(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa teenager will be part of the “Taps Across America” tradition NEXT Monday, May 29th. Seventeen-year-old Creighton Urban is from Callendar, a town of about 375 people in Webster County. “It’s just impactful to hear it, especially on Memorial Day,” Urban says. The “Taps Across America” tradition began four years ago when Memorial Day events were cancelled due to the pandemic. Thousands of musicians played Taps at 3 p.m. — wherever they might be — to honor those who’ve died while serving in the U.S. military. This will be the fourth year Urban has joined this Memorial Day tradition. “I just go out in my front yard and play it,” Urban says. “I live in a small town, so everyone in town can hear.”

Twenty-four notes make up the familiar, somber melody of Taps. It’s been played at military funerals for more than 140 years.  “I think the first time I heard Taps was when I was practicing it in middle school band room with my director,” Urban says.

Urban’s band director is the person who encouraged the trumpet player to participate in Taps Across America. Urban is finishing up his junior year at Southeast Valley High School in Gowrie. He’s not sure what he’ll do after high school, but becoming a music instructor is on his list. Urban is among about a dozen Iowans who’ve registered on the Taps Across America website, commuting to play Taps at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. The time coincides with the annual National Moment of Remembrance that was established 23 years ago by congress. It’s to last a minute — about the time it takes to play Taps.

The country’s first Memorial Day ceremony was held in Waterloo, New York on May 5th, 1866. In 1971, the federal Uniform Holiday Act established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday, one day earlier than their normal weekly session. The Board will gather for a 9-a.m. meeting in the Adair County Courthouse Boardroom.  (See the full agenda below). Among the action items on their agenda is a Public Hearing on a Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Amendment, followed by a Resolution to approve the Budget as amended, and appropriations.

The Board will also act on the appointment of a Medical Examiner, Homestead & Military Disallowances, and a Stuart Urban Renewal Amendment. In his report to the Board Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman will discuss vacating 110th Street (west of Jordan Avenue). The Board will then act on approving a bid and awarding the contract for the W13 Jefferson (Township) Bridge, and, authorize the Board Chair to sign three Right-Of-Way Contracts for Culvert Projects at N29 Prussia, W14 Jefferson, and W11 Union.

Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg will talk about a Transfer Resolution and an Auditor Clerk wage increase.

AGENDA

The conference phone will still be used for those who cannot attend in person and can be accessed by using the following dial in information:

Dial in Number: (605) 313-6157 Access Code: 526272#

9:00 a.m. Minutes

Claims

Taxable Meal

Monthly Reports

Medical Examiner Appointment

Homestead & Military Disallowances

Stuart Urban Renewal Area Amendment

Mandy Berg, County Auditor

Transfer Resolution

Auditor Clerk Wage Increase

9:15 a.m. Public Hearing – FY23 Budget Amendment

Resolution to Approve Budget Amendment

Appropriations

Nick Kauffman, County Engineer

• Discuss vacating 110th St. (west of Jordan Ave.)
• Approve bid and award Contract for L-LBRW13J—73-01 W13 Jefferson Bridge
• Sign Right of Way Contracts for N29 Prussia Culvert Project L-LRCBN29P—73-01
• Sign Right of Way Contracts for W14 Jefferson Culvert Project L-LRCBW14J—73-01
• Sign Right of Way Contracts for W11 Union Culvert Project L-LRCBW11U—73-01
• Report of Maintenance & Activities

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting beginning at 9-a.m. Tuesday, May 23rd, in their courthouse Board Room. (The full agenda is shown below). Among the action items on their agenda is discussion, followed by approval of a Resolution approving a Cass County Investment Policy, approval of a Resolution to Receive and Earmark Funds Received from the Sale of the County-owned Farm, and, approval of a Resolution amending the FY 2023 Secondary Roads Budget, for Submission to the Iowa Dept. of Transportation (As discussed during the Board’s meeting on May 16th).

Following the Board’s regular session, they will hold a Work Session to discuss the County Wellness Program.

With May being Military Appreciation Month and Memorial Day approaching, the personal-finance website WalletHub today (Monday) released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees.

To help our troops plan their years after service, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 key indicators of retirement-friendliness toward veterans. The data set ranges from job opportunities for veterans to housing affordability to quality of VA hospitals.

In the Midwest, South Dakota placed 8th, Missouri place 17th on the Best States list, and Kansas came in at #21. Iowa ranked 36th on the list, just barely avoiding the Worst States list. Wisconsin was next with a ranking of 37th, and Nebraska scraping-by the worst list, coming in at number 40.

The top ranked States (1st through 5th place) were Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Making the worst States list for Military Retirees, was Georgia (#42), followed by Tennessee, California, New Mexico and Washington State.

(Creston, Iowa) – Three people were arrested over the weekend on separate charges, in Creston. According to the Police Department, 26-year-old Mackenzie Breanna Giltner, of Ottumwa, was taken into custody at 1:40-a.m. Saturday (May 20), near the intersection of Sumner and Taylor. Giltner was charged with Driving While Barred, cited and then released from the scene.

Saturday night, 29-year-old Matthew Ray Garcia, of Creston, was arrested at Green Valley Road and 130th Street. He was wanted on two Union County Warrants for Harassment in the 2nd Degreem and Assault. Garcia was transported to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,300 cash or surety bond.

And, early Sunday afternoon, Creston Police arrested 56-year-old William Robert Atteberry, of Lenox. He was arrested at the Creston Wal-Mart on a charge of Harassment in the 3rd Degree-Personal Contact. Atteberry was subsequently cited, and released from the scene.

(Grinnell, Iowa) – A call to the Grinnell Police Department last week about a woman who wanted to cross something off her “Bucket List,” resulted in a police escort. The Police Department was contacted by Sammi Bryan with St.Francis Manor/Sealand Park Hammond Center (an assisted living facility), with regard to a resident who was turning 100 years old and wanted to do some things she had never done and wanted to experience. One of those things was to ride in a Police car.

According to the Grinnell P-D’s social media page, Sergeant Chris Wray made contact with Bryan, and arrangements were made to pick up the resident, Dorothy Peak, from one of her appointments in a Police car and escort her back to the Hammond Center at St. Francis Manor.

Sgt. Wray & Dorothy Peak. (Grinnell PD Facebook photo)

Sgt. Wray said the Department was “Honored to be a part of fulfilling one of Dorothy’s “bucket list “ wishes, and wish this special lady a very Happy 100th birthday!! Dorothy celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday (May 20, 2023).

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 3:50-a.m. today (May 22nd) in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest on a drug charge, of a woman from Nebraska. Red Oak Police report the traffic stop took place near Highway 34 and 4th Street, in Red Oak. Upon further investigation, 23-year-old Alanna Rae Minton, of Omaha, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense. Minton was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A special traffic enforcement effort targeting seat belt usage gets underway today (Monday) in the state. Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau spokesman, Brett Tjepkes says Iowa continues to have good numbers in seat belt surveys. “We’ve been, you know, over 90 percent regularly for quite some time now,” he says. “Even though we do have that high percentage of usage for front seat, drivers and passengers — still in 2022 over half of our people that were killed in crashes in Iowa, we’re not wearing their seatbelts. And so, I think it’s perceived that it’s not a problem anymore,” according to Tjepkes.

He says their goal of lowering traffic deaths could be helped by everyone in the car buckling up. “We took a little dip last year but to date, we still have more people that have died in crashes this year compared to the same time last year.” he says. “Speeding distraction are still major problems as well as impaired drivers. And so wearing your seatbelt is that one thing you can do to protect yourself when you’re in a crash. To protect yourself from others in a crash to have that seatbelt on.”

State law requires anyone under the age of 18 to wear a seatbelt. Tjepkes says it’s important for anyone regardless of age. “If you’re sitting in the backseat of a car, it’s still very important to wear your seatbelt back there also,Tjepkes says. “I think we feel like we’re more protected we’re in that backseat, but a lot of our crashes happen on rural roadways. somebody leaves the road and the car rolls over and those passengers in the backseat are in just as much danger of getting ejected out of a car and in being severely or fatally injured.”

The national seatbelt campaign coincides with the Memorial Day holiday and the start of the summer driving season. ” But I can tell you are our law enforcement partners that we work with all over the state are out looking for seatbelt usage and addressing those with either with citations or educational opportunities all year long.,” he says. The “Click it or Ticket” enforcement will run through June 4th.