By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

Iowans who are heading to the grocery store this weekend to stock up for next week’s big feast will be pleased to hear they may actually be paying less to feed the family for Thanksgiving.

Christopher Pudenz, an economist for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, says they figured the average cost to prepare a traditional turkey dinner with all of the fixings for a family of ten at the table.

“This year’s expected costs for the Thanksgiving meal, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation survey, is $61.17,” Pudenz says. “Now this is a four-and-a-half percent decrease in the overall price from 2022, which was just a nickel over $64.”

The survey found the biggest price fluctuations were in 12-ounce bags of cranberries and half pints of whipping cream, which dropped 18-percent and 23-percent respectively, while a 12-pack of dinner rolls and pumpkin pie filling saw modest price increases of between three and four-percent.

“We saw decreases in seven of the 11 food items in terms of price, but the majority of that decrease from 2022 to 2023 had to do with declining turkey prices,” Pudenz says. “Turkey makes up between 40 and 45% of that cost in any given year.” Other items on the menu for the survey include: frozen pie crusts, whole milk, frozen peas, sweet potatoes and stuffing.

Overall food prices have risen about 25-percent since the beginning of 2020, according to Pudenz, who says inflation has continued to take a significant toll. Plus, he says, bird flu was a key factor in the price shifts.

“Turkey prices were particularly elevated last year due to a very long, severe, highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in 2022,” Pudenz says. “It was absolutely devastating to our turkey farmers out there in 2022, and in 2023, the flocks recovered.”

While there have been more outbreaks this fall, he says they haven’t been nearly as severe. Iowa is the nation’s seventh largest turkey producer with an estimated 12-million birds raised here each year.

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

ACT scores among Iowa high schoolers who took the test dropped slightly from a year ago and far fewer students are taking the test.

The average ACT composite score for seniors who graduated from an Iowa high school last spring was 20.8. That compares to a score of 22 for the 2014 graduating class in Iowa.

Nine years ago, 68% of high school seniors in Iowa took the ACT. Just under half took it this past year. Iowa, Iowa State and UNI no longer require students applying for admission to take the ACT.

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

One of two students who pleaded guilty to murdering a Fairfield Spanish teacher two years ago has been sentenced to life in prison, however Jeremy Goodale will be eligible for parole after he’s served at least 25 years because he was a juvenile at the time of the murder.

Goodale is the second teen to be sentenced for the beating death of 66-year-old Nohema Graber. Goodale’s sentencing hearing lasted two days. Ten people submitted victim impact statements. Tom Graber, the teacher’s brother-in-law, spoke directly to Goodale. “One of the most shocking aspects of your role in this murder is the casualness with which you agreed to take a life,” Tom Graber said.

The teacher’s relatives described her as joyful and committed to her family, her students, her friends and her Christian faith.  “Nohema was a fantastic person,” brother-in-law Jim Graber said, his voice cracking with emotion. “…She cared for strangers. It didn’t matter — she loved everybody and for this to happen — it’s just insane.”

Paul Graber’s brothers said Nohema’s death “greatly contributed” to their brother’s declining health and his death this past June. Goodale also spoke in court before his sentencing. “Two years ago I made the worst decision of my life and I take full responsibility for what I did,” Goodale said, “and today, as a young man, I can begin to pay for that.”

Goodale read from a prepared statement. “I want to say I’m grateful for this chance to speak my piece. I offer my sincerest apologies to the Graber family, but I know my words will never be enough,” Goodale said. “I’ve had time to think on what to say and I’m sorry, truly sorry.”

Nohema Graber’s son was the final member of the family to speak in court today and Christian Graber told Goodale he forgave him. “You do the best you can to be the best man you can be so you can redeem yourself because a lot of people don’t believe in you, but your family believes in you…and I believe in you,” Graber said. “And if you do the best you can to be a good man, just know that everything’s going to be o.k.”

Fairfield Police Lieutenant Julie Kinsella testified on Tuesday that Fairfield was shaken by Graber’s murder.

“Fairfield’s supposed to be a place that you raise your kids…It’s supposed to be a safe place. Nobody locks their doors. Everybody knows everybody. As a result of Nohema Graber’s murder, people were scared to go out. People refused to walk in the parks,” Kinsella said. “Parents were scared to send their kids to school. Teachers were scared to teach in school. I think the general public felt a lack of security….as a result of this murder. It’s not a reflection of who our community as a whole is and I think, for everybody, they suffered some kind of loss as a result of this murder.”

The teens beat Graber with a bat and left her body hidden under a tarp in a city park. Goodale’s father Dean, testified that the pandemic had a negative impact on his son. “I knew he was smoking a lot of marijuana. I tried to do everything I could to stop him from that,” Dean Goodale said. “…I was just at my wits end. I had to go to school every day and he was again, during COVID, he was sitting home by himself every day and there was no supervision. It was an utter disaster.”

Goodale testified that his son felt abandoned by his mother, who moved to Colorado after the couple divorced. Goodale was 10 at the time. His father also described his son as troubled. “Based on his behavior…my primary concern for him leading up to this was that he would commit suicide,” Dean Goodale said.

Jeremy Goodale’s sentencing hearing was livestreamed by KCRG-TV.

The other teenager who pleaded guilty to Graber’s murder was sentenced to life in prison in July, but Willard Chaiden Miller will have the possibility of parole after 36 years. He is appealing the sentence.