(Radio Iowa) – State Ag Secretary Mike Naig says he is hearing good things as the harvest is almost done. “They’re telling me that they are thrilled with the yields and the grain quality given what they thought could be the case with the drought that we had across the state,” Naig says. “We really had historic levels of drought this year and folks are seeing yields that are much better than we had expected as we were coming through the summer months.” He says farmers are also thankful for replenishing fall rains. “We got rain late in the season — and even as we got into fall we started to get some rain — which is a double-edged sword — we desperately needed the moisture and if you were still working on the harvest, of course, that delays things some. But we’ve seen a dramatic improvement,” according to Naig.

He says there will be less worrying about soil moisture heading into the spring. “We’ve still got some areas that have rain deficits of six plus inches — but we’ve had exactly the kind of fall we needed — good moisture coming, it’s soaking in, the ground is not frozen, it’s absorbing into the soil profile and that’s good news,” he says. Naig says supply chain issues were a concern during the harvest — and they are not over yet. “Logistics continues to be a great challenge in ag — and certainly, that’s getting input to the farm and then also getting grain off the farm,” Naig says. “Farmers have a mix of things, many will have, most will have some ability to haul their own grain, but they do rely on coops and trucking companies and ag retail to help them out as well. Finding drivers we know has been a challenge for folks this year.”

Naig says there’s a lot of good to reflect on over the Thanksgiving holiday. “It’s a time to be thankful. We’ve had a very good year all things considered from a weather standpoint, and the markets are strong. But with that has come an increase in input costs. So when you look at the ’22 growing season farmers are looking at the price of fertilizer, the price of the crop protection things they need, feed and equipment — all of those things are on the rise. And of course with the issues around logistics — can you get the things that you need?”

The soybean harvest is completed and the corn harvest has less than five percent of the crop still in the fields.

(Radio Iowa) – With its first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, Iowa is always a focal point for politics and some campaigns are already launching fundraising efforts — but who can you trust when a caller asks for money? Consumer protection specialist Lara Sutherlin says you should treat unsolicited messages to donate to a political campaign the same way you treat spam or possible scams. Sutherlin says, “Pop-up emails, pop-up social posts, pop-up texts, all of those things could have nefarious links in them, could lead you into a space where they’re trying to actually steal your information, steal your money.”

Earlier this year, she says some political action committees — or PACs — were caught signing people up for high monthly donations without giving them the proper notice. “There was a recent report in the New York Times about elderly individuals spending an inordinate amount of money on PACs,” she says. Sutherlin says some political action committees have been masquerading as charities or representing themselves as donating money to candidates when they really aren’t. “Sometimes you can’t tell who you you’re talking to, right?” Sutherlin says. “Sometimes you think it’s a charity and it’s actually a PAC and there’s very, very little money going to the actual cause that they’re calling you about and it’s really hard to figure it out.”

Much like donations to charities, Sutherlin says you should investigate the groups you’re considering sending money, and find out how much of that money actually goes toward a candidate or a cause before making a donation.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa DCI said Wednesday, that a former Pleasantville police officer charged with having sexual contact with a 15-year-old now faces more charges as part of the investigation. Authorities say 24-year-old  Alec Veatch,  was originally charged in Warren County with one count each of third-degree sexual abuse, lascivious acts with a minor and enticing a minor. Court documents show the former Pleasantville officer brought a 15-year-old to his Norwalk home and gave them alcohol. He then undressed the teen, touched them inappropriately and cut their thigh.

Criminal complaints show on the evening of Nov. 11, Veatch had a 15-year-old in his patrol car as a ride-along. Veatch concocted and fabricated a story to see the teen after his late shift, court documents note. He then contacted the teen’s mother under false pretense and told her he needed to pick up the teen to complete a witness statement during the ride-along. According to court documents, he then picked up the minor early the next morning and brought them to the police station in Pleasantville.

According to court documents, “While at the Police station, Veatch and the minor had inappropriate contact. The contact was sexual in nature. Veatch was observed on video from inside the Police Department kissing the minor and fondling the minor’s buttocks, over the minor’s clothing, in a sexual manner. Additionally, Veatch was seen on video placing the teen in a ‘sleeper hold’ causing the minor to momentarily pass out.”

The document said also, “Veatch was interviewed by the Iowa DCI and admitted that he was in a romantic relationship with the minor and had lied to the minor’s mother in order to see the minor again. Additionally during this interview Veatch admitted to touching the minor’s buttocks, for sexual purposes.”

DCI officials said he was taken to the Mahaska County Jail without incident Tuesday. The investigation continues.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa DCI Special Agent in Charge Adam DeCamp said Wednesday, at the request of Appanoose County Sheriff Gary Anderson and Centerville Police Chief Tom Demry, the Division of Criminal Investigation conducted an investigation into the November 21, 2021, officer-involved shooting in rural Appanoose County. All investigative findings will be forwarded to the Appanoose County Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Iowa Attorney General for review and determination.

Law enforcement officers involved in the shooting were identified as Centerville Police Officers Jacob Downs and Greffe Holmes, along with Appanoose County Sheriff’s Deputy Allen Buckallew. Officer Downs has been with the Centerville Police Department for 4 year. Officer Holmes has been with the Centerville Police Department for a month. Deputy Buckallew has been with the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office for 2 years. He spent the previous 19 years with the Centerville Police Departments.

Deputy Buckalew

Officer Downs

Officer Holmes

Centerville police officers had been dispatched to a domestic assault in the 21000 block of 560th Street outside Centerville at about 3:43 Sunday (Nov. 21st). “While investigating the incident, two Centerville officers and an Appanoose County sheriff’s deputy were engaged in an officer-involved shooting that resulted in one person killed. The law enforcement officers were not injured,” DPS officials said through a news release.

According to authorities, 45-year-old Kevin Arbogast was shot and killed. What led to the officers firing is still unclear. The officers involved were placed on critical incident leave, as is standard practice.