712 Digital Group - top

KJAN News

KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa,  Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!

More than $350,000 awarded in CAT grants to two projects

News

February 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – At their meeting on Thursday, the Enhance Iowa Board awarded $370,000 in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants to a museum project in Grinnell and horse stable and warmup arena in Mason City.

Details for the projects receiving CAT grants follow:

Project Name: Grinnell Historical Museum Society, Grinnell
Total Project Cost: $1,507,472
Amount Awarded: $200,000
Project Description: This project includes the conversion of a former retail space into a handicap-accessible museum with temporary exhibits and permanent displays of Grinnell’s history, a collections care space, restrooms and catering kitchen.

Project Name: North Iowa Events Center – Horse Stable and Warmup Arena, Mason City
Total Project Cost: $1,090,960
Amount Awarded: $170,000
Project Description: This project includes the construction of a new 16,000-square-foot stable and warmup
arena with storage space.

The Enhance Iowa Program provides financial incentives to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. To date, 138 CAT grants have been awarded by the board, totaling $46,805,023. The next Enhance Iowa Board meeting is scheduled for March 7, 2024.

Posted in News |

Governor Reynolds to Join Texas Governor Abbott for Border Security Press Conference & Host Press Briefing in Iowa

News

February 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa — The governors from three Midwestern states have announced they will be traveling to the southern border. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen are joining Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and 12 other governors* from across the U.S. in Eagle Pass, Texas for a press conference. In a release, Reynolds’ office said the conference is in response to President Biden’s “reckless open border policies.”

The press conference will be held Sunday, Feb. 4 at 2:30 p.m. Gov. Reynolds will then hold a press briefing at the Iowa State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 5 at 10:30 a.m.

Reynolds, Noem and Pillen have all sent troops from their respective state national guards to the border.

*The list of governors in addition to those mentioned above includes: Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders; Georgia Governor Brian Kemp; Idaho Governor Brad Little; Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb; Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry; Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves; Missouri Governor Mike Parson; Montana Governor Greg Gianforte; New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu; Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox.  

Posted in News |

New, non-stop flight being offered from Omaha to DFW in May

News

February 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. [KETV] —  Eppley Airfield will be offering a new direct flight this spring. Frontier Airlines will launch a nonstop service from Omaha to Dallas/Fort Worth starting May 17. Fares will start at $19 for the flight, which will be available three times per week.

Frontier Airlines vice president of network and operations design Josh Flyr says “This is a massive expansion of our operation from coast to coast and internationally as part of our focus on growing in underserved and overpriced routes. More destinations and greater frequency means a larger number of consumers will soon be able to enjoy Frontier’s convenient, affordable ‘Low Fares Done Right.’”

Eppley has 26 nonstop destinations available, including four from Frontier Airlines.

Posted in News |

Ernst blasts Biden Administration over FAFSA rollout

News

February 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is joining other Republicans in the U-S Senate who’re calling for an investigation of how the Biden Administration has handled changes in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — called FAFSA. “The Department of Education wasted time on a lot of socialist schemes and taxpayer funded handouts,” Ernst says. “What we need is transparency for Iowa families and that’s why I’m demanding an investigation.”

An estimated 17 million college-bound students who filled out FAFSA forms will have to wait for financial aid offers from schools. That’s because the data in those forms is normally delivered to colleges and universities in the late fall or early winter, but this year’s delivery is now expected in March. It means students likely won’t find out until April how much federal financial aid they qualify for and how much their college of choice might offer in scholarships.  “The Biden Department of Education’s botched roll out forced uncertainty this school year,” Ernst says.

A federal law passed in late 2020 called for simplifying the FAFSA form. Ernst says it has led to an unfair calculation of a farm family’s ability to come up with the money to pay for a child’s college education.  “Their folks have farm ground, they have equipment, so they’re asset rich, but they are cash poor,” Ernst said, “and these ag families should not be forced to sell their farm so that their children can go to college.”

Ernst says the Biden Administration should have taken action to change the income, asset and debt calculator in the FAFSA for farm families. Last March,, Ernst sent the U-S Education Secretary a letter, saying the Iowa College Aid Commission had calculated that students from some farm families will see a significant drop in the amount of federal aid they may receive. Last April, Ernst co-sponsored a bill that would have addressed the issue.

Posted in News |

Governor’s bill restricts gender changes on Iowa driver’s licenses

News

February 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has introduced a bill that would require the gender listed on an Iowa driver’s license or birth certificate to match the person’s gender at birth — preventing transgender residents from changing the gender listed on those I-Ds.

Reynolds says women and men have unique biological differences and the move will protect women’s health, safety, and privacy in spaces like rest rooms and domestic violence shelters. The bill also requires that when the state, schools or local government agencies collect health and crime data, it may only use male or female designations. Similar laws have been passed in Kansas, Montana and Tennessee and Florida officials implemented the policy on driver’s licenses last week.

One Iowa, a group that advocates for the rights of L-G-B-T-Q Iowans, says the governor’s bill would force transgender Iowans to out themselves when showing an I-D to do things like buy alcohol at a grocery store or vote. The executive director of Iowa Safe Schools says the bill makes it crystal clear that transgender people are not welcome in Iowa.

On Wednesday, a subcommittee in the Iowa House defeated a bill that would have removed protections against discrimination toward transgender Iowans from the state’s Civil Rights Act.

Posted in News |

2 arrested in Ringgold County on drug & Child Endangerment charges

News

February 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Mount Ayr, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Ringgold County report two people were arrested on drug and child endangerment charges Wednesday, after a search warrant was executed at 105 E. Monroe Street, in Mount Ayr. The rental home is owned by Mark & Lynda Triggs.

Authorities say Dakota Cheyenne Burkhamer and Mikkaela Katherine Moore face charges that include: Child Endangerment – Aggravated Misdemeanor; Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor- Simple Misdemeanor; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia- Simple Misdemeanor.

Burkhamer was additionally charged with Drug Distribution Violation to Person Under 18- a Class B Felony. His cash-only bond was set at $27,600. The cash-only bond for Moore was set at $2,600.

Moore & Burkhamer

*Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Posted in News |

Fatal, near head-on crash SW of Marshalltown Thu. morning

News

February 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Marshalltown, Iowa) – A woman driving the wrong way in Marshall County died during a near head-on collision this (Thursday) morning, southwest of Marshalltown. The Iowa State Patrol reports 59-year-old Jennifer Gene Robb, of Marshalltown, who was wearing her seat belt, died at the scene of the crash on Highway 330 near Highway 30, at around 7-a.m.

Authorities say a 2006 Ford Taurus Robb was driving was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes. A 2016 Cadillac CT6 driven by 44-year-old Heith Michael Meyer, of Iowa Falls, was northbound in the northbound lanes. Near mile marker 18, the Ford was southbound in the northbound left lane, at the same time the Cadillac was in that lane. Robb took evasive action by braking/steering away.

Meyer saw the Ford after checking a mirror, and attempted to steer away, but the vehicles sideswiped head-on from opposite direction. The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and EMS personnel.

Posted in News |

Tax panel chairmen propose new idea as ‘glide path’ to 0% Iowa income tax

News

February 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The chairmen of House and Senate committees that oversee tax policy are proposing what they describe as a sustainable way to gradually eliminate Iowa’s individual income tax. The idea? Have the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System start managing the state’s more than $3 billion Taxpayer Relief Fund. The profits earned from investing that money would be used to ratchet down the state income tax rate over time.

“We’re doing something that everyday Iowans do for their retirement, everyday businesses here in the state do,” Senate Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Dawson told reporters. “We’re using the money, growing it for something bigger.”

Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “If you look at what other states have done, not only is it one of the more innovative plans, I think it’s one of the most responsible in the entire country at getting Iowa to our long term goal of zero percent income tax,” Kaufmann said.

Representative Bobby Kaufmann and Senator Dan Dawson speak with reporters on Feb. 1, 2024. (RI photo)

Dawson said the plan ensures state government can meet its spending obligations even as the state reduces income tax revenue. “Ultimately it’s a responsible glide path to zero,” Dawson said, “as opposed to some massive sales tax increase or eliminating a bunch of (income tax) exemptions out there.”

Kaufmann said now’s the time for the public to weigh in on the idea. “As this is talked about at forums, as it’s disseminated amongst the press, I think you’re going to find a high appetite for Iowans to want to do that,” Kaufmann said. “They’ll communicate that to us and we’ll get this done as soon as we can.”

Both lawmakers, though, describe the proposal as a long-term plan and expect to prepare a bill this spring that would speed up already approved income tax cuts. They’re waiting on a March report on state tax revenue and may use some elements of the tax reduction plan Governor Reynolds introduced three weeks ago. The two lawmakers also plan to advance a proposed constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds vote in the legislature to raise any state tax.

Posted in News |

Survey: Recession, lack of workers, still biggest threats to businesses

News

February 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The economies in Iowa and the Midwest improved, slightly, during January, according to Creighton University’s monthly survey of business leaders and supply managers in Iowa and eight other states. Creighton economist Ernie Goss says the Business Conditions Index is a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region, based on a zero-to-100 scale where 50 is considered growth neutral. “The overall reading was up slightly, now it’s up to 50.9 and that’s from December’s 50.3,” Goss says. “I won’t say that’s great news, but it’s better news than I was expecting.”

Iowa’s overall economic index showed a relatively modest increase from 49.7 in December to 51.8 in January. Supply managers were asked about what they see as the greatest threat to their operations during the coming six months, and he says some of their answers were routine, while others were a surprise. “Twenty-two percent said recession, now, that’s pretty much expected,” Goss says. “Twenty-one percent see finding and hiring workers is still an issue, 17.4% said higher input prices, and 4.4%, and that’s a small percentage, said tariff and trade wars.”

Hiring during January was, in a word, bad — according to Goss. The hiring rate fell to 39-point-one for the Midwest, well below growth neutral, but he notes there are diverging reasons being given for the cause. “Twenty-six-point-one percent of the supply managers reported job losses for the month, and 43.5% reported a shortage of job applicants, so there’s some mixed messages in there,” Goss says. “Thirteen percent said they were not hiring due to the economic slowdown, so all in all, it’s showing that the labor market’s still tighter than I would have expected.”

Ernie Goss (Creighton University photo)

According to U.S. International Trade Association data, Goss says Iowa’s manufacturing exports expanded from $14.1 billion for the first 11 months of 2022 to $15.1 billion for the same period in 2023, representing a growth rate of 7.0%.

Posted in News |

House Democrats propose Iowa minimum wage rise to $15 by mid-2026

News

February 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) Democrats in the Iowa House are calling for an increase in the minimum wage, an expansion of the annual state sales tax holiday and a state subsidy for some child care workers. “We, as Iowa House Democrats, are proud to remind Iowans we are focused on the things they care about,” House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst said. “…Iowans are telling us what they need and we’re responding.”

House Democrats propose raising the minimum wage to $10.80 in July — to equal the minimum wage in Minnesota — with another increase in 2025 and then setting it at $15 dollars in mid-2026. Iowa’s minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2008. “No other adjoining state in this northern plains region pays less to its minimum wage workers,” said Representative Ken Croken, a Democrat from Davenport. “It’s wrong. It’s indecent.”

Representative Tracy Ehlert, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said it’s time to take a pilot project statewide and provide state assistance to child care workers, to help pay for child care for their own kids. “This not only offers an incentive for the child care workforce who’s often underpaid,” Ehlert said, “but it also helps address access issues across the state and will help families looking for child care.”

House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst speaks at news conference on Feb. 1, 2024. (House Democratic Caucus Staff photo)

Representative Sue Cahill, a Democrat from Marshalltown, said Iowa’s two-day sales tax holiday should go for two weeks and cover items worth up to $250 rather than just $100. She’d also include far more than just apparel, exempting school and art supplies, musical instruments, computer supplies and sports gear from the state sales tax in the first two weeks of August. “I’m submitting this bill to provide relief or more money in the pockets of more Iowans,” Cahill said.

House Democrats also propose speeding up the process for thousands of Iowans with disabilities who are waiting to hear if they qualify for Medicaid coverage. Representative Josh Turek, a Democrat from Council Bluffs, said 21,000 Iowans with disabilities are currently on a waiting list. “This is abhorrent, honestly, and morally reprehensible that individuals would have to wait for six years for basic health care,” Turek said.

Turek told reporters that as “the sole disabled legislator,” this issue is “near and dear to him.” Turek was born with a condition called spina bifada and has used a wheelchair since childhood.

Posted in News |