(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, this (Tuesday) morning, approved the appointment of Morgan Lewellen, of Red Oak, as County Safety Coordinator. Morgan is a dispatcher with Montgomery County Communications, and was one of three applicants for the position that was vacated by the resignation of Beth Peterson, who also serves as the Election Clerk in the County Auditor’s Office. All three applicants were interviewed on Monday.

Currently the Safety Coordinator job description estimates roughly five hours of work, per week. A Safety Coordinator basically serves as the person responsible for planning, implementing and overseeing the County employee’ safety at work. Their main duty is to ensure that the county is in compliance and adheres to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines to to reduce work-related injuries.

In other business, Public Health Administrator Samantha Beeson updated the Board on Covid Health. She said since the onset of the pandemic, Montgomery County has had 2,375 cases processed. There are 41 cases in the past 14 days, 17 cases over the past seven-days, and three cases over the last three days. The total vaccinated population is 55.5-percent.

The community level of Covid-19 in Montgomery County is high based on cases and hospitalizations, according to the most recent update from the C.D.C. Beesen said “Covid is still here.” She said they are still recommending if a person is sick to stay home. She added the CDC has released new guidance with regard to persons who have tested positive for COVID-19.

In other Public Health news, Beeson said they are working the schools in the County to make sure all incoming Kindergarten through seventh through 12^th grade students are up-to-date on all their immunizations. It’s a State Law students must be immunized prior to the start of school. To-date, there have been no reported cases of MonkeyPox in the County.

And, Samantha Beeson said there are blood pressure clinics every Friday throughout the County, at no charge. That information is available on the Montgomery County Public Health’s Facebook page and in various publications.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he was being rhetorical when he told Fox News last week he feared a looming I-R-S strike force that goes in with loaded rifles ready to shoot some small business person in Iowa. The Republican was commenting on part of the bill President Biden will sign into law today (Tuesday) which will see the I-R-S hire 87-thousand I-R-S agents over the next decade — at a cost of 80-billion dollars. “This is an example of overreach by the IRS,” Grassley says. “I think it’s a way of going after the middle class and small business people because the very wealthiest in this country are already being targeted, and the corporations are being targeted.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin says audit rates will not be increased for taxpayers with a yearly income under 400-thousand dollars, but Grassley says he’s not buying it. Grassley says he’s been dealing with leaders of the I-R-S since the mid-1990s who want to restructure the agency. “I’m mostly concerned about $80 billion in spending for the 87,000 new agents,” Grassley says, “and I wish the Democrats wanted to spend these resources on our southern border because that’s an enforcement issue just as much as the tax issues are.”

Treasury officials say the funding would also be used to upgrade a computer system that’s still using the COBOL language, which dates to the late 1950s. Grassley says the I-R-S and the F-B-I have repeatedly asked for billions of dollars for new technology. “Somehow government can’t do it, but the private sector can do it. They probably ought to call in Intel to do it for them and get it done right the first time,” Grassley says. “So, if they’re talking about upgrading, when are they ever going to get an upgrade? How many billions of dollars do they have to spend to get the job done?”

One report says the I-R-S workforce has been shrinking for decades as the U-S population has grown, and that around 50-thousand of the current 78-thousand agency employees were expected to retire or quit within the next five years. That would mean a large portion of the projected 87-thousand new hires under the bill would be replacing current workers.

(Griswold, Iowa) – The Board of Education in Griswold met Monday evening, and according to Superintendent Dave Henrichs, approved one resignation and a handful of contracts.

Henrichs says there is still one position left to fill for the upcoming school year.

In other business, the Griswold School Board approved a Resolution of Intent to participate in the ISL (Instructional Support Levy), which does not affect the taxes within the District.It’s a levy that already exists and is used for education programming, such as supplies and materials.

The Board also approved a couple of Memorandums of Understanding (MOU).One is with Western Governor’s University, the other with Buena Vista University.

The Griswold School Board approved three IBB (Interest Based Bargaining) representatives, who are the same as last year. That process begins in December. And they approved appointments to County Boards. They also agreed to provide reimbursement to staff members who do not have insurance, for flu shots. The shots will be administered in Griswold by staff with the Hy-Vee in Red Oak. And, the Board approved the establishment of the Student Athletic Leadership Team, which will be comprised of varsity level students and the high school principal, for the purpose of providing another avenue of furthering communication between student athletes and the school, to continue in efforts to improve athletic programs.

Dave Henrich said staff in the District have been gearing-up for the start of school.

(Creston, Iowa) – A man from Stuart was arrested late Monday night on drug charges, in Creston. According to Creston Police, Patrick Nolte was arrested at the intersection of Fremont and Elm Streets at around 10:36-p.m.  He was charged with Intent to Manufacture/Deliver Methamphetamine. Nolte was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting an appearance before the magistrate.

(Radio Iowa) – A federally funded program is ending soon that’s helped some 17-thousand Iowans stay in their homes with the lights on. In addition to paying for back rent, the Iowa Finance Authority’s Rent and Utility Assistance Program has higher income barriers, opening it to many more Iowans than comparable rent assistance programs. Lynette Jacoby, director of social services in Johnson County, says the challenge will be to find programs that can fill the gap. “We know though at the local level that there isn’t funding,” Jacoby says. “We can’t fill a gap of $350,000 a month in rental assistance.” Jacoby said the program’s 170-million dollar impact was not just for residents, but also landlords who would have lost income from emptied units or the eviction process.

The Iowa Finance Authority says the program will stop accepting new applicants at the end of August, following the national trend of dialing back COVID-era assistance programs. Luke Elzinga works at DMARC, which runs a network of food pantries in the Des Moines area. He says when people have fewer resources to cover rent, they’ll have to make it up somewhere else.  “A lot of the time, people will make sure their rent is paid first so they can remain housed and then figure out how they’re going to feed themselves,” Elzinga says. “That oftentimes looks like turning to a food pantry.”

The program ends as DMARC, like other food pantries, was already reporting record levels of demand for food assistance.

(reporting by Zachary Oren Smith, Iowa Public Radio)