Officials with the Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR) report April’s real estate sales dipped 8.8 percent. The Housing Trends report shows median sales price rose almost 10 percent over April 2021. There was a decline over 396 homes sold when comparing April 2022 to April 2021. The report shows 3,591 sold last month, compared to 3,938 in April 2021. On a brighter note, pending sales were up almost 11% from April 2021. Compared to the first 4 months of 2021, sales are only .8 percent lower this year.

The median sales price for April 2022 increased 9.8% to $209,700 compared to $191,000 in April of last year. The Realtors Association says that is is a record high for median sale price in Iowa. The number of homes available for sale continues to be low in many price ranges. The inventory of homes was 28 percent lower than in April 2021 with only 6,522 homes on the market statewide.  The average days on market for properties continues its decreasing trend. April saw an average of 36 days on the market. That is 26.5 percent faster than April of last year.

IAR President Byrin Menke said, “While sales did drop in April, we’re encouraged by the almost 11 percent rise in pending sales. This bodes well for May and June. We believe April’s rainy and cold weather may have impacted sales and construction of new homes in Iowa. We’re looking forward to improved weather and real estate activity in May and June. With mortgage rates rising and a tight inventory, we encourage buyers to have all their finances in order and get pre-approved. Find a local, trusted Realtor to help you through these market conditions.”

(West Des Moines) – Iowa 3^rd District Representative Cindy Axne, Thursday, announced funding requests for 15 community Projects in Iowa’s Third Congressional District she submitted to the House Appropriations Committee. On the list is a one-million-dollar request to construct a childcare center in Griswold. The proposed center will provide year-round child care, including full-time, drop-in, and before and after school care. The center, located south of the Griswold Elementary School, is designed with four childcare rooms to accommodate children ranging from six weeks to four years of age, including a separate area for before and after school care.

Currently, the Noble Initiative Foundation is in the process of an aggressive $2.3 million capital campaign to build the facility. In addition to the funding request for Griswold,  Axne submitted funding requests for one-million dollars to retrofit green storm water infrastructure practices in Pacific Junction. She’s also requesting $779,025 to help Adams County Economic Development Corporation create an entrepreneurial and incubator center in Corning.

Other, (area) projects submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for FY23:

• $2,000,000 to replace a bridge on 250^th Street between Evergreen Avenue and G Avenue in Montgomery County
• $1,789,100 to revitalize downtown Mount Ayr through surface transportation improvements
• $1,500,000 to add 30,000 square feet to the Food Bank of Iowa’s warehouse in Des Moines
• $1,000,000 to retrofit green storm water infrastructure practices in Pacific Junction
• $779,025 to help Adams County Economic Development Corporation create an entrepreneurial and incubator center in Corning

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects (up from 10 in FY2022) in their community for 2023. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams. Only state and local governments and non-profit organizations (including special districts and quasi-governmental non-profits) are permitted to receive funding.

In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congresswoman Axne has certified that she, her spouse, and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of her requested projects.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Police arrested a woman late Thursday night, on a Montgomery County warrant for Violation of Probation. Authorities report 39-year-old Jessica Lynn Boyce, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 11:24-p.m., in the 400 block of E. Valley Street. Boyce was being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on a $20,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The three candidates competing for the Iowa Democratic Party’s U.S. Senate nomination say college student debt is a problem, but during a debate last (Thursday) night on Iowa P-B-S they disagreed about providing relief to borrowers. Mike Franken of Sioux City says wage stagnation and the profits banks and investors make from college loans have made the situation worse.

“But I believe it’s a divisive issue in America to set aside student loans,” Franken said. “…Somebody who graduated two years ago, do we compensate them?…Is this an ongoing thing and if we constantly wipe out student loan debt, what do you think the cost of college is going to do?” Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids suggests college debt relief could be offered as an incentive to get college grads to settle in places where there’s been population loss.

“If we do anything when it comes to relief, it should be targeted,” Finkenauer says. “I mean, you should not be giving anything to anybody who’s making more than — gosh — $100,000 or more a year. That’s just not how anything like this should work.” Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden, supports not only wiping out current college loan debt, but paying back people who paid off their loans.

“We really need to be looking even farther forward,” Hurst says. “…Community college should be free, so should trade schools.” The candidates agree that congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to abortion nationwide. Finkenauer said as a 33-year-old woman, her presence in the Senate would send a strong message as lawmakers debate abortion rights.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to replace the oldest man currently in the United States with the youngest woman in history ever to get there?” Finkenauer asked. As the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v Wade, Franken says it’s time to put the framework of the opinion in federal law, without additional restrictions. “I believe this is a responsibility of the women, and her doctor,” Franken says. Hurst supports expanding the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to 19 justices.

“We’ve got to have a complete change in the way we do things in Washington, D.C.,” Hurst said. Finkenauer says congress should consider term limits for Supreme Court justices. Franken suggests justices should be limited to serving no more than 18 years.

The three candidates are asking Primary voters to choose them as the General Election challenger to Republican Chuck Grassley. Grassley, who is seeking an eighth term in the U.S. Senate, is widely expected to defeat a primary challenger. Jim Carlin, a Republican state senator from Sioux City, had about 54-hundred dollars cash on hand in his campaign account at the end of March.

(Shelby, Iowa) – Two people in an SUV were injured Thursday afternoon, during a crash in Pottawattamie County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2011 Chevy Suburban driven by 57-year-old Eric Schiefelbein, of Johnston, was eastbound on Interstate 80 near Shelby, when the vehicle left the road and entered the south ditch. The accident happened at around 2:45-p.m.

The SUV struck a pile of concrete and vaulted into the air before coming to rest on its top, in a ravine. Two passengers in the vehicle, 58-year-old Ann Schiefelbein and 31-year-old Olivia Ritter, both of Johnston, were injured. Ann Schiefelbein – who was not wearing a seatbelt – was flown by LifeNet helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha. Ritter was transported by Minden Fire and Rescue to the UNMC. Authorities she was was wearing a seat belt.

Additional passengers and the driver, were uninjured. Shelby and Minden Fire assisted the Patrol at the crash scene.