(Radio Iowa) – City councils would be able to strip Iowa public library boards of their authority and take over management of their city’s library under legislation that’s cleared an Iowa House subcommittee.

City councils would be able to hire or fire the library’s director and decide what books should be in the library. The bill is a response to a failed effort to get a graphic novel removed from the shelves in Pella’s library. Pella’s city council held a city-wide vote — which is allowed under current state law — that would have put the council in charge of the library, but the referendum narrowly failed last November.

“Please don’t overturn this by an end run around and legislate a way of stopping the vote,” Mary Timmer of Pella told legislators during a subcommittee hearing late this morning.

Several library directors and members of local library boards urged legislators to defeat the bill. Wade Dooley, a farmer from Albion, is chairman of the board of trustees for the public library in his town of fewer than 500 residents.

“This bill is a train wreck,” Dooley said. “It opens up all sorts of possibilities for very disastrous consequences if you get an activist city council that starts seesawing on what they believe for a library to be or not be. Our city council has barely any training to be a city council, now you also want them to run a library?” I’m sorry, but that’s not a good idea. This bill should be squashed.”

Amanda Brewer, director of the Harlan Community Library, says library boards receive extensive training in what’s involved in governing a library.

Harlan Community Library director Amanda Brewer testifies at a House subcommittee hearing in the Iowa Capitol on Feb. 8, 2024. (RI photo)

“Our city councils can’t step up and take on that role,” Brewer said. “They’re already maxxed out on their responsibilities and they also need the buffer of the library board to protect them as a city and make the decisions that need to happen in the library.”

Republican Representative Carter Nordman of Adel said he’s heard privately from members of city councils as well as city administrators who have complaints about their public libraries that go beyond debates over books and content.

“The city council funds the libraries. There’s personnel issues. There are taxpayer dollars being spent and these are the individuals who are elected to make those decisions, so if there is issues with the library board, I think the buck stops at the city council,” Nordman said. “That’s why I think I am OK with moving this forward and continuing to have the conversation on making this bill better.”

The other Republican on the subcommittee said she had “reservations” about the bill, but voted to send it on to the House Local Government Committee to “continue the conversation.” The Democrat who served on the subcommittee said the bill “is a bad idea” and “there’s no reason for it.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Cass Health said Thursday (today), “We have been made aware of a series of scam phone calls and texts involving Cass Health.

“The callers claim to be from Cass Health and are asking to confirm or update your information including address, phone number, date of birth, as well as billing information. These are not legitimate phone calls and residents should not give out any personal information. Please hang up and disregard these calls.

“We’ve also been made aware of scam text messages claiming patients need to pay their bill by clicking on a link. We do not send text messages about payments due. Do not click on these links; you can disregard or block the number.

Keep in mind that our Registration team may call some patients to pre-register you for a a limited number of upcoming appointments (such as telehealth or clinical dietitian appointments). If you’re ever unsure about a call from us being legitimate, you can always hang up, call us at 712-243-3250 and ask for the department that contacted you.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) — Cass Health, in Atlantic, was recently named one of the four finalists for the 2023 Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award from the American Hospital Association. Hospital officials say the award recognizes small or rural hospital leadership teams who guide their hospital and community through change and innovation. The awardees display outstanding leadership, responsiveness to their community’s health needs, and a collaborative process that has led to measurable outcomes.

Cass Health CEO Brett Altman says “Cass Health’s staff is dedicated to our vision to be the best rural hospital in the country. Meeting that goal means we do a lot of behind-the-scenes work to really delve into our community’s needs, research solutions, recruit quality providers to allow greater access to specialty care and invest for the future. We’re very proud of our entire team to be one of the finalists for the American Hospital Association award, and I hope the many southwest Iowa communities we serve feel the same.”

The American Hospital Association shared that Cass Health was selected due to their work in three main areas. First, for labor and delivery services and growth in maternal health services. Second, their student experience program that provided around 120 clinical opportunities in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, radiology, and other healthcare careers last year. Lastly, Cass Health was selected due to their Healthy Equity Committee, which focuses on health disparities, social determinants of health, and social needs.

The winning recipient of the Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award was Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital, in Waimea. Other finalists included the teams at Providence Alaska in Seward, Valdez and Kodiak, Alaska; and Hannibal Regional Healthcare System in Hannibal, Missouri.

(Radio Iowa) – The wife of a Woodbury County supervisor who was convicted of voter fraud will be sentenced on April 1st. Kim Phong Taylor was found guilty on multiple charges in a scheme to illegally gather votes from the Vietnamese Community for her husband Jeremy. Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill was one of the witnesses for federal prosecutors. Gill says workers in his office raised a concern about absentee ballots in the 2020 primary election. “There were 135 write ins for Jeremy Taylor as auditor and 150 in that supervisor seat. And what was noticeable, why they called me down is the handwriting was all the same,” Gill says. He says there wasn’t enough to take action on at that point.

“And I just kept saying you know it’s a get out the vote effort unless one of those voters tells me differently, there’s nothing we can do about it,” he says. Things changed when a brother and sister came forward and said they were not allowed to legally vote because someone had forged ballots cast in their names.

Kim was found guilty of 26 counts of providing false information, 23 counts of fraudulent voting, and three counts of fraudulent registration. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. Jeremy Taylor, was named an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the case but hasn’t been charged with a crime. Taylor was urged to resign by fellow board of supervisor members, but has refused.

(Radio Iowa) – Lawmakers on a Senate subcommittee have agreed to advance a bill that would double the number of medical cannabis dispensaries in Iowa, but they’re expressing reservations about the plan. About 18-thousand Iowans are currently registered to buy cannabidiol or C-B-D products from the five state licensed businesses. Senator Mike Bousselot, of Ankeny says a proliferation of products that produce a high are being sold elsewhere. “I think we ought to take a broader look at the program in light sort of all of the different facets of weed and hemp and THC and lack of action at the federal level,” Bousselot said.

Senator Janet Weiner, of Iowa City says Iowa’s medical marijuana program is really little — for a reason. “We’re just dancing around the issue of the fact that neighboring states have recreational marijuana and we’re losing out on a lot of revenue,” Weiner says. Marijuana is legal for recreational use in Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri. The five medical marijuana dispensaries licensed by the State of Iowa are in Coralville, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Waterloo and Windsor Heights. The Iowa Cannabis Company operates three of those and a lobbyist for the company raised concerns about a section in the bill that says if the number of dispensaries expands to 10, one company could only operate three.

Tim Coonan is a lobbyist for Green Leaf Cannabis Company, a firm that backs the bill because it wants to apply for a license.  “That restriction makes it more competitive,” Coonan said, “rather than have the market completely dominated and monopolized by a certain few entities.”

Iowa Capitol Building (RI file photo)

MedPharm Iowa has the license for the state’s other two dispensaries.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a regular session Tuesday morning. According to the meeting minutes provided by Auditor Mark Maxwell, Tony Buman, Shelby County Zoning Director, was present and recommended the passage of a Wind Turbine and Solar Farm moratorium in Shelby County until more details can be worked out on the proper conditions and possibly be implemented in county ordinances. The Board then acted to approve two resolutions pertaining to both commercial Wind and Solar Farms.

In other business, Chris Fredericksen, Shelby County Engineer, gave a Secondary Roads report which that specifies Fredericksen is authorized, on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, to execute the certification of completion of work and final acceptance thereof in accordance with plans and specifications in connection with all Farm­ to-Market and Federal or State aid construction projects in the county. Auditor Mark Maxwell said also, a utility permit has been applied for by the Rural Water Association for utility in a right-of-way. The permit was approved. Carolyn Blum, Shelby County Treasurer, was on hand to present her semiannual report to the Supervisors and give a quarterly report to the Supervisors which included that the number of drivers license examinations have increased with parent taught Drivers Education.

Geralyn Greer, Shelby County Recorder, gave a quarterly report to the Supervisors with the current event in her office and that she has volunteered her services on a State Committee for the State Recorders Association. Greer also introduced her new employee, Makenzie Burmeister, to the Board of Supervisors.  The Supervisors then considered the hours earned by the interim EMS coordinator, many compensatory hours have been earned and necessary in the start up of the Shelby County Department. All hours have been logged and turned in by the EMS Coordinator. The Board passed a related resolution to assist the EMS Department in Employee Compensation:

“Whereas the Shelby County EMS department was organized quickly, and Shelby County took over operations from Medivac in less than one month. Whereas no Supervisory position existed at the time of the transition. Whereas the assistant EMA director volunteered to head the creation of the EMS department and was named interim director. Whereas the duties of both positions take many hours more than allowed in EMA employee handbooks. And the limits of compensation time allowed are suspected to be exceeded in the interim EMS role. Therefore let it be resolved that until July 1st, 2024, any excess compensatory time accumulated over the maximum allowed in the EMA handbook, will be allowed to be paid out at a one hour worked to one hour paid ratio . Signed timesheets by a County Supervisor and the interim EMS director must be turned in and properly filled out to receive any of the compensation payout.”

The Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council role in governing and advising the Supervisors has never clearly been defined. Marcus Gross, Shelby County Attorney, spoke and the EMS Advisory Board is in place to assist the creation of the Shelby County EMS and to assist the Board of Supervisors in making future recommendations to the Board of Supervisors concerning the operation of the EMS Department.

Jordon Sanders, interim EMS Coordinator was present to have the Supervisors consider a new wage scale for the EMS department. The Board approved the wage scale as presented.

A building and grounds use application by the Roar into Harlan organization was presented to the Supervisors to hold their monthly Thursday evening events this next summer. No incidents involving the Courthouse grounds have been noticed or reported to County officials. The Shelby County Supervisors passed a motion to approve the application as presented.

The Shelby County GIS director, Mark Maxwell, presented a contract between Harlan Municipal Utilities and the County for GIS services. Harlan Municipal Utilities want to have a three-year contract with the County versus a perpetual contract as has been the case in the past. A motion to that effect was passed.

The budget limits placed on Counties by the Iowa Legislature has caused the Supervisors to consider several options of cutting costs to taxpayers. A new County retirement incentive has been drafted with the details available at the Auditors office. Generally described as employees with over 25 years of continuous full time employment with Shelby County, over 55 years of age and eligible for bonafide retirement may apply for an early retirement package now offered by Shelby County. A motion to approve the retirement package passed as presented.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Community School District Transportation Director Steve Andersen presented his first report to the School Board Wednesday evening, since taking over the position. He said the Transportation Department has 19 regular drivers and 12 active substitute drivers.

Andersen all of the District’s yellow buses run on propane. A smaller, mini-bus runs on gasoline, and there are five diesel buses.

Steve Andersen showed the Board a color-coded map indicating their bus routes.

ACSD Transportation Director Steve Andersen (Official ACSD photo)

Andersen said all of their buses are inspected twice per year. All 27 buses were kept in-service last year, with only minor repairs needed, such as burned-out lights. A suburban that was previously taken out of service for repairs, was returned to the fleet this past Fall. He said one of his goals is to be able to acquire routing software, similar to what he used in his former delivery business. Currently, the routes are drawn by hand.

Andersen said the software would not only be a good security benefit, but a parent’s portal would allow changes to the route to be more efficient, based on student availability.

He said also, he wants to offer competitive compensation for the District’s drivers.

He also wants to continue to recruit Class-B licensed drivers. Andersen noted they can train persons who are getting their Class-B license for the first time and get them up-to-speed with an approved training at no charge.