle – City Council (Vote for 3)

City of Fontanelle – City Council (To Fill Vacancy) (Vote for 2)

City of Greenfield – Mayor (Vote for 1)

City of Greenfield – City Council (Vote for 2)

City of Greenfield – City Council (To Fill Vacancy) (Vote for 1)

City of Orient – Mayor (Vote for 1)

City of Orient – City Council (Vote for 2)

City of Stuart – City Council (Vote for 2)

Adair Casey School District – At-Large (Vote for 2)

Nodaway Valley School District – District 2 (Vote for 2)

Orient Macksburg School District – At-Large (Vote for 3)

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has issued a lengthy report on arrests dating back to August 15th:

8-15-23: Donald Alfred Wheatley, age 70, Shelby, IA was arrested following a traffic stop at 12th St and Chatburn Ave. Wheatley was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 2nd, Driving Revoked, and Violation of Restricted License; Jacob Austin Wingert, age 25, Panama, IA was arrested following a call for service in Panama. Wingert was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Public Intoxication.

8-17-23: Jacob Austin Wingert, age 25, Panama, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 600 block of Court St. in Harlan. Wingert was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Public Intoxication; Brent Michael Swisher, age 40, Harlan, IA was arrested following an investigation in the 2000 block of 23rd St. Swisher was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

8-19-23: Tea Briannan Stevens, age30, Atlantic, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Hwy 44 and Maple Rd. Stevens was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substances; Thomas Morgan Lathrop, age 31, Omaha, NE was arrested following a traffic stop on Hwy 59. Lathrop was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while License is Suspended, Violations of Conditions of Restricted License, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability; Dawson Gage Hansen, age 23, Manilla, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Hwy 59. Hansen was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while License is Suspended.

8-20-23: Nyagach Dech Chigach, age 33, Harlan, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 500 block of 12th St in Harlan. Chigach was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Disorderly Conduct; Simon Buombiey Jacob, age 34, Harlan, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 500 block of 12th St in Harlan, Jacob was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault.

8-21-23: Andrew Michael Lyman, age 34, Denison, IA was arrested following an investigation of multiple thefts. Lyman was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Theft 3rd, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Lyman was also charged with 2 counts of theft 5th.

8-23-23: Garrett Richard Morrison, age 23, Omaha, NE was arrested following a traffic stop in the 800 block of Hwy 59. Morrison was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance.

8-24-23: Gary Lyn McCoy, age 67, Harlan, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 500 block of Market St. Following an investigation McCoy was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Burglary and Theft 3rd; Jose Misael Rivera, age 43, Harlan, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Hwy 59. Rivera was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving Under Suspension; John Joseph Bowen, age 42, Harlan, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Ridgeway Dr. Bowen was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with 2 counts of Possession of Controlled Substance, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, and Driving Under Suspension; Christopher Allen Cue, age 39, Council Bluffs, IA was arrested on an active Shelby County Warrant for Failure to Appear. Cue was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

8-25-23: Lexus Ann Harris Larrison, age 23, Council Bluffs, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Hwy 59. Larrison was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Controlled Substance, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, and Following to Close; Terrance Francis, Weiland, age 72, Aurora, CO was arrested following a traffic stop on Hwy 191. Weiland was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st, Open Container, and Speeding.

8-26-23: Laura Ann Traufler, age 46, Earling, IA was arrested following a traffic stop in the 1800 block of 23rd St in Harlan. Traufler was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while Suspended, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability, and Operating a Non-registered Vehicle.

8-27-23: Albert Alexander Johnson, age 37, Harlan, IA was arrested following a traffic stop in the 300 block of Hwy 59. Johnson was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while Suspended and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability; Laura Ann Traufler, age 46, Earling, IA was arrested following a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Hwy 59. Traufler was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while Suspended, and Operation without Ignition Interlock.

8-29-23: Jessica Lee Anderson, age 35, Harlan, IA was arrested on an active Shelby County Warrant for Theft 5th. Anderson was transported to the Shelby County Jail; Kenny Lee Carl, age 64, Harlan, IA was arrested after a Search Warrant was executed in the 1800 block of Exchange St. Carl was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, 2 counts of Possession of Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

8-31-23: Kenedee Marie Joanna Turner, age 26, Audubon, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Hwy 44 and Hazel Rd. Turner was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Theft 5th and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Police Department has issued report the latest arrests and citations.

On August 17, 2023: 23-year-old Skyanne Christensen, of Atlantic, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was cited into court and released from the scene. And, 52-year-old Gary Victor, of Bridgewater was arrested for Theft in the 5th (shoplifting) He was also cited into court and released at the scene.

On August 18th: 47-year-old Amanda Bashor, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault (2nd Offense). Bashor was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked in and held.

On August 21st: Atlantic Police arrested 42-year-old Randy Venteicher, of Massena, for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. He was cited into court and released.

On the 26th, 33-year-old Tyler Mills, of Atlantic, was arrested for Violation of No Contact Order. He was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked in and held.

On August 27th, 20-year-old Myson Kovac, of Atlantic, was arrested on Cass County Warrants for Criminal Mischief 1st Degree, Theft 1st Degree, Operating While Under the Influence and Violation of Probation (2 counts). He was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked in and held.

This past Monday (August 28), Atlantic Police arrested 36-year-old Jeffery Knight, of Atlantic, for Public Intoxication. He was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked in and held. And, 32-year-old Cody Pleis, of Atlantic, was arrested on Cass County Warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault (2nd Offense). He was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked in and held.

(Radio Iowa) – A western Iowa teacher has resigned after being accused of sending inappropriate photos to students via social media. The IKM-Manning Community School District Board of Education accepted the resignation of 24-year-old Cassidy Kraus earlier this week. Kraus was placed on leave by school officials on August 21st, just days before the new school year started, after the district received a complaint alleging she had shared inappropriate photos with students.

A district investigation found that Kraus had sent multiple photos of a sexual nature in May 2023 via Snapchat. Kraus resigned on August 25. No criminal charges have been filed, but authorities say an investigation into the allegations is ongoing.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports that on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at approximately 6:30 PM, 40-year-old Jesse Josiah Stimson of rural Clarinda, was arrested on a Page County warrant for Sexual Abuse – 2nd Degree (a Class B Felony), Lascivious Acts with a Child – Fondle or Touch (a Class C Felony), and Indecent Contact with a Child (an Aggravated misdemeanor).

Stimson was arrested at the Page County Jail where he turned himself in. Stimson was unable to post the $70,000.00 cash only bond and is currently being held in the Page County Jail pending further court appearances.

The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office with consultation from the Page County Attorney’s Office.

A charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University committee’s first vote would to keep Carrie Chapman Catt’s name on a campus building. Nine members of the committee voted to keep Catt’s name on the building and six voted to remove it. The building was named in her honor in 1990 for her efforts to ratify the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The committee was formed in 2021 after accusations that Catt used racist language and tactics in her push to get the issue passed

Catt Hall (ISU photo)

The committee met 27 times to review multiple documents surrounding the 1880 I-S-U grad. There is now a public input period that will last through October 29th, and the committee will then take a final vote.

(Benton County, Iowa) – A man from eastern Iowa died Wednesday afternoon, after the bicycle he was riding was struck by a car on southbound Highway 218 at 51st Street, south of  La Porte City. The Iowa State Patrol reports the bicycle, occupied by 83-year-old John R. Rice, of Cedar Falls, was hit by a Nissan Altima at around 2:24-p.m. Rice died at the scene.

The driver of the car was identified as 77-year-old Dewayne L. Arends, of Oxford Junction. The accident remains under investigation.

(UPDATED) – The latest Iowa Drought Monitor shows drought conditions have worsened. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says there’s been an 18 percent increase in extreme drought conditions since last week’s report. “The big standout that we see on the map this week is a big expansion of that D3 extreme drought category across north central into northeastern Iowa,” Glisan says. There’s a persistent area of extreme drought in southeast Iowa as well. Some farmers have begun chopping corn for silage because most leaves on the stalks have died. “Corn is drying up out there. Soybeans are dropping pods because of the heat and the dryness,” Glisan says. “Harvest is going to come at us fast given the drier conditions and the warmer temperatures that we’ve seen.”

Small sections of Fremont and Ringgold Counties are the only areas of Iowa considered to be drought-free and Glisan says nearly 99-and-a-half percent of the entire state is now in some level of drought. The U-S-D-A began issuing Drought Monitor reports 23 years ago. “This is going into the 166th week of at least D1, that moderate drought category somewhere in the state, so the longest drought that we’ve had since the Drought Monitor came into inception,” Glisan says, “but also longer term than the 1988 and 2012 droughts.” Those two drought years were more intense because of particularly warm temperatures in the upper Midwest, according to Glisan. Glisan says the statewide average rainfall is about three and a quarter inches in August — about an inch below normal, but Glisan says there’s wide variation in sections of the state.

“If you look at the climate divisions in eastern Iowa, so climate division 3 is the northeastern corner and then east central is where the nose of Iowa is — it’s the top 10 driest August on record,” Glisan says, “so that statewide average is skewed where we see higher precipitation totals across the southern part of the state.” The southern two tiers of Iowa got an average amount of rainfall during the past month. On this last day of August, there is no rain in the forecast anywhere in Iowa.

In southwest Iowa:

Parts of northern and eastern Pottawattamie County, all but the northeastern part of Cass County, along with the southern half of Adair County, most of Adams, and all of Union Counties, are considered Abnormally Dry.

Severe drought conditions exist in mainly the western half of Pott. County and the northern tier of Mills County, while other area counties are seeing a variety of Moderate to Abnormally dry conditions.

Extreme drought conditions are being experienced in a large portion of northeastern Iowa, and parts of seven southeastern Iowa counties.