(Des Moines, Iowa) — Officials with the Food Bank of Iowa say they ended fiscal year 2023 breaking every record in its 41-year history. Across the 55 counties it serves, Food Bank of Iowa distributed 21 million pounds of food, or the equivalent of 17.5 million meals. The number of pounds is an increase of 4 million pounds from FY2022 and more than 800,000 pounds over the previous record year, FY 2021, during the height of the pandemic. Collectively, Food Bank of Iowa’s 700 partners served 661,506 households in FY 2023, an increase of 171,285 households from the previous year.

They reported nearly 1.8 million points of service, including:

• 759,043 children (age 18 and under)
• 734,043 adults (age 19-59)
• 287,308 older Iowans (age 60+)

A record 9,739 volunteer shifts were filled at Food Bank of Iowa in FY2023, representing 33,334 hours of service or the work of 16 full-time employees. The value of those volunteer hours exceeds $1 million.

Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book, left, assists with food distribution at First Lutheran Church in Clarion on May 25, 2023.

Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book said “Food Bank of Iowa is laser focused on providing food for Iowans struggling to make ends meet. At this time of rising need, escalating costs and declining resources, we are grateful for the collaborative support of steadfast donors, energetic volunteers, and most especially for our committed partners who serve at the front line. It takes all of us working together to feed Iowans facing hunger.”

Established in 1982, Food Bank of Iowa provides nutritious food for Iowa children, families, seniors and veterans to lead full and active lives, strengthening their communities. Serving 55 of Iowa’s 99 counties, Food Bank of Iowa delivers 21 million pounds of food (more than 17.5 million meals) to its 700 partners annually. Learn more at foodbankiowa.org.

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday) reports six arrests took place between June 3rd and July 19th.

On June 3rd, 48-year-old George Palm III, of Exira, was arrested following an incident in the 600 Block of Thielen St., in Exira. Palm was taken into custody on charges of Assault Causing Bodily Injury, and Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon. He appeared before the magistrate and was held until he posted bond a few days later.

Two people were arrested June 10th in Audubon County. Sheriff’s officials say 23-year-old Trent Rittenhouse and 48-year-old Christina Isaacson, both of Lincoln, NE., were arrested following a traffic stop in the area of 340th and Littlefield Drive. Ritenhouse was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance- Cannabidiol 1st offense. He posted bond and was released the following day. Isaacson was charged with two counts of Possession of Controlled Substance-3rd and two counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was seen by the magistrate and held on bond.

26-year-old William Brubaker, of Audubon, who was being held in the Audubon County Jail on Audubon Police Department charges, was charged on June 29th, with a Sex Offender Registry Violation-2nd or subsequent offense. He appeared before the magistrate and was held on bond. On July 13th, Brubaker was charged with three additional counts of Sex Offender Registry Violation-2nd or subsequent offense, and one charge of Child Endangerment as a Registered Sex Offender. He appeared before the magistrate and is currently being held on a $20,000 cash only bond, and a $5,500 cash or surety bond.

Audubon County Deputies arrested 37-year-old Tony Mack, of Audubon, on July 14th, following an incident in the 600 Block of W. Washington, in Exira. Mack was charged with Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Theft in the 4th Degree. He appeared before the magistrate and is currently being held on a $6,000 cash or surety bond.

On July 19th, 31-year-old Derek Mullen, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on an outstanding Failure to Appear Warrant for a Domestic Abuse Assault Charge that occurred in April. He appeared before magistrate and is currently being held on a $1000 cash or surety bond.

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 Cass Health and its affiliate organizations today (Friday), announce their 2023 scholarship awardees.

Kennedy Goergen, Kyla Gehring, McKenzie Waters, Misty Ross, and Saige Huss were all awarded the Cass Health Nursing Careers Scholarship. Goergen is working towards her RN at Des Moines Area Community College. Gehring is working towards her RN at Southwest Community College. Waters is working towards her BSN at Missouri Western State University. Both Ross and Huss are working towards their RN at Iowa Western Community College.

The Cass Health Healthcare Careers Scholarship was awarded to Stephanie Drees, who recently completed a 3D Medical Printing program at Clarkson College.

The Cass Health Auxiliary awarded five scholarships to Madison Botos, Shay Burmeister, Dayna Dreager, Miles Mundorf, and Jada Jensen. Botos plans to pursue her BSN at the University of Iowa, Burmeister plans to pursue Speech Pathology at the University of Northern Iowa, Dreager plans to become a Chiropractor at the University of Northern Iowa, Mundorf plans to study Athletic Training and Physical Therapy at the University of Northern Iowa, and Jensen plans to study Nursing and Biology at Simpson College and Mercy College.

Grant Podhajsky and Jadyn Reid were awarded the Louie and Elsie Hansen Memorial Scholarship through the Cass Health Foundation. Podhajsky is currently enrolled in medical school at the University of Iowa and Reid plans to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of South Dakota.

(Radio Iowa) – Agencies that issue professional licenses in Iowa and rule on disputes between employers and workers began merging well before the governor’s state government reorganization plan became law July 1st. Larry Johnson is director of the new Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. He says unemployment law judges merged into the former Department of Inspections and Appeals last July.  “With them came a case backlog of 5400 cases,” Johnson says. “While it was estimated that backlog would take 18 months (to eliminate), we mapped out their process, removed unnecessary steps and eliminated that backlog in just three months.”

The new agency is also responsible for issuing state licenses for a number of professions. Johnson says the goal is to speed up the licensing process. “For example, licenses were processed by the Banking Division within 10 days,” Johnson says. “The Health and Human Services professional licensing boards were processing within five days and the Board of Medicine didn’t have metrics at the time and they were being reviewed within 171 days.”

The state issues licenses for a wide variety of professionals, including accountants, doctors, real estate agents, land surveyors and electricians. “Before alignment, Iowans would have to go to three different departments for building and construction,” Johnson says. “Now, Iowans can go to a one stop shop at DIAL and the Building and Construction Division.”

DIAL stands for the Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. Six data bases are currently managing all the professional licenses granted by the state. On October 1st, Johnson says they’ll select a provider that will merge those into one system.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being warned that spending too much time outdoors today (Friday) could be dangerous, as an extreme heat warning is posted for Iowa’s southern half and western third. Forecasters say heat indices this afternoon may reach 110 to 115 degrees. Meteorologist Cory Martin, at the National Weather Service, says parts of Iowa escaped the heat Thursday with cloud cover and rain. “While it didn’t produce heavy rainfall that really cooled us down, what it did do is it left behind some cloud debris that helped keep the temperatures down a little bit,” Martin says. “But right now, for today, we’re looking at sunshine. It’s probably going to be a bit more likely, so we’re a bit more confident in the temperatures getting up a little higher today compared to yesterday.”

It’s a hot, steamy 81 miles from Tama-Toledo to Coralville on this next-to-last day of RAGBRAI, as thousands of bicycle riders near their final destination. Nick Pfeiffer is Coralville’s RAGBRAI publicity chairman and says the city has been working toward this day for months. “A lot of preparation. A lot of planning,” Pfeiffer says. “We’ve been talking about all of our plans since January, and knowing that this is the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI, we knew it was going to be large crowds and so we’re ready for it. We’re preparing for 50,000.”

Given the extreme heat, Pfeiffer says there will be multiple E-M-T teams available for riders. He notes, past experience with the week-long bike ride has helped. “This is the sixth time Coralville has hosted, plus, we’ve assisted with Iowa City and North Liberty hosting, as well,” he says, “and that absolutely helped a lot, because it’s a lot of the same people that are helping, so we’ve got a lot of experience.”

Coralville is the last overnight stop on this year’s ride, which concludes tomorrow in Davenport on the banks of the Mississippi River.

(Ames, Iowa) – Thousands of visitors flocked to Iowa this past week for RAGBRAI. This annual event shines a spotlight on bicycling as recreation, but there are also many Iowans who rely on bicycling to get to where they need to go every day.

The Iowa DOT says, regardless of the reason for bicycles being on the road, many people misunderstand the laws and rules as it relates to all of us sharing the road together. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition has put together a website (https://www.iowabicyclecoalition.org/iowa-bicycle-laws/) to help bicyclists understand Iowa law as it relates to two-wheeled transportation.

Here’s a little earworm from Queen – https://youtu.be/KwvWtZl2ICY

So far this year in Iowa, 202 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of eight since last Friday. In Iowa in 2022, there were 338 traffic-related deaths. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdfDOT

(Davenport, Iowa) – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a Long Beach, California man was sentenced July 21st (2023) to 12 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine resulting in the death of a victim. According to public court documents, 61-year-old Ray Bustamante conspired with Dr. John Robert Muriello and Eric Hojka, both of Iowa City, and others, to obtain and distribute methamphetamine. An investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service revealed that since early 2020, Bustamante mailed packages of methamphetamine to people he met online. In March 2021, a parcel, mailed by Bustamante, was intercepted by Postal Inspectors and found to contain approximately 137 grams of “ice” methamphetamine.

In a separate investigation in May 2021, first responders were dispatched to Hojka’s Iowa City apartment for a report of an unconscious victim, who was later pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed the victim ingested methamphetamine which caused his death. It was later determined that the methamphetamine ingested by the victim originated from Bustamante and was sent to Dr. John Robert Muriello and Eric Hojka in Iowa City for distribution.

After his prison term, Bustamante was ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Iowa City Police Department.