(Radio Iowa) – With childcare industry shortages statewide, one northeast Iowa school district is repurposing an outdated elementary school building to become a dedicated early education and preschool center. Ed Klamfoth is superintendent of the Waverly-Shell Rock School District and says the transformation makes perfect sense, as growth over the past decade has meant more updated buildings, bigger classes, and more kids.

“Now, because of this vacancy created, we’ve got an opportunity to expand preschool offerings in Waverly for those that need it,” Klamfoth says, “so that’s what we’re looking at doing.” Plus, he says renovating the building means no expensive demolition or construction projects. Klamfoth says it’s part of the district’s responsibility to consider how best to use old buildings.

“We exist to serve the community,” he says, “and if this is a way for us to be able to offer that support that’s needed, then I think it’s worth taking a look at.” About 50 kids are expected in this coming fall’s preschool program in the district, more than double last year’s enrollment.

(Radio Iowa) – A key state senator says the debate over the future of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, teacher pay and general state funding for schools has delayed decisions on tax policy. Republican Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs is chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

“To the big income tax question, we really need to get a budget and figure out what our spending requirements are and what we can return back to taxpayers,” Dawson says. Dawson says the longer it takes to resolve differences among Republicans in the House and Senate on state spending issues, it’s more likely the 2024 legislative session will end without passage of another cut in the state income tax.

“Iowans are still going to get an income tax cut next January and they’re getting one the year after that,” Dawson says. “When we passed the largest tax cut in Iowa history in 2022, that was a four year plan, so even walking out and not having some of these issues resolved, Iowans are still getting tax cuts the next two years. In January, Governor Reynolds said with billions in Iowa’s Taxpayer Relief Fund, the individual income tax should be reduced more. Dawson has proposed a different idea — investing that money and using any profits to gradually reduce Iowa’s income tax, until it’s eliminated several years from now.

“I think there’s two perspectives on how to use those monies in the Taxpayer Relief Fund,” Dawson says. “You could send a one-time check out to Iowans, right? And that’s essentially what the governor’s proposal would do is just try to get that money out as soon as possible to Iowans, but it gets back to ‘What’s your long term vision?'” Dawson says his plan would avoid the misstep of cutting taxes too much, too quickly — sending the state’s budget into a tailspin.

Representative Dave Jacoby of Coralville is the top-ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. He suggests the governor’s retroactive tax cut to the beginning of this year is a gimmick.  “To be blunt about it, sending a check back in a short term thing in an election year seems a little convenient to me,” Jacoby said. Jacoby says lawmakers from both parties need to know the full impact of previously approved tax cuts before approving more.

“We have not sat down to review everything we’ve done since the 2013 property tax cut bill, the 2017 and 2018 tax cut bills,” Jacoby says, “and also what we’re doing now on income tax.” Jacoby says Democrats favor tax cuts targeted to working Iowans and he says the current law that shrinks Iowa’s income tax to a single flat tax delivers a bigger tax break to the wealthiest Iowans.

Jacoby and Dawson made their comments during taping of “Iowa Press” that airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), have announced the organization has funds available, and is seeking more applicants, for its Lead Hazard Reduction Grant. The program applies to homes constructed before 1978 and have children under the age of 6 who reside or spend a significant amount of time in the home. Rental units may qualify as well if the owner gives preference to a family with children under age 6. Vacant rentals are also eligible. Rental unit owners must match 10% of the project cost.

Work that is eligible includes exterior and/or interior improvements involving lead-based paint removal and other items necessary to make the home safe and healthy. Homeowners must meet income guidelines and live in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, or Shelby counties. Grants have averaged approximately $30,000.

Lead is a neurotoxin, and lead poisoning is 100% preventable, but the effects of lead poisoning are irreversible. The Centers for Disease Control reports that there is no safe lead level and a level of 3.5 micrograms/deciliter is considered a high blood level of lead. Testing for elevated lead levels in children continues to be emphasized in Iowa. Children under 6 are more
sensitive to lead and pregnant women exposed to lead can pass lead to their unborn baby.

Lead gets into the body when it is inhaled or swallowed, and lead poisoning can lead to significant and long-term health effects. Lead poisoning affects 1 in 14 Iowa children and Iowa’s rate of lead poisoning is four times the national average. Nearly 60% of the homes in Iowa both in rural and urban areas were built before 1960.

Lead Before-After Photo

Lead Hazard Reduction Program Coordinator Nicole Rhodes said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to help us get some of those lead hazards removed to make southwest Iowa a safer and healthier place to live for everyone, especially kids who are particularly vulnerable. Through this grant program we have already been able to get 4 contractors in the southwest Iowa area certified as Lead Safe Contractors, which will ensure that lead poisoning awareness and abatement will outlast this program and will continue to benefit the community for future generations.”

Applications are needed as soon as possible to have lead issues addressed in 2024. To apply or to learn more about the grant program, please contact SWIPCO Lead Hazard Reduction Program Coordinator, Nicole Rhodes, at 712-243-4196 or 866-279-4720 ext. 240 or by emailing nicole.rhodes@swipco.org.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Bellevue, Nebraska man was sentenced March 19, 2024, in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to serve 24 months in prison for Possession of Child Pornography.

According to public court documents, Ernest Ray Roberts Jr., 53, pled guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with Possession of Child Pornography. In August 2021, an employee with Prairie Flower Casino discovered a Samsung cellular phone on the floor of the casino. While attempting to identify the owner of the cellular phone, child sexual abuse material was discovered to have been saved from the internet to the cellular telephone. The owner of the cellular phone was determined to be Roberts.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Roberts is required to serve seven years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Carter Lake Police Department and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says Democrats are again playing politics with the budget and Social Security. “I will always support social security. And I will reject any cuts to Social Security. I will also reject the Democrats fear mongering on this issue,” Hinson says. “They are inflationary spending left and right. That has hurt seniors and those on fixed incomes the most.” Hinson says she is dedicated to protecting Social Security going forward. Hinson says the budget should be done in September, but Congress has missed the deadline for decades.

“I am very disheartened by the process here. It’s so broken. Both sides have been to blame for the shutdown politics over the last couple months, there’s been a lot of gamesmanship,” she says.
Hinson says she has worked to craft bills to cut wasteful spending and says it is important to fund the defense portion of the budget.”When you look at what’s happening around the world right now, not only in Israel, but in Ukraine, and with our adversaries like China and Iran, we need to make sure that we are providing a robust defense for our country. If we don’t have a safe and secure country, I don’t think we have anything,” Hinson says.

She says an important part of the defense portion of the bill funds a basic military pay increase, which is the largest such increase in more than 20 years.

(Radio Iowa) – The Spencer City Council is promising to provide 50-thousand dollars in matching funds if a developer planning to restore fire-damaged structures in downtown Spencer gets a state grant for the project. Spencer City Councilman Loren Reit chairs the city’s Finance Committee. “It’s kind of nice to see someone take on a task like this of empty buildings on Main Street not only on a historical perspective, but they’re also taking care of some needs in the community” he says, “from housing, from new businesses coming in and also some entertainment venue coming down the road.”

A fire in early 2023 heavily damaged buildings on on Spencer’s Grand Avenue that housed five businesses and eight apartments. Eric Meter is with M and M Grand Ventures, the firm working on the restoration project. He says while the flames didn’t reach six of those apartments, they were heavily damaged. “Due to how long they had to fight the fire, a lot of water damage, a lot of moisture, a lot of soot, a lot of ash,” he says, “so we are stripping all of those down o the studs to make sure that we can mitigate any moisture, make sure there’s no mold or anything like that.” The structure most damaged by the fire was torn down.

The plan calls for that open lot to be converted into a courtyard and the entire ground floor of the building that’s still standing to become an events center. The developer is seeking a state Catalyst Grant. The grants are for building remediation in the downtown areas of Iowa communities.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Pilger, Nebraska man was sentenced March 19, 2024 in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to 63 months in prison for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition. According to public court documents, 32-year-old Nathaniel Lewis Kreikemeier was charged in a two-count Indictment, and on November 2, 2023, he pled guilty to Count Two, Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition.

Kreikemeier fled from an Iowa State Patrol traffic stop. After a chase that included Kreikemeier ramming through a fence gate and driving into oncoming interstate traffic, law enforcement officers were able to complete the stop. Kreikemeier attempted to flee on foot and was caught and placed in custody. A subsequent search of the vehicle located a double-barreled sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, and illegal drugs. Kreikemeier had been previously convicted of a felony and knew he was prohibited from possession of firearms and ammunition.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Kreikemeier will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol and Council Bluffs Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.