Officials with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association have announced the winner of the 2019 “Iowa’s Best Burger” contest: The Wood Iron Grille, in Oskaloosa. Michael Glesener and Matthew Gunn, owners of the Wood Iron Grill opened their new restaurant last Fall, with the goal of making it into the Top 10 in Iowa’s Best Burger Contest. This spring, they did that and more, not only reaching the Top 10, but ultimately winning the competition.

One of the award-winning burgers from the Wood Iron Grille.

Inspired to enter the competition by a past winner, the ICA says Wood Iron Grille staff have been working hard to make their restaurant great since it opened. After studying pastry arts in Chicago, Glesener, the head chef, temporarily worked in banking while his business partner, Gunn, worked in various restaurant roles along with turf and greenhouse management. Luckily, they joined forces to make the Wood Iron Grille what it is now.

The menu contains three exemplary versions of the 6 oz, hand-pattied burger. The Wood Iron Original Burger features applewood smoked bacon, a sweet and tangy onion jalapeno jam and smoked cheddar cheese. The Cajun Black and Blue Burger is topped with applewood smoked blue cheese and Cajun seasoning. The ‘Merica Burger is a classic with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. All the burgers consist of a mixture of ground chuck and beef short ribs. The Wood Iron Grille also features beef in the form of Poutine, a combination of slow-braised beef, served over fries, with local Frisian Farms Gouda Cheese Curds; a classic 12-oz ribeye, which is hand cut by the chef and sourced from Upper Iowa Beef and a Philly Beef flatbread.

This is the 10th year for the annual Best Burger contest sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council, through the Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program, and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The Wood Iron Grille joins a great group of past best burger winners from around the state. Along with last year’s winner, Café Beaudelaire of Ames, previous winners include: 2017- The Smokin’ Hereford BBQ of Storm Lake; 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant in Adair; 2015 – The Cider House of Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill in Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck in Dexter; and 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company of Sac City.

The designation as Iowa’s Best Burger comes after a two-phase competition. The first phase is all based on votes from the public. For a month, burger lovers went online and voted for their favorite Iowa burger, submitting nearly 6,000 votes representing around 500 restaurants. At the end of the month, the ten restaurants with the most votes are declared the “Top 10.” From there, three anonymous judges visit each of the restaurants, focusing on the burger patties and scoring them based on taste, doneness and presentation.

If you’ve ever wondered how the pioneers made their own rope or dipped their own candles, or thought about trying your hand at spinning wool, you should come to the Hitchcock Pioneer Skills Festival. The Festival will be held on Saturday, May 4th at the Hitchcock House, which is located 6 miles south of Atlantic and 1.5 miles west of Lewis, IA. The festivities will begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. You will have an opportunity to visit the historic Hitchcock House and see many of the skills and crafts that people of the late 1800’s used in daily living.

You could begin your visit with a tour of the Hitchcock House that is also a National Historic Landmark. This two-story home was built in 1856. It features thick sandstone walls, window seats, native hard wood trim and a secret room that hid runaway slaves. The secret room is located in the basement where there is also a stone fireplace where the slaves could cook food and keep warm. It is said that the famous John Brown preached around this fireplace.

Head to the barn, where the hub of the festival activities will take place. Once you make it to the barn you will be able to observe the skills and crafts of the past and even try your hand at a few of them. There will be rope making, candle dipping, tin punching, and woodcarvings. The festival will be held rain or shine. Families are encouraged to come and share the day together as they might have in the 1800’s. There is a $5 fee/adult for a tour of the Hitchcock House. All activities in the barn are free of charge; donations to the Hitchcock House will be accepted.

PARKER, S.D. (AP) — General Motors is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a South Dakota man who claims the automaker has misled consumers about its electric car model. Jason Haas says he bought a Chevy Bolt in November 2017 from a dealer in Iowa City, Iowa. The car’s literature said the electric Bolt has a range of 238 miles. Haas says the range is 100 miles less in cold weather. He filed his lawsuit in state court in Turner County. GM has filed a motion to move the case to federal court.

The Argus Leader reports the automaker says in its dismissal motion that Bolt literature discloses the vehicle’s actual range may vary based on several factors, including temperature.
Haas’ lawsuit is seeking class-action status to represent consumers who bought Bolts in the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota and Montana.

(Radio Iowa) — There’s a new feature that will help those using the state’s busiest website complete transactions faster. Iowa Judicial System spokesman, Steve Davis, says there’s now a shopping cart feature on the pay site for Iowa Courts Online that allows you to bundle court fees. “You can pay multiple fines at one time instead of jumping back and forth between sites and having to do them one at a time,” Davis says. He says you still start by searching for any fines you owe at Iowa Courts Online site. “And then you can click on the individual case numbers and dig a little deeper and find the financials, and you can just then go through and find one case and say you’ll pay that and add it to your shopping cart. And then go back to the list of cases if there is more and find another case and pay for that,”Davis explains.

Davis says the site allows for payments from all 99 counties — which makes it a heavily used site. “Iowa Courts Online is the most frequently visited website in state government,” according to Davis. Every year we have more than 538-million page views.” Davis says there is still the option to pay the old fashioned way. “Some people still go into the courthouse and pay their fines and restitution — but most people do it online — and that’s one of the reasons why the shopping cart was added, for more convenience for those people who do pay it online,” Davis says.

Davis says the shopping cart is similar to what is used on most other online sites.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report three prisoners at out of State jails were transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail, Tuesday, to answer to local charges. 37-year old Mandy L. Jahnke, of Council Bluffs, was picked-up from the Douglas County, NE., jail on a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation. 28-year old Darnell Morgan Ballard, of Omaha, was also transported from Douglas County to the Pott. County Jail for a Pott. County warrant charging him with Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree – causing property damage/vandalism ranging from $500-to $1,000. His bond was set at $2,000.

29-year old Austin Reid Stites, of Camanche, was transported from the Rock Island, IL, jail to the Pott. County Jail, Tuesday, for a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation. And, 27-year old Anthony Michael Scott, of Blair, NE., who was being held in the Pott. County Jail, was presented with a warrant out of Douglas County, NE., Tuesday, for being a Fugitive from Justice. He remains held in the Pott. County Jail on $10,000 bond on a felony Theft in the 1st Degree – possession of stolen property, charge. He was also being held for Douglas County authorities.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Nebraska man was arrested Tuesday night on weapon and Theft charges, following a report of an armed subject at the Riverside High School. Dispatch had advised that a black male came to the car door of the person reporting the incident, and told him he was taking his vehicle. The suspect was last seen walking up toward the school and had a gun in the center of his waistband. The subject also allegedly tried to steal another car, and was seen walking in front of the school, and subsequently in the smaller parking lot. It was noted that he never actually pulled the gun out, but showed the butt of the weapon. Upon arrival, deputies located 18-year old Puom Gatluak Gach, of Bellevue, NE., in a stolen vehicle. Gach was taken into custody without incident and brought to the Pott. County Jail, where he was charged with Robbery in the 1st Degree – Armed with a dangerous weapon, and Theft in the 2nd Degree – Motor vehicle theft under $10,000. He was being held on $25,000 bond for the Robbery charge, and $5,000 bond for the Theft charge.