Senator Chuck Grassley says Americans with mild to moderate hearing loss should be able to buy reliable, over-the-counter hearing aids. Grassley was the lead Republican co-sponsor of a bill President Trump has signed that will establish federal standards for hearing aids sold in retail stores. “About 48 million American experience age-related hearing loss, yet only a small share of them have the benefit of hearing aids,” Grassley says. “That’s mostly because hearing aids are very, very expensive.”

Medicare and private insurance plans rarely cover the cost of hearing aids. The new law requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish safety standards for amplification devices. Grassley says it means consumers will be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription and without a medical exam. “Consumers are interested in new hearing aid products to improve their quality of life at an affordable price,” Grassley says. “The more products available, the more consumers will be able to find something they can afford.” Grassley says fewer than one in six Americans who NEED hearing aids buy them, because they’re too expensive.

“The measure will help fill a very pressing need,” he says. “Consumer Reports” recently surveyed its readers and found those who needed hearing aids put off buying them for a couple of years because of the cost. Those who did buy hearing aids spent an average of 27-hundred dollars on the devices. However, 16 percent of the magazine’s readers said they spent more than five-thousand dollars on prescription hearing aids. Grassley says with more competition from over-the-counter sales, hearing aid costs will hopefully go down.

(Radio Iowa)

LaSalle, Ill. (AP) — A quarter century since Iowa college student Tammy Zywicki was abducted in Illinois and found slain in Missouri, authorities again are asking for the public’s help in trying to finally solve the case.

Illinois State Police and the FBI issued the appeal Tuesday, a day before the 25th anniversary of 21-year-old Zywicki’s disappearance. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to any suspects.

Tammy Zywicki

Authorities say Zywicki was driving from her New Jersey home to Iowa’s Grinnell College for her senior year when she was last seen alive near her disabled 1985 Pontiac T1000 along Interstate 80 near LaSalle in central Illinois. Her stabbed body was found more than a week later wrapped in a blanket in southwestern Missouri east of Joplin.

ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) — The wife of an Iowa police officer killed during a 2013 standoff is calling for changes to local and state laws to ensure children can continue receiving health insurance after a parent dies. The Messenger reports that Amanda Buenting recently discovered that her husband Jamie Buenting’s insurance through the city will no longer cover her family.

Jamie Buenting died from a gunshot wound while serving as an officer with the Rockwell City Police Department. The Buentings have two children, ages 11 and 13. Mayor Phil Heinlen says Blue Cross/Blue Shield will provide coverage for the dependents of a city worker killed on duty for three years.

Amanda Buenting says she plans to take the issue to the state to get coverage until her children are age 26.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), released a report on numerous, recent arrests. The report said 21-year old Austin Kyler Albert Van Aernam, of Atlantic, was arrested Aug. 15th on Interstate 80, for Interference with official acts. His arrest followed a traffic stop for speeding 108 miles per hour on a “Crotch rocket.” Deputy Josh McLaren initiated the traffic stop near mile marker 70 of I-80 eastbound at around 11:50-p.m.  After McLaren spoke with Van Aernam, the deputy walked back to his cruiser to run a records check, the motorcycle sped-off. It was located a short time later at Highway 25 and 180th Street, north of Greenfield. Van Aernam was later released on a $300 bond.

Officials say 25-year old Marcus Anthony Terrell, of Albia, was arrested Aug. 16th in Greenfield, for Violation of a No Contact Order issued out of Guthrie County. The incident allegedly took place numerous times while Terrell continues to be held at the Adair County Jail on previous charges. The call log at the jail shows several calls being made to a person in Fontanelle, or via third party contact. Terrell remains held in the Adair County Jail without bond.

Authorities report also, 20-year old Fernando Ramon Vargas, of Omaha, was arrested Aug. 14th in Adair County, by the Iowa State Patrol. Vargas was held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 bond on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was released the following day.

A man from Adair was arrested Aug. 13th by deputies in Adair. Authorities say 45-year old Donald Glenwood Imhoff was arrested following a traffic stop. He was charged with Driving While Barred and brought to the Adair County Jail, where he was later released on a $2,000 bond.

A man from Exira was arrested Aug. 14th at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, on an Adair County warrant for Probation Violation. 27-year old Joseph Dean White was released from custody Aug. 17th on a $1,000 cash bond or surety.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports also, Greenfield Police arrested 23-year old Kaitlin Sue Findley, of St. Charles, Aug. 15th, for allegedly Violating a temporary restraining order by being found in the same vehicle the protected party was in. She was later released on a $300 bond. 57-year old Edward Charles Carl, of Greenfield, was arrested Aug. 15th, for Assault with injury, following an alleged incident of assault involving his wife. Carl was later released on a $1,000 bond.

On Aug. 18th, 46-year old Andre Lamont Sewell, of Stuart (formerly of Creston), was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Harassment in the 1st degree. He was later released on a $2,000 bond or surety.

A central Iowa man has been arrested in connection with two west central Iowa bank robberies. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports 38-year old Shawn Michael Antisdel, of West Des Moines, was arrested Monday by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office following a bank robbery in Redfield.

Shawn Antisdel

Antisdel was also a suspect in July 21st robbery of the Casey bank. Following his arrest, Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office officials met with Antisdel and secured a confession from him with regards to his involvement with the Casey bank robbery.  Antisdel will be charged in the coming days and more information will follow.

The Creston Community School District is pleased to announce that it has received a $30,000 Constructing or Remodeling a Building grant from the Dekko Foundation and a $15,000 grant from the South Central Iowa Community Foundation. Grant funds will help support the upgrade of the Creston Community High School auditorium. Aspects of the upgrade project include new energy-efficient LED stage lights, a new sound system and microphones, new stage curtains, LCD projector and motorized screen, and full-length practice mirrors.

An upgraded auditorium will not only benefit the students and school district, but also the community. In addition to the numerous high school events and activities, the Creston Community High school auditorium has held dance recitals, community theatre productions, holiday concerts, education conferences, political events, and much more.

Laura Granger, speech and drama director at CCHS, has spearheaded this auditorium upgrade project, but she hasn’t done it alone. With the grant-writing help of parent Pam Hoffman and the mentoring of longtime-arts advocate Jan Knock, this project has started to come to fruition. And thanks to the CCHS class of 2016 for donating the money toward a new light board and the generous people of the Dekko Foundation and the South Central Iowa Community Foundation, the goal of updating the auditorium is within sights.

Auditorium upgrades are an expensive project and CCSD still needs to procure at least $58,000 to complete the almost $142,000 project.

The school administration recognizes the need for this project, but due to the overwhelming costs, the auditorium upgrade project has stayed at the bottom of the “To-Do List”, until now. One way community members can help is by attending the Drive 4 UR School event on Saturday, Sept. 16. It will start at 11:30 a.m. or immediately following the Balloon Days parade at Creston Automotive on 401 W. Adams St. If you would like more information or if you or your company would like to donate money toward the auditorium project, please contact Laura Granger by email at lgranger@crestonschools.org.

A three vehicle accident in Mills County early Tuesday morning left two people injured according to the Iowa State Patrol.

At 5:44am this morning a 2006 International Semi driven by 26-year-old Richard Dady of Bellevue, NE was traveling east on Highway 34 near the 25 mile-marker while a 1996 Chevy C1500 driven by 66-year-old Dennis Swain of Red Oak was was traveling west. For unknown reasons Swain crossed the center-line and struck Dady’s oncoming semi. That collision caused the semi to cross over to the west bound lanes and struck a 2014 Ford Expedition driven by 36-year-old Adriane Aufdenberg of Red Oak.  The Semi and Ford both came to rest in the north ditch. The Chevy came to rest on the east shoulder of the highway.

Both Swain and Dady were transported the University of Nebraska Medical Center with unknown injuries by Red Oak EMS. Mills County Sheriff’s Deputies and Red Oak Police assisted at the scene.