(Radio Iowa) – An Iowan who had a leadership role in the Farm Service Agency a decade ago says a federal government shutdown would delay Conservation Reserve Program payments, which are issued in October. President Obama appointed John Whitaker as Iowa State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency in 2009 and Whitaker was in that role when the federal government shutdown for 16 days in October of 2013.

“CRP payments and other payments are due October 1. The more that we delay making those payments, the more likely it is the federal government will have to pay interest on those payments,” Whitaker says. “That adds to our cost, the cost of doing government.” If Conservative Reserve Program or C-R-P payments aren’t made by October 31st, the federal government is required to pay a penalty and add interest onto those checks. Whitaker says even a week-long federal government shutdown in October would create issues with C-R-P payments.

“It’s going to be more and more difficult to get them all certified and all through the system and the staff is stressed because they know the cost of not getting the payment made and they also know those producers are waiting on those payments,” Whitaker says. “They expect that payment to be paid in early October, not the end of October or in November or later than that.”

Whitaker made his comments during an online news conference organized by the Iowa Democratic Party. Two years ago, the federal government paid 382 million dollars on C-R-P contracts that keep the land out of corn and soybean production for up to 15 years. Farm Service Agency offices will be closed if congress does not pass a spending plan for the next federal fiscal year, which begins Sunday. Whitaker says that means farmers will not be able to submit required reports to the U-S-D-A about cover crops that are being planted this fall.

“You know, Iowa’s agricultural areas are heavily dependent on the USDA and USDA programs,” Whitaker says. Whitaker served on the Van Buren County Board of Supervisors for 10 years. Whitaker served seven years in the Iowa House before he was appointed to lead the Farm Service Agency operations in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has denied a new trial for a former Independence High School art teacher found guilty of sexual exploitation of a student. Kari Schwartz was convicted in 2021 after a former female student claimed inappropriate conduct back in 2009. A couple of key points in Schwartz’s appeal were there was insufficient evidence she wanted to engage in sexual conduct with the student. And the jury should not have been instructed that hugging constituted sexual conduct.

The appeals court ruling says the text messages and emails she sent to the student were not as numerous as in other cases — but were enough to support the jury’s finding. It also says teachers should not be prohibited from hugging students for reassurance, comfort, or congratulation — but hugs can be sexual exploitation when the context and circumstances surrounding the contact show the hugs were for the purpose of sexual gratification.

Kari Schwartz (IA Sex Offender Registry photo)

Schwartz moved from the Independence District in 2010 and was a teacher with Peet Junior High School in Cedar Falls when the investigation began.

(Creston, Iowa) – A collision in Creston Tuesday afternoon caused $8,500 damage, but no one was injured, and no citations were issued. Creston Police report a 2014 Ford Explorer driven by 75-year-old Linda S. Castillo, of Creston, was traveling South on Elm Street at around 3:46-p.m. A 2022 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 18-year-old Scotty Robert James Giles, of Afton, was stopped at the intersection of Elm and Howard Street.

Authorities say Giles didn’t see the SUV and when he proceeded through the intersection, his vehicle struck the Explorer broadside.

(Radio Iowa) – The State of Iowa has nearly five-and-a-half BILLION in unspent tax dollars that the governor’s promising much of it will be the fuel for tax cuts. The final report on the state fiscal year that ended June 30th shows the state
collected one-point-eight BILLION more in taxes than was spent. Another 900 million is deposited in reserve funds, but the so-called Taxpayer Relief Fund has two-point-74 billion in it.

Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, says some see that surplus as government not spending enough. Reynolds says she views it as an over collection of taxes from Iowans. Reynolds has previously said she wants to get rid of the state income tax by the end of her current term as governor. In the written statement issued today (Wednesday), Reynolds says she looks forward to cutting taxes again next legislative session and returning this surplus back to the people of Iowa.

The budget surplus from the last state fiscal year will be deposited in that Taxpayer Relief Fund in January. The 900 million dollars will stay in the state’s economic emergency and cash reserve accounts. Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines, the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, says the governor’s tax plans favor corporations and special interests. Petersen says while Governor Reynolds is promising more giveaways to come, middle-class Iowa families still aren’t getting ahead.

(Radio Iowa) – Low-income Iowa families who rely on the Women, Infants and Children — or WIC — program for putting food on the table may need to make other arrangements — if — the federal government shuts down this weekend. Shelby Kroona, Hamilton County’s public health director, issued a warning to the county’s board of supervisors about the looming shutdown on Saturday.

“I want to highlight that 324 families in Hamilton County are served by our WIC program,” Kroona says, “and they are saying that that program will potentially shut down in days.” WIC is administered through the U-S Department of Agriculture and Kroona says it’s important to many thousands of families statewide.

“This is a program specifically for food-insecure individuals,” she says, “so the demand on our food pantries may see a significant increase if the government does shut down.” The six food pantries in Hamilton County are bracing for an upturn in demand, though demand has been setting repeated records since the onset of the pandemic.

Reports show WIC program services are used in all 99 Iowa counties and reached more than 64-thousand participants in 2020.

Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced the State of Iowa will end Fiscal Year 2023 with a balance of $1.83 billion in the General Fund, $902 million in reserve funds and $2.74 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund.

“Some see a surplus as government not spending enough, but I view it as an over collection from the hard-working men and women of Iowa,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds. “We’ve seen what the powerful combination of growth-oriented policies and fiscal restraint can create, and now it’s time for Iowans to directly receive the benefits. I look forward to cutting taxes again next legislative session and returning this surplus back to where it belongs – the people of Iowa.”

“As a result of the Governor’s great budget management, we are in an extremely strong financial position, making it possible to meet the needs of Iowans while leaving more money in the pockets of Iowa taxpayers,” said Kraig Paulsen, Director of the Department of Management.

Last week, Gov. Reynolds announced that Iowa’s corporate tax rate will drop to 7.1 percent from 8.4 percent for Tax Year 2024 due to corporate tax receipts exceeding $700 million.

(Radio Iowa) – The interim outreach director for the Iowa Association of Christian Schools says the new state-fund Education Savings Account program is likely to lead to the opening of more private schools. “This is going to open up ways for schools to begin.”

That’s Josh Bowar, who is also head of school at Sioux Center Christian School. Forty-two Iowa counties do not have a private school. Seventy-five counties do not have a private high school. Bowar says there are discussions. “This has really provided a pathway forward for schools of all kinds to be able to start,” Bowar says, “and that parents can have that choice to open those other opportunities.”

Bowar made his comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S. He is an administrator at one of the 15 private schools in Sioux County. Just over six percent of all applications for a taxpayer-funded account to cover private school expenses came from Sioux County.

(Radio Iowa) – With a federal government shutdown looming this weekend, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says it’s “idiocy” to be going through this process again. The U-S Senate has created a bipartisan package that’s designed to temporarily fund the government but indications are, the House likely won’t be able to finish its work before Saturday’s deadline. Grassley, a Republican, says he can’t predict what will happen. “The Senate this week is going to concentrate on just the government not shutting down, and hopefully pass a bill, without waiting to see what the House is going to do,” Grassley says, “and we started that last night with getting 60 or more votes.”

Grassley says the House is making a “serious attempt” to avert a shutdown, while the Senate’s stop-gap measure should be finished on Friday in plenty of time to meet the deadline. “Now, that doesn’t mean that we’re going to go home for the weekend, because I think we’ll be here Saturday and Sunday, and if government shuts down, I don’t think it’d look very good for me to be in Iowa,” Grassley says. “So I’ll probably be here this weekend and probably be forced to be here this weekend anyway because we’re in session.” The government shutdown would impact millions of federal workers, though many others would be forced to work without pay. In the past, they’ve always gotten backpay once the government restarts, but Grassley says there’s no guarantee that will happen.

“Under the 27th Amendment, Congress has to be paid and all these other people can’t be paid,” Grassley says. “So can’t you consider the idiocy of shutting down the government? I would hope that would embarrass enough members of both houses to make sure that we don’t shut down the government.” While saying he loves his job, Grassley says the three most frustrating things about being a U-S senator are: 1) the inconsistency of air travel, 2) blizzards in northwest Iowa during January and February, and 3) government shutdowns.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will gather for a work session this evening, in the High School Media Center. Their meeting takes place at 5:30-p.m., and includes discussion on the following:

• Negotiations
• Board of Education Committees
• Facility/Program Study
• TLC Leadership

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has updated information about an accident that occurred Tuesday afternoon, west of Atlantic. Authorities say at around 12:19-p.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and area first responders were called to the intersection of 570^th and Galveston Road in rural Cass County for a two vehicle accident with injuries.  Emergency first responders found that a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport being operated by Courtney Cooper, of Exira, was traveling East on Galveston, approaching the intersection with 570^th St.

At the same time, a 2019 Freightliner UPS truck being operated by Dallas Morrison, of Red Oak, was traveling North on 570^th St.  When Cooper failed to yield to the right, her SUV struck the UPS truck, sending the truck into the North East ditch, when it rolled and landing back on it’s wheels.  Both drivers were transported to Cass Health by Cass EMS for what appeared to be non life-threatening injuries.