(Radio Iowa)- The governor has proclaimed this (Friday) as the Day of Kindness in Iowa, as residents are encouraged to intentionally do something nice for someone, even if it’s a small act. Kara Matheson, a vice president at the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, says they launched this project a few years ago as a way to make a positive impact on the community and it’s grown into a statewide event. The chamber’s holding what it’s calling the Socks of Love campaign. “We call upon the community, businesses, schools, families, and everyone in between to come out to the West Des Moines Chamber and bring any amount of new socks that they would like to donate,” Matheson says, “and then we are going to pass them along to West Des Moines Human Services to be distributed from there.”

While most Iowans can’t make the drive to West Des Moines today to donate socks, they -can- hop online and make a donation of as little as ten dollars to have several pairs of socks delivered to the effort. Last year was the debut year for the socks campaign. “We were hoping for around 100 pairs of socks in our first year, and the community really showed up and we actually ended up with 865 pairs of socks,” Matheson says, “which was incredible.” Matheson is hoping people will take this day to heart and try to do something more than pay for the hot beverage of the person behind you in the drive-through lane.

Several members of the West Des Moines Chamber with the 2023 haul of socks

“The sole purpose of Day of Kindness is to encourage the public to do any simple act of kindness,” Matheson says. “You hear of those Pay It Forward lines at coffee, but any act, even writing a kind note, giving a nice compliment to a stranger, these little acts of kindness truly go a long ways.” She says studies show acts of kindness benefit not only the receiver, but also the giver.

(Creston, Iowa) – Creston Police report the arrest at around 9:30-p.m. Thursday, of 28-year-old Chelsey Mae Madison, of Creston. Madison was taken into custody at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center on a charge of Operating While Under the Influence1st offense.  She was taken to the Union County Jail and later posted a $1,000 cash or approved surety bond, before being released.

(Radio Iowa) – A new course is being offered at Iowa State University this semester which aims to teach students how to incorporate small habits into their lives that will bring them joy. Amie Zarling, an I-S-U professor of human development and family studies, is teaching the course she created called “The Science and Practice of Happiness.” “It’s so important because not only is there science and research to back all this up, that allows us to learn and know about the data that’s coming out about how to be happy,” Zarling says, “but then also it’s important to learn how to apply that to ourselves, because that can be one of the best ways to actually learn about the topic.”

Zarling says there are 85 students participating in the course’s inaugural semester from a variety of different majors across campus. “We started off by learning about and practicing gratitude, and learning about how to express gratitude in a way that works for each person individually,” Zarling says. “The students have really loved incorporating gratitude into their life and have reported that it’s working to increase their happiness.”

They’re also studying the importance of social connections and how much social interaction is needed every day. Zarling says she’s encouraging students to seek out wonder and awe, as well as self-compassion — treating ourselves with kindness. “We have also talked about being present and mindful in our daily lives, and we’ve practiced that in a few different ways,” Zarling says, “one of which is savoring positive experiences, really relishing those experiences, and squeezing them to their last drop and appreciating those positive emotions that we experience in our lives.”

Zarling says the course offers students a vital respite in an existence that’s often filled with negativity, politics, war and hatred. “We could all use a little positivity and happiness in our days, and so much of the world isn’t focused on that right now,” Zarling says. “I tell the students, that doesn’t mean that we completely stick our heads in the sand and ignore all the negativity. We can’t necessarily do that. However, we can add some positivity and happiness to our life with these small habits.”

Zarling says a lot of jobs and careers are stressful, so learning how to manage that stress and be resilient can truly help people. She plans to offer the course again in the fall.

(Red Oak, Iowa) –  A woman from Red Oak was arrested Thursday afternoon on a Montgomery County warrant. Red Oak Police say 44-year-old Peggy Sue Gurney was arrested at around 3:15-p.m. on the warrant for Compulsory Education Violation/1st offense. She was taken into custody in the 100 block of W. Coolbaugh Street, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.