Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — Nearly 170 dogs showing signs of neglect in filthy kennels have been seized from an overcrowded puppy mill in northern Iowa. A Worth County Sheriff’s Office news release says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took the animals away for medical and other care after deputies served a warrant Monday. The dogs are all Samoyeds. Sheriff Dan Fank says investigators are still scouring the scene and that animal neglect charges are pending against the owner.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Nearly half of Iowa’s counties have approved use of all-terrain or utility vehicles for public roadways, and at least one large county is considering joining the trend. The Telegraph Herald reports that Dubuque County supervisors have been considering the issue since two riding groups approached the board in February seeking access to roads. The vehicles are currently only permitted on county roads for agricultural reasons.

RED OAK, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 69-year-old woman and her two sons were flown to a Nebraska hospital for treatment after a fight broke out at their Red Oak home in western Iowa. Police say Viola Rinehart grabbed a hammer Sunday to fend off her older son, Kain, who attacked her and his brother, Luke, with a knife. Luke also armed himself with a knife. Police say Kain Rinehart is being charged with attempted murder. Court records don’t list an attorney for him.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Congressman Steve King says he will push back harder against media outlets which he says “don’t tell the truth.” King, a Republican from Kiron, won a narrow victory to retain the Fourth District seat last week over Democrat J-D Scholten, who King claims was funded by out-of-state interests.
“They said there was going to be a blue wave and then a blue tsunami but that didn’t really materialize,” King says. “What did materialize was a green tsunami, money coming out of cyberbully corporate people. Only 14% of his donors were Iowans and the rest of them were East Coast and West Coast. Millions of dollars and we think we were outspent something like 14-to-1.”

King barred some media outlets from his events in Sioux City on election night. He says he will not tolerate the untrue coverage of what he says and does. King says, “When we have print media, and I’m going to say the Des Moines Register in particular and to a lesser degree the Sioux City Journal, and multiple other newspapers including the Washington Post and the New York Times, when they know the truth and refuse to print the truth and we call them out on what is true and it’s not their narrative so they won’t print it, those things all have to change.”

King says he will push back against false charges. “I’m calling them all out every time for every instance and if I have to hire a whole staff of people to do it, that’s what we’re going to do,” King says. “This district and this area of the country and hopefully the nation is going to get the truth and we’re going to find out the truth about them. I’d a lot rather it be me standing here then them because we’re right, they’re wrong. We’re honest, they’re not.”

King says he’s thrilled to have prevailed after being so maligned and outspent during the election. He concludes: “The principles of the Upper Midwest, the heart of the heartland, are what will carry America through to the future.”

NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — Officials say nearly 170 dogs showing signs of neglect in filthy kennels have been seized at an overcrowded puppy mill in northern Iowa’s Worth County. A news release on the Worth County Sheriff’s Office website says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took the animals away for medical and other care after deputies served a warrant Monday.

Officials say the dogs — all Samoyeds — were kept in kennels that provided minimal protection from the elements and had no access to clean water. Animal neglect charges are pending.

(Radio Iowa) — A massive “Freedom Rock” was dedicated this (Monday) morning at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter. Ray “Bubba” Sorenson of Greenfield, is the artist. “Veterans Day and Memorial Day are every day to me. I’ve kind of made it my life’s work,” Sorenson said. “In fact, right after this I head to Franklin County to work on the 80th ‘Freedom Rock’ across this state.”  Sorenson paints a patriotic image on each rock and aims to have one in each of Iowa’s 99 counties as a tribute to veterans.

Freedom Rock – West Side

Freedom Rock – East Side

The “Freedom Rock” at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery has the image of a widow at a soldier’s funeral receiving the American flag from an honor guard on the east side. The west side features a flag, with an eagle carrying the inscription: “All gave some. Some gave all.” Sorenson has been able to mix the ashes of veterans in his paint.  “There’s even some ashes painted into this rock up here on this hill,” Sorenson said.

The rock sits at the summit of the cemetery. The granite came from a nearby quarry owned by Ron Mason, Senior. “This was one of the largest boulders we’ve ever recovered from the quarry,” Mason said during the ceremony. “It’s 57,000 pounds. It took a half a day to load it and a half a day to unload it.” Mason served seven years in the U.S. Navy, from mid-1941 until mid-1948. He flew missions over the Atlantic Ocean in something like a seaplane, that could take off and land on the ocean surface. “I was a flying boat pilot, looking for German submarines.” Mason says.

WWII veteran Ron Mason, Sr. donated the 5,700 pound granite boulder.

The granite boulder Mason donated for the project is 12 feet in diameter, with fairly flat sides, which Mason says were good for mural painting. “I think the rock is well placed. It overlooks the Raccoon River valley and you can see probably 20 or 30 miles. It shows I-80 going west. It makes a beautiful, beautiful view. It’s particularly interesting to me because I will be interned here. I would like to get out of my skin once I’m interned, so that I can take a look at it occasionally,” Mason says, laughing.

Mason will turn 100 in a couple of months. His wife is among the 29-hundred who’ve been buried at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. Construction began on the cemetery on Veterans Day in 2006. It was opened on July 3rd, 2008.