😁 Happy Friday! Before you dive into the candy stash this Easter, give a little love to the real all-star of the season: the egg. From soft-boiled to omelets, frittatas to egg sandwiches, these little guys can do it all—sometimes better than your chocolate haul.

Weekend Weather:
Today ☀ Hi 49 Sat ⛅ Hi 58, Sun ⛅ Hi 73, Mon ⛈ Hi 77

B&A Club:
🎂 Happy Birthday
Ashley Behrens -- Des Moines
Sara Smith -- Carroll
🥂 Happy Anniversary
Bill & Sue Schrad -- Maple River

Demand for Clear Secure services are surging as travelers look to bypass TSA lines.

Hyunsoo Rim

As if surging ticket prices and flight cancellations weren’t enough, American flyers are now having to contend with record-long airport lines, as the partial government shutdown in mid-February continues to blight the Transportation Security Administration, triggering staffing shortages at travel hub checkpoints across the country.  

During a House hearing on Wednesday, the TSA’s acting head, Ha Nguyen McNeill, said wait times at airports are currently the longest in the agency’s 24-year history, with delays stretching beyond 4.5 hours at some major airports where as many as 50% of the administration’s employees have called out.

Out of this historic air travel chaos, however, a few outliers have cashed in on frustrated travelers who are willing to buy their way out — including a private jet company that’s seen a 40% spike in charter demand, and ClearYOU $54.04 (-0.82%), a biometric firm whose $209-a-year subscription lets users bypass ID checks through fingerprint or eye scans and jump to the front of the screening line.

According to data from Appfigures, Clear’s app downloads in March have more than tripled from a year ago, and the app currently sees more daily downloads than the major carriers many of its customers are likely flying with, such as Delta, American, and United. The company’s stock has also jumped nearly 60% this year, inching closer to the all-time high it hit shortly after its 2021 IPO.

Still, Clear’s momentum could slow down or cease entirely if the broader TSA system collapses, and relief might not be on the way just yet: agency officials have warned that the TSA won’t be fully staffed in time to handle surging travel volumes during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June.

The Carroll City Council voted 4-2 at its meeting earlier this week to move forward with the beginning stages of a new development agreement for the Golfview Subdivision. Golfview is an approximately five-acre section of unused land found on the Carroll Municipal Golf Course’s western edge. The land had previously been considered for development by city leaders, but that plan did not pan out, as a larger expansion to the west did not proceed due to land-acquisition issues and underlying infrastructure challenges. City Manager Aaron Kooiker says the city has been working with Kerkhoff Kraftsmen, Inc., over the last few months to finalize a smaller development of higher-end homes. In short, the development agreement would have the city install approximately $1.25 million in public improvements, including water and sewer mains, curbs, and a lift station to serve the area, and would sell the land to Kerkhoff Krafsmen, Inc. In exchange, the contractor will purchase the developed land for $750,000 and build homes with a combined value of at least $7.75 million. The city will create a new urban renewal area to capture tax increment from the new subdivision, which will be used to repay the initial investment over the next 15 years. Ward 2 Councilman Jason Atherton believes the city is selling the land at too steep a discount. At-Large Councilman Jeff Cayler notes that it may be true in the short term, but the city will more than recoup its investment over the life of the homes. Former Mayor Mark Beardmore, who spoke during Monday’s meeting, says he has some concerns about the proposed development, primarily the city subsidizing home builders. Under the current property tax code, the homes would generate just shy of $50,0000 in additional tax revenue per year for Carroll, and the city would capture 100 percent of that due to the urban renewal area. At least 10 percent of those revenues must be set aside for low- to moderate-income housing for 15 years, but the remainder will go toward repaying the city’s initial investment. The council voted 4-2, with Atherton and Ward 1 Councilwoman Deb Koster voting no, to acknowledge the need for the development and scheduled the required public hearing for the council’s April 27 meeting. Video from this section of Monday’s proceedings is included here.

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🎟 The Auburn Public Library and the Auburn Historical Museum are selling tickets for the popular “Fun-Raiser” raffle with the drawing a little over a week away. This year marks the 11^th anniversary of the two organizations partnering together to raise funding, with Librarian Donetta Stewart saying it has grown significantly since its inception. In 2024, the raffle raised a record breaking $22,265, which was split between the museum and the library for operating cost and special program expenses. Representative for the Auburn Historical Museum Jane Barto says both the museum and the library have so much planned within the community that uses the money raised. This year there are over 70 prizes that were donated by various businesses and individuals in the area, some big items and others newly offered, but they guaranteed something for everyone. Tickets can be purchased at the library during normal business hours, with cost ranging from $25 to $2, depending on the prize. Tickets need to be purchased prior to the drawing that will take place on April 4 at 1 p.m. The winners of the prizes will be contacted and do not need to be present at the library at the time of the drawing. Barto and Stewart wishes to thank everyone who has generously donated raffle items for the fundraising event and for the continuous support of the Auburn Public Library and Auburn Historical Museum.

🏈 The East Sac County (ESC) Community School District has been recognized for the 16 time with the Fields of Excellence Award by Pioneer Paint. This nationwide program honors individuals, schools and communities who step up, dedicating time and effort to maintaining fields and sports facilities to look their best. The football field in Wall Lake has been selected as one of 94 winners nationwide, four located in Iowa, for the well-maintained surface. ESC staff note that this recognition is largely due to the work put in by the district’s maintenance director, Steve Nuetzman, thanking him for all his hard work, pride, and dedication to maintaining the fields to continue allowing ESC facilities to shine. Another school district near the listening area, CAM Jr/Sr High School in Anita was also presented with this honor. The other districts in the state were North Union High School in Armstrong and Northeast Community School District in Goose Lake.

💧 The Lohrville Spray Pad project has been awarded a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The program offers grant funding to a variety of recreational, entertainment and cultural attractions to enhance vitality and increase tourism of the community. The Lohrville Visions organization has been working to raise $250,000 to construct a 1,500 square foot, railroad-themed spray pad in the south-west corner of the city park. The $53,000 CAT grant now brings the fundraising to 85 percent of the project’s total. The plan is to hopefully have construction completed for residents and visitors to enjoy by this upcoming summer. Fundraising is still going on and anyone interested in helping can visit the Lohrville Spray Pad Facebook page, a link to which is included with this story online. One fundraising opportunity is this upcoming weekend, with the Lohrville Visions hosting an online baked goods auction. Any baker or chef interested in donating bread, cookies, pies, or a homemade meal can reach out to Melissa Kinney, contact points have been included with this story online. The auction opens on the event’s Facebook page on March 27 at 7 p.m. with bidding ending on March 29 at 7 p.m.

Wendl’s Weapons Indoor Range has created this special feature to honor local veterans in a meaningful way and so we can celebrate them for their years of service and dedication for protecting our freedoms. Each month there will be a special featured veteran that will be highlighted right here on this page, plus you will see it on Carroll Broadcasting’s social media accounts, and hear about it when there is a new feature. But we also want your participation as well. Please take a moment to nominate a veteran that you would like to highlight using the simple form below. Together with Wendl’s Weapons Indoor Range let’s recognize our local veterans in a way that our local communities can acknowledge them in an impactful way by highlighting their Branch of Service, Year’s of Service, Photos and their Story. NOMINATION FORM

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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Linh Ta, Jason Clayworth

Des Moines Performing Arts (DMPA) released details for its upcoming Willis Broadway Series, and there's the return of fan favorites, including a two-week run of "Phantom of the Opera," and some new shows like Alicia Keys' "Hell's Kitchen."

The intrigue: Despite being a mid-size city, Des Moines often draws coveted "first-run" tours of hit Broadway shows, thanks to the investments DMPA makes in up-and-coming shows while they're off-Broadway.

What they're saying: "That is a very direct way to be uplifting artists, uplifting new music and new musicals," DMPA CEO Monica Holt tells Axios.

Zoom in: Here are the upcoming shows:

More State Headlines:

✅READ: Benefits of a quick weekend closet clean-out.

✅GREEN THUMB: Some of the easiest beginner friendly flowers to plant this Spring!

✅SAVE THIS: If you’ve been meaning to organize your kitchen, here are some smart storage ideas that actually work.

✅UNPLUG: Taking a break from screens can do more for your mood than you think.

✅FRIDAY: Jake Schrodt live at Wasted Grain!

✅SATURDAY: Easter Eggstravaganza at Accura HealthCare!

✅SUNDAY: One Stop Shop Easter Event… Check it out!

✅LOOK AHEAD: Easter Brunch on Sunday April 5th at Carroll National!

✅SIGN UP: Join the Robinson Rhunke, PC ‘Movie Madness’ Bracket Challenge

Mini Crossword: For those of you that wake up each morning wanting a challenge —how fast can you complete this mini-crossword. Ready, set, go.