(Radio Iowa) – Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss says it appears the region’s manufacturing sector is entering recession territory.

Goss surveys manufacturing supply managers in Iowa and eight other states monthly.

Goss uses those responses and other data to come up with a Mid-America Business Index. He says the REGION’S index is the lowest its been since June, 2020 — at the beginning of the pandemic. He says in Iowa, business conditions weakened from October to November, although Iowa’s manufacturing sector grew by 26-hundred jobs over the past 12 months.

Goss made his comments during a video briefing earlier today (Friday).

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is pushing a couple of measures she says would address issues at the southern border. The Republican from Marion says the Biden Administration has created the border crisis.

She says the Biden Administration is ignoring the problem.

Hinson says one piece of legislation called the “PRINTS Act” would keep men from using kids to make it appear they are part of a family so they be quickly released if taken into custody.

She says the kids are recycled and used over and over again by men trying to cross the border. The other bill is the Southern Border Transparency Act.

Hinson says it will force the Biden administration to be fully transparent with the American people about their catch-and-release policy.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Bondurant man was sentenced today (Friday), to 15 months in federal prison for failure to pay over employee trust fund taxes and failure to file a federal tax return.

According to court documents, from 2015 to 2020, 50-year-old Thomas James Morford, who operated a local concrete business, failed to pay $355,049 in employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This included the failure to pay taxes that he had collected from employees through withholding, as well as matching employer contributions to Social Security and Medicare. Morford also failed to file federal tax returns for 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Morford will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Morford was also ordered to pay $355,049.68 in restitution to the IRS.

“Withholding employment taxes from employee wages and willfully failing to remit them to the IRS is a serious offense,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock. “Not only does this harm employees, but it also robs the Treasury of funds and that has the potential to harm all those who rely on support from government programs.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.

(Calhoun County, Iowa) – A northwest Iowa man missing for more than a month was found dead today (Friday), in Jolley (Iowa). The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office reports 54-year-old Mark Riesberg, of Rockwell City, was found in a Chrysler PT Cruiser with an apparent self-inflicted single gunshot wound. Foul play is not suspected, but an investigation is ongoing. His body was sent to the State Medical Examiner for autopsy. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Calhoun County EMS and the United Cajun Navy group during the initial response.

Mark Riesberg

His employer in Lytton had reported him missing on November 1st.  The Calhoun County sheriff had said previously that Riesberg’s last known contact with anyone could be traced back to Oct. 28th. His sister, Mary Brown, said Reisberg’s phone and wallet were found in his home, but his tan PT Cruiser was gone.

The search for Riesberg comes to an end with the discovery of his body. Search efforts continue, however, for 53-year-old David Schultz, of Wall Lake, who disappeared  in neighboring Sac County. Schultz was reportedly last heard from Tuesday morning, November 21st. His wife Sarah said her husband’s truck was found northeast of Sac City, parked on northbound U.S. Highway 71, about five miles north of the old U.S. Highway 20 intersection. The truck was reportedly turned off but wasn’t pulled over and the trailer was still loaded with young pigs.

The United Cajun Navy, a Louisiana-based nonprofit organization that performs search and rescue operations, as of Thursday, had reportedly covered close to 50-thousand acres of land in the effort to find him. The group resumed operations Friday morning.

David Schultz

(Radio Iowa) – The four Iowans serving in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos, the now-former New York congressman accused of using campaign funds on personal expenses and making tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges on donors’ credit cards.

Three members of Iowa’s U.S. House delegation released written statements after today’s vote. First District Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks said a recent House Ethics Committee report documented “considerable evidence” that Santos had “engaged in criminal activity.”

Second District Congresswoman Ashley Hinson said Santos is “unfit to serve” in congress and he “should deal with his legal challenges as a private citizen.” Third District Congressman Zach Nunn said Santos has “repeatedly proven he’s a con man” and Nunn is planning to sponsor legislation that would deny government pensions to expelled members of congress.

Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra announced on November 17 on the social media platform X that he would vote to expel Santos, who Feenstra said “has proven his ethics do not align with what is expected” from elected leaders.

All four members of Iowa’s congressional delegation are Republicans, as is Santos.