(Cass County, Iowa) – A reminder from Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh: The first 2023 mobile food pantry in the County takes place Wednesday, Feb. 8^th, in Atlantic. The mobile pantry will be held at the Cass County Community Center from 4-until 6-p.m.

A mobile pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to families in need for a one-day distribution. People from surrounding towns and communities are welcome. Mobile food pantries are available free of charge. Anyone in need is welcome, and no documentation is required. Each car can take food for up to two households at a time.

Additional mobile food pantries have been scheduled for Atlantic, Massena, and Anita. It is important to note that Massena pantries require registration. (See below for details)

Anita 2023 Mobile Food Pantries
Where: Anita Food Pantry (208 Chestnut Street, Anita IA 50020)
2023 Dates: February 15, May 17, August 16, October 18
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM

Atlantic 2023 Mobile Food Pantries
Please note: Atlantic 2023 Mobile Food Pantries are being held at different locations during the school
year (Cass County Community Center) and summer months (Atlantic High School).
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM

Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10th St., Atlantic, IA 50022): February 8, April 12,
October 11
Atlantic High School (1201 E. 14th St. Atlantic, IA 50022): June 14, July 12, August 9

Massena 2023 Mobile Food Pantries
Please note: Massena pantries require registration. Boxes are limited. Registration ends the Monday
prior to the pantry date. To register for pantries in Massena, call (712) 779-3447.
Where: Southwest Iowa Egg Coop (74877 Clarke Ave. Massena, IA 50853)
2023

Dates: Feb. 8 (register by Feb. 6), April 12 (register by April 10), June 14 (register by June 12), July
12 (register by July 10), August 9 (register by Aug. 7), October 11 (register by Oct. 9)

Box pick-up time: 4:45-5:15 PM

Mobile pantry dates, times, and locations are subject to change. For the latest information on mobile
pantries in Anita and Atlantic, visit https://foodbankheartland.org/food-resources/find-food/. For the
latest information on Massena pantries, call (779) 3447.

For information on local food, farmers markets, and food access, follow the Cass County Local Food Policy Council’s Facebook page @CassCountyLocalFood.

(Des Moines, Iowa) –  State Auditor Rob Sand today issued an advisory on the delay of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) payments to eligible recipients. LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by the Iowa Department of Human Rights. It is designed to help households at or below 200% of the 2022 federal poverty guidelines meet their heating needs.

“I have received several inquiries from Iowans who qualify for energy assistance through LIHEAP but their accounts have not been credited by their utility vendor, or they have not received their direct payment from LIHEAP,” said Sand. “We want to assure those Iowans that their heat will not be turned off in the dead of winter.”

Iowa law prohibits eligible LIHEAP customers from being disconnected from their electric or natural gas supply from November 1 through April 1 of each year, regardless of the temperature.

“We are monitoring the situation and believe LIHEAP dollars will be properly distributed and credited by April, so that no one loses heat, said Sand.

Households with additional questions about LIHEAP payments should contact the Iowa Department of Human Rights. Households interested in applying for LIHEAP should contact their local community action outreach office. Priority is given to the elderly and disabled.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports two arrests: At around 4:24-p.m., Saturday, 50-year-old Chad Leroy Benge, of Orient, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on an outside agency warrant on an original charge of Violation of a No Contact Order. Benge was being held at the Union County Jail for the remaining time left on his sentence (6 days). And, at around 10:25-p.m., Friday, Creston Police arrests 39-year-old Justin Ray Faris, of Mount Ayr, following a traffic stop at Highway 34 and Industrial Avenue, in Creston. Faris was charged with Driving While Suspended. He was cited at the scene and released.

Authorities said also, a woman residing in the 100 block of S. Park Street, in Creston, reported Friday that sometime between 11-a.m. and 3:36-p.m., Friday, someone stolen her concrete golden pig. The item was valued at $250.

(Radio Iowa) – A high-energy musical that retells and re-imagines the story of the half-dozen wives of England’s King Henry the Eighth makes its Iowa debut tomorrow (Tuesday) night. The Broadway touring production of “Six” features actress and singer Amina Faye playing the role of Jane Seymour, the third of the king’s six wives. Faye says Seymour was the only wife Henry ever really loved as she gave him the son he needed to carry on his legacy.

Amina Faye as Jane Seymour (Photos provided by Des Moines Performing Arts)

While the story is set 500 years ago, it’s what Faye calls a “reclaiming” of the historical heartbreak in a modern story of contemporary song and dance — and 21st century girl power. The hit musical features an all-woman cast and all-woman band, which Faye calls “refreshing.” “Six” runs at the Des Moines Civic Center through February 19th.

(Altoona, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa State Patrol report Troopers removed a semi tractor-trailer from service, Sunday, after they said the trailer was “nearly in pieces.” In a social media post, the state patrol says the driver was pulled over near Altoona. The driver was traveling from Omaha to Chicago to pick up a load and thought he could travel in darkness to avoid being stopped. (Photos via the ISP Facebook page)

Troopers say the driver had no logs and no explanation as to why his trailer was damaged. It is not clear if the driver was cited.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa lawmaker is working on a bill that would give the owners or tenants on agricultural properties permission to capture or kill raccoons that are a nuisance. Representative Dean Fisher of Montour says raccoons have become a big problem. “The raccoon population has just expanded dramatically over the past few years,” Fisher says, “DNR’s got some data that indicates by 268%.” The hunting season for raccoons had been limited from November 5th through the end of January, but in December the Iowa Conservation Commission approved allowing raccoons to be trapped year round.

Fisher says trapping alone won’t fix the overpopulation problem because the market for raccoon pelts has collapsed. “And we can’t sell them to China and Russia anymore very easily,” Fisher says. “That market has kind of gone away due to the global issues, so nobody’s hunting them and they’re just an absolute nuisance to farmers and landowners out in the country.” Under current law, Iowans may only kill a raccoon that’s a direct threat to humans or livestock. Otherwise, Iowans must contact a licensed wildlife control business to trap raccoons that are a nuisance. Fisher says that’s just not workable.

“You cannot follow the DNR rules no matter what they say. You cannot call somebody at 10 o’clock at night. You’re just going to go shoot the sucker,” Fisher says. “There’s just practical realities here.” Fisher, who lives on a farm in Tama County, has some experience with raccoons. A few years ago, Fisher had a sweet corn patch that was attacked by marauding raccoons.  “The field was entirely stripped by raccoons,” Fisher says. “I mean I got one ear out of a 50-by-100 foot patch.” Fisher says he’s heard horror stories from farmers who’ve had raccoons destroy combines or eat all the feed for cattle and other livestock.

Raccoons will eat just about anything and can sometimes weigh up to 50 pounds. Raccoon are found in most every part of the United States, except for deserts. Raccoon fans say the animals are valuable to the ecosystem and control the population of wasps, which is beneficial to bees.