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Sen. Adrian Dickey Elected Senate Assistant Majority Leader

DES MOINES — Senator Adrian Dickey, R-Packwood, was elected on Tuesday as an assistant majority leader by his colleagues for the 91st General Assembly.

“With 35 members, four of them new, Senate Republicans have an even bigger supermajority than we had when we ended the legislative session. I am honored to be elected as an assisted majority leader by my fellow Senate Republicans,” said Senator Dickey. “Iowans have shown us they approve of our agenda and the work we have done, and I look forward to starting the legislative session and helping our caucus as we start our work for the next legislative session.”

Senator Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, Senator Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, and Senator Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, were also elected as assistant majority leaders.

Senator Dickey is a lifelong Packwood resident and has worked in the family business his grandfather started in 1959 since he was 13, progressing throughout his time with the company to become president of Dickey Transport. Senator Dickey was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2021, reelected in 2022 and 2024, and serves as the chairman of the Senate Workforce Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Oskaloosa to Turn on the Lights Next Saturday

OSKALOOSA — Oskaloosa Main Street is excited to announce, ‘Turn on the Lights!’ to take place in downtown Oskaloosa on Saturday, November 23. Bring your family and friends to the square for the Oskaloosa City Band to kick off the event at 5:30 pm. Join us as building facades around the city square illuminate with over 300,000 colorful light bulbs at 6 pm, all from a flip of a switch by the Citizen of the Year, Russ Van Renterghem.

The annual Painting with Lights raffle drawing will begin immediately following. Stick around to see if you are the lucky winner of one of this year’s raffle prizes. Only 8 tickets will be drawn this year. Each of the 8 prizes are of $1,000 value. Haven’t bought your raffle tickets yet? Don’t worry, there is still time! Tickets can be purchased at Mahaska Drug, Mahaska Chamber, H&S Feed & Country Store, and Oskaloosa True Value until Thursday, November 21, 2024.
There is no cost to attend the event. Make sure to grab some cookies, hot cocoa, and a picture with Santa and friends. Step in line for a horse drawn-wagon ride around the square, provided by Mahaska Drug. Free will donations are welcome. All proceeds go to maintenance and installation of the Painting with Lights display.
Don’t worry about dinner! Food trucks will be on the East side of the square November 23, from 5-7pm. More details to come!
The Painting with Lights Display will be on from 4:45pm-11:00pm every night through January 5, 2025.
To learn more about Oskaloosa’s holiday events, please visit www.mahaskachamber.org/calendar.

Homes of Chiefs’ quarterback Mahomes and tight end Kelce were broken into last month

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The homes of Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce were broken into within days of each other last month, law enforcement reports show.

“Obviously it’s frustrating, disappointing,” Mahomes said before practice on Wednesday.

The break-ins, which were first reported by TMZ, happened just before and the day of the Chiefs’ 26-13 home victory over the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 7, as Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watched from the stands. No injuries were reported in either case.

One day before the Monday night game, law enforcement was called to a home matching Mahomes’ address in a private gated resort-like community in northwestern Cass County, just to the south of the city’s metropolitan area.

Mahomes said he couldn’t provide many details because the investigation is ongoing. He described it as “something you don’t want to happen to anybody and obviously yourself.”

His name isn’t listed on the sheriff’s office report, which The Associated Press obtained. The single-page document shows another person called just after midnight on Oct. 6 to report what was classified as a burglary. It didn’t describe any missing items.

Ronnie Lozano, a spokesman for the sheriff’s department, wrote in an email that the investigation is active and declined to answer other questions, including whether there had been any arrests. The prosecutor for the county didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, as the Chiefs played the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium, a home matching the address of Kelce’s was broken into in the affluent suburb of Leawood, just over the state line in Kansas. The crime wasn’t reported until early the next morning, an offense report obtained from police by the AP shows.

Kelce’s name isn’t listed in the report, which said losses included $20,000 in cash and damage to a rear door. The 16,000-square-foot (1,440 square meter) home includes a wine cellar, backyard pool and six-car garage.

“The Leawood Police Department does not comment about specific victims of crimes except in the case of fatality crashes or homicides,” police Capt. Jason Ahring said in an email.

Melody Webb, a spokeswoman for the area’s Johnson County prosecutor’s office, said in an email that the office had no comment.

Open enrollment underway for those without insurance plans

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

The open enrollment period is now underway for people who get their health insurance through healthcare.gov.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Administrator Shannon Hills says it is important that you take action. “This is the time for people who need health insurance to make changes to their existing plan or to apply and enroll,” she says. Hills says there are some changes for this year. “Due to a new law, the inflation Reduction Act, financial assistance is available to help people pay for their health insurance premiums,” Hills says. She says the healthcare.gov website has also been streamlined and updated to make the process easier.

Hills says the healthcare plans offer a variety of things from prescription drugs, to emergency care and more. “They will be able to compare and contrast various healthcare plans, their costs, and to find one that meets their needs,” she says. Hills says there is also information on how to evaluate the various plans. “On healthcare.gov there is a section called Find Local Help. So if someone would like a little bit more information or assistance in their particular area in Iowa, then they can select that Find Local Help button and be connected to an agent or broker in their area to walk through their healthcare plan options,” Hills says. “They can also call the healthcare.gov call center at 1-800-318-2596.” She says that call center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Hills says you need to sign up by December 15th to ensure that your coverage will begin by January 1st.

Alex DeJong Named Oskaloosa Varsity Softball Coach

OSKALOOSA — Oskaloosa High School has named Alex DeJong as its next head softball coach.  Alex has been with the program the past 2 seasons as an assistant coach and is currently a physical education teacher at Oskaloosa Elementary.  Alex was a 4 year letter winner for Oskaloosa baseball and a 2018 graduate of Oskaloosa High School.

OHS Activities Director Ryan Parker said in a statement regarding the hire, “In searching for our next head softball coach we were looking for someone with ties to our community but also someone energetic and able to bring Oskaloosa Softball back to being relevant in the state.  In multiple meetings with Alex, it became clear what direction we needed to go!”

Weekly Fuel Report

DES MOINES — The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 5 cents, averaging $2.80 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

  • The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $3.67 per barrel over last week, currently priced at $68.52.
  • Brent crude oil fell by $3.32 and is currently priced at $72.21.
  • One year ago, WTI crude sold for $78.86 and Brent crude was $84.09.

Motor Fuels

  • As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.80 across Iowa according to AAA.
    • Prices fell 5 cents from last week’s price and are down 25 cents from a year ago.
    • The national average on Wednesday was $3.08, down 3 cents from last week’s price.
  • Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 3 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.31.
    • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.30 in Iowa.
    • The current Iowa diesel price is 24 cents lower than the national average of $3.55.
  • Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
  • The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.79 for U87-E10, $2.00 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.18 for ULSD#2, $2.44 for ULSD#1, and $1.78 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

  • Natural gas prices rose 22 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.98/MMbtu.
  • Propane prices averaged $1.54 per gallon in Iowa.
  • Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $2.80 per gallon.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

Voting for Young Ambassador Contest Closes on December 2

OSKALOOSA — Now is the time to place your votes for the Oskaloosa Main Street Young Ambassador of your choice. Eleven local children, ages three through kindergarten are seeking monetary votes to become this year’s Young Ambassador King and Queen.

Local business owners sponsor participants by having a money bank with the name and picture of one prince or princess. Money placed in the canister of your choice is considered ‘votes’. As a reminder, any amount of money may be deposited. The Young Ambassador King and Queen will be announced Monday, December 2, 2024, at 6:00 pm at the Penn Central Mall. The event includes music, entertainment, and of course Santa and gifts.
Proceeds raised this year will be donated to the Oskaloosa Early Childhood Center and Oskaloosa Main Street’s Lighted Christmas Parade. The 36th annual parade will be held Saturday, December 7 at 7 pm in Downtown Oskaloosa where Young Ambassador participants are invited to hop aboard the Mahaska Drug Express.
Show your support by voting for these youngsters. Voting is now open and will close on Monday, December 2 at 11 am.  For candidate and sponsor locations, call the Oskaloosa Main Street office of the Mahaska Chamber & Development Group at 641-672-2591, or find a list on the Oskaloosa Main Street Facebook page.

Investigators believe Wisconsin kayaker faked his own death before fleeing to eastern Europe

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man apparently faked his own drowning this summer so he could abandon his family and flee to eastern Europe, investigators say.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said in a news release Friday that the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office informed his agency on Aug. 12 that Ryan Borgwardt of Watertown had gone missing after he went kayaking on Green Lake. Borgwardt’s wife said that he texted her at 10:49 p.m. on Aug. 11 saying he was heading to shore.

Deputies located Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near the lake. They also found his overturned kayak with a life jacket attached to it on the lake, in an area where the waters run more than 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later discovered Borgwardt’s fishing rod.

Investigators had speculated that Borgwardt’s kayak capsized and he didn’t have a life jacket. The search for his body went on for more than 50 days, with divers on several occasions exploring the lake.

Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit organization that specializes in recovering drowning victims, searched about 1,500 acres (6 square kilometers), often in more than 100 feet (30 meters) of water, and scoured hours of sonar data and images to no avail.

In early October, Podoll’s department learned that Canadian law enforcement authorities had run Borgwardt’s name through their databases the day after he was reported missing. The news release did not say why they ran his name or offer any further details about the circumstances.

Further investigation revealed that Borgwardt had reported his passport lost or stolen and had obtained a new one in May. His family easily found his original passport, the sheriff said in the release.

An analysis of a laptop — the release did not say whose — revealed a digital trail that shows Borgwardt had planned to head to Europe and tried to mislead investigators.

The laptop’s hard drive had been replaced and the browsers had been cleared on the day Borgwardt disappeared, Podoll said in the news release. Investigators found passport photos, inquiries about moving funds to foreign banks and communication with a woman from Uzbekistan. They also discovered that Borgwardt also took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January.

“At this time we believe that Ryan is alive and likely in Eastern Europe,” Podoll said in the news release.

He added that his agency will continue to work with federal and international law enforcement to determine whether Borgwardt committed any crimes and whether anyone helped him. The sheriff also plans to seek restitution for search expenses.

Podoll didn’t immediately return a message left Tuesday by The Associated Press seeking more details. Attempts to reach Borgwardt family members by telephone weren’t successful.

Keith Cormican runs Bruce’s Legacy in honor of his brother, Bruce, a Black River Falls firefighter who drowned searching for a drowning victim in 1995. He called the Borgwardt search “disheartening,” saying he could have used the time he spent searching for Borgwardt helping other families.

“You meet all kinds in the world and I guess this guy went to the extremes faking his disappearance, so it’s a first,” Cormican said. “He definitely cost us a lot of grief, a lot of money, repairs and equipment. I just hope he comes forward sooner rather than later so the family can move on.”

Authorities this past January extradited an elusive U.S. fugitive named Nicholas Rossi from Scotland to Utah, where he’s accused of two sexual assaults. Investigators believe he faked his own death and fled the U.S. to avoid charges. He was arrested in Scotland in 2021 after being recognized at a Glasgow hospital during treatment for COVID-19.

Whitver to again lead Iowa Senate while undergoing brain tumor treatment

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

Republican state lawmakers have reelected Jack Whitver as Senate majority leader. Whitver, of Grimes, announced in mid-May, he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, but would remain in the Iowa Senate and continue in his role as the top Republican in the chamber.

Information released from the Senate says recent scans have shown that the tumor is shrinking and many of his symptoms have improved.

Whitver has been a state senator since 2011. He became Senate President in 2017, then Senate Republicans chose him to be their majority leader in March of 2018. This was his opening message:

“It’s easier to get to the top than stay at the top,” Whitver said in 2018, “but I want to challenge this body, the House, this governor, our state to continue to make the tough choices needed to keep us as the number one state in the nation.”

Whitver was a walk-on who wound up becoming a starting wide receiver for the Iowa State Cyclones. During an interview with Radio Iowa seven years ago, he compared that experience to being a lawmaker.

“To get anything done at the capitol, you have to be part of a team…so all the lessons that I learned playing football growing up, they apply a lot more than people would think to politics,” Whitver said. Whitver has been a driving force behind the tax cut packages that have cleared the legislature over the past few years. He’s an attorney who also earned an MBA.

“I consider myself an entrepreneur more than anything. I like to say I’m a businessman with a law degree,” Whitver said, with a laugh.

Whitver owns fitness clubs and a “Smoothie King” franchise in central Iowa. Whitver’s former Iowa State teammates and coaches, as well as current coach Matt Campbell have publicly expressed support for Whitver as he’s battled cancer.

“He’s going through a really hard battle right now,” Campbell said. “…It’s going to take all of us to rally around him.”

A number of people and a few other teams posted messages of support for Whitver on October 26th, as 26 was Whitver’s jersey number. Whitver was on the Cyclone football team from 1999 to 2003 and finished his college career with five touchdowns and 96 career receptions.

Also on Tuesday, Representative Pat Grassley of New Hartford was re-elected Speaker of the House, and Matt Windschitl of Missouri Valley remains House Majority Leader. Both first gained those positions in 2019. Senate Republicans also reelected Amy Sinclair as Senate President.

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Between periods of rain last week, the unseasonably warm temperatures helped Iowa farmers continue to wrap up harvest and complete other field work,” said Secretary Mike Naig. “The widespread rainfall over the last few weeks has been beneficial in improving drought conditions across large swaths of Iowa. We can expect the warmer temperatures and more active weather pattern to continue as we head toward Thanksgiving.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Moderate rainfall during the week slowed harvest as Iowa’s farmers had an average of 3.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending November 10, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included harvesting row crops, completing fall tillage, baling stalks, and applying fall fertilizer and manure.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 12 percent very short, 36 percent short, 50 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 19 percent very short, 45 percent short, 35 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Harvest of the corn for grain crop reached 95 percent statewide, 4 days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the five-year average. Farmers in south central Iowa still have over 15 percent of their corn for grain remaining to be harvested. Moisture content of field corn harvested for grain remained steady at 14 percent.

Livestock producers reported muddy feedlots.

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