(Radio Iowa) – Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids, one of the Democrats competing to run against Republican Senator Chuck Grassley next year, says as a member of the U.S. House she voted to raise the government’s borrowing limit during the Trump Administration and Grassley should do the same during the Biden Administration. Last week, Grassley voted against raising the so-called debt ceiling. Finkenauer says that vote is an example of the dysfunction in Washington.

“This is the type of stuff that’s just absolutely ridiculous right now…’Oh my gosh, are Republicans going to do this? Are Democrats going to do this?’ and in the meantime they’re worried about whether they’re going to be able to get their Social Security check or not,” Finkenauer says. Finkenauer says these kind of procedural battles have to stop.

“You’ve got Iowans, you’ve got people across the country watching and they’re going: ‘Wow, this is why Washington, D.C. doesn’t function,'” Finkenauer says. “They want a government that actually works and things like this, obviously, we should be looking at and making sure that we can do the work versus continuing to play politics time and again.” The Senate’s Republican leader has said the G-O-P will not provide the votes to raise the government’s borrowing limit again when the next deadline approaches in December.

Finkenauer says she voted to pay the government’s bills during her term in the U.S. House and will do so again if she’s elected to the U.S. Senate.

(Radio Iowa) – Sioux City police are looking for suspects in a shooting Sunday that left four injured. The shooting happened around 3:30 a-m at a downtown after hours club. Police determined there was a dispute between two groups of people in the club that resulted in gunfire. A man was critically wounded in the chest.

Three other victims showed up later at two local hospitals with gunshot wounds and were treated and released. Police have not released any names and say they are receiving limited cooperation from the victims.

DES MOINES – Today (Monday), Governor Kim Reynolds announced that $200 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding is now available for grants offered through the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to improve broadband access for Iowans.

Last month, Gov. Reynolds and OCIO announced the awardees of the latest $100 million state-funded Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. Due to the overwhelming need and interest in the program – OCIO received 178 applications requesting a total of $300 million – the State of Iowa is using $200 million in federal funds to build upon it.

This new grant program allows communications service providers, including telecommunication companies and local governments, to apply for up to 60 percent of their broadband project costs in eligible areas of the state. Communications service providers are encouraged to apply for a grant to install broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved locations.

“Broadband has never been more important for our future. I continue to hear from Iowans who still lack access to the broadband speeds necessary to start a business, telework, or connect with a healthcare provider,” Gov. Reynolds said. “With this additional investment, we have invested more than $300 million this year alone on bringing future-ready broadband to rural and unserved areas of our state.”

Questions about the opportunity may be submitted to the OCIO beginning on October 15, 2021. Applications may be submitted to the OCIO from October 25, 2021 through November 22, 2021.  Further information about the grant process for this funding opportunity is available on the OCIO website at https://ocio.iowa.gov/empower-rural-iowa-broadband-grant-program-notice-funding-availability-007 

(Mitchellville, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Corrections, Monday, reported the death of a female inmate. Stephanie Leigh Davis was pronounced dead at 2:16 p.m. on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women. Davis was 59 years old at the time of her death. An autopsy will be performed.

Davis had been serving a 15-year maximum term for the crimes of Habitual Offender from Dallas County. Her sentence began on September 28, 2020.

(Radio Iowa) – The director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority is urging Iowans to “tell our story.” During a recent stop in Le Mars, Debi Durham told members of the Chamber of Commerce how our state has great potential and many opportunities, but we need to share that information with the rest of the world.  “We were ranked #1 state for opportunity in the country, most resilient state going into COVID, coming out,” Durham says. “Our trajectory within all of our core industries is really strong growth. The good thing is, we need more people and we also need to increase our skill sets but we need more people and we need housing and broadband is part of that equation.” Durham says

Governor Kim Reynolds approved a new ad blitz demonstrating all Iowa has to offer. “It’s why the governor launched the ‘This is Iowa’ campaign nationally,” she says, “which is all about showcasing Iowa to the world, about raising our profile and brand in the national marketplace and really showing the beauty of Iowa and just how vibrant it is and that we are really a land of opportunity here.” Durham says Iowa is often overlooked since many corporate officials regard it as simply as a “fly-over” state between both coasts. She says it’s good Iowa doesn’t have a negative image, but she says the problem is, we don’t have any type of image at all.

“People are starting to pay attention and so the ‘This is Iowa’ campaign is really that reinforcement that’s coming alongside really showing the beauty of this great state and our people. Don’t discount that. Iowa is one of the friendliest states in the country and everyone who comes here says that,” Durham says. “We just need our citizens’ help in trying to bring our kids back.” While Iowa is known for its rich agriculture base, she says we need to expand beyond the nation’s old-fashioned perceptions of farming.

CRESTON, Iowa – Oct. 11, 2021 – A project to set beams for the new Ashworth Road bridge over Interstate 80 in West Des Moines requires closure of eastbound I-80 between Grand Prairie Parkway (exit 118) and Jordan Creek Parkway (exit 121) overnight for two nights beginning at 10 p.m. Monday night, Oct. 11, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston construction office.

Eastbound I-80 will be closed:

• Monday, Oct. 11 at 10 p.m. until Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 5 a.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 10 p.m. until Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 5 a.m.

During this closure, traffic will be will follow a marked detour route using Grand Prairie Parkway, University Avenue, and Jordan Creek Parkway.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Personnel and Finance Committee is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Wed., Oct. 13th, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Among the items on their agenda is a review of the following matters:

• Financial Resources and Commitments relating to the Parks and Recreation Department and other Recreation Stakeholders.
• The Assistant Parks Director job description and proposed compensation.
• Animal Shelter fees.
• A bid for 901 Birch Street, and,
• A review of the City’s Urban Revitalization Plan (re: Tax Abatement).

Following discussion on those items, the Committee will forward their recommendations to the full City Council during their next regular meeting.

(Radio Iowa) – Sports gambling set a one-month record with some 210 million wagered in September. Racing and Gaming Administrator Brian Ohrilko, says that seems like a big number — but not when you look at the bigger gambling picture. “It’s important to note that sports wagering, and the revenue that is generated from sports wagering is really a very small portion of the overall revenue in the casino industry,” he says.

Ohorilko says the September sports revenue netted around six million dollars for the casinos and sports wagering companies. “When you look at casino numbers and casino numbers for this month — which was 139 million in overall net receipts. And so, it really is just a small portion of the profits and revenue that casinos make,” Ohorilko says. He says they knew from the start that sports betting was going to be a small portion of casino profits and state tax collections from gambling — but he says it gives casinos another product. “Sports wagering is something that people are interested in — and we are seeing success in that market — and we are seeing it conducted in a way that Iowans can feel safe that they are making bets in a regulated environment,” according to Ohorilko.

He says sports gambling had some economic impact as well with the money spent in advertising as it started. “When we were going through a period when in-person registration had sunset — and then also leading up to football this year — we were seeing levels of advertising beyond anything we were seeing in the casino environment before. And so, there truly is an impact there,” Ohorilko says.

He says the advertising for sports betting has eased some as people learned they could sign up without going to a casino.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports 41-year-old Michael Francis Huss, Jr., of Dexter, was arrested at around 12:05-a.m. on Oct. 5th, by Stuart Police. Huss was taken into custody for Driving While Barred, following a traffic stop on a vehicle with no license plate, in Stuart. He was also initially charged with Failure to Provide proof of financial liability (vehicle insurance). Huss, Jr., was released a short time later, after posting a $2,000 cash/surety bond.

And, 51-year-old Daniel Paul Ringer, of Greenfield, was brought into the Adair County Jail by Greenfield Police at around 11-p.m., on Oct. 8th. He was fingerprinted for a prior charge of Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. No new charges were filed. Sheriff Vandewater said “While they are in our office, we obtain the basic info. to go on their fingerprint cards that go to the DCI and FBI.”

(Radio Iowa) – A new study commissioned by the Iowa Environmental Council finds Iowa communities that are home to coal-fired power plants should be proactive about planning for those facilities to close. Iowa is home to nine utility-owned coal plants. The study says while the economic impact of the facilities can be significant, local communities can manage the loss. Eric Christianson is the study’s main author.

“These can be scary conversations but it’s important not to shy away from them,” Christianson says. “Communities that are proactive and plan ahead are going to be better positioned to face whatever the future brings. The goal of this study is to reduce some of that uncertainty, not in what the future of the plants will be, but understanding the economic landscape where they’re located.”

The share of Iowa’s energy that’s generated by coal has fallen significantly in recent years, as the cost of renewables has gone down and demand has gone up. The state’s utility-owned coal plants employ about 600 people. According to the study, the facilities support less than one percent of the total jobs in the counties where they’re located. The I-E-C’s Kerri Johannsen says having the facts on the economic impact can help communities prepare for plant closures. Johannsen says, “How many employees there are, how those employees’ salaries and the spending and the plants in the communities impact other jobs in the area and the region, so that we can all level-set and start from a place where we’re working from the same set of information.”

The study authors reason that communities which proactively plan for a closure will be better able to attract new economic development and fill in budgetary gaps.

(by Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)