A state senator is calling on rural Iowans to “boycott” Des Moines in the wake of a lawsuit filed against three northwest Iowa counties. Des Moines Water Works officials claim officials in Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac Counties have failed to adequately manage drainage districts in their area, causing nitrate levels in the water downstream to rise to record high levels. Senator Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says farmers from around the state bring a lot of business to the capital city.

“We go there to vacation, we go there to shop…and if they’re against rural Iowa, then we do not need to support their economic industry. Maybe we should boycott Des Moines,” Feenstra says. “Des Moines is being very arrogant in their mentality on this issue.” Governor Terry Branstad and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey have also criticized Des Moines Water Works, claiming voluntary efforts to reduce nitrate levels will improve water quality. Feenstra believes, over the past decade, “giant steps” have been taken to cleanup Iowa’s waterways.

“I just think it’s maybe time to send Des Moines a clear message and say, you know what, if you don’t appreciate the farming community, then maybe we should stop going to your community and spending our funds there,” Feenstra says. Leaders of Des Moines Water Works claim the nitrates spilling into the Raccoon River in northwest Iowa are threatening central Iowa’s drinking water supply and driving up the cost to remove pollutants.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Senate has approved legislation that would allow more Iowa residents to register online to vote. The Senate voted 26-20 yesterday along party lines for the bill. It now heads to the House, though it’s unclear what kind of support it will get. The legislation would allow a person to register to vote online through the secretary of state’s website if the person has an Iowa driver’s license number, a state-issued identification card number or a Social Security number.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Senate panel has approved a bill that would change the deadline for when most people in Iowa would need to submit absentee ballots, though some lawmakers say they will introduce changes to the House-backed legislation. A State Government subcommittee approved the bill Thursday. It heads to the full committee for consideration.

SOLDIER, Iowa (AP) — Officials have confirmed that a body recovered from a lake in western Iowa is that of a farmer reported missing in November. Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt says the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office identified the body as 68-year-old Walter Ordway of Soldier. His body was pulled from a lake at Oldham Recreation Area on Saturday.

SEATTLE (AP) — Northern Iowa is taking on Wyoming Friday afternoon at Seattle’s Key Arena in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Tipoff is at 12:40 p.m. Central. The Hawkeyes are playing Davidson College starting at 6:20 Central at the same venue.

Authorities say no one is actively being sought in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found near Elliott early Monday morning. Officials say 47-year old Carman M. O’Dell was discovered in a grassy field on the northern edge of Elliott, at around 4:40-a.m., Monday. According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, her death did not appear to be suspicious.

Carman O’Dell (Photo from Duhn Funeral Home website)

An autopsy was performed by Dr. Dennis Klein of the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny. The cause and manner of her death are being withheld until the full autopsy report is complete. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner assistied with the investigation.

No further information will be released until the autopsy reports are complete. Funeral services for Carman O’Dell will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, at the Central Church of Christ, in Griswold.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Fire Department report Pottawattamie County Conservation officials will be conducting some prescribed burns within the City limits of Council Bluffs. The controlled fires will take place between March 20th and the end of April, to reduce the amount of fuel and threat of a potential wild land fire, along with promoting better hydrology for the environment.

The burns are expected to take place in two locations: The area north of 25th Street and south of Narrows Park along the Missouri River; In the Vincent Bluff area northeast of Harry Langdon Blvd, southwest of Madison Avenue, north and west of Woodbury Avenue.

The prescribed burns will only take place if weather conditions are conducive to ensuring a safe environment. Due to the ever changing forecasts, the decision to conduct the burns will be made only 24-hours in advance. If you live in the affected neighborhoods, you should contact the Council Bluffs Fire Department with any health concerns, such as a respiratory condition, that will require a “day of” notification.

If you have any questions or concerns, call the Council Bluffs Fire Dept. at 712-328-4646.

SOLDIER, Iowa (AP) – Officials have confirmed that a body recovered from a lake in western Iowa is that of a farmer reported missing in November. Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt says the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office identified the body as 68-year-old Walter Ordway, of Soldier. His body was pulled from a lake at Oldham Recreation Area near Soldier on Saturday.

In December, hunters found a pickup owned by Ordway near the recreation area. The Monona County Sheriff’s Office says it’s believed that Ordway took his dog for an outing on Nov. 17 and that the dog fell through the like ice into the freezing water. Officials say Ordway must have fallen into the water while trying to rescue his dog. The dog’s body was found nearby.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A citation has been upheld against a dental hygiene professor at Iowa Western Community College for allowing students to perform dental work unsupervised.
The Daily Nonpareil reports that dental hygiene students performed several services, including applying fluoride varnishes, without the supervision of a licensed dentist as part of Family Inc.’s I-Smile program, which offers free clinics at schools and other sites across Pottawattamie and Mills counties.

The professor was fined $75 on Feb. 25 by the Iowa Dental Board. The professor has an active license with the dental board, and is in good standing, according to the board’s online database. A spokesman for Iowa Western’s Dental Hygiene Program said that the school inadvertently did not follow a standard in the Iowa Dental Code, and has taken steps to make sure that their clinical activities follow the standards of the dental profession.

A summit is scheduled today (Thursday) in Des Moines to discuss the creation of a wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety. Ric Lumbard, executive director of the Iowa Communications Network, says it’s part of the federal initiative know as FirstNet.  “The general background for FirstNet was in the backdrop of the Boston Marathon bombing, where during major crisis events like this, the commercial cellular systems were unable to support public safety use of cellular during that time,” Lumbard told Radio Iowa. The FirstNet system would create a nationwide public safety communications network.

Lumbard offered some examples of how the network could benefit first responders in Iowa. “The easiest one is something very unique to Iowa, RAGBRAI, where we have a moving city of 25,000 to 30,000 people moving through rural Iowa where most of the commercial cell infrastructure is not built for that level of capacity,” Lumbard said. The system dedicated to public safety could also be important if there were a crisis situation at the Iowa State Fair or a large sporting event.

“Even a major weather event, such as flooding or tornadoes, those are not the times that public safety needs to contend with the private sector for commercial broadband space,” Lumbard said. FirstNet (short for “First Responder Network Authority”) has agreed to pay for the deployment of the nationwide system, but would likely recoup those costs through subscriptions to the service, according to Lumbard. Today’s meeting is scheduled for 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Iowa Utilities Board headquarters in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)

Learn more about the Iowa FirstNet project here: http://www.connectiowa.org/

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency says today (Thursday) will be a day of Moderated Fire Danger, with the risk still High due to abundance of fuel, and access issues. Drying conditions, with low relative humidity’s, poor overnight humidity recoveries, and winds will return Friday through Tuesday seeing a return of High to possibly Extreme conditions next week.

Authorities say residents should remain vigilant as there could still be some large fires. Other surrounding counties have been experiencing large fires, but officials say they are proud of Shelby County residents, as they have been helping keep firefighters safe by limiting burning, and being responsive to the fire danger announcements.

The Atlantic City Council has approved an economic development agreement with Sonntag Development L.L.C., for a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) grant pertaining to the Southern Heights View development project. The agreement, which passed by unanimous vote Wednesday evening, stipulates the local developer will $360,000 in three incremental payments of $120,000 each, to be paid at the time each of three phases of the project are completed. The 28-unit condominium project includes 16 to be built along 19th Street, with 12 additional units along or near 22nd Street. The project is expected to cost anywhere from $3-to 4-million.

Prior to the Council’s vote, a public hearing was held on the bond purchase that amounts around to $405,000, when the cost of the bond is figured-in. Despite some comments from the public over whether the City should grant a TIF for the project, Bond Underwriter, Chip Schultz said the project would not happen without a commitment from the City.

He said “To be very clear, that debt service on this bond issue is more than supported by the minimum assessment valuations. I’m not speaking to the street project costs in that area and what the City might have to spend…but the debt service of this particular bond issue is more than supported by the three and a-half million this stages in over a number of three-years, of assessment valuations. In fact, there’s about $240,000 left over after the payment of debt, when you take into account the tax increment dollars. The City won’t need that to pay the debt, so then that gets dispersed back to other political sub-divisions..the County, the schools, and so forth.”

Those funds also can support the City’s General Fund, according to Schultz, who said “The City has a really modest use of TIF, less than 2% of [it’s] taxable valuation.” Some cities over-use TIF, but Schultz said Atlantic is “No where near” the 20-to 30% to as much as 40% use other cities have, which can cut into the General Fund and Employee benefits. The agreement guarantees the TIF will be paid back by the developer or whomever takes over the land, if the developer declares bankruptcy or has other financial issues.

Mayor Dave Jone says “We have yet to lose money on a TIF.” He said when Skyjack manufacturing closed, they still paid their TIF off. He said also, “We [The City will] have first rights to the property if anything happens.”