(Radio Iowa) – State officials are scrambling to merge some operations by July 1st. That’s when the governor’s plan to shrink the number of state agencies from 37 to 16 takes effect. The Iowa Department of Education is absorbing the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs as well as the College Student Aid Commission, the Board of Educational Examiners, the STEM Advisory Council and Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Mark Ford is deputy director and chief operating officer of the Iowa Department of Education. “It’s going to be fast and furious. It’s a lot to get done,” he says.

Ford says some logistics won’t be resolved when the merger takes effect in three weeks, but he says no one is being laid off and no one’s pay is being cut. “There have been some concessions and understandings made,” he says, “just so you know, that not everything is going to change July 1.”

Ford made his comments during Thursday’s state Board of Education meeting. Governor Reynolds says the mergers to shrink the number of executive branch agencies will make state government more efficient and more closely match the number of state agencies in states with similar populations.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) says she’s supporting the bipartisan, bicameral Expanding Childcare in Rural America (ECRA) Act of 2023 to expand childcare access in agricultural and rural communities. “When I’m traveling from River to River across Iowa, Ernst says, “I hear from employees and small business owners who want more childcare options in rural Iowa. Our efforts will empower childcare centers in our agriculture communities to invest in facility development and staff training opportunities to ensure quality childcare options are available to every family. Keeping my promises to take on this issue, I will continue to work with my colleagues to remove burdens on parents by expanding opportunities for providers in every corner of the state.”

The Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act would direct U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to authorize and prioritize projects that address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare through the following programs:

• The Community Facilities Program offers direct loans, loan guarantees and grants to develop or improve essential public services and facilities in communities across rural America; Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant offers grants to eligible public bodies and private, nonprofit organizations (such as states, counties, cities, townships, incorporated towns, villages, boroughs, authorities, districts, and Tribes located on Federal or state reservations) to provide technical assistance and/or training in support of the essential community facilities program;
• The Business & Industry Loan Guarantee Program provides loan guarantees to commercial lenders for loans to eligible rural businesses; The Rural Business Development Grant Program is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas that have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues;
• The Rural Innovation Strong Economy Grant Program offers grant assistance to create and augment high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, support industry clusters and maximize the use of local productive assets in eligible low-income rural areas;
• The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to provide microloans for microenterprise startups and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund; and provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.

Last March, Ernst, who is a Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, led the Child Care Small Business Investment Act, an effort to make non-profit child care providers eligible for 7(a) and 504 loan programs under the SBA, so long as they are licensed by the state and their employees have had criminal background checks. The legislation would also ensure that religiously-affiliated non-profits qualify for these loan programs.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report 41-year-old Robert Hudek, of Creston, was arrested this (Friday) morning, on an Assault charge. Hudek was taken into custody at around 6:35-a.m. in the 600 block of N. Cherry Street, in Creston, and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault 2nd Offense. He was being held without bond in the Union County jail, until seen by the Judge.

(Audubon, Iowa) – Officials with the Audubon County Secondary Roads Department report a bridge replacement project in the County, is finished. Bridgework was being conducted on 130^th Street between Nighthawk Avenue and Oriole Avenue. Officials say 130^th Street is once again open to through traffic.

(Radio Iowa)  – Triple A shows the statewide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Iowa is three-36 ($3.36). That’s 20 cents lower than the national average and more than a dollar-30 ($1.30) lower than a year ago. The cheapest gas is in Henry County, where Triple A found it for sale at three-11 ($3.11) a gallon on Thursday. The most expensive fuel prices in the state were in Winneshiek County, where Triple A shows regular unleaded was selling for three-51 a gallon yesterday (Thursday).

(Radio Iowa) – A celebration of the only draft horse bred and developed in the United States is planned for this summer with special programs in three central Iowa communities. What’s known as the American Cream Horse originated in the three towns, Jewell, Ellsworth and Radcliffe. Richard Steffen, spokesman for the Jewell History Museum, says the premiere program about the horse is scheduled for this weekend.  “The first is Saturday at four o’clock at the Jewell Museum,” Steffen says, “and it deals with Eric Christian, who was a local veterinarian in Jewell who had a role in this development.”

Two more presentations about the unique breed are being planned for July to educate people about the historic horse from Iowa. “The first one will be in Ellsworth at the library,” he says, “and then a third program will be the following week at the city park in Radcliffe.”

The horse is characterized by the cream or gold champagne color of its coat. It was developed during the first half of the 20th century. The horse is considered an exceptionally rare breed, with only perhaps 400 remaining worldwide. It’s listed as critically endangered.