(Radio Iowa) – A new exhibit is opening soon at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum which highlights the creative ways materials were used — and reused — decades ago. Melanie Wier (WIRE), assistant curator of the facility in West Branch, says the exhibit called “Thrift Style” demonstrates the ingenuity of past generations and offers a lesson for today’s efforts towards sustainability. “People would upcycle the flour sacks to make clothing,” Wier says. “They would make bags, dolls, quilts, just any household need that they had, they would use the fabric from the feed sacks to make things out of.”

The exhibit features more than 40 items made from feed, flour, and sugar sacks. Wier notes, they’re not just light brown canvas or cotton fiber, either. “The thing that’s interesting about the flour sacks from the World War Two era is that manufacturers would pattern the fabrics so that it was more fun and easier for people to make things out of,” Wier says. “They would also send out patterns and tutorials to help seamstresses and homemakers create these fabulous items.”

The exhibition provides a nostalgic view into American sensibility and optimism during a challenging time of economic hardship. Plus, Wier says the outfits were far from shabby. “They look amazing, especially some of the dresses,” Wier says. “The apparel that’s shown, very nice, very well made, and it’s a little different from some of the items we have in our collection that are World War One era but don’t have that same printing on the fabric.”

The exhibit offers visitors a unique connection to Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover, as they led massive food relief efforts in Belgium and France during World War One, feeding more than nine-million people per day. “People learned how to do more with less, and it just kind of instilled in them that importance of recycling or upcycling and just using what they had,” Wier says. “It shows that it was just as important to reuse or use what you had as recycling is today.”

The exhibit opens October 21st and will run through the end of April, 2024. The library and museum is open daily.

(On the web at https://hoover.archives.gov)

Des Moines, Iowa – Open enrollment for Iowans purchasing or changing their Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual health coverage for 2024 runs Monday, November 1, 2023 – Saturday, January 15, 2024. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen says “Iowans need to be thinking about health insurance coverage for 2024 now.  Many employers are also offering choices, but for Iowans looking to purchase their own coverage through the individual market, the time to enroll is coming very soon.”

Iowans can begin previewing sample premium amounts for individual ACA-compliant health insurance plans at https://data.iowa.gov/Health-Insurance/Sample-2024-Iowa-Individual-Affordable-Care-Act-Pr/v8ct-c8un/ for each of Iowa’s seven rating areas.  These premium amounts will become official once posted to healthcare.gov during open enrollment beginning November 1, 2023. Ommen says “As the ACA’s open enrollment season begins, Iowans considering individual plans should talk with a licensed insurance agent to thoroughly research all coverage options to determine the best plan for themselves and their families.”

The sample premiums available for window-shopping are NOT a substitute for healthcare.gov, but now is the time to be thinking about the choices.  “It is important to realize that the sample premiums do not account for the premium assistance tax credits available for many households,” Ommen added.  “The sample premiums available for review are based on geographical rating areas and also may not be available in the county in which you reside, but are a way to begin to understand the offerings.”

Iowans who wish to purchase ACA-compliant coverage must complete enrollment between November 1 – December 15, 2023, for coverage to begin January 1, 2024.  For those enrolling between December 16, 2023 – January 15, 2024, coverage will begin February 1, 2024.  During open enrollment, Iowans may call 1-800-318-2596 or visit healthcare.gov for information regarding enrollment and to calculate applicable tax credits.

Local insurance agents, assisters and Iowa’s navigator are available to help Iowans review which insurance plan may best fit their needs.  Iowans can find local help by visiting https://localhelp.HealthCare.gov/.

Important information about individual coverage for 2024

Medica, Oscar, and Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa will be offering ACA-compliant individual health insurance plans to Iowans for plan year 2024.  Medica and Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa will serve Iowans in all 99 counties while Oscar will serve Iowans in 75 counties[1].
If you currently have coverage through the exchange and do not choose a plan for 2024 by the end of open enrollment, you will be re-enrolled into the same or similar plan.
If you are considering changing insurance carriers, double-check to ensure your preferred healthcare provider(s) are in-network and your prescription drugs will continue to be covered.
Changes in federal and state regulation have opened other options for Iowans to find health coverage through a health benefit plan sponsored by a non-profit agricultural organization or through short-term limited duration plans.

[1] Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clarke, Clayton, Clinton, Dallas, Decatur, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jones, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lucas, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Mitchell, Monona, Monroe, Montgomery, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Sac, Scott, Shelby, Sioux, Tama, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Wayne, Winnebago, Woodbury, Worth, Wright

CRESTON, Iowa – Oct. 12, 2023 – (In an update to our earlier report) As part of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s continuing efforts to improve the work zone on Interstate 80 around Jordan Creek Parkway, the DOT says it will be closing I-80 overnights between Jordan Creek Parkway and Grand Prairie Parkway.

contractors have planned two nights of overnight road closures. On the first night of work, westbound I-80 will close at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, and re-open by 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 16. On the second night, eastbound I-80 will be closed from 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16 to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

The closures will allow the contractor to place asphalt on the pavement over the rumble strips. This smoother pavement will address several issues in the work zone including difficulty seeing lanes as well as making the road easier to drive on and less noisy.

While the roadway is closed for construction work you will follow a marked detour route using Jordan Creek Parkway, University Avenue, and Grand Prairie Parkway.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A Page County man was arrested late Thursday morning in Montgomery County. Red Police report 51-year-old Kelly Dean Baker, of College Springs, was arrested in the 1500 block of North Broadway in Red Oak, for Disorderly Conduct. Baker was taken into custody at around 11-a.m.,  and transported to the Montgomery County Jail where he was being held on a $300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The “election lab” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranks Iowa in the top three states for the way elections are administered and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says poll workers who check in voters at precincts and who count absentee ballots in the county auditor’s office are a big reason.

“They are our unsung heroes. These the the folks that are a big part of what helps us administer elections, to give you the transparency, so folks know that our elections are run on the up and up,” Pate says. “We couldn’t do it without them.” It takes over 10-thousand poll workers to run a statewide election.

“They’re coming from all walks of life,” Pate says. “You’ve got retired folks. You’ve got retired folks. You’ve got teachers and construction workers and farmers — and they’re the ones that get it done.” Poll workers are required to attend training sessions about voting rules before each election. They are paid, at a rate that’s decided on a county by county basis.

“Quite frankly, it’s a stipend, but it is some compensation,” Pate says. “They really are so key to making sure we have the integrity of our elections.” There were PRIMARY elections in six Iowa cities this week and Pate has ordered audits in random precincts — a routine check. He says county auditors are also testing voting machines this month to get ready for the city and school board elections on November 7th.