(Radio Iowa) – A couple of donations will allow the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to build out a wildlife tracking system across the state. D-N-R Avian Ecologist, Anna Buckardt Thomas, says the system called Motus is a series of antennae stations and tracking tags that emit a radio signal. “And if they go by a station that’s listening on that same frequency, that station can detect those wildlife. And so we can build a really large scale understanding of movements of these wildlife,” she says.

There are currently 18 stations in Iowa and the 120-thousand dollars in donations will allow them to expand that by 20 stations to create a corridor from east to west across the center of the state. “And then stations bordering the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. And so that way, we’ll be able to understand bird movement along those major river corridors and that movement as well,” Thomas says. “And then, because we’ll have that fence through the middle of the state, we’re likely to detect pretty much any tagged wildlife that would come to Iowa.”

The tags are put on smaller migratory birds and insects like butterflies and dragonflies. The tags vary in size based on what’s being tagged, and that also dictates how long its battery will last. “For something like an insect, that tag lasts maybe a handful of weeks or a month. And for something like a small bird, it might last six months in a large bird, you might get a tag that can last over a year,” she says.

Motus tower station at the Iowa DNR’s Black Hawk Unit office, near Early. Photo courtesy of the Iowa DNR.

Thomas says different groups tag different species based on what they want to research, and she says there is always some sort of tagging going on. She says the stations all over the western hemisphere and Iowa provide a variety of information that the D-N-R can review. “So if we can learn about particular pathways or particular habitats that are really important for these migratory species, we can help inform our conservation and management of those areas,” Thomas says.  The information is also available to the public at the website motus.org.

“And you can explore a map of all the existing stations, you can click on a station and learn about what animals have flown by or moved by and then detected by that station,” she says. “You can look up what species of wildlife are being tagged on the system. You can look up a specific tagging project if you’re aware of it, though. There’s a lot of really cool data to explore.”  Thomas says you can also build maps of individual birds or collections of birds to see where they’re being detected as they move during migration periods.

The D-N-R hopes to add the additional sites in the next five years.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – You’re invited to join Cass County Conservation Department Staff at Atlantic’s Schildberg Recreation Area- Lake number 4, on Saturday, January 6, 2024 for “Soiree with the Swans.” Conservation Dept. Staff will be giving ten-minute presentations regarding the Trumpeter Swans every half-hour, beginning at 11-a.m., with the last one presented at 2-p.m.

There will also be time to view the swans through spotting scopes and witness random swan feeding sessions. Hot chocolate, cookies, and other snacks will be provided free of charge with donations being accepted (for swan care).

The Schildberg Recreation Area is located on the northwest edge of Atlantic, Lake 4 is on the north side of Highway 83. Atlantic is celebrating 24 winters of the Trumpeter Swans wintering here.

This event is not to be missed! IF THE WEATHER IS “BAD” OR THE SWANS ARE NOT AT THE PARK…the program will be at the Atlantic Public Library from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. with hot chocolate, cookies, and other snacks available. The event is being sponsored by the Cass County Conservation Board, Atlantic Parks and Recreation, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

(Radio Iowa) – A team from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa was called to a house in Des Moines last week to rescue dozens of animals. The A-R-L says it removed 31 dogs and two birds from conditions that were so deplorable, the house was deemed uninhabitable. A news release says the floors were coated with feces and puddles of urine that were warping the flooring. The dogs were as young as a week old and suffered from a host of conditions, including flea infestations. They’re now being cared for at the league’s headquarters.

One of the 31 dogs rescued (ARL photo)

The release says 26 animals were rescued from the same house four years ago. There’s no word on charges against the homeowner.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Having a light agenda, the Adair County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), breezed through their business in about 10-minutes.

The Board approved a General Relief application, a 2024 ISAC Wellness Agreement, and .Homestead & Military Disallances. They also passed a Resolution calling for Board Chair Jerry Walker to accept a bid of $211,327.69 from Gus Construction, and sign the contract for, the N-24 Prussia (Township) Reinforced Concrete Box (RCB) Culvert Project for the Local Farm-to-Market road. County Engineer Nick Kauffman said the bid was 17-percent over the engineer’s estimate.

The Adair County Supervisors also authorized the Chair to sign documents pertaining to the N-36 Lee (Township) RCB Culvert Project, and a Right-Of-Way contract for the N-19 Lincoln (Township) Bridge Project on the Local Farm-to-Market road.

Kauffman updated the Board on Secondary Roads Department maintenance work and activities.

(Radio Iowa) – The leader of the University of Northern Iowa’s faculty union is voicing concerns over how the school is handling its money. U-N-I released a statement defending the movement of nearly a million dollars from its general fund to athletics, saying one of its missions is to identify opportunities for those programs to be more self-sustaining. United Faculty leader Chris Martin says that shouldn’t come at the cost of education, especially when athletics can already borrow from the general fund. “There was a deal way back in 2010 that UNI’s athletics programs could take money out of the general fund, but it couldn’t go past 2.4 percent,” Martin says. “So there’s always been money going toward that, but in the past year or two, it wasn’t budgeted for.”

Martin says athletics programs borrowed nine-hundred thousand dollars, which exceeded the allowed percentage. He says the university’s overall budget has shrunk by several million dollars since 2019, largely due to a decrease in funding from the state legislature.  “When we’re confronted with losing academic dollars towards athletics or other auxiliary units, that’s a concern for us on the academic side,” Martin says, “since we’re already feeling an incredible pinch from being underfunded from the state.”

U-N-I’s overall budget has shrunk by about nine-million dollars, and the number of tenure-track positions has dropped by nearly 100 over the past four years.

(Radio Iowa) – Two juveniles face felony charges after allegedly making threats against two small northwest Iowa school districts. Palo Alto County Sheriff John King says a 16-year-old suspect has been charged with a felony for an alleged threat at Ruthven-Ayrshire Community Schools on Friday. A threatening social media post on Saturday against the Graettinger Terril School District was investigated by federal, state and local authorities.

A juvenile located by Eagle Grove Police on Sunday has been charged with making threats of terrorism. The two school districts have a sharing arrangement for their athletic teams, which are known as the G-T-R-A Titans, and one superintendent oversees both districts.

STORY COUNTY, Iowa — Authorities in central Iowa are searching for a missing Ames girl. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says five-year old Avery Lydia Doherty was reported missing to the Story County Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 13, 2023. Avery Doherty weighs 45 pounds. She’s 4-feet, 5-inches tall, has blonde hair and blue eyes.

According to court documents, Avery is believed to be with her non-custodial mother, Esther Bender, who did not adhere to the custody agreement or show-up for her hearings. An Amber Alert was not issued when she disappeared because there is no vehicle description. Ames Police, however, say they are extremely concerned for Avery’s safety. Sgt. Amber Christian with the Ames Police Department said no one has heard from or seen Avery or Esther Bender. Authorities don’t know where they could be, but it is believed that they have left the state. Police have exhausted all leads.

If you have any information about Avery’s disappearance, contact the Ames Police Department at 515-239-5135 or the Story County Sheriff’s Department at 515-382-6566. You can also contact the Missing Person Information Clearinghouse Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 515-725-6036.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert, Tuesday morning, updated the County Board of Supervisors on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities, along with an employment opportunity.

She said also provided an update on the 250^th Street bridge project.

Albert mentioned also, that she and two others in the department are attending an Engineer’s Conference in Des Moines the latter half of this week (Wed.-Friday).

ADEL, Iowa — A man from Dallas County faces multiple felony charges after police say he injured two people by crashing his vehicle into a house Monday night. According to court documents, 46-year-old Daniel Lee Grogan, of Adel,  was allegedly under the influence of marijuana and Lorazepam, an anxiety medication, when he drove his 2012 Dodge Journey through a home in the 300 block of South 10th Street. Two people inside the home were injured when the crash happened around 11:20 p.m. Monday night.

Grogan has been charged with the following:

• Two counts of serious injury by vehicle (Class D Felony)
• Two counts of knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury (Class D Felony)
• One count of operating while under the influence — first offense (Serious Misdemeanor)

Police say Grogan left the scene of the crash on foot and was found by police a few blocks away. He failed multiple field sobriety tests, according to a criminal complaint. His preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 22nd.

(Radio Iowa) – The Ankeny-based Casey’s convenience store chain reports a strong second quarter. Company President and C-E-O Darrin Rebellez spoke about the results during a conference call Tuesday.  He says inside sales remain strong driving inside gross profit dollars up 10 percent to 553 million dollars. The company generated 159 million dollars in net income, an increase of 15 percent.

Rebellez says inside sales were up six-point-two percent for the quarter driven by strong performance in the prepared food and dispensed beverages. The gallons of fuel sold were flat, but the company’s gross profit on fuel increased by nearly 309 million dollars as they made more than 42 cents on each gallon sold.

The company built or acquired 59 stores in the quarter and recently closed the deal on 22 stores in Texas, which is now the 17th state where they operate.