(Radio Iowa) – Some Democrats are calling for Congress to return from its recess to enact emergency legislation that would pay for additional relief following the two recent hurricanes that caused significant damage in several southern states. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, says he’s confident there’s sufficient funding in place to handle the disasters.

“Just before we left, we put $20 billion in the pot, and as of Sunday, only 2% of that was spent yet,” Grassley says, “so there’s only three weeks to go until Congress is in session, so there’s more than ample amount of money available.” Federal lawmakers aren’t scheduled to return to business until November 12th. Grassley says -if- they’re called back, he’d go, but he doesn’t think such action is necessary.

The adequacy of FEMA’s response to the hurricanes is the subject of much “he said/she said” debate among the presidential candidates, but Grassley says he thinks the agency is doing what it’s supposed to do. “At least what I know from reading in the newspapers, listening to the radio, and watching TV, I’m satisfied,” Grassley says, “but I’m not in Asheville, North Carolina, seeing it on the ground.”

Hurricane Helene spawned severe winds, heavy rain and record flooding in western North Carolina, where Iowa utility crews are still helping to restore the power. Iowa has had its share of terrible weather events this year, too, and Grassley says FEMA’s response in Iowa to deadly tornadoes and historic flooding was up to par. “Things that have happened in Minden and Greenfield, and let’s see, Spencer would be where we had a flood, Rock Valley, we had a flood,” Grassley says. “I’ve been to those communities today, and I’m satisfied with what I saw FEMA doing here in Iowa.”

In addition to the billions in damage from the two hurricanes coming 13 days apart, Helene killed at least 250 people in seven states, while Milton is blamed in 14 deaths in Florida.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Secretary of State’s office has released a video explaining the roll of poll watchers on Election Day. A narrator lists all the requirements and limitations during the nearly five-minute long video.  “A poll watcher is a person who has official permission to be at the polling place on Election Day or in the room where absentee ballots are counted before the polls close.”

The move comes as both political parties have increased recruitment of people to observe Election Day voting. Candidates or people who hold political office cannot be poll watchers. Poll watchers must provide written permission to a precinct’s election workers that they’ve been appointed by a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian Party official or by a political organization that does not have major party status in Iowa, like the Green Party.

Candidates nominated by petition may also appoint poll watchers. State officials say poll watchers are to observe, but not interfere with the election process. Poll watchers who interrupt or try to influence a voter who’s casting a ballot can be arrested and charged with third degree election misconduct.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – More than 200 people participated in the Atlantic Park & Rec Department’s “Zombie Run,” Saturday night at the Schildberg Campground and Recreation Area. Parks and Rec Coordinator Jeff Christensen says members of the Royal Neighbors Chapter 1373 were on-hand for the event with drinks, fruit and candy, part of which was supplied from the Atlantic Fareway Store.

Proceeds from the event benefited the Atlantic Park and Rec Department and Atlantic Animal Shelter. (Photos courtesy Jeff Christensen)

(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa farmer has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for stealing nearly five million dollars worth of livestock and federal pandemic assistance.
Prosecutors say 54-year-old Michael Butikofer of Monona, in Clayton County, had a large operation raising cattle for investors across the U-S and he recruited employees from South Africa who were forced to live on the farm without access to clean water or even furniture. According to a news release from the U-S Attorney’s Office, Butikofer convinced eight investors to let him sell their cattle in his name — and he took over two-and-a-half MILLION dollars of the profits for his own use. He was also accused of getting more than a million dollars in emergency assistance from the U-S-D-A at the start of the pandemic for cattle he did not own — and making false claims to get a one-and-half MILLION dollar disaster loan from the S-B-A in early 2022.

Prosecutors say Butikofer made false statements about his financial condition when he filed for bankruptcy soon after getting that S-B-A loan. The U-S Attorney’s Office says Butikofer used his bankruptcy filing to dupe three migrants who’d worked for him into accepting 30 percent of the nearly quarter of a million dollars a federal court ordered Butikofer to pay them for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Last year, federal agents rescued a husband, wife and teenaged daughter from South African from Butifer’s farm. They had been living in a camper without water, electricity or heat. Then again this past April federal agents prevented other migrants recruited to work at the farm from winding up there.