😁 Happy Friday! Fun or Folklore? This Sunday, the famous Punxsutawney Phil’s appearance will signal whether we’ll face six more weeks of winter— or an early Spring. While many eagerly await his prediction, some question how much stock we should put in this centuries-old tradition. Is it just a quirky bit of fun, or does it still have relevance today?

-KTLA

Weekend Weather:
Today ☀️ Hi 46, Sat ☁️ Hi 46, Sun 🌤️ Hi 52, Mon ☁️ Hi 35

B&A Club: 
🎂 Happy Birthday
Paula Finken -- Carroll
Tate King -- Sac City (4 yrs)
Claire King -- Sac City (4 yrs)
Jackson Gross -- Carroll (17 yrs)
🥂 Happy Anniversary
none reported

MARKETS FROM SHERWOOD

Are Microsoft and Meta being better allies to chip companies than their own shareholders?

It’s time to turn to the statement of cash flows.
Luke Kawa

MicrosoftMSFT $415.98 (-5.96%) and MetaMETA $692.55 (2.37%), the two hyperscalers that reported earnings on Wednesday, are experiencing wildly divergent fortunes: the former is slumping severely after its cloud business failed to impress, while the latter is up after CEO Mark Zuckerberg doubled down on his commitment to the AI boom.

You can’t really complain too much about the returns you’ve gotten from these companies since the AI boom kicked off. Well, maybe Microsoft leaves something to be desired.

But to zoom out and understand how dramatically investments in this new technology are impacting these companies’ financials, we need to move away from some of the most high-profile quarterly numbers that determine whether analysts say “Great quarter, guys!” or not.

Line items like net income and earnings per share can’t provide the full picture. For those, only depreciation (i.e. the capital stock you’ve “used up” over the course of the quarter to make all that money) is included. rest of the story

LOCAL NEWS

Carroll Chamber Introduces "Taste It Tuesday" To Promote Carroll Dining Options

The Carroll Chamber of Commerce is soon introducing a new promotional series, "Taste It Tuesday," to highlight Carroll's selection of dining options. Chamber Program Director Ashley Schable says they've previously hosted retail events to showcase the community's shopping options and wanted to expand into the food-and-drink sphere. The chamber will post a video to its Facebook page a few times per month featuring a local food or drink business. Schable says each segment will have its own flavor. Schable adds that many people don't realize it, but Carroll has over 30 dining options, ranging from coffee shops and nutrition shakes to dine-in and fast food. She says they've already made their first stop on the Taste It Tuesday tour. She says this new initiative fits neatly into the chamber's mission of promoting everything Carroll has to offer. The Taste It Tuesday video will be posted to the Carroll Chamber of Commerce's Facebook page.

More Local Headlines

• DMACC President Rob Denson Announces Retirement

• Kuemper Catholic Kicks Off The 41st Annual Friends Of The Kuemper Ball “We Are Eternally Knights”

• CCSD Board Of Education Approves Of Weighted GPA Scale And Discusses Modified Schedule And Graduation Requirements For High School Students

• Help Glidden City Officials Plan For The Future By Completing Public Input Survey

AREA NEWS
Area headlines

 🎤 Surrounding area schools celebrate success as 13 of the 20 group entries will be advancing to state large-group speech in the next couple of weeks. IKM-Manning had a total of 46 students participating in ten different events, with nine advancing on with their pieces. Audubon Community School District had two groups participate in group improv and musical theatre, with the musical theatre earning a Division I rating and moving on to state. East Sac County had three groups perform for radio broadcasting, improv and short film, with all earning a Division II rating. Seven South Central Calhoun students submitted a short film called “Knight” and received a Division II rating. Coon Rapids-Bayard had eight students submit a television news segment, earning a Division I rating and moving on to state. Ar-We-Va CSD group improv will be advancing to state with a Division I rating and a short film created by four students receiving a Division (II) rating. Glidden-Ralston had no students perform for large group speech this year. The complete list of groups and students that performed for each school can be found here.

🏗️ After nearly nine months, the Audubon County Courthouse is slowly opening back up after the competition of the HVAC project. Offices in the courthouse moved to temporary locations back in April of 2024, while Graphite Construction completed the renovations of replacing the original piping system in the building and the hot water boiler. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the original expected completion date of October was pushed back because of needing to replace the roof to accommodate the eight new HVAC units. Starting on Jan. 9, the Audubon County Assessor’s Office started the transition back into the courthouse, followed by the county recorder and treasurer’s office. Clerk of Courts and county attorney’s office is looking to move back towards the end of the January, with the courthouse fully operational by the end of the month. The total cost of the project is around $2.88 million, that is paid for with a combination of a loan agreement and funding from the American Plan Rescue Act (APRA) that will be paid back in ten years.

🐥 Iowa taxpayers have an opportunity to support vulnerable wildlife by donating to the Fish and Wildlife Fund, also known as the Chickadee Checkoff of their state tax forms. These donations support the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Wildlife Diversity Program, funding research, habitat development, and education for non-game wildlife species. In 2023, more than 5,300 taxpayers donated approximately $134,000, a decrease of $14,000 from the previous year. Despite the drop, the program continues to make a meaningful impact. The Wildlife Diversity Program is not funded by general taxpayer dollars and relies on voluntary contributions and the sale of Natural Resources License Plates. Projects supported in 2024 included the banding and tracking of 34 wood thrushes, a species that has declined by nearly 50 percent since 1966, and the rediscovery of the Starhead Topminnow, a fish not seen in Iowa since the 1930s. Volunteers also helped launch the Iowa Bumble Bee Atlas, recording nearly 1,200 bumble bees across 10 species. If every Iowa taxpayer donated just a dollar, the program could raise $1.6 million for wildlife conservation. For more information on how to contribute, click here.

LOCAL SPORTS
PODCAST: Weekly Sports Recap and Preview with Area Coaches

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 previews the match up for the week ahead. If don’t follow this podcast yet, you should, get in depth dialogue from our area coaches by clicking here.

More Sports:

• Sports Schedule

• Brincks Exteriors Sports Reports

• Brincks Cabinets + Design Athlete Spotlight 🆕 

• Macke Motors Photo Gallery

• Motor Inn Player of the Game

• Outlaw Graphics Regional Player of the Week

• St. Anthony Athletes of the Week 

• Teamwork with Olsen’s Outdoor Power

If you want the latest local sports anytime when you want it, download our APP to read, listen, and watch everything our local sports department has to offer!

STATE NEWS
Auditor: More than $400K in public money misspent through state-run program

Sand calls it a case of ’embezzlement’ at Children and Families of Iowa
By: Clark Kauffman

Auditor of State Rob Sand speaks at a press conference on Jan. 30, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Auditor of State’s Office)

Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand issued a report Thursday that says more than $400,000 in taxpayer money was improperly spent through a program run by Iowa Workforce Development.

At a press conference Thursday, Sand characterized the matter as a case of “embezzlement” that involves programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered by Iowa Workforce Development.

The federal money was routed from IWD to the Central Iowa Workforce Development Board, and then to the so-called “subrecipient” of the funds, Children and Families of Iowa, Sand said.

At Children and Families of Iowa, administrator Jodi Spargur-Tate headed a program tasked with distributing the funds to Iowans, Sand said. “This is a program that’s oriented around making sure that people have job-training opportunities and pathways to success and prosperity,” he said.

The auditor’s investigation identified $436,180 worth of improper and unsupported disbursements, including $324,586 in payments that were routed to Spargur-Tate herself, according to the report.

“And then there was about another $100,000 that was diverted to Spargur-Tate’s family members for things like rent, utilities and cellphone service,” Sand said. rest of the story

MORE STATE NEWS:

• Polk County cuts ties with medical examiners, pays $327K severance

• A look inside Mins Studios, Iowa's first K-pop store

• What did Sen. Grassley ask RFK Jr. at his confirmation hearing?

• 3 things to watch when the Cyclones play Kansas State

• Caitlin Clark returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for WNBA preseason game

MORE NEWS
What else!

• Live updates: Collision between helicopter and plane kills 67 in nation’s worst air disaster in a generation

• Tax season has begun. Here’s when you’ll get your refund

• Kyle Lowry, Sixers react to rallying for comeback win over Kings

• Trump says tariffs against Canada, Mexico coming Saturday

• Amy Schumer Gets Some Big News in This Kinda Pregnant Clip

WEEKEND
To Do List

✅FLU SEASON: Here’s what to look for.
✅VALENTINE’S: Stop by Prep & Plate for a prearranged Valentine basket for your special someone!
✅CURDLED MILK: The best cottage cheese recipes for more protein in your diet!
✅MOISTURIZE: A guide to keeping your hands ultra soft during dry skin season.
✅TUNE IN: Be caller number 6 to qualify!
✅BELOW FREEZING: The outdoor fun doesn’t have to end when it’s cold outside!
✅FILL YOUR TANK: In case your parents didn’t teach you…
✅READ: Myths vs. Facts about warming up your car on a cold day.

DID YOU KNOW:
The odds of being born on February 29th are about 1 in 1,461.

GAMES
Ready…Get Set…Go

Word Search: For those of you that wake up each morning wanting a challenge—how fast can you finished this quiz. Ready…get set…go.

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