(Radio Iowa) – Iowans paid to work in registered child care centers would not have to pay state taxes on that income if a bill introduced in the Iowa House becomes law. Brad Hartkopf of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry says his group supports the bill. “We certainly don’t think there’s a silver bullet out there to address child care, but we think this could make a difference.” Dave Stone of United Way of Central Iowa says it could help retain child care workers. “There’s a lot of different options for them to go to different industries that are more lucrative considering this is very challenging, difficult work taking care of kiddies eight hours a day, five days a week,” Stone says, “so this is great that we’re moving the needle for them to make sure that they can have a little bit more money in their pockets to be rewarded for the hard work that they’re doing.”

A House subcommittee has voted to advance the bill, but members of the panel are considering changes, like exempting the OWNERS of registered child care centers from state income taxes as well. Dustin Miller of the Iowa Chamber Alliance says that could spur investment in child care centers. “It can be pretty common for somebody to own it and work there,” Miller says, “but it’s not uncommon for a group of investors that see a need — there’s one going up in Van Meter right now that they will not be involved in the day-to-day. They’ll just own it, so I think it’s good to think about it from the investment side.”

Legislators working on the bill hope to ensure the additional take home pay for child care workers doesn’t affect their Earned Income Tax Credit. Iowa Womens Foundation president Deann Cook says that’s key. “Remember that these are very low income individuals, so just whatever implications it might mean to their overall taxes, we would be curious to know that,” she says, “to make sure it didn’t pull them out of any other tax benefits they might be receiving.”

Some bill backers say people who run child care businesses don’t make huge — if any profits — and exempting registered child care centers from property taxes might be another way to boost investment.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports one person died during the crash of a pickup truck, Monday afternoon. Palmer says on January 23, 2023 at approximately 3:54 PM, the PAGECOMM dispatch center was notified of a vehicle found in a ditch on the west side of E Avenue in the 2000 block. PAGECOMM dispatch center was also told of a male lying in the ditch near the vehicle possibly deceased.

An accident investigation conducted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office showed that 25-year-old Levi Gary Glines-Racine, of Shenandoah, was driving a 2006 Chevy K1500 northbound on E Avenue approximately .6 mile north of Highway 2.  The vehicle crossed the center line and continued into the west ditch, where it impacted a concrete culvert / north bank of the Creek.

Glines-Racine was ejected from the vehicle, which fell back to the bottom of the creek. Glines-Racine was pronounced deceased at the scene.

PAGECOMM dispatch center, Page County EMA, Shenandoah Fire Department, Shenandoah Ambulance Service, and the Shenandoah Police assisted at the scene of the accident.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors took action on several, administrative matters during their meeting this (Wednesday) morning. The Board acknowledged receipt of OSHA Form 300A, which shows the total number of work-related injuries and illnesses for the year past, in any given category. In Adair County, there were four injury incidents, and one hearing loss incident, reported.

The Board acknowledged the receipt also, of a Manure Management Plan (MMP) update for a Prestage Farms livestock facility at 2885 Gibbon Avenue. And, they approved 13 Homestead and 11 Military Disallowances. The Board also approved a Courthouse Fire Alarm Agreement with Johnson Controls, after a spokesperson for Johnson Controls reported on the condition of the current alarm system, and the need for an upgrade.

The agreement renews a service contract in-place, and replaces 15 smoke detectors that are aging-out. The cost of replacing them at $3,919.99, plus $2,392.57 for the annual service contract.

Afterward, the Adair County Supervisors heard from Brittany Palmer with Crossroads Behavioral Health, with regard to Iowa Opiod Settlement Remediation uses.

And, Michelle Wilson with Southern Iowa Resources Conservation and Development (RC&D), in Creston, presented the organization’s Annual Report. She also made a budget funding request from the Board, in the amount of $5,000. SI RC& D serves seven counties in southern Iowa, including Adair.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports a man was arrested Tuesday on a Mills County warrant. 26-year-old Kameron Myers, of Glenwood, was arrested on the warrant for Disorderly Conduct. Myers was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $300 cash-only bond.

(Lenox, Iowa) – A joint meeting of the Griswold and Lenox Community School District Boards of Directors will take place today (Wed., Jan. 25) at 6-p.m., in Lenox. The Board will gather in the Lenox High School Commons at 600 S. Locust Street, to consider extending the sharing agreement for the position of Superintendent – currently held by Dave Henrichs – and consider extending his individual contract. The meeting was postponed from last Wednesday, due to the weather.

Following discussion and a public comment period on the matter, the Boards will consider entering into a closed session. Upon return from the closed session, they will consider/act on renewal of the sharing agreement and consider/act on Henrich’s individual contract.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it is seeking people who enjoy the outdoors, camping and meeting new people, to consider becoming volunteer campground hosts for the upcoming recreation season. Volunteer campground hosts live in state parks from one to five months assisting DNR staff with light maintenance duties, checking in campers, and being a resource for visitors enjoying state parks and forests. Campground hosts are provided a free campsite while they are actively hosting during the camping season. Hosts volunteer 20 – 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, while living on site in their own camper.

Host positions in the KJAN listening area are available at the Springbrook State Park.

Information about campgrounds and state parks is available online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/about-dnr/volunteer-opportunities To discuss the host position, contact the state park directly, or call 515-443-2533.

(Rural Villisca, Iowa) – A traffic stop Tuesday evening in Montgomery County, resulted in the arrest of a woman from Cass County (IA). The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 45-year-old Jessica Craddock, of Griswold, was taken into custody at around 6-p.m., in the 2300 block of Highway 71 (north of Villisca), on a Benton County warrant for Operating a Vehicle without the owner’s consent. Craddock was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The new Woodbury Jail construction is moving along with early work happening out of state. Jail Authority chairman, Ron Wieck, says the new cells are modular units.  “The cells were actually built north of Atlanta in Georgia and they have been built we were able to buy the material early on and get the cells built so that saved us some money in the project,” Wieck says. He showed off pictures of the cells to the media, and says they are self contained.

“Every cell has its own shower in it, as well as the bunks you could see the little workbench, you could see a mirror and a combi unit — which is a combination toilet lavatory,” he says. There are different sized cells that can hold two or four inmates, and some are designed for handicapped inmates. Shane Albrecht of the Baker group is overseeing the jail construction, and says the new cells will be very different than the ones in the current jail.

“These cells have a polyurea coating on them that allows for easy cleaning, and easy maintenance. It’s all assembled so the cell is actually finished. This is all assembled off site ahead of time. It’s all inspected before it comes. You’re rolling in a finish cell,” according to Wieck. “It’s part of the modulized construction that’s going on, where we build things off site, bring them to the site that was done under higher standards, higher scrutiny, and you know, everyone’s built the exact same.”

The cells will nearly double the current capacity of the jail, which can hold 236 inmates. The cell modules are expected to be delivered on February 6th, with jail construction slated for completion by September 1st.

(Red Oak, Iowa) — An unoccupied home in rural Red Oak was destroyed Monday evening. According to Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce, the Fire Department received a call around 7 p.m. from the property owner at 2439 Aspen Avenue, stating he was advised that the house on the property had burned down.

By the time firefighters from Red Oak and Emerson arrived on the scene, the house was a complete loss. The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107 or the Red Oak Fire Department at 712-623-6504.

(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is the new leader of the Des Moines based foundation that awards the annual “World Food Prize.”  “I don’t intend to do this for a long time,” Branstad says, “but I intend to do it, say, at least for a year.” In October of each year the foundation presents the World Food Prize and it’s 250-thousand dollar award to people at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality, quantity and availability of food.

“I’ve seen all the international leaders who have received this award,” Branstad says. Branstad, who served as U-S Ambassador to China, was governor when Des Moines businessman John Ruan donated the seed money for the World Food Prize and its headquarters in Des Moines. Norman Borlaug, the Cresco native who won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his research that developed high-yielding wheat, took the lead in creating the World Food Prize in 1986.

“I knew both John Ruan and Norman Borlaug very well. I have the greatest respect for what they did and I want to maintain that legacy,” Branstad says. “Also, I’m a farm kid, from Iowa, and I want Iowa to be recognized as the local for this Nobel like prize for food and agriculture.”

Branstad, who is 76, is America’s longest serving governor. He was U.S. Ambassador to China from mid-2017 to the fall of 2020. As president of the World Food Prize, Branstad will be a lead fundraiser and host of the annual World Food Prize symposium. The event attracts global leaders in research, government and commerce to Des Moines for discussions about advances in food production and food security.

Barbara Stinson, who had 30 years of experience in environmental policy and business management, stepped down last week after three years as president of the World Food Prize.