(Radio Iowa) – Two Catholic Universities in eastern Iowa have announced plans for what they call a “Strategic Combination” starting this fall. Mount Mercy University president Todd Olson says the agreement will allow students to take courses in Cedar Rapids, or at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. He says the immediate impact is more course offerings, and possible future merger. “This is work we’ll continue to engage in with our faculty our staff and other stakeholders in the months ahead considering options and models that might help us to become a stronger institution together,” he says. Olson says each school is keeping their own sports teams and activity departments.

St. Ambrose president Amy Novak, says working together can help both schools improve. “One of the benefits as we look at this collaboration is just the potential for cost savings and efficiencies that can be gained through economies of scale,” Novak says. “So we’re certainly exploring those possibilities as part of our due diligence that we’re engaging in with our staff and faculty over the next several months.” Novak says exploring cost savings will include looking at the number of employees and what they need.

“What we also realize is that we’ve struggled in some cases in hiring and departments where perhaps we simply don’t have the resources or the demand for a particular faculty member is so high that it’s often hard to get and recruit them to our institutions,” she says. “And so being able to have a single faculty member that may have expertise in something that can be shared across the two institutions, we think will be very beneficial.” Olson says they expect both schools will continue to have a presence in their communities.

“As we pursue this work and in any future potential combination we’re committed to maintaining vibrant residential undergraduate campuses both at Mount Mercy in Cedar Rapids and in St. Ambrose in Davenport,” Olson says. St. Ambrose University was founded in 1882, beginning as a seminary and business school for men. Mount Mercy was established as Mount Mercy Junior College in 1928.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A report of a man punching vehicles and trying to gain entry into them, was received Monday evening, in Red Oak. Officers responded to the 300 block of Coolbaugh Street, and upon arrival arrested 31-year-old Matthew Russell Archer, of Red Oak, on numerous charges. During an investigation, it was determined Archer approached several victims and threatened them and tried to take their cars. The victims were able to get away and call 911. When the last victim would not give Archer their keys, he allegedly began punching her vehicle and walked away.

Matthew Archer faces charges that include: 3 counts of Assault while participating in a Felony (A Class-D Felony); two counts of Robbery in the 2nd Degree (A Class C Felony), and one count of Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree (A Serious Misdemeanor).

Archer was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Palmer Candy has issued a recall on “White Coated Confectionary Items” due to a Salmonella risk.

According to Palmer Candy, potentially affected items can cause a variety of health risks such as diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, as well as infections in the arteries among other infections, in individuals who eat them, and can even lead to death in more susceptible individuals.

The recalled items were distributed internationally and were available for purchase at Walmart, Hy-Vee, Target, and Dollar General stores in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The product was distributed in different packaging such as bags, pouches, and tubs.

Palmer Candy was notified about the potential risk by the supplier of the liquid coating used for the white-coated confections. Production of this product has been suspended while the FDA and the company investigate.

If you bought a product affected by the recall, it is recommended you contact the Palmer Candy Company at 1-800-831-0828 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

A full list of affected products is available below.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU) — Hy-Vee Inc. has announced that a recent supplier recall may have affected some of its products, so the company is issuing a voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution.

According to a release, Hy-Vee is recalling two varieties of its Hy-Vee Cream Cheese Spread and its bulk-packaged Cookies & Cream Mix. These products have been flagged for possible contamination of salmonella, though no illnesses have been reported.

Look at the following information to determine if you’ve purchased one of these products:

The release states that these products are manufactured at different third-party facilities around the Midwest which are then sold under Hy-Vee’s private label. The decision to recall these products was made after the manufacturers notified Hy-Vee of the potential issue.

Affected products were distributed to businesses across the company’s eight-state region including Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Additionally, these products were removed from store shelves. Customers who purchased these products should dispose of them or return them to their local Hy-Vee store for a full refund.

Questions regarding this matter can be directed to Hy-Vee Customer Care Representatives at 800-772-4098.

(Radio Iowa) – The Republicans challenging Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the June’s G-O-P Primary says the Republican-led congress is failing the country. David Pautsch of Davenport says Americans are enraged and ticked off by what’s happening in the U-S House. “Half of the Republican contingency and more are a bunch of RINOs,” he said. “You can’t get anything done with them.”

During a speech at the Iowa G-O-P’s state convention, Pautsch did not directly accuse Miller-Meeks of being a “Republican In Name Only” but he criticized a couple of the bills she’s supported. “I understand that we want to keep the Republican majority in congress, but there’s coming a time when you’re just going to have to decide that the majority is less important than the message,” Pautsch said, “that principle is more important than power.” Pautsch called on Republicans in congress to do something to reverse President Biden’s immigration policies.

“Use the power of the purse to back Biden into a corner and say: ‘You’re not going to get away with this. You are not going to continue violating your constitutional oath. He needed to be arrested!” Pautsch said, to cheers from Iowa GOP convention delegates. Miller-Meeks spoke to delegates seconds later. “Iowa district one is the only district on a generic ballot that would vote for a Democrat over a Republican,” Miller-Meeks said. “But in a head-to-head, name-to-name poll, I beat my Democratic opponent by 10 points.”

Miller-Meeks is seeking reelection to a third term in the U-S House. She ran three unsuccessful races for congress before winning in 2020 by just six votes. “I spent over a decade of my treasure, my talent and my time to flip this district,” Miller said, “and if you think I’m going to let it go back into Democratic hands you must believe…Biden when he says he’s not going to raise taxes.”

On Friday, Governor Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird endorsed Miller-Meeks. The speaker of the U-S House was in Iowa last month to headline a Miller-Meeks fundraiser.