(Radio Iowa) – A Cedar Rapids theater company is no longer in danger of closing after the community rallied to bring in last-minute donations. The Mirrorbox Theatre was launched in 2018 and exclusively puts on new and contemporary plays. Mirrorbox founder Cavan Hallman says they were in the midst of an ongoing 30-thousand dollar fundraising campaign.

“Last week, we did, however, receive a notice that we had three days to pay back rent,” Hallman says, “otherwise, we would be forced to vacate the property and terminate the lease.” The theater launched an emergency campaign and has raised enough to continue productions through the end of the year. “The financial struggle wasn’t new, but the urgency was new,” he says, “and that’s what led to the public part of the campaign.”

Hallman says the overall fundraising goal is -not- yet met and the theater will need to reevaluate its operations in order to move forward.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa currently owns just over half of a shopping mall in downtown Iowa City and the Iowa Board of Regents has approved a plan to buy the rest of the Old Capitol Town Center — for 20-point-six MILLION dollars. David Keift is the University of Iowa’s senior director of business and real estate. “This is less about either the short or long term need for the first floor commercial space in the building,” Keift says, “but more about the university acquiring control of a significant footprint in the heart of our campus.”

The mall was built in 1980 as part of an Urban Renewal District that also created the pedestrian mall in downtown Iowa City. “The mall, which covers nearly two city blocks in the heart of the University of Iowa campus, is nearly 375,000 square feet of space,” Keift says. In the late 1990s, the mall’s major tenants started relocating a new mall in Coralville and, in 2003, Keift says a group of local investors rescued the mall from bankruptcy. The University of Iowa struck a deal to purchase 45 percent of the property in 2006.

“The building became a monumental importance to the university during the 2008 flood as it was quickly reconfigured to host our School of Music for numerous years,” he says, “and our Memorial Union operations and bookstore.” Keift says. Under the deal, the university will use reserve funds to make an initial payment of 206-thousand dollars, then take out a commercial loan to pay the rest. Keift says the university will use rental income from current tenants in the building to cover those loan payments.

“The university views the purchase price, which was based on a recent appraisal, as a favorable value to the institution. It comes out to be about $123 per square foot for all the leased space and common areas in the building,” Keift says. “You couldn’t come close to duplicating that cost per square foot to rebuild this size of a building.” Keift admits the university doesn’t need the space right now, but he says the reason to buy now is to ensure 45 percent of the building isn’t acquired by other investors who may not be interested in upkeep of the property.

“It’s imperative that this building and this center remain an important and vibrant part of the university and community,” Keift says.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Shelby County today (Thursday), released a report on arrests that occurred during the month of October. In order from the latest to the earliest:

On Oct.31st: 54-year-old Brent Allan Sorensen, of Harlan, was arrested for Interference with Official Acts, Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Facility, and two counts of Trespass 1st offense.

33-year-old Tremayne Donta Cherry, of Harlan, was arrested Oct. 28th, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Prohibited Acts.

35-year-old Bret Jay Crippen, of Harlan, was arrested Oct. 18th in Shelby County, for Domestic Abuse Assault- 2nd offense, and Possession of Controlled Substance.

There were two arrests Oct. 17th in Shelby County: 18-year-old Miranda Kay Lynn Jennings, and 20-year-old Coda Renee Mahan, both of Elk Horn, were arrested Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On Oct. 11th, Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 27-year-old Abimail Perez-Gomez, of Iowa Falls. Perez-Gomez was arrested after a traffic stop on Highway 59. She was charged with Driving While License Revoked, OWI- 2nd Offense, Failure to Maintain Control, Open Container, and no Insurance.

On the 10th of October, 39-year-old Catherine Renee Johnson, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault.

34-year-old Cody Emmett Lister, of Harlan, was arrested Oct. 9th on an active Shelby County Warrant.

Two people were arrested on separate charges Oct. 7th in Shelby County: 39-year-old Daniel Gamsesun Casteel, of Harlan, was arrested for Public Intoxication; and, 52-year-old Silvia Jeane Barillas Castillo, of Council Bluffs, was arrested after a traffic stop on Highway 59 in Shelby County. Barillas Castillo was charged with OWI- 1st offense, Speeding, and improper Use of Lane.

There were three arrests on Oct. 3rd in Shelby County:

20-year-old Emma Jo Rossell, of Harlan, was arrested after a traffic stop on 7th and Durant. Rossell was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Violation of No Contact Order, Driving while License Suspended, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a controlled substance, and Prohibited Acts; 23-year-old Levi John Klenda, of Harlan, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order; and, 40-year-old Kirby David Stoneking, of Harlan, was attested for Domestic Abuse Assault 2nd Offense.

And, on Oct. 1st, Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 33-year-old Michael John Tremayne, of Harlan, for Theft in the 1st degree.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors held a Special Session this (Thursday) afternoon, Nov. 7th, to consider a request for an Administrative Recount of Precinct 5GF, following Tuesday’s General Election. The request was presented by Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg, who offered the following explanation for the administrative recount…

Board Chair Jerry Walker read a Resolution to authorizing the recount.

A motion was then made by Supervisors Jodie Hoadley and seconded by Matt Wedemeyer. The resolution was approved. The recount will be held on Friday at 1-p.m. Auditor Mandy Berg explained what happens next.

The brief, Special Session was then adjourned.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – As a reminder, Atlantic Rising, in partnership with Hy-Vee, will continue to lead the Christmas Box Program this holiday season. The program was originally started by West Central Community Action over 20 years ago. The Jaycees took over the program soon after it started and then passed the program to Atlantic Rising in 2018. According to Kelsey Beschorner, Atlantic Rising Treasurer/Secretary, the program helps families and individuals in need of a Christmas dinner. “Atlantic Rising members, along with community volunteers, delivered boxes to 180 individuals and families last year. With today’s continued challenges, we expect to see a continued increase in nominations this year,” Beschorner said. 

Atlantic Rising hosted the 7th Annual Trivia Night this past St. Patrick’s Day. The event featured eight teams that went head-to-head competing in eight rounds of trivia that contained ten questions each. Categories ranged from math to movies to Disney and everything in between. There is a prize awarded to the winning team. Teams were also encouraged to create team themes to add to the fun of the evening. “Trivia Night…” Kelsey says “… is the organization’s main fundraising event for Christmas Boxes, and year after year participants enjoy a fun night while raising money for an impactful project. With the projected numbers of families served, we will also be reaching out to businesses and community members asking for donations and volunteers to help serve as many families as possible. Any time our community needs us, we are there to put in the work.”

On December 12th, members of Atlantic Rising and local volunteers will fill and deliver boxes of food items to families and individuals who can then use them to cook Christmas dinner. Beschorner says “Atlantic Rising is proud to carry on this tradition of the Christmas Box program, and we are thankful that we are able to partner with Hy-Vee and give back to the community in such a great way.”

To nominate a family or individual, or if you are interested in volunteering, contact Atlantic Rising at 712.243.3017 or chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Discount AtlantiCash event has been rescheduled from this Saturday, November 9^th, to Small Business Saturday November 30^th. “Due to unforeseen shipping delays with our cash, we’ve rescheduled the event to pair with Small Business Saturday. It will be a great morning to come out, get discount AtlantiCash, and then shop small,” Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce stated.

From 9 AM – 12 PM Saturday, November 30^th only, AtlantiCash will be available in packs of $100 for $80, a 20% discount. Shoppers can purchase up to three packs. Payment must be made at time of purchase in the form of cash or check only. There is a first-come, first-purchased basis with only a limited amount of AtlantiCash available. Purchase will not be allowed before Saturday and bundles cannot be reserved for later pickup. Discount AtlantiCash and the Holiday Open House are brought to you by First Whitney Bank & Trust, Cappel’s Ace Hardware, Rush CPA & Associates and Property Connection Real Estate.

Pick up your Christmas brochure from area retail businesses, ‘like’ the Chamber on Facebook or follow on Instagram to find dates and details to celebrate Christmas in Atlantic. You can find a complete list of activities and a printable version of the brochure at www.atlanticiowa.com.

Capture the Christmas magic with #MyAtlanticIA and post to the Atlantic Area Chamber’s Facebook page or Instagram (AtlanticIowaFan). Contact the Atlantic Area Chamber with any questions at chamber@atlanticiowa.com or call 712-243-3017. Christmas in Atlantic is presented by Gregg Young of Atlantic.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being warned about online criminals who are threatening to expose people’s alleged shady internet habits. Lisa Schiller, at the Better Business Bureau, says they’re tracking a type of “sextortion” blackmail scam where con artists will claim they have evidence of you watching porn. “They’ll say they gained access to all of the websites that you visited,” she says, “and then they threaten to send embarrassing images or videos to your contacts, your family, friends, coworkers, if, of course, payment is not made.”

Image from FBI.gov

Schiller says these scams can be effective because no one wants to talk about this, much less if they’ve fallen for it. She says the crooks want to spook people into sending money immediately. “Scammers will contact somebody, anybody, whether or not they visited a pornographic site or sent any explicit photos anywhere,” she says, “and they’ll claim that they hacked your computer, they activated your webcam and recorded you.”

Schiller says this tracks along with other scams like the I-R-S or warrant scams, where callers try to scare you into immediate action. If you get one of these calls, she says to simply hang up.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The number of deaths by suicide in Iowa decreased in 2023 for the first time, significantly, in almost 10 years, according to updated data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which also showed an increase in teen suicide rates. The data, as part of the Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal, also showed immunization rates, statistics around births and deaths in the state, rates of sexually transmitted infections and the top baby names for 2023. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says the portal is a centralized hub for public health data throughout the state. The majority of statistics monitored are Nationally Consistent Data Measures, which are set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and make it possible to compare data from state to state. The data visualizations are regularly updated with new figures as the department processes the information.

Below are some of the updates to the portal from fall 2024:

Immunization records

The percentage of the population who received a flu vaccination has declined since 2020 for Iowans under 65. However, 64% of Iowans over the age of 65 received a flu vaccine in the 2023-2024 flu season, up significantly from the 2021-2022 year when just 41% of that age group received a flu shot.

The Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal has updated data visualizations on flu immunization rates in the state and by county. (Graphic courtesy of Iowa Department of Health and Human Services)

Nearly 34% of all Iowans, regardless of age, received a flu vaccine in the 2023-2024 flu season. Less than 16% of Iowans received a COVID-19 vaccine in the 2023-2024 flu season, with the majority of immunized Iowans residing in urban areas like Polk or Johnson counties.

Vital records

Maternal and paternal ages have increased steadily since 2006, with the average age for Iowa mothers, or parent A, at 29, and fathers, or parent B, at 31 in 2023. Nearly 100 more males than females were born in Iowa in 2023. Live birth and death rates have remained stable over the past 20 years in Iowa.

The percent of premature births remained the same from 2022 to 2023, but has increased 1.6% since 2000. And overall, there were 36,505 babies born in Iowa in 2023, about 1,000 fewer babies than were born in 2019, according to the department.

Heart disease was the number one cause of death in Iowa, followed by cancer in 2023. Cancer as a cause of death has decreased slightly from 2013, while the rate of death from diseases of the heart has stayed around the same, at about 18 per 10,000 people.

Other leading causes of death for 2023, and over the past 20 years, include cerebrovascular diseases (including stroke), chronic lower respiratory diseases and unintentional injuries, including transportation accidents and natural disasters. The 2023 data also show men were reported dying from most of these causes at higher rates than women.

Death by suicide went down in Iowa in 2023, to fewer than 500, for the first time since 2018. The number peaked in 2022, with nearly 600 reported deaths by suicide in Iowa. The teenage suicide rate for the state, however, increased from 3.1% in 2022 to 5.2% in 2023. County specific data is also available on the state data portal, which shows teens die by suicide at higher rates in Polk County than the state as a whole.

Sexually transmitted infections: The fall data update also included 2023 cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis in the state. Chlamydia is the most common out of the three, though cases declined from 2022 by about 1,000. Gonorrhea cases have similarly declined, but cases of syphilis in the state have drastically increased from fewer than 300 cases in 2018 to nearly 950 cases in 2023.

This is not unique to Iowa, however, syphilis cases have been on the rise nationally, and according to NPR is linked to increased substance abuse, decreased condom use and a lack of testing, or access to testing, for sexually transmitted diseases.