(Radio Iowa) – The U-S-S Sioux City is among a group of ships the U-S Navy is considering decommissioning to save money. The Navy’s plan is to eliminate five cruisers, nine littoral combat ships — including the U-S-S Sioux City — four landing dock ships, two submarines, two oilers, and two expeditionary transfer docks. That would save the Navy an estimated three-point-six (3.6) billion dollars over the next few years.

The nine littoral combat ships, including the Sioux City, are the Freedom class variant, which was found to have a major flaw with its combining gear that transfers power from the ship’s engines to its water jets.

USS Sioux City (Navy photo_

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak have arrested a man for 1st Degree Harassment (an aggravated misdemeanor). Authorities report 47-year-old David Eugene Anthony Fussell, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 11-a.m. today (Thursday), and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is urging her fellow Republicans in the Iowa House to approve her plan to provide state-funded scholarships to parents who’ll be enrolling their children in a private school. All but one Republican in the Iowa Senate voted for the plan last night, but — for a second year — it hasn’t come up for a vote in the House.“I’m going to be optimistic, right up until the end,” Reynolds told reporters yesterday, before last night’s vote. “It’s part of the process.” Some Republican lawmakers who represent rural areas say there are few, if any private school options for parents in their districts and that’s why they oppose the bill. Reynolds submitted a revamped plan this year that not only provides state money to parents cover the costs of private school expenses, but there’s additional money in it for public schools in rural areas.

“Every day, when I talk to parents, it underscores how important it is to give parents the choice in their child’s education, to pick an environment that’s conducive to them, and it shouldn’t just be available to parents who have the resources to do it,” Reynolds said. “That is fundamentally wrong.” Under the Senate-passed plan, parents with an annual income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level would be eligible to apply for the state scholarships. That means a family of four could have an annual income of up to $110,000 and qualify and get $5500 from the state to cover private school expenses.

“You’ve heard me say a hundred times education is the great equalizer and every parent needs to be able to make that choice, whether they have the funds or not,” Reynolds said, “and so we’re going to keep fighting on behalf of parents.”

The union that represents teachers — the Iowa State Education Association — said the governor’s plan calls for spending $55 million on 10,000 students, while the public schools that serve nearly half a million students need more state support.

(Radio Iowa) – A survey released by the Realtors Land Institute shows land values haven’t dropped off at all. Scott Seifert presented the results. “From September 1st 2021 to March 1st 2022 as a state average on farmland — it went up 14-point-one percent. That is all nine regions and taking in your low, medium and high quality cropland,” Seifert says. Their survey is done every six months, and he says when you look at a full year their survey is close to what other yearly surveys have found for cropland prices. He says land prices probably won’t change a lot in the short term as commodity prices remain strong. But other costs could start to impact them.

“That’s going to hold out for a while, but I think as we get through the year and people made more money on the farm for 2021’s crops than they will for 2022 probably — because inputs are definitely going to catch up, and we’ve already seen that some,” he says. Seifert says those economic factors might slow things a bit. “I don’t think we are going to see the rise like we’ve seen the last 12 to 18 months,” Seifert says. He says that is already evident in the survey when they ask landowners about the expected return.

He says in the survey last March, a majority said they wanted to see a three percent return, and this year they are hoping for a two percent return. But he says they understand they aren’t going to get as much money, but see the land as a hard asset. Seifert says inflation is another factor that is starting to show up more when they asked about impacts on land values. “In 2021 people said that inflation risk was the least important of the list of them there. And then when you came to 2022, that one wasn’t the highest, but it was not the least by any means — it was more the middle of the pack,” Seifert says. “I think people are just understanding the general economics of what’s going on in the U-S today.”

Current interest rate levels and low supply of land being offered to the market were other factors that respondents said impacted land value.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Thursday), held a Public Hearing on an Ordinance establishing Supervisor Districts and Election Precincts, in Cass County. Hearing no comments, the hearing was closed and the Board reconvened to act on approving Ordinance 19-2022 Election Precincts after the first reading, and to waive the second and third readings, before moving to adopt the Ordinance as written.

Board Chair Steve Bair breaks down the precincts as stated in the Ordinance…

He said Precinct seven is comprised of townships including Benton, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, as well as the Cites of Anita and Wiota. Precinct 8 will be comprised of townships that include Brighton, Grove, Pymosa and Washington, as well as the City of Marne.

Precinct 12 will be comprised of the westerly part of Massena Township, and the City of Massena.

Cass County BOS mtg., 3/31/22

All precincts are based on the latest Census data, effective March 31st, 2022. In other business, Atlantic Nishna Valley YMCA Director Dan Haynes reviewed the renovation project of creating a four-year-old child care space at the YMCA, which is licensed for 33 children.

The nearly $400,000 project is being funded by secured grants and other sources, but it still leaves them with a shortage of $88,109. Haynes said the shortfall is the reason he was before the Board to ask for some additional funding. He said it wasn’t cheap to renovate and upgrade their facility for childcare purposes.

He said they still have openings for up to four child care personnel, and up 10 additional children. Haynes was asked by Supervisor Mark O’Brien, about the current “financial status” of the YMCA, in general.

Haynes said they’re happy with the way the Wickman Center is performing, and the way businesses, the City and individuals have stepped-up to fill any current or potential void in funding the Center. The Board took no action on funding, but Chairman Baier encouraged Haynes to fill out an application from the Auditor’s Office for a small scale grant, and possible ARPA Funds.

The Cass County Supervisors heard also from County Engineer Trent Wolken, with a Secondary Roads Department report on maintenance and activities. He said they went from hauling rock Wednesday to hauling salt and sand and clearing roads this (Thursday) morning. Wolken said they’ve been starting on working with contract rock this week and will get into using more of the stockpile next week, weather permitting. He mentioned some bids came in for equipment, such as trucks and motor graders for the next fiscal year, but trying to get new trucks ordered is like the old military saying, “Hurry up and wait.”

The two trucks they ordered in February 2021 were only recently built. In other news, the Board acted on approving a cooperative agreement for a bridge removal mitigation program with the Iowa DOT in the area of 570th Street and Interstate 80. Bid letting for the project won’t even begin until January, 2024. And, the Board approved the assignment of 2017 & 2019 Tax Sale Certificates for certain parcels in the Cities of Cumberland and Griswold, to Situs Cultivation, LLC.), which agrees to purchase the properties for the price of the back taxes, penalty, interest and an assignment fee.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Shelby County Auditor, Mark Maxwell would like to remind all registered voters that absentee ballot applications for the June 7th Primary are available in his office until May 23rd.

If you plan on voting by mail, now would be a good time to call the Auditors office at 712-755-3831 – extension 6.  Iowa code dictates that only one request per phone call/person is allowed.  Copies may be made if one is mailed to you.  A form is available on the Shelby County Website by clicking on the documents tab and then legal notices.  This form must be printed and filled out. Voters may also choose to search on the internet for Iowa Secretary of State then click on the elections tab for more information such as “am I registered to vote” and tracking your absentee ballot.  Only original completed absentee ballot request forms, completed and signed by eligible voters, filed in the Auditors office, will allow the ballot to be counted once the ballot is received. Maxwell reminds those with intention of voting absentee that on Wednesday, May 18th in-person absentee voting starts in the Courthouse, for those not wishing to mail a request or ballot.

Auditor Maxwell encourages all eligible electors to take part in the primary election.  This is a primary election and you may only cast ballots for the political party that you chose to vote.  If a person switches parties to vote a different party’s ballot, it is up to the voter to change their party affiliation back to the original party after election day.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to food needs in Cass County, and many people and organizations stepped up to help. The Cass County Local Food Policy Council recognizes the many efforts of those who worked during the pandemic to get food to those who needed it. As the pandemic transitions to an endemic, the need for help with food still continues so the Council asks for continued community support. The Cass County Local Food Policy Council encourages everyone in Cass County to continue to help address local hunger, whether growing a few extra tomatoes to share with a neighbor or donate through Grow Another Row, volunteering with a mobile food pantry, or sending a financial donation to one of Cass County’s four local food pantries—every contribution matters.

Cass County COVID-19 Mobile Food For All
During 2020 and 2021 the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) provided over $120,000 dollars in grant funding to support a program called Cass County COVID-29 Mobile Food For All. This program provided a weekly food delivery service to an average of 75 households across the county for approximately 35 weeks. However, IEDA funding wasn’t the only contribution that made the program possible. Hundreds of volunteer hours were contributed by community members who sacked and delivered food across the county. In addition, SWITA, SWIPCO, Cass County ISU Extension, and the Cass County Community Center partnered and contributed time and resources. Cass County ISU Extension purchased $1,000 of fresh produce for the program, and the Cass County Local Food Policy Council purchased $1,200 in local food, Eleanor Hoover and Family contributed $1,100, Hy-Vee contributed $500, and Fareway gave $200. Finally, local farmers and backyard gardeners also donated locally grown produce.

Grow Another Row
Another food program receiving significant community support during the pandemic was Grow Another Row Cass County. The program began in Spring 2020. Its organizer’s goals were to strengthen our local food system and to provide a buffer from potential supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. Grow Another Row also provided an important opportunity for people staying home to contribute to their community by growing food for those who needed it. Grow Another Row farmers and growers shared food with Cass County COVID-19 Mobile Food For All, all four of Cass County’s food pantries, and at additional locations throughout the county.

Now beginning its third year Grow Another Row has been very successful. Cass County ISU Extension is now seeking to hire a seasonal program coordinator, a position which provided to be very valuable last year. More information on the open position and on opportunities to volunteer to grow, deliver, or help harvest (pick or dig) food for Grow Another Row can be found at
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/content/grow-another-row-cass-county or by contacting Cass County Extension Director Kate Olson or Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at 712-243- 1132 or bhoegh@iastate.edu.

USDA Farmers to Families Food Boxes
In 2020 when the pandemic first shut down commercial food spaces and restaurants, the United States Department of Ag worked to redirect food that would have gone to those buyers. One such program, the Farmers to Families Food Boxes, offered food boxes to nonprofit organizations. Atlantic’s Produce in the Park, a nonprofit farmers market, first applied to receive the boxes. Cass County quickly became a reliable partner for distributing quality food quickly and efficiently to the people in the long lines of vehicles that formed on distribution days. Cappel’s Ace Hardware and Lindeman Tractor Inc. both helped unload the delivery trucks and dispose of food pallets, and numerous individuals and organizations stepped up to distribute and deliver the food boxes across Cass County.

Food Bank for the Heartland Mobile Food Pantries
Mobile pantries sponsored by Food Bank for the Heartland were already in place in Cass County before the pandemic, but these were increased and expanded over the past few years. The Anita Food Pantry began offering quarterly mobile pantries with the Food Bank for the Heartland, and the number of quarterly mobile pantries in Atlantic was increased. Again, these food distributions were made possible with an outpouring of help by many volunteers.

Additional Contributions
The food programs that have been described provide only a snapshot of the ways in which people and businesses have been working to fight hunger in Cass County. Food pantry donations across the county have been strong, and connections and networks have developed for sharing food across the county. For example, last month a delivery of 1100 pounds of fresh Bing cherries was rejected at a supermarket delivery site because they were slightly dented. The driver of the load hated to see the cherries go to waste, so he called the Atlantic Food Pantry. The pantry contact put him in touch with the County Wellness Coordinator and a group of volunteers who distributed all 1100 pounds of cherries in a matter of hours—all on a day when the high was below 25 degrees. It would have been easy for those volunteers to say it was too cold, and it wouldn’t have been far-fetched for them to think it would be impossible to distribute 1100 pounds of cherries in a few hours without any prior event advertising. But, just like so many other volunteers across Cass County, these folks believe it’s important for people to have nutritious food, and they stepped up to the challenge. The Cass County Local Food Policy Council thanks all these and future volunteers.
Important information about Cass County Food Pantries:

Anita Food Pantry: (serves towns of Anita, Massena, Cumberland, Wiota, and Bridgewater.)
Phone: (712) 762-3645
Address: 208 Chestnut St, Anita, IA 50020
Hours: 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 9:00am – 11:00am
Donations: mail checks to “Anita Food Pantry” (PO Box 96, Anita, IA 50020)

Atlantic Food Pantry:
Food Referrals are not needed, and clients may come to the pantry as needed.
Drive-through pantry. Cars are asked to line up on 4th St. (West of the pantry).
Pantry phone: (712) 243-5019 (9-11 AM Mon. and Thurs. only)
Address: 19 W. 4th St., Atlantic, IA 50022
Hours: Thurs., 1 – 2 pm (or until line ends- please show up at 12:45)
Donations: mail checks to “Atlantic Food Pantry” (19 W 4th Street. Atlantic, IA 50022)

Cumberland Care & Share Pantry: (serves Cumberland, Massena, Bridgewater)
Phone: (712) 774-5818
Address: 317 Monroe St, Cumberland, IA 50843
Hours: 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 4:30pm- 5:30pm
Donations: mail checks to “Cumberland Care & Share” (317 Monroe St, Cumberland, IA 50843)

Lord’s Cupboard of Griswold (serves Griswold School District)
Phone: (712) 778-4178
Address: 100 Cass St., Griswold, IA 51535
Hours: 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 11:00am – 2:00pm
Donations: mail checks to “The Lord’s Cupboard” (55546 Wichita Rd. Griswold, IA 51535)
More About Cass County Local Food Policy Council

The Cass County Local Food Policy Council is a Cass County Government advisory body that facilitates networking among people and groups who are involved in all aspects of the local food system—from growing and processing, to selling and eating. The Council also promotes local foods and food access by gathering information about local food-related needs, considering what might be done to help give everyone in Cass County access to healthful food, and then making recommendations and supporting organizations working toward shared goals. The
Council meets approximately six times a year. Meetings are open to the public. For more information on local food, farmers markets, and food access, in addition to food policy council
meetings, follow the Cass County Local Food Policy Council’s Facebook page @CassCountyLocalFood or contact Cass County Wellness Coordinator and Council Secretary Brigham Hoegh at
bhoegh@iastate.edu or (712) 249-5870. Additional information on the Cass County Local Food Policy Council can be found at https://www.casscountyia.gov/county-departments/food-council-policy/

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Republicans are hosting a “Know Your Candidates” forum next Monday, April 4^th at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The event takes place from 6:30-until 8:30-p.m., and includes:

• Jim Carlin – Candidate for U-S Senate
• State Senator Zach Nunn, candidate for U-S House in the 3^rd District
• Gary Leffler, Candidate for U-S House in the 3^rd District
• as well as representatives from Senator Grassley and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig’s offices.

Nichole Hasso – Candidate for U-S House in the 3^rd District has also been invited to attend. Officials say some possible issues up for discussion, include: Laws & Regulations; Energy & Labor, and Exploring Candidates’ Views on Agriculture.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa legislature have passed a bill to ban local government ordinances that restrict where fireworks may be sold in commercial or industrial zones. Senator Mike Klimesh of Spillville, says some cities are trying to use “spot zoning” to do an end run around the law that legalized firework sales in Iowa.  “Local control is a great thing when it’s applied in the spirit of the law,” Klimesh says. “When it’s used to circumvent the spirit of the law, then it’s time for the legislature to provide a little nudge in the right direction.”

Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, says cities should have the authority to regulate where massive amounts of explosives may be sold. “This is a safety issue,” Bisignano said. “I don’t know what else to say.” Bisignano says downtown Des Moines is a commercial zone. “I mean we have hotels, we have kids walking around all over the place, visitors and so forth,” Bisignano said. “I don’t think that you want to put a fireworks stand down on Court Avenue.”

Representative Cindy Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport, says she gets more complaints about fireworks than most any other topic. “The city does need and citizens expect that they have some local control in regard to this,” Winckler says. Fireworks may be sold in Iowa in the weeks leading up to the 4th of July holiday and in the winter around Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

Klimesh says the restriction on local zoning for fireworks doesn’t do away with requirements that fireworks businesses have to be licensed by the state and prove they are insured. “It’s the law of Iowa that fireworks are legal,” Klimesh says. “…Not allowing fireworks pop up tents, specific in areas that are zoned industrial or commercial — this just doesn’t allow cities to make that determination.”

Republicans in the Senate sent the bill to the governor yesterday (Wednesday). Reynolds has signed 44 bills from the legislature into law so far this year.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa Senate have voted for the governor’s plan to provide state scholarships for low and middle income families — to cover private school expenses for 10-thousand children. Senator Amy Sinclair, a Republican from Allerton, says it’s elitist to deny the choice of a private education to the poor among us.

“Those who have the means and the desire to send their child to non-public schools, you know what? They’re already doing it. This bill does not target them,” Sinclair says. “…For this body to deny the choice of education for any child based on the ability of their parents to pay, that should be considered criminal.” Households with an income at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level could apply for the money. For a family of four, the cut off would be a maximum income of about 110-thousand dollars a year.

Sinclair says this bill matters for parents who’d get to move their children out of a public school that’s not a good fit. “The public good is the education of the child,” Sinclair says. “Sustaining a system that may not be accomplishing that is not the ultimate goal, nor the ultimate public good.” Senator Jeff Taylor, a Republican from Sioux Center, says some parents feel like their values are under attack in public schools.

“The money, the control, the loyalty I think primarily has to be to parents and children of Iowa, not to particular systems of education,” Taylor said. One Republican senator from a rural area and all the Democrats in the Senate voted against the plan. Senator Kevin Kinney, a Democrat from Oxford, says there are no private school options in most rural areas. “Parents and kids in rural Iowa do not benefit from this bill,” Kinney says.

Senator Jackie Smith, a Democrat from Sioux City, says public tax dollars should be used for public schools. “Until we’re willing to provide adequate funding for the public systems, we should not create a private school entitlement program that will inevitably grow and will never disappear,” Smith says. Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville says taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be directed toward private schools that can reject student applicants for any reason.

“It would be like using taxpayer dollars to pave a road that the public can’t drive on,” Wahls says, “or a pool that our kids can’t swim in.” There is an impasse among Republicans on taxpayer funded private school scholarships, as the proposal has stalled in the Republican-led House. On Tuesday night, the House passed an education bill that outlined measures that would give parents more options to monitor what their child is reading or seeing at school. Some of those ideas were incorporated in the bill that passed the SENATE last night (Wednesday).