(Atlantic, Iowa) – A reminder: Cass County Master Gardeners will host their annual Spring Plant Sale Saturday morning, May 14th. Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson says you can expect to find a wide variety of perennials for gardeners looking to update their landscape this year.

Grow Another Row is a program focused on growing, harvesting and donating extra produce to local pantries and other Cass County organizations, to ensure all residents have access to fresh, tasty and local produce throughout the growing season.

The sale begins at 8-a.m. On Saturday, May 14th, and will be held in the front parking lot of the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds at 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic. Interested gardeners are encouraged to arrive early for best plant selection, as the annual spring and fall sales occasionally sell out before 10-a.m..

For anyone interested in learning more about the Master Gardener program and becoming a Master Gardener, the next class will be open for registration from June 3-July 1, with classes beginning in August 2022; taught as a mix of online and hands-on learning.

For more information about Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132. You are also invited to follow Cass County Master Gardeners on their Facebook page.

(Rock Rapids, Iowa) – A collision between a semi and a car Thursday afternoon east of Rock Rapids in northwest Iowa’s Lyon County, resulted in the death of a woman from Sioux County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 71-year-old Carol Jo Fliear, of Matlock, Iowa, died from her injuries at a hospital, after the 2016 Ford Taurus she was driving – for unknown reasons – crossed the center line of eastbound Highway 9 and struck a 2007 Freightliner semi, head-on, at the intersection withK60/Indian Avenue. The accident happened at around 12:37-p.m.

The driver of the semi, 64-year-old Gregory Marvin Krieger, of Sibley, declined treatment at the scene. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – With school letting out soon, thousands of Iowa teenagers are starting to apply for their first-ever summer jobs and they may need to be aware of some common scams. Consumer advocate Michael Domke says one con that’s been making the rounds is to have a new employee cash a check and then pay back some of the money.  “To take that money and pay a vendor who they need for training or IT resources,” Domke says, “and in essence, that check was fake and then they’re taking out of their own account.”

Teens of various ages are only allowed to work a certain number of hours per week, so new workers will need to know those rules and make sure they’re not being asked to work too much. Mystery shopping might sound like an ideal job for some Iowa teens, but Domke says you need to do a little research first.  “In reality, very, very few of those mystery shopping jobs are legitimate,” he says, “and how the scam works there is they get you to pay upfront, whether it be $20 or $40, and that is kind of your enlistment fee.”

Domke says no legitimate job will require you to pay to sign up or to apply for a position.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University student who’s graduating with a psychology degree this weekend is also leaving Ames with a new title, Steak Cookoff Association World Champion. Marissa Ouverson grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where barbecuing meat is something of an art form. During the pandemic, she decided to try her own skills at the grill, going on the road for six months and entering 54 competitions. “I got four first place, I had 26 or 24 Top 10s, and I finished 12th in the world in the points chase, and then I had the 2022 Worlds and I won the whole thing!” Ouverson says. “So, I was the youngest to ever win it and then I was also the first female. Knowing that I made history in multiple ways is awesome.”

When she was younger, Ouverson accompanied her father and older brother as they traveled to barbecue competitions, so she was a natural. Ouverson says her mother took time off from her flight attendant job to accompany her to steak grilling competitions across the country, all the while staying current with her I-S-U studies. “Her and I pretty much just packed up the car and we were on the road for six months,” Ouverson says. “It was because I was able to do everything online. I had her and my dad to really take me around everywhere and go with me so that I wasn’t alone the whole time. I got so close to my family. We have always been super close, but I mean, we got to do everything together.”

Marissa Ouverson (Photo from bbqnewsletter.com)

Her victory at the world competition in Texas led to sponsorships, prize money, and even her own online cooking class. “Here we are now and I haul a giant trailer around everywhere now,” she says. “What it turned into was wild. It’s mind blowing.” As she preps for graduation, Ourverson is focusing on the next stage of her life, using her degree to help people struggling with mental health. “I wanted to do psychology,” she says. “I wanted to help people and so I am focusing on suicide counseling, specifically for teens, and then I might end up actually going over to veterans.”

While the competition circuit may be on the back burner, Ouverson says she wants to continue improving her grilling craft — even though she’s already tops in the world and has a trophy and a ring to prove it.

A man from Harlan was struck by a vehicle Thursday evening in Montgomery County, and later died. The accident occurred at around 6:45-p.m. in a construction area. . The Sheriff’s Office reports Brian Kelly Parker was treated by First Responders at the scene of the incident on Highway 34 at Evergreen Avenue. After being treated, Parker was transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The vehicle that struck Parker was traveling east on Highway 34 and approaching the lane transition area in the construction zone. Shawn Dale Kammerer, of Red Oak, failed to obey the traffic control sign before the accident occurred. The incident remains under investigation.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Red Oak Police, Red Oak Fire & EMS, the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, Montgomery County Dispatch, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol.

A report of a suspicious person walking on Highway 71 in Montgomery County at around 6:50-a.m., Thursday, resulted the suspect taken into custody after he fled on foot into a field.  The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Dylan J, Hanson, of Red Oak, was being approached for questioning by a Deputy, when he took off. Hanson was apprehended without further incident and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and Interference with Official Acts. He was being held without bond, pending an initial appearance before a magistrate.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by personnel with the Iowa State Patrol and Montgomery County Emergency Management.

(Radio Iowa) – Protestors marched throughout Sioux City Thursday to bring attention to cases of missing and murdered women in the local Native American community. As they walked, many held signs in remembrance of Terri McCauley, who was found murdered in Sioux City in 1983. Her brother, Mike McCauley, says not enough was done to solve her murder.

“We expected more and it’s not happening today. I, for one, need help,” he said. “I want to close this case, I want closure — 39 years she’s been laying on top of the hill.” Terri McCauley was 18 years old when she shot to death. Josh Taylor is McCauley’s nephew. He wants to build more trust between Native Americans and law enforcement.

“Look, they’re not an enemy,” he says. “They are here to support and although it may not be as fast as we want, but they are there to support.” Taylor says the general public doesn’t realize how many Native American women have been murdered. Homicide is the third-leading cause of death among Native American women, according to the Urban Indian Health Institute.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kendall Crawford)

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officers with Oskaloosa Police Department and agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Thursday, arrested 41-year-old Dustin Flaherty, and 40-year-old Sara Flaherty, at their Oskaloosa home. The arrests come after the Oskaloosa Police Department and the DCI conducted a joint investigation into allegations of sexual assaults committed by Dustin and Sara Flaherty, who are husband and wife.

The charges against Dustin include a single charge, each, of Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Abuse (706.3; Class C Felony) and Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree (709.4; Class C Felony), and two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree (709.3; Class B Felony).

Dustin Flaherty

Sara Flaherty

The charges against Sara include a single charge, each, of Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Abuse (706.3, Class C Felony) and Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree (709.4; Class C Felony), and two counts, each, of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree (709.3; Class B Felony) and Drug Distribution to a Person Under the Age of Eighteen (124.406; Class B Felony).

Dustin and Sara Flaherty were processed into the Mahaska County Jail, where they remain. This is an on-going investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oskaloosa Police Department at (641) 672-2557.

(Des Moines, IA) In Iowa and nationwide, infant formula is in short supply. The Iowa Departments of Public Health and Human Services are working to provide information and resources to Iowans who are impacted by the shortage.

Supply chain constraints have been affecting product availability since January. The formula recall issued in February and closure of the Abbott production facility in Michigan has exacerbated this issue. Given those constraints, we encourage Iowans to purchase what they need for the short term. This will ensure that all Iowans are able to access what they need, given the limited supply we are seeing nationwide.

The FDA is responsible for taking steps to ensure the safety of infant formula while also ensuring that supply can be met when these steps are taken. Yesterday, the FDA published a press release highlighting actions it is taking to address formula supply shortages including working with major infant formula manufacturers to increase supply and helping to ensure that Abbott’s Sturgis facility can safely resume production.

“The Biden Administration must address the national shortage of infant formula immediately, increasing production and expediting distribution to the states,” said Governor Reynolds. “Parents need the assurance that they can provide the basic necessities for their family and nothing is more critical than infant formula.”

Because of the shortage, WIC enrolled families may need to visit a different location than they are used to or use alternate brands. The WIC program has made many brands and container sizes available for WIC families.

Iowans are urged not to use homemade infant formula or other alternatives as they do not contain the vitamins and minerals that a growing infant requires. Here is a helpful resource about the risks of using homemade formula.

WIC enrolled families who need assistance finding formula should contact their local WIC clinic, find a complete list here. If they are unable to contact their community clinic, they can call 1-800-532-1579.

Any Iowan seeking breastfeeding support can contact the WIC clinic in their community or contact their infant’s health care provider.

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer says the federal government must do more to address the critical shortage of baby formula. Finkenauer says as a 33 year old, she has a lot of friends who have babies and she began hearing about the shortage weeks ago. At the end of April, Finkenauer called on President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act.

“This is a crisis in our country,” Finkenauer says. “…When something like this happens where you’ve got parents across the country trying desperately to get the nutrients for their children that they need and they can’t find it, that’s a national emergency and it needs to be addressed.”

Finkenauer is one of three Democrats competing to run against Republican Senator Chuck Grassley in the General Election. Grassley yesterday (Wednesday) wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration to demand answers on what they’re doing to make sure families have access to the baby formula they need.

“There’s more that can be done and should be done,” Finkenauer says. “…When it comes to our parents trying to feed their kids, all he’s doing is sending a strongly worded letter to the FDA.” A firm that tracks baby formula sales nationwide found 43 percent of the most popular brands were sold out last week.

Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra is co-sponsoring legislation to change F-D-A regulations of baby formula and it could let more baby formula made in other countries be sold in the U.S.