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Replacement to be picked as leader of state’s largest ag group retires from post

Ag/Outdoor

December 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – After ten years, Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Hill is stepping down as head of the state’s largest agricultural organization. Hill’s successor will be chosen as Farm Bureau members meet in Des Moines starting today (Tuesday) for their annual state conference. Matt Schuiteman of Sioux County, district director for northwest Iowa, says three names will be on the ballot. “Joe Heinrich, who is the current vice president, is from Jackson County over in far eastern Iowa,” Schuiteman says. “Then there’s Brent Johnson who is from near Manson in Calhoun County, and Tim Kaldenberg is also running. He’s from southern Iowa in Monroe County near Albia. Each one of them would be a fine choice.”

Schuiteman says it may take more than one vote to determine the next Iowa Farm Bureau president.”It’s hard to say. It very well could take a couple of votes just because there’s three guys running so typically, in that situation, somebody needs to get over 50% and a lot of times when you have three people running, that doesn’t happen the first time,” he says, “not to say that it’s going to be contentious at any point.” Schuiteman says Farm Bureau members won’t be establishing any new planks in the platform during the conference.  “We’re not going to work on establishing any policy in this meeting,” he says. “In terms of the delegate body, there’s more internal things that we take care of that are pertinent to the organization.”

This year’s theme for the state conference is “Our Farms, Our Future.”

Posted in Ag/Outdoor |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area: Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021

Weather

December 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly cloudy to cloudy w/a chance of flurries this morning. High 37. Winds SE @ 10-15 mph.
Tonight: P/Cloudy. Low around 15. N @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 40. SE @ 5-10.
Thursday: P/Cldy to Cldy. High 50.
Friday: Mostly cloudy w/a chance of light rain. High near 40.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 26. Our Low was 8. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 51 and the Low was 16. The Record High on this date was 64 in 1894. The Record Low was -15 in 2005.

Posted in Weather |

Senator says Iowa should take ‘moon shot’ at cutting taxes

News

December 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The chairman of the Iowa Senate’s tax-writing committee says he’s drafting a five-year plan to dramatically cut state income taxes for individuals AND corporations. Republican Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs says the one billion dollars sitting in the state’s Taxpayer Relief Fund is just the start.  “We have an opportunity to do a tax moon shot this next year,” Dawson says. “…There’s no reason we should settle for mediocrity.”

Dawson is aiming for a reduction in PERSONAL income tax rates along with eliminating or reducing some of the long list of state tax credits — to reach the other goal of cutting the CORPORATE income tax rate as well. “I will say right now I have no interest in lowering corporate rates without substantially reforming some of our incentives and credits,” Dawson says, “because if we don’t change the back end of the system then all we are is just making the winners more winners and making the losers not as much of losers.”

Dawson says he’s not talking about blowing up the whole tax credit system for businesses. “It doesn’t mean just throwing everything in the trash can, right? There’s obviously different metrics that affect everyone’s individual bottom line,” Dawson says, “but if we work together…the legislature with the corporate entities here in Iowa, we really can reform this and make it a better system.” But Dawson says he’s prepared to abandon the idea of reducing CORPORATE income taxes if there’s major pushback to changes in tax credits.

Representative Lee Hein, a Republican from Monticello, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He says Republicans in the HOUSE are focused on reducing taxes for individuals. “There’s a multitude of ways to do that, whether it’s cutting rates, property tax relief,” Hein says. “It could be as eash as cutting a check.” Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville, says he wouldn’t be shocked if Republicans decide to mail Iowans a tax refund check in an election year. Jacoby says when it comes to business taxes, tax CREDITS must be reduced or eliminated before the corporate income tax rate is lowered.

“I’m for lowering the rates,” Jacoby says. “I’m also for everyone paying them.” Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says the projection is that Iowa will provide more than half a billion dollars in tax credits this next year. Is this just one more big giveaway to some very large, profitable corporations? And I say that ’cause we have some really large corporations — we love them dearly here — they pay zero corporate income tax in this state,” Jochum says. “In fact, we are writing them out checks.”

That’s because the state’s research and development tax credit for some businesses sometimes larger than what they owe in corporate income taxes, so the state sends those businesses a tax refund.

Posted in News |

Sioux City seeing increase in bus stop sign violations

News

December 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – School bus drivers in Sioux City have been seeing an increase in motorists ignoring the extended stop sign and flashing lights when a bus is dropping off or picking up students. School district transportation supervisor, Chris Wellenstein, says drivers who break the law will be identified. “The majority of our buses have stop arm cameras on them. So even if our drivers are unable to physically view the stop arm violation happening — they will come into my office and let me know that one has occurred — at which time I can pull video from the bus,” Wellenstein says.

The video allows the district to get the license plate number, make and model of the car, and sometimes a view of the driver. That information is turned over to police. “Ninety-nine percent of the time we are able to catch folks with correct info. And then at that point in time, the police department goes and sends out a citation to the owner of the vehicle for a first offense violation of the stop arm. It is 465 dollars,” he says. “I think there’s quite a few people who don’t know the money involved in a stop arm violation.” Wallenstein says the number of violations is way up.

“Right now I am having to pull video for stop arm violations at least a couple of times a week,” according to Wellenstein. “Previous years — it has been hit and miss — you might have one every other week. Sometimes one every three weeks. But this year it seems like it has just been reoccurring, over and over.” Wellenstein says drivers are placing students in danger when they ignore the stop sign and pass a stopped school bus.

A driver who gets a second citation for the offense will have their license suspended and have to take classes to get it back.

Posted in News |

Illinois picks up road win over Iowa Monday

Sports

December 6th, 2021 by admin

Illinois defeated Iowa 87-83 on Monday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Jacob Grandison and Alfonso Plummer each dropped in 21 points and four Illini players finished in double figures. Trent Frazier added 18 and Kofi Cockburn poured in 17.

Illinois led by there at half and built there lead to as much as 15 in the second half before the Hawkeyes tightened it at the end. Iowa led most statistical categories on the night but Illinois outscored the Hawks 24-11 on second chance points. The Illini improve to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten.

Iowa (7-2, 0-2) returns to action on Thursday in an Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series contest against No. 17 Iowa State (8-0). Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT) at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Posted in Sports |

Clark named Big Ten Player of the Week

Sports

December 6th, 2021 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa sophomore Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday afternoon.

The honor is 24th of her career. Earlier this season, Clark earned Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll (Nov. 15). As a freshman she tallied a Big Ten-best 13 Freshman of the Week honors, a Big Ten-Freshman record five Player of the Week honors, and four Player of the Week Honor Roll nods.

In two games last week, Clark averaged 23 points, 10 assists and 9.5 rebounds, and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. She added three steals and a block to fill her stat line for the week.

Clark led the Hawkeyes to their first Big Ten win of the season with a team-high, 24 points against Michigan State. She added 12 assists and 10 rebounds to register her second triple-double of the season and the third of her career. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native is the second active NCAA Division I student-athlete to record three in their career – Indiana’s Grace Berger also has three career triple-doubles.Clark’s third triple-double makes her the second Hawkeye in program history to record three or more triple doubles – former Hawkeye Sam Logic tallied six in her career. Clark’s triple-double is also the first for a Hawkeye against a Big Ten opponent since Logic had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists at Purdue (Feb. 16, 2014)

Clark and the Hawkeyes return to action Wednesday in Ames, Iowa, against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

Posted in Sports |

AP Women’s Basketball Top 25 12/06/2021

Sports

December 6th, 2021 by admin

RANK
SCHOOL
RECORD
POINTS
PREVIOUS
1 South Carolina (30) 9-0 750 1
2 NC State 8-1 708 2
3 UConn 5-1 700 2
4 Stanford 5-2 624 4
5 Baylor 8-1 600 5
6 Arizona 7-0 587 7
7 Louisville 7-1 551 10
8 Maryland 8-2 541 8
9 Tennessee 8-0 529 11
10 Indiana 5-2 526 6
11 Texas 6-1 450 15
12 Iowa 5-1 380 9
13 Michigan 8-1 377 12
14 Kentucky 6-1 350 16
15 Iowa State 8-1 309 14
16 BYU 8-0 275 21
17 South Florida 5-3 230 13
18 Texas A&M 8-1 229 17
19 Duke 8-0 203 NR
20 Ohio State 6-1 150 18
21 Georgia 7-1 112 20
22 Notre Dame 7-2 90 24
23 Oregon State 4-2 76 23
24 LSU 6-1 64 NR
25 Colorado 8-0 52 NR

Posted in Sports |

Staff Assault: Iowa State Penitentiary

News

December 6th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Fort Madison, Iowa) – A correctional officer at the Iowa State Penitentiary suffered non-life threatening injuries during an assault by an inmate Sunday evening (December 5).  The Iowa Dept. of Corrections says a response team was assisting with an inmate that was uncooperative and had attempted to assault another officer. The officer involved was assisting with the removal of the uncooperative inmate from a cell when assaulted with a sharp object.

The officer involved was taken to the hospital by department vehicle for an injury to the arm. He has since been released and has returned to duty. The inmate has been evaluated by medical staff and this incident remains under investigation.

Posted in News |

Atlantic man taken into custody in Sunday night stabbing incident

News

December 6th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A stabbing incident late Sunday night in Atlantic resulted in an arrest. Atlantic Police late Monday afternoon reported A-PD was notified by staff at CCMH at around 11:51-p.m., Sunday, that a man who had wounds from a stabbing arrived at the E-R. The incident occurred at the Walnut Hill Terrace Apartments at 1300 E. 10th Street, Apartment 26-B. The victim suffered serious injuries and was flown to the UNMC in Omaha.

Early Monday morning, 34-year-old Richard J. Doss, Jr., of Atlantic, was taken into custody without incident. He faces felony charges of Attempted Murder and Willful Injury – Causing Serious Injury. His cash-only bond was set at $500,000. Doss Jr.’s preliminary hearing is set for 2-p.m., Dec. 16th.

Photo of Richard DOSS Jr. (Iowa DPS photo)

Atlantic Police were assisted in their investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). No other details are currently available.

Posted in News |

U-I, ISU, UNI tuition rates among issues raised during House hearing

News

December 6th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A few Republicans from the Iowa House are questioning why record private fundraising at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University hasn’t translated into a tuition freeze. Representative Gary Mohr, a Republican from Bettendorf, led an online forum today that focused on a variety of issues at the universities. “Many of our members and some constituents say: ‘If fundraising’s going so well, why do they need to keep raising tuition every year?’” Mohr asked.

Iowa State University president Wendy Wintersteen said tuition would be higher without that record fundraising, since the majority of what’s donated is spent on student scholarships and degree programs as well as research. “It makes all the difference at Iowa State because it fills in the gaps,” Wintersteen said. “It keeps us from having to raise tuition more.”

University of Iowa president Barbara Wilson indicated 98% of donations are restricted, meaning the donor has directed exactly how the money can be spent. “We can’t turn around and use that to pay faculty and staff and do the kind of deferred maintenance work we need to do and other things here at the University of Iowa,” Wilson said.

Wilson started at the University of Iowa in mid-July after serving as executive vice president for the University of Illinois system. “I’ve been here five months. I can tell you that Iowa universities, the Regent universities, have kept tuition low,” Wilson said, “…but we can’t keep doing that forever.”

David Barker, a member of the board that governs the three state universities, said the Board of Regents has kept tuition as flat as possible. “I think it’s important to keep in mind that inflation is a real thing,” Barker said, “and that our costs are increasing every year, even before this latest increase in the rate of inflation.”

University of Northern Iowa president Mark Nook said the toughest fundraising pitch to potential donors is for campus building projects.

Posted in News |