(Radio Iowa) — Iowans are being reminded by the Internal Revenue Service that new tax laws mean new calculations for payroll taxes. I-R-S spokesman Christopher Miller says Iowans should be sitting down with their tax returns and their paychecks this week in order to consult the I-R-S’s withholding calculator. Miller says, “The withholding tables also changed and that means that what’s being taken out of their paycheck may have changed and they need to be aware of that.”

Miller says the special Paycheck Checkup tool on the agency’s website will help you and your employer better tailor your withholdings under the new laws. Miller says, “You enter some information about your situation and it will help you understand whether or not the right amount for your particular situation is being withheld from your paycheck.”

The I-R-S is also asking Iowa businesses to look at their payroll and make sure employees are having the right amount of pay withheld. Miller says changes to the tax law means that the withholdings you might have been using over the last several years are insufficient.  “If they received a smaller refund than they expected this year, or perhaps even if they had a tax bill that was unexpected, this will allow them to adjust their withholding,” Miller says.

Find the special Paycheck Check-Up page online at I-R-S-dot-gov.

The Creston Police Department reports 29-year old Terry Ray Hankins Lund, Jr., of Creston, was arrested Wednesday morning at his home, on three Union County warrants. The warrants were for: charges of Criminal Mischief in the 2nd degree & burglary in the 2nd; Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree & Domestic Abuse Assault; and, Obstruction of Emergency Communications. Lund, Jr.’s bond was set at $10,300, with no bond on the assault and 3rd degree Criminal Mischief charges. He remains in the Union County Jail.

25-year old Zachariah Benn, of Creston, was arrested late Wednesday evening at his home, on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear for a jail sentence, with regard to an original charge of Driving While Barred. Benn was being held in the Union County Jail, until the balance of his sentence is complete. 30-year old Kayla Hoffman, of Creston, was arrested at her home Wednesday morning, on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Theft in the 5th degree. She was being held for Union County in the Adams County Jail, on a $300 bond. At the same residence, 30-year old Caleb Fredrickson, of Creston, was arrested on Union County warrants for Failure to Appear on a Theft in the 3rd degree charge, and Violation of Probation. He was also charged with Driving while Suspended. Fredrickson was being held in the Union County Jail on a total of $12,300 bond.

Creston Police said also, a man residing in the 400 block of N. Poplar Street reported Wednesday, that sometime over the past two- or three-months, someone stole a gun from the glovebox of his vehicle. The Smith and Wesson .38-caliber handgun was valued at $450.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — Two competing Iowa-based convenience store chains are working together to raise awareness about human trafficking. Casey’s General Stores and Kum-and-Go are training their 25-hundred employees through “C-SAT,” Convenience Stores Against Trafficking. Casey’s spokesman Mike Richardson says workers in the industry’s stores, which are open round-the-clock, are in a unique position to help.

“Our employees will be trained in the next three-to-four weeks probably everyone will be completed in order to watch for any signs of human trafficking,” Richardson says. “On top of that, we’ll be placing stickers in the restrooms to either write the number down or text it to somebody that they are actually in that situation.”

Des Moines-based Kum & Go has almost 400 stores in 11 states while Casey’s, headquartered in Ankeny, has 21-hundred stores in 16 states.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Idaho man has pleaded guilty to trying to influence a victim of his brother’s investment scheme. U.S. District Court records say David Emerson Smith, of Pocatello, Idaho, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

Smith’s brother, Darrell Smith, of Forest City, Iowa, was sentenced in October to 14 years and seven months in prison. He’d pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in connection with the investment of clients’ money into an ethanol plant in Hopkinton.

Prosecutors say Darrell Smith had David Smith contact a woman who lost nearly $162,000 in his brother’s scheme and offered her money, tax credits and shares in an energy company if she’d stop complaining to authorities about the amount of her loss.

(Radio Iowa) — This spring has been cooler and wetter than usual in Iowa and that combination may be sticking around for a while. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says the El Nino weather pattern was slow to develop in recent months but it’s definitely in place now and it’s likely the impact will be felt for several more months to come.

“El Ninos in the summer tend not to be hot and dry,” Todey says. “Overall, that’s usually a good thing, but this year, because of the wetness, we do have a bit of concern that this could put a little bit of a damper on the growing season.”

Many thousands of acres of Iowa farmland were swamped by flooding in recent months, and this week’s heavy rain is raising fears of a repeat. Todey says if the weather stays cooler and wetter through summer, that lack of heat could be a critical problem for farmers by harvest season.

“With El Ninos not being too warm, you might be a little short on corn on degree days,” Todey says, “which could put us in the fall, even if we’re not into a situation of near-freeze conditions, you may be harvesting some wet corn again.”

An El Nino occurs when Pacific Ocean temperatures rise and cause weather impacts all across North America. Typically, an El Nino also brings a winter that is -warmer- than normal.

(Radio Iowa) — Despite international trade tariffs and a series of other challenges, Iowa livestock producers are seeing hog prices rise in recent weeks, which comes as a welcome surprise to many. Lee Schultz, an ag economist with the Iowa State University Extension, explains the rollercoastering of pork prices on the commodities market. “I think what was driving the lower prices in the early part of 2019 was impacts of retaliatory tariffs and impacts on the trade that we expected,” Schultz says. “And then really, through late March and April, we really saw the impact of the ASF situation in China.”

That’s African Swine Fever which has reportedly spread to every region of China and several surrounding countries, dropping the hog population in China by nearly 40-million head compared to last year. Shultz says U-S pork producers are also seeing the potential for significant growth in global protein demand.  “Recently, I think it has been the markets, the supply situation weighing on it a bit as well as the new news of the delay in the trade negotiations talks,” he says, “I think it’s all been working on the market and why we’ve seen such volatility lately.”

Now that we’re well into spring and the warmer weather will soon bring us to summer grilling season, Schultz says we are entering a key period of demand for pork, which should keep prices higher.”We have three big holidays in front of us with Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and Father’s Day,” he says. “While a lot of purchases have already been made for Mother’s Day, we’re looking still at several holidays in front of us and demand is very strong.”

Schultz says profitability levels are higher for the pork producer than what has been seen for the last few years and he remains optimistic for the remaining months of 2019 and into 2020.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 9-p.m. Wednesday, of 40-year old Shawn Lyle McKenzie. The Red Oak man was taken into custody for Theft in the 5th degree, a simple misdemeanor. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials have announced that a portion of Interstate 29 in southwestern Iowa has reopened after being damaged by flooding in March. The Iowa Department of Transportation says I-29 between U.S. Highway 34 near Pacific Junction and the Missouri border has reopened, but that travelers should expect some lane closures and slower travel times. Nebraska Highway 2 between Nebraska City and the Iowa state line remains closed.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A stretch of interstate highway in northwestern Missouri is open again for the first time since floodwaters shut it down in March. Interstate 29 reopened Wednesday to the Iowa state line. Historic flooding in March forced closure of the busy north-south roadway. I-29 also is open in Iowa, but with some restrictions. Many other roads and highways in northwestern Missouri and southwestern Iowa remain closed due to flood damage.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a measure into law that gives her greater control over the way judges are selected and weakening the influence of attorneys. Reynolds signed it Wednesday with no fanfare, announcing her approval in an email that also noted four other bills. She says she’s proud to sign it “to give all Iowans a greater voice in the process.” Democrats accused Republicans of trying to stack the courts in their favor after losing abortion and same-sex marriage cases.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa State University employee will get a settlement of more than $27,000 from the state after claiming discrimination in the way the university managed its health insurance for transgender employees. Elyn Fritz-Waters sued the state in January when her employee health insurance denied care for gender dysphoria, which included her request for hormone therapy and a sex reassignment surgery.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday, approved the 2018-19 Amended Certified Budget. Their action followed a public hearing, during which there were no comments. It allows the district to complete building improvements this summer without overspending the certified budget.

Atlantic School Board 5-8-19

Among the expenditures included in the amended budget and not budgeted for during the current school year is: A sewage problem at the Washington School; Replacing two small sections of the Middle School auditorium roof; LED lighting for the High School Commons area; Replacing a bus transmission, and Technology expenses. Officials said there will be no increase in taxes to be paid in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.

In his report to the Board, Superintendent Steve Barber said “There is a lot of excitement for next year in the Atlantic Trades Program. Initial enrollment numbers are averaging 13-to 15 students. Given most of these classes are shop classes, these are good manageable numbers in maintaining safety.” Barber said the Steering Committee continues “To be active in helping design workplace skills and expertise necessary in creating a world class program.”

And, he said Atlantic is in the process of identifying equipment needs to get an Aviation curriculum implemented this fall. “Early indication,” he said, is that “A large number of students [who] have expressed interest in the class.” And, the high school will be offering a Coding training curriculum, once a steering committee comprised of community members in the technology world is formed. Coding is used to communicate, create and problem solve in computer and device programming.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved the resignation of Taylor Williams, Student Council Advisor, and as previously announced, contract recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment for several individuals, with the addition of Susan Wedemeyer, High School Art Teacher, and Bryce Casey, Summer Grounds keeper. In addition, the Board approved a 2.20 % total package increase for Central Office staff, Technology staff, and all Directors including the Business Manager. The amount recommended was between the settlement of the two Unions of 2.14% and 2.24%.

They also approved several, previously mentioned Winter Sports Coaching Contracts, 2019-20 sharing agreements with CAM & Exira-EHK for Girls Soccer, and Griswold, with regard to Industrial Technology and Transportation Director.

Their final piece of business was to approve a recommendation from Superintendent Steve Barber to change the surface of the Trojan Bowl turf from natural grass to synthetic turf, with the $600,000 cost paid by private fundraising and donations. In previous meetings, it was pointed out that seeding a natural grass surface at the athletic facility would require the loss of one season of activity at the Trojan Bowl, and using sod has a number of negative consequences. Private members of a fund raising committee have said they could secure $300,000 over the duration of the improvements, with the intent to raise all $600,000 to turf the Trojan Bowl and not lose a football season. If the committee is unable to raise the entire $600k, the district would be responsible to cover the remaining costs.