(Radio Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand — the only Democrat in statewide office — is questioning the governor’s plan to overhaul special education programs and create a new division in the Iowa Department of Education to oversee Area Education Agencies.  “The idea that they’re going to move it to the Department of Education to improve oversight after this legislature and this governor gutted the auditor’s office, made a list of documents that we can’t look at in audits, does anyone really think they’re making that kind of a move to improve oversight?” Sand asks. “I doubt it.” Sand says he’s also concerned about what the governor’s plan means for the 34-hundred people who work in A-E-As.

“There’s a lot of loving, wonderful people around the state of Iowa who work at the AEAs. My mom was one of them. That was her career up in northeast Iowa, driving around as a physical therapies, doing what I would say is the Lord’s work, literally putting her hands on kids, helping them learn to walk, and she would come home levitating sometimes because her kid learned to walk today,” Sand says, “and she loved them just as much as she loved my sister and I.”

The governor says it’s time for a reboot because A-E-A spending has been on autopilot and the test scores of students with disabilities are far below the national average. The governor’s plan calls for A-E-As to focus solely on special education programming rather than the teacher training and other services they’re providing schools. The governor proposes that school districts get to choose whether to stick with their local A-E-A for special education services, switch to a different A-E-A, hire their own staff or work with a private firm to provide the services.

(Radio Iowa) – The last opportunity for hunters to take a deer this season will focus on unclaimed deer tags in individual counties. Iowa D-N-R state deer biologist Jace Elliott says this final season helps with population control. “Starting January 11th through January 21st, we have January antlerless seasons being held in select counties based on the availability of those county antlerless tags on the 11th,” he says. The D-N-R held its first excess tag season last year. “Those tags can be purchased for use during that January anterless season. It has to be purchased in person at a vendor just because if you purchased it online, the tag may not come to you in time to utilize for the season,” Elliot says. “They must be purchased in person at a vendor, a list of which can be found on our D-N-R website.”

Elliott says the rules change a little bit on the type of gun you can use to encourage hunters to participate. “The Excess Tag January Season allows the use of centerfire rifles between 22 and 50 caliber, that can be used to harvest deer that normally many of those calibers couldn’t normally be used during our firearm season,” he says. “So there’s a little bit of incentive there for hunters to go out and take advantage of these extra seasons.” Elliott says hunters have had success in recent weeks.

“In terms of our overall harvest this season, we’re trending along pretty closely with our five year average. We’re within five percent of the harvest at this time last year, which was a very good year for our deer harvest in Iowa,” Elliott says. “I would expect finishing up at about the same spot, which is between 105 and 110-thousand deer.”

He says the anterless season is a little quieter and longer, and offers a great opportunity to get a deer for your freezer late into the winter.

(Radio Iowa) – The wicked cold of winter has moved into the region, and it’s prompting an increase in flows upstream on the Missouri River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a statement that it increased the flows from Gavins Point Dam from 13,000 cubic feet per second to 15,000. The Corps says the increased flows downstream on the Missouri River will lessen the chances of ice jams forming. It also will replace some of the water that forms into ice.

The Corps plans to return winter discharges at Gavins Point to 13,000 once the possibility of ice forming on the Missouri River stabilizes.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report a Union County man was arrested Tuesday on numerous drug charges. Authorities say 44-year-old Ryan Wayne Feldhacker, of Creson, was arrested at 907 Davis Ave., in Corning. Feldhacker was charged with two-counts of a Controlled Substance Violation, seven-counts Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd or Subsequent Offense, three-counts Failure to Affix Drug Stamp, three-counts Gathering Where Controlled Substances are Used, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance Violation, and five-counts Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug. Feldhacker’s cash or approved surety bond was set $98,000.

Tuesday afternoon, Creston Police arrested 50-year-old Angela Denise Coke, of Creston. She was arrested at her residence on a charge of Theft in the 4th Degree. Coke was taken to Union County Jail. She later posted a $1,000 cash or approved surety bond, and was released. And, Tuesday evening, 19-year-old Brady Christoper Gross, of Creston, was arrested at 215 N. Division Street, on charges of  OWI/1st offense, and Open Container. He posted a $1,000 bond and was released from the Union County Jail.

AMES, Iowa – Jan. 9, 2024 – The Iowa Transportation Commission, Tuesday, approved more than $53 million in funding for 145 new public transit vehicles and four new public transit facilities. Six of the vehicles will be used to increase the number of vehicles available for public transit service, and 139 vehicles will replace older models past their useful life.

Funds will be used to support construction of two vehicle storage and operations facilities for Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Authority, one vehicle storage facility for River Bend Transit, and one operations and vehicle storage facility for Southern Iowa Trolley.

These funds are available through various federal formula and discretionary grant programs.

Projects were approved for 25 different public transit systems. Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023 Transit Program [Modified van or light duty Mid-sized bus] (Vehicle replacement) funding was approved by the Commission for five vehicles in Region 12 based in Carroll, three vehicles for Region 13, based in Atlantic, and four vehicles in Region 14 based in Creston.

Bus replacement grants were provided for the same three regions to purchase mini-vans and light duty buses. And, Bus & Bus Facilities Discretionary grants were awarded to the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) – based in Atlantic, and the Southern Iowa Trolley – based in Creston.

Details are available HERE.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who are working to keep their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight might be considering any of several new “break-through” drugs, but they’re not for everyone, despite what some celebrities may tout in tabloids. Rebecca Cripe, a registered dietician and nutritionist with Gundersen Health System, says the drugs are under the category of what are called G-L-P-1 medications, which it’s a type of hormone in the intestinal tract that tells us when we’re full.  “They’re originally used either at lower dosage or, Ozempic for instance, is used for people who have type 2 diabetes to help with blood sugar regulation, insulin resistance, but it also helps with appetite,” Cripe says. “It will lower your hunger and provide better fullness or what we call satiety. At higher dosages, some of these medications also help with weight loss.”

Cripe says these drugs are not a “silver bullet” and aren’t for someone who just wants to drop ten pounds. She says the medications are a helpful tool for specific patients, but those patients will also still need to change their lifestyles — eating less, eating better and exercising. “They’re made for people who have diabetes, so they have to have usually something specifically, like Ozempic, type 2 diabetes,” Cripe says. “Also, what insurance will cover is going to be for somebody who has type 2 diabetes, or some could have insulin resistance or pre-diabetes to qualify for it.” While the drugs may be empowering for some patients, Cripe says they’re not a “cure” for obesity. Also, to maintain the healthier weight, she says the meds may need to be taken for life, plus, there are side effects. Iowa’s obesity rate has risen significantly in recent years, with 37-percent of Iowa adults being rated as obese in a 2023 report.

“Obesity is multi-factorial, so it affects not only the person themselves, but their ability to interact with social components, their work environment, quality of life,” Cripe says. “It’s taxing from a healthcare standpoint as well, because usually if somebody does have obesity, they tend to have other what we call co-morbidities, other health issues.”

Gundersen properties include clinics in Fayette, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing, Postville and Calmar, and a hospital in West Union.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is calling for another reduction in Iowa’s personal income tax and a 50 percent increase in the salary for first-time teachers. Reynolds delivered the annual “Condition of the State” address last (Tuesday) night and outlined her priorities for legislators. The governor proposes a 50-thousand dollar starting salary for Iowa’s rookie teachers.

“We want younger Iowans to see the teaching profession as something to aspire to. It’s one of the highest callings one can have,” Reynolds said. “so let’s make sure that teacher pay sends that message.” The governor says state law should require a minimum salary of 62-thousand dollars for teachers with at least a dozen years of experience. “These investments will put Iowa in the top five states for starting pay and help recruit more of the best and brightest to join the teaching profession,” she said. Reynolds is proposing two tax cuts. Businesses would pay half as much per employee into the state fund that finances unemployment benefits.

“Instead of paying money into the government these businesses can create more jobs, increase salaries or reinvest into their communities,” Reynolds said. And Reynolds proposes deeper cuts in the state’s personal income tax — a retroactive cut to January 1st of this year and lowering the rate to three-and-a-half percent in 2025.

View from the House balcony of Governor Reynolds delivering the 2024 Condition of the State Address. (RI photo)

“You know it wouldn’t be a Condition of the State address without me talking about your money or, as the government calls it, taxes,” Reynolds said near the end of her speech. “…Let’s not hestitate. Let’s stick to the approach we established in 2018 and allow Iowans to keep more of their money.” The governor is proposing a major overhaul of the nine Area Education Agencies.

“While some of our AEAs are doing great work, others are underperforming,” she said. Iowa spends more than the national average to educate students with disabilities, but their test scores are below average.  “No system, however long-standing, is above reform,” Reynolds said. She proposes ending training and other education services from the A-E-As and making special education their only focus. School districts would no longer have to forward special education funding to the A-E-As and could choose to hire their own staff, contract with a private firm or pay the A-E-A for special ed services.

“We’re not reducing special education funding by one dime,” Reynolds said. “We are simply giving control of the funding to those who work directly with your child on a daily basis and taking special education off autopilot.”

The governor covered a number of other topics in last (Tuesday) night’s speech. Reynolds is asking lawmakers to tighten rules that forbid foreign ownership of more than 320 acres of farmland, to force disclosure if foreign interests are part of companies that own farmland. She’s also renewed her request that lawmakers extend Medicaid coverage for new moms for a full year. The limit for post-pregnancy check-ups is currently 60 days for women who qualify for government-paid insurance.

(Radio Iowa) G-O-P leaders in the legislature say cutting taxes is a goal they share with Governor Reynolds, but it’s unclear if the tax plan she outlined in her annual address to lawmakers will sail through the House and Senate. House Speaker Pat Grassley says his first impression is the governor has made reasonable recommendations, but he says House Republicans will examine the full impact over the next two years.

“I like the agenda she laid out when it comes to tax policy,” Grassley says, “and we look forward to fully engaging as we see what those out years look like.” Last year, Senate Republicans proposed a bill to eliminate the state income tax by the end of this decade, but Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver says the governor’s plan for a three-and-a-half percent flat income tax rate by 2025 may be an interim step.

“The goal is to get to zero in the state of Iowa,” Whitver says. “Whether we get here in year one (or) year 10, we don’t know, but taking another step forward is certainly progress that we appreciate.” House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst  says about half a million Iowans do not owe any income taxes to the state — and the proposed cuts don’t help them. “We didn’t hear anything tonight about affordable housing, about child care, about utilities,” Konfrst said. “Costs are more about income taxes.”

House Speaker Pat Grassley says there’s interest in both parties in the governor’s plan to raise teacher salaries. “The governor’s been very clear over the last several months that was going to be something she wanted to look at as we came into the legislative session,” Grassley says. “I think you’re going to see a lot of interest in wanting to do something when it comes to getting us into those higher levels.” Konfrst says Democrats have for years supported raising teacher salaries, but they need more details.

“We have a lot of questions, of course,” Konfrst says. “We want to know about the paraprofessionals and other professionals in the school, some of whom are earning less than $10 an hour.” Whitver says Senate Republicans are interested in setting a higher minimum salary for beginning teachers and they’ll see how the governor’s proposal fits in the overall state budget. Reynolds says her teacher pay plan has a 96 million dollar price tag.

MARSHALLTOWN – The Iowa Dept. of Corrections reports Justin Richard Stauffer, who was convicted of Burglary 1st Degree and Interference with Official Acts in Cerro Gordo County, failed to report back to the Marshalltown Residential Center as required yesterday (Monday).

Justin Richard Stauffer

Stauffer is a 37-year-old Hispanic male, height 6’1″, and weighs 221 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on November 28, 2023.

Persons with information on Stauffer’s whereabouts should contact local police.