(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the legislature have settled on a more than two BILLION dollar Health and Human Services budget that boosts state funding for nursing homes, mental health care and treatment for substance abuse. Senator Mark Costello, a Republican from Imogene, says the plan has the backing of the agency and House Republicans.

“This budget is expansive,” Costello says. “It’s sustainable and it will allow the department to do their work for Iowans.” Senate Republicans approved the bill Thursday. Democrats voted against it, arguing the state should provide a pay boost to those who provide in-home care for disabled Iowans AND spend more on the state’s child care assistance program. Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says the budget fails the working poor.

“Excuse me but this brings tears to my eyes and makes my heart heavy,” Jochum said. “It is sad.” Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the budget plan fails to address Iowa’s high maternal death rate. She says the state should extend post-pregnancy care for women enrolled in Medicaid. “Save lives, not only of lives, but when moms are healthy, babies are healthier, too.” Costello, the bill’s floor manager in the Senate, says the spending plan is sustainable.

“Senate Republicans are being responsible with Iowans’ tax dollars,” Costello says, “and we’re not willing to drain all of our resources in one year for ongoing costs.” Republicans in the House and Senate have agreed on an overall plan for the next state budgeting year that spends about 89 percent of projected state tax revenue.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Utilities Board has indicated developers of an anhydrous ammonia pipeline in southeast Iowa will get a construction permit — if certain conditions are met.

The proposed NuStar pipeline would connect to the Iowa Fertilizer Company and stretch through nearly 14 miles in southeast Iowa’s Lee County. The company says it got voluntary access to most of the land along the anhydrous pipeline route.

The Iowa Utilities Board has denied the company’s request to use eminent domain authority to get access to two parcels of land, but regulators say eminent domain may be used to get contracts for six other parcels.

Regulators say NuStar must show they have at least $2.5 million worth of liability insurance for the project before the permit for construction, operation and maintenance of the pipeline will be granted. The company also has to revise property easements documents, based on the board’s ruling. The construction permit will be granted if the Iowa Utilities Board reviews and approves those changes.

The terms for two members of the board expire on Sunday. The Iowa Senate has confirmed two other members to begin serving on the board on Monday.

(Radio Iowa) – The technology that helps tally the votes in the Iowa Senate tanked this week. Lawmakers typically push a green or red button on their desk to vote yes or no. That speedy system got real sluggish Wednesday afternoon. “We are having technical difficulties,” Senate President Amy Sinclair announced. There was a reboot. “We’re going to try it,” she said. It still didn’t work, so Charlie Smithson, the secretary of the senate, had to read each senator’s name. Each senator had to say their vote aloud and Smithson punched those votes in from his desk in the center of the senate.

A thumbs up or thumbs down didn’t work. “I can’t hear your thumb,” Smithson said. At one point, Sinclair had to remind senators not to use the buttons on their desk to vote. “Everything is moving so slowly, when you push your buttons it crashes the system up here, so we need to you to leave your fingers off the buttons,” Sinclair said, as a few senators laughed. “Don’t be kindergartners…Let the secretary call the roll so the system doesn’t crash and we can get through debate.”

Senators got through debate on a dozen bills Wednesday and Thursday by individually announcing their votes rather than punching their buttons. Lawmakers hope the glitch is fixed next week for a flurry of votes — in what could be the last week of the 2023 legislative session.

“Every Step Brings Hope” is the theme for the 2023 Relay For Life of Cass County. Participants will be Celebrating, Remembering and Fighting Back on June 25, 2023 at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA in Atlantic from 12-3 p.m.  Relay is an annual event that is held in communities all over the world to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Relay for Life of Cass County Committee Chair Carole Schuler said it’s a great event for families to show their support.

If you are a cancer Survivor, registering for the Relay For Life of Cass County is a great way to show your support for other survivors in our communities.  Your participation and willingness to raise funds, spread awareness about the importance of cancer screenings, research developments, education, programming, and services, as well as Advocating for positive change for Iowans and all Americans is what Relay For Life is all about.  To register, please log onto www.relayforlife.org/casscoutyia and follow the prompts. If you prefer to use the phone, please call 1-800-227-2345 and our experts will get you complete the process for you.  Once registered, you will get an email (or they will ask on the phone) asking for your shirt size, and your complementary t-shirt will be mailed directly to your home. Schuler says survivors and their families is what the event is all about.

The public is also encouraged to form Teams consisting of families, friends, co-workers, Faith Families, and cancer haters across Cass County!  It is easy to register, just go to www.relayforlife.org/casscountyia and start your team today.  Once an individual raises $100 or more, they will get an email stating they are members of the “Hope Club” and will get a complementary 2023 Participant T-Shirt. If your business or organization wants to be a sponsor you are encouraged to reach out.

The event leadership team is working on developing the event. The event will feature a meal sponsored by long-time event friends at Hy-Vee starting at noon, so plan to come join for lunch.  A Kids Zone will be open in the back gym for some family fun with games and activities. At 1:00 p.m. will be the Survivor Ceremony and then Celebration lap around the track.  It’s a chance to cheer on our honored guests as they make their first or fortieth victory lap!

A National and local focus this year is Luminary Sales and the emotional Luminary Ceremony.  This year the committee has an ambitious goal of selling more than 100 luminaires supporting loved ones who are currently on their cancer journey, honoring those who have survived, and remembering those we have lost.  Luminaires are $10.00 each and can be decorated by the purchaser, or by our committee.  All bags will be displayed around the track throughout the event and will be again honored at the “Walk to Remember” in Anita this coming December.  Luminaires can be purchased on our event website, or by contacting Jodi Christofferson: jodichristoffersen@hotmail.com or 712.254.1409.

Relay for Life of Cass County is an important event for cancer survivors and their families. By joining, you can help show your support for all community members who have been touched by a cancer diagnosis.

(Radio Iowa) – Printing the state’s 211 suicide crisis line on student I-D cards would be required under a bill getting bipartisan backing in the Iowa legislature. Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, grew emotional as he thanked his colleagues for supporting the bill.

“I was there at one time in my life, but didn’t have the courage to go through it. At times, you don’t have people to talk to or you just want to hold it in,” Dotzler said. “I mean even though I’m 60 years past that, it’s still there.”

Senator Jeff Taylor, a Republican from Sioux Center, said the bill applies to student IDs issued by public schools in Iowa, but he’s hoping private schools offer the same information if they provide ID cards to students.

“All of us have been children. All of us remember that it’s not always easy being a kid. the struggles that we have whether it’s with depression or bullying or anxiety — all of that,” Taylor said. “This bill is not going to solve all the problems, but I think it’s a step in the right direction to provide some kind of access for a child who feels alone, struggling with something that’s beyond what he or she can handle.”

Sen. Bill Dotzler. (IA Legislature)

The bill passed the Senate unanimously today. It passed the House on a 91-4 vote a month ago. Republican Representative Ray Sorenson of Greenfield said the Your Life Iowa program has an app for smart phones — and kids can text or call 211 to reach the program’s counselors. “For me, if it can save even one life, maybe a kid looking for help, for a lifeline,” Sorenson said, “it’s worth the small amount of ink to simply print it on student IDs.”

Representative Timi Brown-Powers, a Democrat from Waterloo, said for the past three years a group of Waterloo students has been lobbying for the bill. “One of the things to remember is this number on the back of the ID can help them with any…mental health crisis they may be in, any bullying that they may be experiencing,” Brown-Powers said.

Representative Jeff Shipley, a Republican from Fairfield, said recent surveys show a troubling and dramatic increase in kids saying they feel persistently feel sad and hopeless. “In general, I tend to be pretty uneasy about unfunded mandates on school districts, but given the scope of the problem I think a mandate is definitely appropriate,” Shipley said.

The House must approve a slight change the Senate made in the bill before it goes to the governor.

ATLANTIC, IOWA – April is Volunteer Recognition Month, which is the perfect time to highlight the dynamic role that volunteers play in every community. Volunteers in the Cass Health Auxiliary contribute their talents, time, and financial support in a variety of ways.

“We are extremely fortunate to have such active and caring volunteers who choose to share their time and talents with Cass Health. They make the lives of our patients better, and they truly embody our slogan, Neighbors Caring for Neighbors,” said Kolton Hewlett, Chief Human Resources Officer. “Not only do our volunteers have a great impact within the walls of Cass Health, but they also make an impact through several community-based volunteer programs. We are also grateful for the volunteers on our hospital board, auxiliary board, foundation board, and county board of health.”

Photos from the annual volunteer appreciation reception

Over the last year, Cass Health’s nearly 100 active volunteers have assisted in the surgery waiting room, covering 1,169 surgeries and accumulating more than 500 hours of service. Library service volunteers delivered 2,351 items to local homes. In the Gift Shop, volunteers worked 3,396 hours. Transportation volunteers drove 23,499 miles to help take patients to appointments. Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) volunteers saw 111 clients between July and December 2022. Volunteers also assist by crocheting baby hats, coordinating the “Hello Baby” gift program for parents of newborns, transporting laboratory materials, calling community members signed up for the telecare program to check in on them, and making walker bags for patients at Cass Health and local nursing homes.

“We are always thankful to have new members – both active and inactive. I think many of our volunteers would say that volunteering is beneficial for their own mental and physical health, too, so we do encourage anyone interested to talk with us and see where we can best use their talents. It’s a win-win,” said Beth Spieker, Director of Community & Guest Relations.

The Cass Health Auxiliary also raises funds through the Gift Shop, membership dues, and fundraisers. The proceeds from their efforts are used for scholarships for local students pursuing healthcare careers, as well as funding equipment, training, or other items for Cass Health. Recently the Cass Health Auxiliary purchased heated massage chairs that patients use while receiving infusions and treatments in the Tyler Family Cancer Center.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass EMS along with Atlantic Fire and Rescue were dispatched early this (Thursday) afternoon, to the scene of a single-vehicle accident, southwest of Atlantic. The incident occurred just north of Lansing Road on Highway 6. The page went out at 12:46-p.m.  According to scanner traffic from Cass County Communications, two elderly people were said to be in the vehicle, one with lacerations to their face. The vehicle was reportedly in the east ditch.

Additional details are currently not available.

(Radio Iowa) – A trade group that represents the oil industry is calling on Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and seven other governors to drop their push to get gas with 15% ethanol available in the Midwest all year long. Patrick Kelly is with the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, which used to be known as the National Petroleum Association. He says fewer than five percent of U.S. gas stations are able to sell E15 today. “Retail stations must ensure that all of their underground infrastructure including tanks, seals, pumps, vapor and liquid lines are all compatible with E15,” he says.

Making those adjustments will be expensive for gas stations, according to Kelly. Susan Grissom, the group’s vice president, says some oil refineries would face costs, too, if E15 is to be sold in the Midwest all year. “They would need to make capital investments at a cost of $50-75 million per facility,” she says. “Such projects typically take two years to complete and that’s if permitting goes smoothly.”

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and a bipartisan group of governors have asked the EPA to grant a waiver, so E15 can be sold through the summer months in eight Midwestern states.
Reynolds and the other governors said E15 is a lower cost alternative for consumers and keeping gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol on available year round would address some potential fuel shortages caused by the war in Ukraine.

(Radio Iowa) – A pilot program that will study the effect of providing a monthly basic income on reducing poverty will make its first payments next month to a group of central Iowa residents. The project called UpLift will give 110 people in Polk, Dallas and Warren counties 500 dollars each month for the next two years. Project coordinator Michael Berger says there are no restrictions on how the money can be used as financial emergencies are unpredictable. “So that’s why our approach to it and our perspective is, okay, if you give people the money to meet their needs and then let them determine how best to meet those needs, what is the result and outcomes of that approach?,” Berger says.

Des Moines University is leading the study, and their public health chair, Rachelle Reimer says they will be conducting surveys every six months with participants and will also follow a control group of residents who don’t receive the money. “These community members are living in very complex systems and it’s hard to isolate the impact of one thing, and so the only way we can really know for certain the impact of this unrestricted basic income is to compare it with another group of similar individuals,” Reimer says.

The UpLift participants were randomly selected from six-thousand applicants for the program. Payments begin going out on May 15th. The funding for the program comes from federal pandemic relief money, as well as local private and nonprofit foundations.

(West Des Moines, Iowa) –  The Iowa housing market took small steps in the positive direction in March. Officials with the Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR) say while listings and sales continue to fall below metrics from last year, they are consistently climbing month-to-month in 2023, showcasing the strength of the early spring market across the state. Krista Clark, IAR president, said “Each metric in Iowa’s housing market for March showed an improvement upon the previous month, proving our optimism in the spring market was well warranted. Although interest rates have continued to tick up, putting pressure on sales prices, we expect homeowners to see the thawing of the Iowa market as a sign to list their homes, creating a more balanced market in terms of inventory.”

Sales and listings for single-family homes in Iowa once again saw a decrease in March compared to the prior year. However, the measures provide a slight upswing in month-over-month housing markets, bringing promise that later spring and summer months will see a plentiful housing market.   March saw 3,410 new single-family listings, the Iowa market saw a decrease of 14.9% compared to the same month in 2022 when 4,009 homes listed. Those figures are a stark contrast to the month-over-month progress, as Iowa’s market saw a 47.6% increase from February’s 2,310 homes sold.

The story was the same year-over-year for Iowa’s home sales. Sales dropped 15.7% in March with just 2,543 homes sold compared to the 3,017 sold in March 2022. Again, the monthly stats are a stark contrast, as home sales increased 54.4% from those sold last month. Year-to-date, closed sales of single-family homes remained down 22%, with 5,891 sales closed compared to the 7,588 during the same three month period of time in 2022. The pending sales of 2,892 homes represents a 17.5% decrease year-over-year, but a 32% increase from the 2,175 homes sold last month.

The days on the market remained the same month-over-month at 52 days in March, but represented an increase from the 42 days homes remained on the market in March of last year. Median sales prices increased 5% year-over-year to $210,000.

The sales and listing of townhomes and condos in Iowa continue to follow the trajectory of single-family homes with nearly all markets continuing to represent decreases year-over-year.  New listings decreased 11.5% with 587 properties listed, compared to the 665 on the market one year ago. February’s market also represents a decrease of 6.7% month-over-month. Much like single-family homes, March’s listing of townhomes and condos represented an increase – 36% – compared to last month’s 430 listed properties.

The 367 townhomes and condos that sold in March represent a 17.9% decline compared to those sold one year ago. The sales did represent an increase when monthly stats are explored, with about 123 more homes sold since February 2023.  While pending sales of townhomes and condos had remained mostly the same year-over-year in recent months, they took a bit of a dive in March. The 427 pending sales for the month represent a 24.4% decrease year-over-year. The opposite was true for monthly statistics, with 24.1% more pending sales taking place since February.

Days on the market increased significantly for townhomes and condos. On average, the properties were listed for 62 days, an increase of 24% compared to the 50 days on market last year. Median sales price once again increased, this time by 9.1% year-over-year to an average of $240,000. The information used to create the IAR March Housing Trends Report was current as of April 17. The information is subject to change due to the dynamic nature of the IAR’s housing statistics system, which is based on data from the local participating MLS (multiple listing service) systems.