(Radio Iowa) — A key legislator has tabled a bill drafted in response to significant rent increases in mobile home parks in Iowa that were recently purchased by a Utah-based company. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “It initiates some price controls and some things that we, as free market folks, are not comfortable with,” Holt says. “…The bill before us is simply too expansive in nature.”

Holt says lawmakers will look for other ways to help residents of these mobile home parks facing stiff rent hikes and may attach those proposals to other bills that are eligible for House debate. “These mobile home parks provide a really important level of affordable housing and we have to be careful that decisions we make don’t render those things economically not feasible anymore,” Holt says.

Holt says the chief concern is if legislators impose rent controls on mobile homes, apartment dwellers will seek the same kind of protection. “There’s a lot of philosophical issues here that we have to work through here,” Holt says. “We want to provide some relief and we want to be able to protect folks from bad actors. I started out my career in the Marine Corps. I lived in a mobile home park because that’s what I could afford as a private in the Marine Corps. I understand the difficulty of moving a mobile home if rent goes up on a lot that so, so much.”

The bill that’s been tabled mostly would have limited the rent increases in mobile home parks to the rate of inflation, with some exceptions. Critics said that would prevent mobile home park owners from adequately maintaining the property. A group of mobile home residents will be at the statehouse later this (Wednesday) morning to ask legislators for help.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport business owner has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for tax crimes. Federal court records say Jonathan Folker also was ordered at his sentencing Thursday in Davenport to pay restitution of nearly $257,000. He’d pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion and one of filing a false tax return. A plea agreement says Folker didn’t file individual returns for 2001 through 2011 or 2013 through 2017. It says that when he filed a return for 2012, he reported less income than he earned. The agreement also says Folker didn’t file some returns for his company, Nerdwerx.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

REMBRANDT, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the name of an employee killed when equipment collapsed inside a barn in northwest Iowa. Buena Vista County authorities say a structural failure early Friday morning at the Rembrandt Foods facility just east of Rembrandt caused a catastrophic collapse of equipment inside the building. The victim had been working inside. He’s been identified as Humberto Jesus Lopez, who lived in Worthington, Minnesota. A search for him was suspended Friday evening because of safety concerns for rescue workers. Authorities say the search resumed Saturday, and his body was recovered around 2 p.m.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 39-year old Meghan Lynn Paulsen, of Atlantic, was arrested Sunday. Paulsen was taken into custody for OWI/1st Offense, and released later that same day on her own recognizance. And, on February 12th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 26-year old Joel Shawn Thomas White, of Council Bluffs, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. White was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao today (Wednesday) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award $15.74 million in airport safety and infrastructure grants to 25 airports in Iowa. This investment in Iowa’s airports is part of a $520.5 million national investment in America’s airports that was announced today by Secretary Chao. Included among the area airports that were awarded grant funds, was:

• $909,000 to Atlantic Municipal Airport for runway rehabilitation.
• $278,000 to Arthur N. Neu Airport in Carroll for runway, taxiway and apron pavement sealing.
• $225,000 to Schenck Field in Clarinda to acquire snow removal equipment.
• $600,000 to Denison Municipal Airport for runway construction.
• $383,976 to Harlan Municipal Airport for apron reconstruction and apron pavement sealing.
• $369,000 to James G. Whiting Memorial Field in Mapleton for runway lighting reconstruction and to install visual guidance systems.
• $108,000 to Red Oak Municipal Airport for taxiway and apron pavement sealing.
• $900,000 to Sioux Gateway Field in Sioux City for taxiway reconstruction.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. says “This $520.5 million in federal support to airports across the country will help to keep our nation’s airports in good shape and make air travel a better experience for passengers.”

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — A man who’d operated a vehicle dealership in western Iowa has been fined and placed on probation for fraudulent sales practices. Crawford County court records say 59-year-old Robert Adams pleaded guilty Tuesday before being fined $750 and given a deferred judgment and three years of probation. Under a deferred judgment, his conviction could be removed from his record if he were to successfully complete the terms of his probation. Prosecutors dropped several other charges in return for Adams’ plea. Customers say Adams didn’t forward to the appropriate agencies or entities money paid for title transfers and warranty contracts and protection plans.

Police in Creston report 48-year old Michael Williams, of Creston, was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Williams was arrested for Violation of a Protective Order. He was being held in the Union County Jail, while awaiting a bond hearing.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — The Dubuque City Council has approved an agreement to split the nearly $1.8 million cost of building a dock so Mississippi River cruise ships could stop and let off passengers to explore the city. The 20-year agreement with Viking Cruises passed by the council Monday calls for the dock to be built near Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark. The Telegraph Herald reports that Viking also would pay the city $1 for each passenger on the boats that dock in Dubuque. The money will help pay for maintenance and operational fees. Viking plans to begin the cruises in June 2022.