(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the recent deal to raise the nation’s borrowing limit wasn’t perfect, but it was acceptable to enough Republicans and Democrats to avert a federal government default. “I actually think Republicans got a lot more out of this bill than the Democrats wanted to give and were willing to give on,” Ernst says, “but they, in the end, had to.”

President Biden said months ago he would not negotiate on raising the so-called debt ceiling, but the bill he signed last week includes spending reforms. Ernst and the rest of Iowa’s congressional delegation voted for it. “It does force Washington to spend less than we did the year before. We’re clawing back all of the unspent COVID funds, which is really important,” Ernst says. “…A big, huge win is that it does add necessary work requirements for people that are trying to get welfare.”

The deal removes work requirements for veterans and homeless adults who receive what are commonly called food stamps, but more older adults who do not have children will be required to work. Under current rules able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 49 who don’t have dependents must work or be training for a new job at least 20 hours a week to qualify for food stamps.

By 2025, that rule will apply to about 750-thousand more Americans between the ages of 50 and 54.  “It’s very important to weaning people off the dole, basically,” Ernst says. “Those that are able-bodied should be working, so we are pushing them into a work requirement.” According to the U-S-D-A, 41 million Americans received government food assistance at some point last year.

Some Democrats say low income older Americans who’ve been laid off and face age discrimination as they look for a new job will likely become ineligible for food stamps just when they need the help. Some Republicans say the work requirements don’t go far enough and they’ll press for action on the issue in the next Farm Bill.

(Radio Iowa) – A new state law will let rental car companies charge a security deposit for vehicle rentals in Iowa, starting in July. New York and Iowa have been the only two states to make it illegal for rental car companies to place a security deposit or temporary authorization on a credit card. It’s typically about 200 dollars, plus the cost of the rental. Representative Gary Mohr is from Bettendorf, where one rental car company has its regional office.

“Just Enterprise rental cars in Iowa, 50 cars a month are not returned on the date that they’re paid through,” Mohr says, “so they have to charge extra and go after those people for those additional days that they keep the car.” Mohr says on average, three or four rental cars get stolen in Iowa every month, plus 30 percent of ALL car rentals in Iowa have some sort of excess charges when they’re returned that were not initially authorized, like extra days or weeks, toll road charges or an empty gas tank.

“They have the same problems hotels do when you check in and you drink alcohol out of the bar in your room or you eat snacks from the bar,” Mohr said during House debate this spring.” The credit card deposit simply covers some of those costs.” The bill authorizing rental deposits for Iowa car rentals passed the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Reynolds last week.

Once a vehicle is returned to the rental car agency, it typically takes a couple of weeks to get a security deposit hold lifted from your credit card if there are no excess charges.

(Radio Iowa) – After a few weeks of modest improvements, drought conditions are again worsening in many parts of Iowa as the hottest, driest season of summer is about to begin. Despite a few recent rain showers that soaked some areas of Iowa, state climatologist Justin Glisan says many other areas remain bone-dry, and June is already starting out quite warm.

“We’re about eight degrees above average for the first five days,” Glisan says. “We have had some spotty rainfall, pop-up thunderstorms, on several days last week. If we look at the outlooks in the short term, so getting out into the middle of June, we are seeing a near-normal to slightly elevated signal for somewhat warmer temperatures through the middle of the month.”

Computer models also indicate we may be trending toward near-normal precipitation to perhaps wetter-than-average conditions. Looking back at spring, which is traditionally March, April and May, it was the opposite. “We started spring on the wetter side and we started May on the wetter side as well,” Glisan says, “but overall we had about 6.2 inches across the state over those three months, when we expect about 11 inches, so almost four inches below average.”

Glisan says it’s shaping up to be the 20th driest spring on record for Iowa, and rainfall during May was scarce. “Overall, you look at the statewide average, May being the second-wettest month climatologically, we’re right around 2.7 inches,” Glisan says, “and that’s a little over two inches below average. If we look at rankings going back 151 years, this is nearing the 25th the driest May on record.” The just-concluded month was also warmer than normal.

“We were above average by about two degrees, so warmer than average for May,” he says, “but we also had lower dew point temperatures, so we were able to cool off at night, so it didn’t feel like a particularly warm month until the end of the month.” A few counties in far eastern and northeastern Iowa are considered “normal” on the latest U-S Drought Monitor map, while roughly 53 counties are considered abnormally dry, and around 40 counties are in moderate to exceptional drought.

(Radio Iowa) – Recovery crews have ended their work looking in the rubble of the partially collapsed building in Davenport for survivors, and now the focus shifts to accountability for what happened. A Philadelphia-based structural collapse attorney Jeffery Goodman is representing former resident Dayna Feuerbach in the first lawsuit.

“By filing a civil lawsuit, we’re able to help get answers to what happened and why it happened. Able to determine who is accountable and hold them accountable. And hopefully by doing so to help inspire change,” Goodman says. Building owner Andrew Wold, the City of Davenport as well as prior owners have all been named in the lawsuit.

Goodman led the litigation team that resulted in the one-point-two billion dollar settlement to the families of the 98 people who died and the survivors of the Surfside, Florida Condo collapse in 2022. The city of Davenport says operations transitioned today (Tuesday) to the dismantling of the partially collapsed building. Crews have cleared the debris pile to the foundation floor and will continue removing debris from the site.

(Radio Iowa) – A new law requires the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to come up with a formula to raise the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Iowa nursing homes that accept registered sex offenders.

The higher reimbursement would only be available to nursing homes that establish a separate unit for sex offenders. “This is a growing need in our state,” Representative Joel Fry, a Republican from Osceola, said during House debate of the plan. “I’ve been working on this for a number of years, so we will hopefully come back with a rate that we could house these offenders at.”

The Department of Health and Human Services is to present their proposed Medicaid reimbursement rate for sex offenders in nursing homes by January 1.

Six years ago lawmakers discussed whether the state should establish a facility to care for geriatric patients who are convicted sex offenders or are sexually aggressive. Hundreds of the nearly 6,600 people listed on the state’s sex offender registry need skilled nursing care. And some of those who’ve been committed to the state unit for sexually violent offenders are in declining health or have been diagnosed with dementia and need to be transferred to a nursing home.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports Ralph Springs, Jr., was arrested Monday on a Mills County warrant. The warrant charges Springs with Failure to Appear in court ($2,000 bond), Possession of Marijuana/3rd offense, Poss. of a Controlled Substance, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. His total cash/surety bond was set at $9,300.  And, on Tuesday (June 6), 43-year-old Marc Farrell, of Pacific Junction, was arrested in Glenwood. He was wanted on a Mills County warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. Farrell was being held without bond pending an appearance before a Magistrate Judge.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop Tuesday morning (June 6) in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of a man from Pottawattamie County. According to Red Oak Police, 48-year-old Michael Adrian Kell,of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 10-a.m., for Driving While Barred. Kell was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is sending staff from two Florida agencies to the site of a partial building collapse in Davenport. On May 28th, one of the support braces on the apartment building in Davenport buckled and bricks began to fall from the six-story structure. This past weekend, the bodies of three residents were recovered from the rubble.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Twitter that he’s sending staff from his state’s emergency management division and the Florida D-O-T to assist in the ongoing recovery in Davenport. The agencies were involved in the long recovery after the collapse of a condo building in Surfside, Florida in 2021.

(Radio Iowa) – A Cedar Rapids teen who admitted to killing his parents in 2021 was sentenced to life in prison Monday, with a chance for parole after 50 years. Ethan Orton pleaded guilty in March to stabbing his parents, Misty Scott-Slade and Casey Orton, to death in their home. Orton was five months away from his 18th birthday at the time of his crime — which left him eligible for parole instead of the normal life sentence without parole. Both the defense and prosecution called an expert witness to testify to the impact of Orton’s history and his mental capacity at the time of the killings. Doctor Tracy Thomas, a forensic psychologist, painted a picture of Orton as a vulnerable person in an emotionally abusive home. She said during testimony carried on K-C-R-G T-V that an email from his mother was the impetus that led to Orton killing his parents.

“The email essentially said ‘When you turn 18, you’re out of the house. We’re done with you. Plan on being gone,” Thomas said, “This offense was the result of, essentially, a complete breakdown.” Prosecutors pointed out Orton has not been diagnosed with any major mental illness. Prosecution witness, Doctor Daniel Tranel in testimony carried on K-C-R-G T-V said rather than a breakdown, there was a plan. “The entire conclusion was that he was normal, and did not meet the criteria for diminished responsibility,” Tranel said. Tranel said Orton’s home life wasn’t “optimal” but added there are those who have it worse. Assistant Linn County Attorney Michael Harris added “He reports that he was not treated well by his parents, but I would ask the court, what teenager truly thinks that they are?,” Harris said.

The defense asked for life with the possibility for parole after ten years, but the judge said Orton’s age, maturity, and home life weren’t strong mitigating factors, and sentenced him to serve 50 years before he is eligible for parole. Both sides’ expert witnesses agreed Orton is a good candidate for rehabilitation and treatment while in prison.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A petition to the Cass County Board of Supervisors for the suspension of taxes for 207 W. 7th Street in Atlantic, failed to garner any support from the Board, this (Tuesday) morning. Board member Steve Greene had suggested tabling the matter until more information is available, but Supervisor Wendy Richter said there was no reason for the Board to act, because the petitioner failed to meet the March 1st filing deadline, according to Iowa Code. The request died due to lack of action by the Supervisors.

The Board heard a report from Cass County Zoning Administrator Mike Kennon, with regard to Zoning Ordinances and starting projects without acquiring the the proper permits in advance.

Kennon asked the Board about the fees for building permits, and if they should be raised.

He said that’s something the Board might want to look at in the future.

Board Chair Steve Baier said people looking to build a home in the County should make sure BEFORE they start negotiating a price on the property, it meets the zoning requirements. Kennon said also, there are also zoning changes that are being proposed in the next couple of weeks that will cost the County about $100 altogether, for publishing of permits and other relevant information.

Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Director Jotham Arber presented the Board a revised 28-E agreement and monthly billing arrangement, rather than quarterly.

The 28-E increased the County’s base-rate share for services from $7,000 to $15,000. The rate had not changed since 1991. The Board opted to have the agreement reviewed by the County Attorney for action before the July 1st deadline.

And, Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken updated the Supervisors on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities. Wolken said they are almost finished hauling contract rock in the Atlantic District. There’s about 20-miles remaining. He spoke also about the status of some bridge projects.

He mentioned also, they’re still waiting on some equipment, including two motor graders.