(Des Moines, IA) The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced two initiatives focused on healthy habits, nutrition and addressing food insecurity for Iowa families. “Though these programs have different goals and execution, helping Iowa families and communities lead healthier lives is deeply embedded in the HHS mission. Food insecurity, exacerbated by the rising cost of food and an increasing rate of obesity in Iowa drive the need for HHS to focus our attention on nutrition and health education. Through these programs, we reach Iowans in in 20 counties with programming that is collaborative, targeted and measurable,” said HHS Director Kelly Garcia.

Iowa Stops Hunger Pilot Program: 

The Iowa Stops Hunger is a statewide initiative formed by Business Publications Corporation (BPC) in 2020 to bring awareness and inspire action to combat food insecurity in Iowa. With the support of Presenting Sponsor Hy-Vee and Supporting Sponsor Mom’s Meals, Iowa Stops Hunger has explored hunger in Iowa, created ongoing media content and events to discuss food insecurity in Iowa, showcased actions taken by businesses, and connected participants from the business and nonprofit communities across the state.

The dialogue generated throughout 2020 and 2021 sparked interest in further action. A small group led by Hy-Vee, Mom’s Meals and HHS, facilitated by BPC, have joined forces in a public/private coalition to reduce food insecurity in Iowa through targeted programming. The Iowa Stops Hunger Coalition will launch a pilot program targeting women between the ages of 21-44 who are food insecure but may not qualify for SNAP, WIC or Free and Reduced Lunch programs. Many of these women are young mothers who are in the workforce at low-wage jobs or who have left the workforce, making this project of particular relevance to Iowa employers.

The pilot project timeline is being finalized by the public/private coalition. Managed Care Medicaid providers Amerigroup Iowa, Iowa Total Care and Molina Healthcare will provide outreach and coordination of services with community-based nutrition partners including each of the Iowa area Food Banks. Hy-Vee and Mom’s Meals will be providing coordination, food and nutrition education and support. BPC is assisting with Coalition facilitation and communications support. Iowa Medicaid will administer the pilot.

The program includes short-term food insecurity stabilization and resources and longer-term food and nutrition access and education. The pilot will focus on women ages 21-44 in eight Iowa counties who have indicated that they are experiencing food insecurity. Among the counties included, are Pottawattamie and Woodbury. Participating counties were identified by HHS through analysis of screenings which showed a higher-than-average rate of food insecurity for residents. The selected counties represent a statewide cross section of rural and urban populations. An estimated 23,000 individuals are identified as part of the pilot. Specifically targeting moms with kids will help address the systemic challenges families often face.

HHS also announces $265,000 in grants to 15 counties across Iowa through 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! : An evidence-based prevention framework for early care and education programs, K-12 schools, out-of-school programs and health care practices to encourage Iowa kids to adopt healthy habits. First year, $30,000 awards went to Dallas and Woodbury Counties in our area. And a Third-year, $8,000 award went to both Woodbury and Madison Counties.

(Villisca, Iowa) – Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies, Tuesday night in rural Villisca, arrested a wanted fugitive. Authorities says Sheriff’s Deputies were looking for 35-year-old Jessie Bruce Fitzwater, of Villisca, at 3262 150th Street. When they arrived at the house, Fitzwater attempted to run but was taken into custody. During the investigation, Deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence, which resulted in Fitzwater being arrested for two Class-D Felony counts of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and a Class-D Felony charge for Possession of Meth/3rd Offense.

Also arrested was 24-year-old Ashley Nicole Fitzwater, of Villisca. She faces two aggravated misdemeanor charges for two counts of Child Endangerment, and Possession of Meth/1st offense, a Serious Misdemeanor.

Both subjects were transported to the Montgomery County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – This year’s Iowa-based World Food Prize is being awarded to a NASA climate scientist. Cynthia Rosenzweig  is a senior researcher at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. She studies the effects of climate change on food systems. During her acceptance speech last night in Des Moines,

Rosenzweig said climate change mitigation needs to address greenhouse gas emissions from food systems. She also highlighted the urgency to act against climate change. The award comes with a 250-thousand dollar prize. Rosenzweig says she’ll use that money to establish a fund for global workshops on climate change and food through the Columbia Climate School.

(Radio Iowa) – An event that has become one of the largest annual gatherings for Iowa Republicans is scheduled for today (Saturday). Senator Joni Ernst is hosting her “Roast and Ride” fundraiser. Proceeds from the event will be going to the Cpl. Daegan Page Foundation. The organization was founded in honor of Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page, a Red Oak native who was killed on August 26, 2021 in the bombing at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan.

Ernst’s fellow G-O-P Senator Chuck Grassley will be among the speakers. Polls suggest Grassley’s in his toughest campaign since 1980 and Republican strategist Eric Woolson says the value of the Roast and Ride is that it will attract G-O-P voters from all across the state.

“As important as attracting people is that it energizes them,” Woolson says, “and so Grassley, having that opportunity to piggyback off a big event like that, is important to his campaign and it’s important that he gets his message out there to Iowa Republicans, to the base.” Woolson was a spokesman for Grassley’s 2010 campaign, when Grassley won re-election by a 30 point margin.

Ernst held her first “Roast and Ride” fundraiser in 2015. Back then, Ernst said she intended it to showcase G-O-P candidates in the same way Senator Tom Harkin’s annual steak fry had for Democrats. Ernst says this Saturday Republican activists will get a chance to see Grassley, as well as Governor Kim Reynolds and three G-O-P congressional candidates.  “To me it’s worth its weight in gold when you can be at an event, really see the body language of someone speaking in front of you, and then hopefully have the opportunity to mingle with them, too, and maybe ask them a question off line or just to see them in action, how they communication and get along with others,” Ernst says.

“I just think it’s a great opportunity in such a low key, friendly atmosphere.” The speaking program is scheduled to start around noon at the state fairgrounds, but before that Ernst is hosting two other events. There’ll be a mid-morning motorcycle ride (10:30-11:15-a.m.) and an early morning “Ruck March” (from 7:30-8:30-a.m.). It’s a fast-paced walk, with participants carrying a backpack. In the military, a “ruck march” typically has soldiers covering rugged terrain and carrying packs weighing at least 45 pounds.

The Ernst fundraiser’s ruck march will be held on the state fairgrounds. The roast takes place from 11-a.m. to 1:30-p.m.

A crash in Mills County Friday afternoon claimed the life of a teen from Emerson. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 1998 Honda Civic driven by a 17-year-old female, was traveling east on Noyes Avenue at around 4:05-p.m., when the car went out of control after crossing the intersection with 290th Street.

The vehicle left the road and rolled several times before coming to rest on its wheels, in a field. The teenage driver was ejected from the vehicle. She was not wearing a seat belt. The girl died from her injuries at the scene.Her name was not immediately released.

Mills County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted the State Patrol at the crash site.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two men were arrested on separate charges Friday (Today), in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials report 43-year-old Michael Gene Landon, Jr., of Council Bluffs, was arrested on two Montgomery County warrants for providing false information and driving while suspended. Landon was transported to the Montgomery County Jail where he was booked in an held on a cash only bond.

And, early this (Friday) afternoon, sheriff’s deputies arrested 43-year-old Dewight Eugene Binau, of Red Oak, for public intoxication. Binau was transported to the Montgomery County Jail where he was booked in and held on a cash only bond.

(Onawa, Iowa) – The Monona County Sheriff’s Office reports Monona County Communications received a 911 call from Bank First, in Onawa, at around 10-a.m. today (Friday). The caller advised the bank had just been robbed by a person who entered the bank and brandished a weapon (That was initially described as a long [barreled] gun).

Sheriff Jeffrey R. Pratt said in an online post, “The investigation is on-going at this time,” and that “We do not feel there is any danger to the public.” More information will be released as it becomes available.

The Monona County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted in its investigation, by the Ida and Woodbury County Sheriff’s Departments, and the FBI.

(Radio Iowa) – Swan Lake State Park in Carroll will be the site of a seven-stop Halloween event for kids and adults tomorrow (Saturday). Carroll County Conservation Naturalist Kristen Bieret says activities are spread out over about half of the 500-acre park. “We’ll actually have a hay ride so people can get to all of the different places,” she says. Two female eagles live in an enclosure in the park and experts are bringing in an owl and a red-tailed hawk for a raptor demonstration. That’s one of the seven stops on the Halloween tour. Two bison live in another part the park.

“We have two female bison. One’s 30 and the other one’s about six and they live in a pasture right behind our conservation education center,” she says. “We just built a new observation tower where you can go up and you can kind of see out to the bison and view the lake and we added that this summer and so we were kind of inspired by those two things to have that be the heading/title of our event.” The Bison Haunted Hollow event begins at 5 p.m. Saturday and will end at eight o’clock. Bieret says it looks like lovely fall weather is forecast.

“Not scary at all,” Bieret says. “I think the scariest part about it is just that towards the evening it’s going to get darker, but we are trying to make it something that’s centered around Halloween, but is definitely family friendly.” The Carroll Library is setting up a half-mile guided walk through the playground, featuring a fall-related story. Swan Lake is a state-owned park, but it has been managed by Carroll County Conservation since 1950.

October 21, 2022 (DES MOINES, IA) – Today, the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board approved two awards for companies in Charles City and Council Bluffs, which will assist in the creation of 71 jobs and result in more than $605 million in new capital investment for the state. In Council Bluffs Google, LLC is expanding its presence in Iowa through a proposed project that would involve the construction and operations of a data center that powers many internet-related products.

At the request of the City of Council Bluffs, the board authorized a local property tax exemption through the HQJ program. This enables the city to provide the 20-year sliding scale tax abatement approved by its City Council on October 10, 2022. No new state incentives are planned, but the project will result in $600 million in new capital investment and create 31 jobs at a qualifying wage of $28.73 per hour. Google LLC is a multinational technology company that focuses on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and consumer electronics.

And, Cambrex, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in East Rutherford, New Jersey, plans to expand their facility in Charles City. Cambrex will add 9,000 square feet to the existing footprint, including a new quality control laboratory and administrative space. The project represents a $6.5 million capital investment and is expected to create 40 jobs, of which 39 are incented at a qualifying wage of $20.58 per hour. The board awarded the company tax benefits and $300,000 in direct financial assistance through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program. The Charles City site manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical intermediates for both the generic and branded human pharmaceutical markets. The company currently supplies APIs for the treatment of ADHD, smoking cessation, oncology, Crohn’s disease and others.

(Radio Iowa) – The police chief in Cherokee says there’s a lot of work to do before local school employees would be allowed to carry concealed weapons on school grounds — and Police Chief Nate James suggests there’s no guarantee any employee will get the go-ahead. “We’re not looking at this lightly, by all means,” he says. “It’s something that we need to figure out if this is the right thing to implement into our schools, by letting staff carry.” The Cherokee School Board endorsed the concept this week and school officials said they’d been consulting with the police chief. “I have children in the school,” James said. “There are a lot of factors that I would personally like to know before we move forward.”

The police chief says policy and procedures will be paramount. “It would require a lot of training — a lot of training,” he says. “This is going to be a long, long process…a collaboration of a lot of different departments. I know the school has reached out to an organization already, but there is a lot more that will go into it than that.”

James was a policeman in Cherokee for eight years before being named Chief of Police in April of 2015.