(Radio Iowa)- A bill that’s cleared initial hurdles in the Iowa House AND Senate would let visitors in Iowa amusement parks and county fairs use credit cards to play the ring toss and other games in the midway. Jake Ketzner is a lobbyist for the Association of Iowa Fairs and for Adventureland, the amusement park in central Iowa. He says under current law, visitors can use credit cards to pay for admission, for food and souvenirs. “This bill would simply allow the use of a credit card for midway type games,” Ketzner says. “Forty percent of Americans, according to Pew Research, don’t carry cash, so it’s just providing that option for guests, for a little bit more flexibility.”

Senator Mike Bouselot, of Ankeny, says it seems like an inconvenience to find out you need cash to play midway games. “You shouldn’t have to take a trolley to go find money to go pay to play on the midway,” he says. The Iowa State Fair already has an exemption which lets fair-goers use credit cards to play games on the midway.

If the bill becomes law, the policy would extend to Adventureland in Altoona, Lost Island Amusement Park in Waterloo and the Arnolds Park Amusement Park as well as Iowa county fairs.

(Radio Iowa) – A suspect is now in custody in a Fort Dodge murder case from more than six years ago. On Thursday, a Cedar Rapids man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the cold case of Fort Dodge resident Donald Preston. 49-year-old Christopher Johnson is accused of killing Preston in December of 2016. Preston’s body was located in a field southwest of Fort Dodge the day after Christmas that year. Investigators say Johnson was driving with Preston when Johnson displayed his handgun. He’s accused of then shooting Preston and leaving his body in a field.

Johnson will appear in Webster County District Court today (Friday). He faces a mandatory life prison term, if convicted.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2023 – Conagra Brands, Inc., a Fort Madison, Iowa establishment, is recalling approximately 2,581,816 pounds of canned meat and poultry products due to a packaging defect that may cause the products to become contaminated without showing any outward signs of contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The meat and poultry products were produced between December 12, 2022, and January 13, 2023. The following products are subject to recall: [view spreadsheet] [view labels].

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P4247” on the product cans. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS after observing spoiled and/or leaking cans from multiple production dates at the establishment’s warehouse. Subsequent investigation by the establishment determined that the cans subject to recall may have been damaged in a manner that is not readily apparent to consumers, which may allow foodborne pathogens to enter the cans.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be on retail shelves or in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

(Radio Iowa) – The 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accord — which ended the Vietnam War — was last week and students from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge are tracking down stories of dozens of locals who were killed in the conflict. T-J Martin, Iowa Central’s dean of distance learning, says they ultimately want to create a book about those fallen Iowans. “The project is based around finding the 55 names of service members who died serving in Vietnam,” Martin says, “and they were from our service area of Iowa Central Community College which consists of nine counties in north-central/northwest Iowa.”

Martin and Kurt Schmid, a professor in social science at Iowa Central, are teaching a course called “Local Vietnam History.” “We usually have a handful of students in our class,” Martin says, “and the class along with us, we do some research trying to find names of family members of these gentlemen that were killed in action while serving our country over in Vietnam.” Martin says they’re looking for a range of background information on the early lives of these veterans. “What are some of the fun things they used to do growing up as a kid?” Martin says. “Did they play basketball, did they grow up on a farm, did they own a 68 Mustang? What are some of the fun things they used to do, just to learn about their personality.”

The goal is to compile the biographies into a book that would preserve the memories of the men for future generations. A list of the names for which information is still needed includes:

• Thomas Richard Poundstone, Jack Rae Smith, Loren Francis Studer and Richard Wehrheim, all of Clarion.
• Melvin Eugene Thompson, of Fonda.
• David Allen Fleskes, Donald Henry Holm, Donald Kay Lakey, William Harrison Pease and Daryl David Shonka, all of Fort Dodge.
• Rickey Eugene Swaney, of Grand Junction.
• Frederick August Holst, of Knierim.
• Melvin Dale Miller, of Newell.
• Robert F. Fox, of Odebolt.
• Wayne Thomas McGuire, of Peterson.
• Calvin William Binder II of Rembrandt
• Keith Russell Heggen, of Renwick.
• James “Jimmy” Lee Buckley, Randall Gaylord Freeman, Gerald Claude McKeen and Larry Eugene Smith, all of Sac City.
• Herman Smits Junior, of Scranton.
• Thomas William Carrington of Storm Lake, and
• LaRoy Frederich Roth of Lake City.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – As week number four of the Iowa Legislative General Assembly was winding down, House District 21 Republican Representative Tom Moore, of Griswold reported on what’s transpired at the Iowa Capital. Moore started out talking about some special visitors to the Capital Rotunda and Chambers.

Moore said also, he kept busy throughout the week by attending numerous committee meetings. The Health and Human Services Committee met both Monday and Tuesday, according to Moore. One bill that passed through Committee was HF-102, or, “The Medical Malpractice non-economic damages bill.”

Moore said “One massive award for non-economic damages can close a smaller hospital or physician’s practice, leaving all of those Iowan’s without access to the care they need.”

Representative Moore said also, another medical-related bill that passed through committee, was House Study Bill 11, which allows PT’s (Physical Therapists) to order diagnostic imaging, and requires results to be provided to the patient’s primary care provider within seven days.

He wrapped up his audio newsletter by reminding Iowans about “Address confidentiality for survivors of domestic violation, sexual abuse, assault, trafficking, and stalking, through “Safe at Home.”

Visit safeathome.iowa.gov, to learn more.