😁 Happy Friday! It’s the most controversial question of the season: do you deck the halls before the turkey hits the table, or wait until Thanksgiving leftovers are gone? Some say early decorators are “festive geniuses,” others call them “premature tinsel enthusiasts.” Either way, one thing’s certain— once those lights come out, there’s no going back!


Weekend Weather:
Today ☀ Hi 70, Sat ☀ Hi 63, Sun ☀ Hi 55, Mon 🌦 Hi 49

B&A Club:
🎂 Happy Birthday
Josh Walker -- Manning
Doug Zimmerman -- Carroll
Betty Kirsch -- Carroll (80 yrs)
Alberta Meiners -- Dedham (82 yrs)
🥂 Happy Anniversary
RT & Judy Schreck -- Carroll (55 yrs)

True crime is the only top genre with a higher share of female voices.

Tom Jones

In 2019, people were already making jokes about how the collective noun for a group of men should be changed to “a podcast.” Not a lot’s changed six years later, with a new report from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism revealing that male hosts still dominate the format.

According to a new study led by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the school’s Inclusion Initiative, women appeared as hosts on just 33% of the top 592 US podcasts on Spotify last year. The representation of women across the podcasting landscape represents a “low point” relative to other media, per the report, with the share of female participation across top films, TV shows, and songs all higher than podcasting last year.

Though things at the very top of the pod game are pretty even on the surface — six of the current top 10 podcasts on Spotify feature at least one female host, while around 50% of the 25 podcasts eligible for the Golden Globes’ inaugural Best Podcast award also have women behind the mic — the picture is less equal further down the list, with some striking splits by genre.

Per the paper, women are least represented across business and tech podcasts, where just 8% of pods have one or more female hosts, as well as sports and fitness, with men taking an 81% share of popular sporting pod hosting duties. Indeed, of the top genres Smith et al. tracked, only true crime saw a higher share of female than male hosts — a pattern that holds up across listener figures for the genre, too.

Read the full study, “Inequality in Popular Podcasts? An Examination of Gender & Race/Ethnicity,” here.

Carroll High School (CHS) students take to the stage beginning tomorrow (Friday) in a less-than-musical version of Disney’s popular High School Musical. Staff Director Amy Madsen says the show is a humorous spin on the source material. Madsen says the show follows high schoolers as they navigate the challenges of young adulthood and learn to make their own choices. Madsen says the plot mirrors many of the questions the cast and crew have on a day-to-day basis. The 50-plus-person roster has been practicing three times per week since the end of August, and Madsen says they would be thrilled to showcase their talents to a full house. Three shows are planned for this weekend: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7 p.m. at the CHS auditorium. Sunday’s show begins at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased in advance via the Bound app or at the door. The runtime for High School Non-Musical is about 80 minutes. In addition to Madsen, the show is also directed by Bill Polking and Jake Gute. Dani Murray assisted in managing the backstage crew, and costumes were overseen by Lori Schreck and Carol Gallegos. A link to purchase tickets for showings of “High School Non-Musical” is included here. https://www.gobound.com/ia/schools/carroll/tickets

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🏗 The Lake View City Council approved the building permit application for EVAPCO’s newest expansion during the Nov. 3 meeting. Back in October, EVAPCO Plant Manger Brett Meyer approached the council to discuss a new product line that will be introduced to the Lake View facility. The last expansion of the manufacturing site was in 2022, adding 65,000 square feet of production space, costing around $12.5 million and added roughly 85 new jobs. Meyer says this newest addition is projected to be around 95,400 square feet. Upon completion, the Lake View facility will be around 300,000 square feet and will continue remaining Sac County’s largest employer. Meyer says dirt work has started, but says some details in the development agreement will need to be addressed. The Evapco development agreement with the city will be discussed at future city council work sessions. With a unanimous approval for the building permit, Evapco has been given the green light to begin placing footings before the true winter season hits and the next phase to be carried out around spring 2026.

🐕‍🦺 The Sac County Sheriff’s Office announces K9 Deputy Remo will be retiring due to health-related issues. K9 Remo has served with Deputy Francisco Cruz for the past four years, after time with the Navy Seals. In a post to social media, the Sac County Sheriff’s Office remarks Remo on his outstanding abilities, excelling at the job with his sense of smell for narcotic detection. He completed hours of training and exercises, earning second place out of 51 teams in the USPCA Narcotic Search trials this past spring. He will be honored and recognized for his committed service and the positivity he has brought to the Sac County Sheriff’s office and county residents. In retirement, Remo will remain with handler Deputy Cruz and his family. Other K9 Deputy Havoc will remain on duty with handler Sergeant Jonathon Meyer.

🏥 Stewart Memorial Hospital and Clinics is celebrating longtime volunteer Kristi Jacobs and recognizing her decade of service and dedication to patients, visitors, and staff by naming her its November Volunteer of the Month. Jacobs has been a frequent presence in the hospital’s gift shop since 2015, helping run the register, stock shelves, and doing whatever else needs to be done. Jacobs says, “Someone told me they were a volunteer, and I just thought it sounded like a good idea, so I started volunteering.” Jacobs’s service to the community extends outside Stewart Memorial, as she and her husband help operate the food bank at Lake City Union Church and distribute food each month to families in need. She also participates in church circles, assists with funerals, and is an active supporter of South Central Calhoun (SCC) activities.

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At the start of each week the Carroll Broadcasting Sports Network Crew catches up with area high school coaches to recap their previous weeks events and preview the match ups that are happening for the week ahead. Listen here and subscribe.

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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be issued to Iowans by Friday, Nov. 14, following the end of the federal government shutdown, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service directed the Iowa HHS to issue full SNAP benefits for the month of November, according to an Iowa HHS spokesperson. Previously, Iowa HHS had issued guidance that partial SNAP benefits would be provided for the month as the federal shutdown was still ongoing, as instructed by the Trump administration, though the state department did not provide timing on when the benefits would be released.

The shutdown ended Wednesday night, when President Donald Trump signed a federal funding package reopening the government through January. With the federal government reopening, a USDA spokesperson told States Newsroom SNAP benefits for most participants will be available “within 24 hours for most States.”

Though delayed, full food assistance benefits are being provided for November in Iowa beginning Thursday, Iowa HHS stated, with benefits “being loaded onto cards now and could be available later today.” Full benefits are anticipated to be available to all SNAP recipients Friday, according to the department.

There are roughly 42 million people nationwide who use SNAP benefits to access food. In Iowa, there are roughly 270,000 individuals enrolled in the program, and the state receives around $45 million each month in benefits.

The department recommended SNAP recipients check their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card balances before making any purchases. Balances can be checked by calling the number on the back of their EBT card, 800-359-5802, or by logging into their ConnectEBT account by browser or through the mobile app.

Earlier in November, Gov. Kim Reynolds had announced the state would match up to $1 million in donations made to Iowa food banks in order to address increased need in Iowa communities caused by the lapse in SNAP benefits, as well as plans to deploy Iowa National Guard troops to assist with food distribution across the state. Other entities throughout the state, including Polk County, also pledged money to assist local food banks — as did businesses like Hy-Vee and Fareway, as well as the three state Medicaid managed care organizations, Iowa Total Care, Molina Healthcare of Iowa, and Wellpoint Iowa.

More News:

✅VERTICAL: Hanging Christmas lights? Try this hack and see for yourself.
✅LISTEN: Is it too early to get into the Holiday spirit?
✅READ: When to start Christmas shopping for the best deals.
✅RAISE THE ROOF: Brincks Exteriors is here to lend a hand to someone in need.
✅SATURDAY: 2nd Biennial St. Anthony Gala!
✅SUNDAY: Trailblazer Cross Country Tournament at Carroll National!
✅TO DO: Send Thanks To Iowa National Guard-168th Infantry Regiment In Operation Gratitude: Iraq Edition
✅MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The Carroll Depot Holiday Lighting Ceremony is Friday, November 28th!

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