CLIVE, IOWA – The Iowa Pork Producer’s Association reports the annual competition for the title of Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin has been whittled down from 40 restaurants to just five finalists across the state, showcasing the best of Iowa’s beloved, hand-breaded delicacy!

The top five restaurants still in the running for the coveted title this year, listed alphabetically, are:

• Bronson Bar – Bronson
• Dairy Sweet – Dunlap
• Ruby’s Pub and Grill – Stuart
• The Blind Pig – Monticello
• The Market at the Tap– Monticello

IPPA marketing and programs director Kelsey Sutter says “There were 532 restaurants nominated for our 22^nd annual contest, which goes to show that Iowans love their breaded pork tenderloins. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand that Iowa has no shortage of these hand-breaded favorites.”

To win the “Iowa’s Best Breaded Tenderloin” title, a restaurant must offer the sandwich on their menu year-round. Seasonal eateries, caterers, concession stands, and food trucks are not eligible. While the style of tenderloin can vary, the pork must be hand-breaded or battered to qualify! This summer, judging commenced for the top 40 restaurants, selected from public nominations. The list featured the five restaurants with the most nominations in each of IPPA’s eight districts, ensuring statewide representation.

IPPA members and industry affiliates visited these locations anonymously, evaluating the tenderloins on pork taste, quality, physical characteristics, and presentation. After reviewing all 40 evaluations, IPPA’s Restaurant and Foodservice Committee chose five finalists to move on to the next round. A panel of three judges was then appointed to visit each finalist and determine the first and second place winners.

The winning restaurant and runner-up will be announced later in October, during a month-long celebration of pork called Porktober, or national pork month. The runner-up will receive $250 and a plaque from IPPA, while the winning restaurant will receive $500, a plaque, a banner, and statewide publicity—which has been known to send pork tenderloin sales hog wild!

Winners from the past five years:

• 2023 – Cliff’s Place, Manning
• 2022 — Lid’s Bar & Grill, Waukon
• 2021 — Victoria Station, Harlan (closed)
• 2020 — PrairieMoon On Main, Prairieburg
• 2019 — The Pub at the Pinicon, New Hampton

See the full list of past winners, dating back to 2003.

(Omaha, Nebraska) – Police in Council Bluffs have identified one of the victims of Friday’s early morning crash that killed an adult male and two juveniles, and resulted in three others, including a juvenile, being critically injured. Authorities say 70-year-old Michael Sales, of Council Bluffs, died in the crash that happened a little before 1:30-a.m., Friday, near the Gene Leahy Mall at around 10th and Douglas streets.

The crash involved a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 33-year-old Rachel Bickerstaff, and a 2017 Subaru Outback driven by Sales. Investigators said Bickerstaff was driving east on Douglas Street when her vehicle hit the Subaru from behind, pushing both cars to the east. The accident occurred as Sales had just completed a left turn onto Douglas Street from southbound 10th Street. After the impact, the Subaru hit a light pole. Authorities said the Jeep hit a tree and then rolled. The force of the crash caused both SUVs to hit barriers and catch on fire.

Two children were found dead inside the Jeep, Omaha police said. A 38-year-old man who was in the front seat and a child from the Jeep were taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for initial treatment, and then were taken out of state to a specialized burn unit at another hospital, according to authorities.

Omaha police said crash investigators are consulting with the Douglas County attorney’s office on pending charges for Bickerstaff. Speed and alcohol are factors being investigated in the crash, according to Omaha Police.

Verizon customers across the United States reported a phone service outage today (Monday). At one point mid-day, Downdetector noted more than 103, 540 Verizon customers had reported an issue with phone service. By 2-p.m., that number was down to 47, 475. Metro areas most affected include Chicago, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Omaha and Las Vegas. Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressed issues to Verizon Support. Many users reported having the SOS setting on their phones.

“We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers,” Ilya Hemlin, a representative for the company, said. “Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue.” The cause is not yet known.

Communities hit by Hurricane Helene have been experiencing cellphone outages due to the aftermath of the storm. Verizon assured it was prepared for the storm, saying on X, “Verizon is ready for Hurricane Helene with 550 portable network assets and 1,000 mobile generators, ensuring communities, businesses and first responders stay connected. Verizon also has resources in place to support affected employees.”