By Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig 2023 marked 100 years since the Iowa Legislature created the position of Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. In that time, fifteen different Iowans have had the opportunity to lead the talented team at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Though much has changed since 1923, one thing […]
In a gesture of appreciation and community engagement, KIIC radio, under the leadership of Joe Milledge, has been pioneering a unique tradition known as “Blue Christmas” for the past eight years. This annual event is not just a tribute to local first responders but also a creative platform where officers swap their police radios for […]
by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 21, 2023 The state’s dryness has continued to worsen, and extreme drought now encompasses more than a third of Iowa, according to a U.S. Drought Monitor report on Thursday. The area of extreme drought — the second-worst of four classifications — has long occupied a substantial swath of […]
DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.3 percent in November, up from 3.1 percent one year ago. Iowa’s labor force participation rate decreased to 68.1 percent in November (down 0.3 percent from October and 0.1 percent from one year ago) even as businesses gained 4,700 jobs. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 20, 2023 U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra announced Wednesday he will seek reelection for a third term representing Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. The Hull Republican asked for Iowans’ support in electing Republicans to serve in Washington, D.C. — both in U.S. Congress and the White House. Now more than […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (Dec. 19, 2023) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Mahaska County, Iowa. The affected site is a backyard mixed species flock. Commercial and […]
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Last week, the Oskaloosa Police Department’s Logan Nord spotted an individual he believed may be wanted and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Nord is the school resource officer, and he had chosen to do some work at the Oskaloosa High School and then go to the elementary school afterward. As […]
OSKALOOSA, IA – In a ceremony held on Sunday, December 17th, at 2 pm, the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office and the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserve Unit paid tribute to two of its longest-serving reserve deputies, Dennis Dursky and Verlan Uitermarkt, for their 50 years of service. The event, at the Mahaska County Environmental Learning Center, […]
by Zach Wendling, Iowa Capital Dispatch December 17, 2023 LINCOLN, Nebraska — One Nebraska lawmaker’s efforts to increase recycling have led her to explore an Iowa program to donate and reuse prescription drugs and tackle rising medication costs. Freshman State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward is looking to join forces with Iowa nonprofit SafeNetRx, which […]
Oskaloosa, Iowa – We recently had an opportunity to ask Mahaska Health Emergency Services Medical Director Matthew Gritters, MD, about the best practices for protecting yourself from extreme cold and preventing conditions like frostbite and hypothermia. Dr. Gritters explains, “Hypothermia involves your body temperature dropping below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The colder your core temperature gets, […]
