(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has voted to set limits for the pay of temporary nursing staff working in Iowa hospitals and nursing homes.

A traveling nurse could be paid no more than 150% of the statewide average wage being paid to full-time health care staff who provide nursing services. The bill is a priority for House Republicans, who contend temp agencies are reaping too much of the extra money the legislature has provided nursing homes.

Representative Timi Brown-Powers, a Democrat from Waterloo, is a therapist at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, She said the bill addresses a big budget problem for hospitals and nursing homes. “It’s a morale issue for health care workers that have been there, stuck in there …working alongside traveling nurses making three or four times what they’re making,” Brown-Powers said.

The bill passed on an 80-17 vote. Representative John Forbes, a Democrat from Urbandale who opposed the
bill, said there appeared to be some price gouging going on as health care employment agencies responded to workforce vacancies during the pandemic. “My concern is that if, in the future, we are putting caps or telling businesses how much they can charge for services, the businesses may not want to do business in Iowa,” Forbes said.

None of the House Republicans outlined their reasons for voting for the pay caps during the six-minute-long debate of the bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic will hold a Special Meeting Thursday afternoon, to act and/or discuss several matters. The meeting takes place in the Council’s Chambers, beginning at 3-p.m., Thursday (Feb. 29th). The meeting agenda is as follows:

AGENDA

Roll Call.

Approve Agenda.

Pledge of Allegiance.

 Order to Approve Homes for Iowa Program and Housing Development Fund Budgets for the FY 2024 Revised Estimate and FY 2025 Budget.

Order to go into Exempt Session Pursuant to Iowa Code Section 20.17(3) Providing for the Strategy Meetings of Public Employees for Collective Bargaining.

Discussion of Tax Levies, Atlantic’s Tax History, and the Tax Levies of Comparable Cities.

Resolution #09-24 “Setting a Public Hearing for the Proposed Maximum Property Tax Levy for Fiscal Year 2025 to be Held on April 3, 2024, at 5:00 P.M.”

 Resolution #10-24 “Approving the Proposed Maximum Property Tax Levy for FY 2025.”

Other Discussion.

Adjournment.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull says the U-S House will start voting tonight (Wednesday) on a series of budget bills, but there’s no deal yet on a temporary spending plan that would avert a federal government shutdown at the end of this week. “We’re working with leadership right now to figure out a solution,” Feenstra says. “Obviously we do not want a government shutdown, but obviously we have to get our budget bills passed and so that’s what we’re going to do.” Feenstra says the House is scheduled to take votes on four of its 12 budget bills this week, with votes on the rest next week.

The federal government’s fiscal year started October 1st, but congress has not agreed on a budget for the year. Instead, congress has passed three previous agreements to keep last year’s spending levels in place while budget negotiations continue. March 1st is the latest deadline for a final agreement. Feenstra says shutting down the U-S/Mexico border is the paramount issue for Republicans in these budget talks. “We have to have ‘Remain in Mexico’ and we’re got to stop ‘catch and release.’ Those are the two very key components that we have to get done,” Feenstra says. “And then we have to figure out a solution to building the wall.” Feenstra expects the Farm Bill that sets a five year outline for crop insurance subsidies and food assistance programs will come up for a vote in the U-S House in late March or early April.

State Treasurer Roby Smith, Governor Kim Reynolds, Congressman Randy Feenstra and Secretary of State Paul Pate pose for photos as Feenstra delivers his nominating petitions on Feb. 28, 2024. (RI photo)

“To help our producers when it comes to insurance, when it comes to conservation, trade, export markets — this bill’s got to get done,” Feenstra says. Feenstra spoke with reporters in Des Moines after filing nearly 38-hundred signatures on nominating papers for the June Primary.

Feenstra, who represents Iowa’s fourth congressional district, is seeking a third term in the U.S. House. Feenstra faces a primary challenge from Kevin Virgil, a former Army Ranger and C-I-A officer who has the backing of former Congressman Steve King. Feenstra defeated King in the 2020 G-O-P Primary Election.

(Sidney, Iowa) – Fremont County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Bothwell reports, that “With milder weather [Deputies] will be doing projects with the Iowa State Patrol with the intent of seatbelt enforcement. During the projects [they] will be enforcing general traffic enforcement and looking for impaired drivers.” Bothwell says ” In the year 23-24 we have had a total of six traffic deaths and six serious injury accidents. Fremont County has had a higher percentage of unbelted traffic deaths per capita, of small counties in Iowa.”

In addition to motorists who are not wearing their seat belts, Deputy Bothwell said “We will also be looking for distracted drivers. Not just texting or on the phones, but other things that distract, like eating and drinking and not paying attention to the road, to animals in drivers laps.”

(Elk Horn, Iowa) -The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District Board of Education, during a Special Meeting Tuesday evening, unanimously approved bids for the Exira-EHK School District renovation project. Superintendent Trevor Miller says the base and alternate bids came in under the engineer’s estimate.

HSI is the contractor for the Demolition, General Trades, Drywall and ceiling portion of the work.

For the Elk Horn and Exira parts of the base bid, Miller said they’ll be adding three classrooms to the stage, and one of those rooms will be a sensory room for those students with special needs.

He said the bids came out about $500,000 less than they thought it would be,

In other business, the Exira-EHK School Board approved the resignation of para educator Jacqueline Phippen, who has worked for the district a long time.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A Montgomery County man was arrested this (Wednesday) morning, following a previous investigation. Red Oak Police report 25-year-old Justin LeRoy Newman, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 8:45-a.m., for OWI/1st offense. Newman was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and later released on his Own Recognizance.

Greenfield, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Adair County, today (Wednesday), approved courtyard use permits for Main Street Greenfield’s Easter Egg Hunt, and the Farmer’s Market (10 vendors per market), beginning June 9th and continuing every Thursday through Oct. 17th.

The Board also approved two Township Clerk wages, they acknowledged the receipt of three Manure Management Plan updates, and approved a Grove Cemetery mowing contract. In other business, the Supervisors in Adair County discussed Fairgrounds Grandstand funding. The Board determined the Fair Board should get their plans together and submit the necessary information – including the projected costs – to Auditor Mandy Berg, so it can be placed on the ballot as a referendum for the November General Election.

Supervisor Jodie Hoadley….

County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented bids to the Board for the N-19 Lincoln (Township) bridge project. The estimated cost was $890,000. The low bid of $705,911.50 was awarded to Murphy Heavy Contracting, in Anita. The Board also awarded a contract to Gus Construction in Casey, for the N-26 Lincoln (Township) box culvert project (140th Street). The estimated cost was $367,000. The low bid from Gus was $314, 276.60.

Kauffman requested and received the Board’s approval for longevity raises for two Secondary Roads Department employees, effective April 1st. And, the Board authorized the Chair to sign front page plans for FY24 FM [Farm-to-Market] Granular Surfacing Project (24-miles at $250,000)

(Harlan, Iowa/KNOD)  –  A motorcycle pursuit in Shelby County, Monday night, ended with the cycle crashing into a ditch, and minor injuries to the motorcyclist. The pursuit started at 9:40-p.m., when a State Patrol Trooper clocked a motorcycle at 125-mph on Interstate 80 near mile marker 13.  A traffic stop was initiated, but the motorcycle did not yield and continued east on I-80 to exit 40.

At that point the motorcycle turned north onto Highway 59 and continued into Shelby County where the Shelby County Sheriff’s office assisted with the pursuit.  After getting into Harlan, the driver lost control of the motorcycle at a corner and slid into the ditch.  The driver, Cade Baratta, was transported to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan for treatment of minor injuries and was then released and transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail.

He faces charges that include Felony Eluding (a Class-D Felony), and other traffic offenses.  Baratta was paid a $5,000 cash or surety bond and was released with a preliminary hearing that’s set for April 3rd.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Community School District today (Wednesday), announced on social media, that an anonymous donor has contributed $15,000 to the District to help reduce student hot lunch debt. The fund is made available when students can’t afford to pay for their hot lunch. The United Church of Christ in Atlantic also donated $2,000. The District says “When hardships hit our communities and families, we are fortunate enough to have community members step-up and help in any way they can. Thank you to our amazing community!”