(Radio Iowa) – Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the top three worst days of the year for cooking fires in Iowa and nationwide. Andrea Vaspis, public education director for the National Fire Protection Association, says December 24th and 25th will mean families and friends are gathering for big meals — and they’ll usually congregate in the kitchen. “There’s a lot more of the cooking going on, there’s a lot more people to distract you,” Vaspis says. “There is usually more alcohol use going on as well. That’s a recipe for a home fire when somebody thinks someone else is paying attention to something that’s on the stove.”

As guests arrive, there’s frequently chaos as people set down food they’ve brought to share, perhaps a little too close to the open flames. Watch for plastic containers that might melt or towels that could burst into flame. “The person who’s by the stove needs to stay by the stove. Stand by your pan, watch what you fry,” Vaspis says. “Keep a heavy lid nearby when you’re cooking on the stove. In case there is a flare-up, you can slide that lid right over the pan, turn off the ignition and avert a fire.” While a big part of the joy of the holidays is seeing kids and grandkids, she reminds safety should be your first priority while the cooking is underway.

“Keep kids and pets three feet away from where you’re cooking as it’s much too easy for someone to bump into something, spill something, knock something over, get burned,” Vaspis says. “You want to cook on those back burners while you can and turn your pan handles in.” Cooking is the leading cause of home fires year-round, accounting for 49-percent all home fires reported to fire departments.

(Radio Iowa) – A Dubuque native who’s been in the Iowa legislature since 1993 has a new role in the Iowa Senate, but she hasn’t decided whether to seek reelection in 2024. Democrats in the Iowa Senate met privately in June and chose Pam Jochum to replace Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls. Jochum says she didn’t seek the role. “It was my colleagues who really called me and said: ‘We have the votes lined up,'” Jochum says with a laugh. “I said: ‘Whoa!’ Anyway, here I am and I have had plenty of experience as a former county party chair, working on campaigns from courthouse to White House and running my own campaigns numerous times.”

Jochum was first elected to the Iowa House in 1992. She’s been a state senator since 2009 and served four years as Senate President when Democrats were in the majority. She’s one of three women to have served as senate president — but the only Democratic woman to do so. “In my lifetime I’ve cracked a few ceilings. I’m not so sure they’re glass. Sometimes they feel like marble,” Jochum says. “…In fact, I was the first woman from Dubuque to get elected to the Iowa legislature.” Jochum is now one of just 16 Democrats in the Iowa Senate. During a recent speech at a party fundraiser, Jochum acknowledged that low point. “I know lately it’s been feeling like we’ve been sailing against the political winds and we kind of have, but I can tell you the political winds are beginning to change,” Jochum said. “Iowans are beginning to realize that the Republicans, led by Kim Reynolds, have gone way too far.”

Jochum has come up with a “nine by 2029” plan. It means that over the next three election cycles, the goal is for Democrats to win nine seats currently held by Republicans. “It will not happen overnight,” Jochum said. “It took us six years to get where we are right now.” Jochum says Democrats need to be very strategic in how they’re recruiting candidates for the state senate. “Making sure they fit their district, getting whatever money we do need raised so that candidate can communicate what they believe in,” Jochum says, “…and then, of course, to organize at the community level to turn that vote out.”

Jochum says her six-year plan to gain nine seats in the Iowa Senate is realistic, since there have been only two recent elections when that many seats held by Republicans were won by Democrats. Those elections were in 1964, the year of President Johnson’s landslide victory, and in 1974, shortly after President Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal. Jochum’s current term expires in a year and she hasn’t decided whether to seek reelection in 2024. “I haven’t made up my mind on that yet and I told my colleagues yet when they were pushing me pretty hard to become the new Democratic Senate Leader,” Jochum says. “and they didn’t care.” Jochum isn’t ruling another run out.

“I have always found public service to be one of the most important things you can do with your life and I’m very committed to it and always will be,” Jochum says. “whether I am holding public office or not.” Jochum, who served eight terms in the Iowa House, would be seeking a fifth term in the state senate if she runs.

(Radio Iowa) – Sheffield based SukupManufacturing Company is acquiring Ramco Innovations, a West Des Moines company that specializes in factory automation. Sukup is the world’s largest family-owned manufacturer of grain storage, grain handling and grain drying equipment. Emily Schmitt, Sukup’s Chief Administrative Officer, says Ramco has done work at Sukup facilities in Sheffield, Manly and Hampton that are being automated, with robots.

Hank Norem, Ramco’s CEO, will be chief innovation officer for a new division of the Sheffield company called Sukup Innovations. Ramco’s 65 employees will continue to work at Ramco’s facility in West Des Moines. Sukup has over 800 employees.