The Board of Supervisors in Adair County will hear several funding requests for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY2018) during their meeting Friday morning, in their Boardroom at the Adair County Courthouse.

The meeting begins at 9-a.m., with the Board considering recommendations from the County Compensation Board, and consideration of FY2018 hourly wage increases for full-and part-time County employees.

Requests for FY 2018 funding are also expected from (In order of appearance): the Adair County Attorney; Ag Extension Council; Library; Southern Iowa Trolley; Fair Board; County Auditor; MATURA; The Adair County Historical Society; Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG); Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), and the Dept. of Human Services.

Governor Terry Branstad will release the details of 100-million dollars in cuts to the CURRENT year’s state budget on Tuesday. Branstad will not propose furloughs for executive branch employees, but Branstad’s not ruling out the possibility of layoffs.
“It’ll be up to each agency to determine,” Branstad says. “In many cases when somebody retires or quits, we need to review whether that position needs to be replaced or whether responsibilities can be reassigned or combined with another position.”

Branstad is scheduled to deliver the annual “Condition of the State” message to legislators on Tuesday. He plans to release details of his state spending plans at the same time. The governor last month indicated he will not propose cuts in state payments to schools or cuts in the Medicaid program. That means the budgets of state agencies are his likely targets for cutting.

“It’s better to make the tough decisions,” Branstad says, “and if you can’t live with the budget you have, then you’ve got to make some kind of a permanent decision.” And Branstad says the cuts he’ll propose for the remaining six months of the current budgeting year will be NOT be restored in the state budget plan he’s developed for the NEXT year.

Branstad made his comments yesterday (Wednesday) during the Associated Press Legislative Seminar at the statehouse.

(Radio Iowa)

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office says an Atlantic woman was arrested this (Thursday) morning at her home, on a drug-related warrant. 51-year old Lee Ann Hansen was taken into custody at around 8:30-a.m. on an outstanding Audubon County warrant filed by the Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Hansen faces a charge of Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Heroin, following an investigation into an incident that occurred on June 6th, 2016. She was released after appearing before the Magistrate.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office assisted DNE Agents along with Homeland Security Agents, in conducting the investigation.

Slippery road conditions are apparently to blame for a non-injury accident in Creston this morning. According to Creston Police, 44-year old Tammy Lynn Case, of Creston, was driving a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo eastbound on Clark Street at around 8:20-a.m., and was turning right to head down an alley, when her vehicle slid on the road, over a curb, and struck a tractor parked in a yard.

The tractor, owned by Trevor Hackwell, of Creston, sustained about $800 damage, while damage to the SUV was estimated at $900. No citations were issued.

Creston Police say a woman complained of pain but was not transported to the hospital, following a collision this morning at S. Walnut and E. Page Streets, in Creston. A vehicle driven by Jennifer Mackey, of Clearfield, was traveling north on S. Walnut Street at around 6:50-a.m., when her 2003 Chevrolet was struck by an eastbound 2011 Chevy Impala. The driver of the Impala, 24-year old Codie James Cook, of Creston, failed to yield at the controlled intersection. Cook was charged with Driving While Suspended and Failure to have insurance.

Damage from the collision amounted to $6,000.

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

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Creston Police report the arrest Wednesday night of 45-year old Karen Brodsack, of Creston. Brodsack was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree. Her bond was set at $1,000.

And, the Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 41-year old Dennis Michael Smith, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday night at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Smith was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear in court. His bond for the offense was set at $5,000.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Republicans in the Iowa Senate have selected a handful of priority areas for quick action once the 2017 legislature convenes on Monday.  “We have four bills that I believe define us and give Iowans a clear indication of where we plan to go with policies for our state.” That’s Bill Dix of Shell Rock, the leader of Senate Republicans.

Two of the measures are proposed amendments to the state constitution and would be voted upon by Iowans. The first would limit state spending to 99 percent of available tax revenue. That’s been the practice in the legislature for about two decades, but that spending limitation is not required under the state’s constitution. The second proposed amendment has been sought by gun rights advocates and would insert the right to “keep and bear arms” in Iowa’s constitution. “Effectively accomplishing what is in our federal constitution,” Dix says.

The third priority for Senate Republicans will be legislation to forbid spending state tax dollars at Planned Parenthood. Dix says there are plenty of other clinics in Iowa that offer breast cancer screening and reproductive health exams which are covered by tax dollars for Medicaid patients. “Better options for more women and their health care,” Dix says.

The fourth and final priority area for Senate Republicans will be an effort to curb lawsuit abuse. “A measure that ensures losers in those court cases pay for the cost associated with the case,” Dix says.

Lawyers say “loser pays” laws often deter legitimate victims from getting compensation for the fraud or harm they’ve suffered. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has been planning its lobbying campaign against G-O-P cuts, too. Dix says spending restraint, gun rights, tort reform and “protecting the unborn” were among the main promises Republican candidates made to voters in 2016.

“That sets a tone,” Dix says of the GOP’s “first four” priorities. “Obviously, there’s a lot more work that needs to be done, but those are four key measures that we want to move forward as early in the process as we can.”

Republicans will hold 29 of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate when the legislature convenes Monday and be in control of the debate agenda. Democrats have held the majority for a decade, but with just 19 seats in Democratic hands this year, Democrats be the minority party in the state senate. Rob Hogg, of Cedar Rapids, is the new leader of Senate Democrats. He says Republicans are proposing solutions to “manufactured problems.”

(Radio Iowa)