DES MOINES – Gov. Reynolds will be holding a public budget hearing Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. This meeting will serve as the annual open forum on the state budget and Iowans will have the opportunity to participate virtually. Details below:

Wednesday, January 3, 2024 
Gov. Reynolds to hold virtual public budget hearing
2:00 p.m.

***Members of the public should RSVP with Molly Severn by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday to receive information on how to participate, Molly.Severn@governor.iowa.gov***

West Des Moines, Iowa (KCCI) –  Owners of Danish toy company Lego say they’re opening Iowa’s first Lego store next year. It’ll be inside West Des Moines’ Jordan Creek Town Center, near the Lululemon store. Currently, the closest one is at the Mall of America in Minnesota. Iowa’s location should be ready for shoppers sometime in the second half of 2024.

Headquartered in Billund, Denmark, Lego has factories on three continents, including what it says is a new carbon-neutral factory in Vietnam. There are plans for another carbon-neutral factory in Richmond, Virginia.

Lego was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and its name is derived from the Danish words “leg godt,” or “play well.” The company opened 155 stores worldwide in 2022 and now has more than 900 locations across more than 130 countries.

AMES, Iowa (KCAU) — One of the Democratic candidates vying for the party’s nomination to go up against Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra for Iowa’s 4th congressional district has dropped out of the race. KCAU says Jay Brown announced on his Facebook page that he’s withdrawing from the race.

“I whole heartedly [sic] endorse Ryan Melton, with whom I feel great commonality on issues,” Brown said. “The decision was difficult, but I didn’t make a very good candidate.”

The only Democratic candidate in the race is Melton. Representative Feenstra announced last week that he’s running for re-election for a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A national survey found that the restaurant industry saw a healthy jump in sales in 2023. But that didn’t help some places that were forced to close their doors in the past year. KCRG says MasterCard found that the retail sales grew over 3% this holiday season, and that includes restaurant industry sales. That same study found the Restaurant sector was up 7.8% year over year. So why are some places closing so soon?

Jessica Dunker with the Iowa Restaurant Association says the profits in the business still aren’t quite at the levels they were pre-pandemic. The establishment may look busy, she said, by when all is said and done, some restaurants simply aren’t profitable.

The reason for that can range from restaurant to restaurant, but it typically has to with increased prices to compensate for the cost of labor. And a huge part of that is tips. Dunker says servers and bartenders still depend on tips as a large part of their income.

She said also, one way to help with the overall success of the restaurant industry is to pay with cash. Dunker said, on average, these businesses will pay between 1.5 and 3 percent in card processing fees.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis says rival Nikki Haley gave a word salad answer when she made no reference to slavery after someone in New Hampshire asked her what caused the Civil War. DeSantis says it shows Haley isn’t ready for prime time. DeSantis, who’s campaigning in Iowa, spoke with reporters here yesterday (Thursday).

He called the abolition of slavery is the Republican Party’s top achievement. DeSantis, who opposes the removal of a Confederate monument in Jacksonville, Florida, told reporters you can’t erase history.