(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says she wants to increase the oversight authority of the Department of Defense as a way to stem the flow of fentanyl at its source in Mexico. “The D-O-D plays a leading role in the nation’s counterdrug intelligence and monitoring operations. However, the lack of interagency cooperation over classification and inadequate resources have hampered our government’s counter fentanyl efforts,” Ernst says. The Republican from Red Oak says the Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act of 2023 has bipartisan support.

“This important measure would classify fentanyl trafficking as a national security threat to the United States to provide a response proportional to the problem,” she says. “Second, it would encourage U-S military forces to support counter front fentanyl efforts more actively.” Ernst says it would direct the Pentagon to develop a fentanyl-specific counter drug strategy, including enhanced cooperation with Mexican defense officials focused on putting the Pentagon’s tools to use to save lives.

Ernst says she is partnering with Democrat Senator Tim Kaine (Cane) of Virginia — who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee with her — and says they have Democrats and Republicans, both in the House and the Senate who support it. “We are very hopeful that we’ll either be able to get this introduced into the National Defense Act for passage this year, or we can work through other channels as well,” Ernst says. She says this is completely legal and there already have the counter drug efforts within D-O-D.

“It is completely congruent with what’s already existing in law. We are just expanding those authorities to work more with those Mexican officials,” she says. Ernst, who is retired from the Iowa National Guard, says she has already gone into Mexico and spoken with the Mexican Navy and Army leadership about how everyone can work together to curb fentanyl trafficking.

ADEL– Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources, today (Tuesday), said “Persons recreating on the North Racoon River should avoid an area immediately below the Adel Wastewater Treatment Facility where a pool of partially treated waste has collected after a release on Monday. A problem with a valve caused the release. The valve was repaired, but liquids with suspended solids pooled adjacent the river at the facility. The partially treated waste did go through ultraviolet disinfection treatment, but as a precaution, river users should avoid the area until the pool dissipates.”

The facility is off Portland Road on the southeast side of town.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests from the past week.

On Monday, May 15th, Deputies arrested 39-year-old Fernando Villa-Diaz, of Atlantic, on a Failure to Appear warrant.  Villa-Diaz was being held in the Cass County Jail (as of 5/16/23).

Last Friday, May 12th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 27-year-old Austin Van Aernam, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree.  Van Aernam turned himself into the Cass County Jail where he was booked-in and subsequently bonded out.

On May 11th, 46-year-old Amanda Bashor, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Failure to Appear warrant.  Bashor was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release.

And, on May 9th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 42-year-old Christopher Holz, of Lewis, on the charge of Domestic Abuse Assault – 1st Offense.  Holz was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

[UPDATED] (Atlantic, Iowa) – Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds hosted a Fentanyl Roundtable in Atlantic, Tuesday morning at City Hall. She also signed HF 595, a bill which increases penalties for fentanyl manufacturers and dealers whose actions lead to serious injury or death.

Reynolds blamed President Biden for allowing the flow of drugs to proliferate in this country.

The bill she signed also holds accountable those who lace counterfeit pills with small but deadly doses, by lowering the threshold for when penalties kick-in.

Gov. Reynolds signs HF 595 at City Hall, in Atlantic (5-16-26) – (Chris Parks photo_

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and DPS Commissioner Stephan Bayens both spoke at the event in Atlantic. Bird said “Drug dealers who kill and poison will be punished,” under the bill.

Commission Bayens said “Stopping the flow of poison’s like fentanyl into our communities remains one of our highest law enforcement priorities.”

DPS Commissioner Stephen Bayens (Chris Parks photo)

He said both urban and rural areas of the State are reeling from the influx of fentanyl coming into the State.

He said an award-winning example of the collaborative law enforcement strategies can be found in the recent federal indictments of six Iowans after a series of overdoses in Cass and Shelby Counties.

Bayens said “it took months of diligence and hard work from 12 different criminal justice agencies, but the efforts paid-off in June of last year, when a Grand Jury handed down six federal indictments All six plead guilty to their charges. A number of those defendants are being sentenced in the Council Bluffs Federal Courthouse. They are accused of distributing over 10-thousand fentanyl pills in southwest Iowa.

From Atlantic, the Governor moved on to Van Meter where she stopped at the I-80 eastbound Weigh Station, and signed SF 513, a bill for an act relating to motor vehicle enforcement duties of the department of public safety and the department of transportation, providing transfers of moneys, and including effective date provisions.

(Radio Iowa) – A recent statewide report found the number of people in the Spencer area who were homeless grew 43 percent between 2019 and 2021 — and Clay County and the City of Spencer are launching an emergency housing program. Rebecca Goeken is the General Relief director for Clay County. “We hope to provide compassionate and timely intervention and prevention of reoccurrence,” Goeken says. Data released recently by the Institute for Community Alliances found fewer than 50 people in Clay County were homeless in 2019, but two years later, more than 100 people in the area were homeless. Goeken says the plan is to hire two part-time people who would be emergency housing coordinators.

“Somebody who can respond within six hours, also someone who can respond on evenings, weekends and holidays, which is kind of unique,” Goeken says, “because right now we don’t have anyone who can do either of those things in Clay County.” Goeken says the county’s emergency coordinators will help set up a plan to find housing for homeless individuals or a job, if needed.

“And to find whatever services they’re needing, whether that be mental health, physical health, substance abuse or whatever that would look like,” she says. According to federal data, about 24-hundred people in Iowa experienced homelessness at some point last year — and only 16 percent of them were chronically homeless.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley fears the recent U-S Supreme Court ruling on hog confinement sizes will have “a tremendous economic impact” on Iowa’s pork producers and he hopes a legislative solution will help to ease the blow. The ruling upheld what’s known as Proposition 12, a California law that will ban the sale of pork products from sows that come from pens of a certain size. “It’s not only going to make it difficult to market any Iowa products in California, maybe even prohibit it,” Grassley says. “I don’t want to go that far, for sure, but it could.”

Nearly one-third of the nation’s pork is raised in Iowa and while California only raises about one-percent, that state consumes about 15-percent of the pork that’s produced in the U-S. Grassley couldn’t yet offer specifics on any bills in the works. “We need a legislative solution that is bipartisan, and put it in the Farm Bill as an option,” Grassley says. “I think you’re going to see Senator (Roger) Marshall of Kansas lead the way in this direction.”

Grassley says he and fellow Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst co-sponsored Marshall’s bill last year called the EATS Act, or the Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression Act, which did not win passage. It would have banned state and local governments from interfering with agricultural production in other states. If that bill is reintroduced by Marshall, who’s also a Republican, Grassley is uncertain what level of support may come from the other side of the aisle. “The animal rights organizations of this country are going to be a big voice in this,” Grassley says, “and Democrats tend to listen to their voice more loudly than they should, and that’s a factor that we have to fight here.”

Grassley fears the court ruling could raise pork prices while also forcing some producers to close up shop. An Iowa ag economist says we’re already seeing some of the biggest losses in the pork industry in 25 years and some farmers won’t be able to afford to implement major changes in their operations.

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon School Board, Monday night, held a Public Hearing with regard to a proposed Budget Amendment and Expenditures from the Professional Development /Teacher Leadership Flexibility Fund for the District’s Middle School Science Curriculum. As we reported last week, the $300,000 amendment is for Support Services.

The amendments were approved as presented, along with the $21,548 Flex Fund expenditures. The Audubon School Board approved reimbursing the Athletic Fund by use of the General Funds to refurbish football helmets and other safety equipment. The Board increased Student Fees for the 2023-24 School Year. Student breakfast and lunches prices went up by 10-cents.

They also increased Substitute personnel pay.

And, the Audubon School Board made some changes to the Para-Educator pay structure.

The Board agreed to sell the old greenhouse for a some of $800. The structure will be removed by the buyer. The District will build a new greenhouse in its wake. And, various change orders were approved during Monday’s Audubon School Board meeting. Eric Trager said they continue to work on their facility projects and as things come up, will review and act on those matters.

And finally, the District continues to work on contingency plans in the event a 4th Grade and Pre-K HeadStart Teacher can’t be found before the beginning of the school year.

Superintendent Trager said also, graduation this past weekend went well, and the excitement continues for the multiple of sports activities underway and those still to come.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), passed a Resolution approving the sale of County-owned farm land (at the site of the former Willow Heights Care Facility). The vote was 4-to 1, with Supervisor Wendy Richter opposed. Board Chair Steve Baier..

The property consists of 117.73 acres of cropland and 34.43 acres of pasture land. Milk Unlimited owners Kelly and Christy Cunningham had a high bid of $13,100 per acre for the farmland and a high bid of $6,200 per acre for the pasture. Supervisor Steve Green reminds citizens of the County, the decision was not made without public input.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors set June 13, 2023 as the date for a Public Hearing on Fiscal year 2022-23 Budget Amendments. Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken reported the Secondary Roads Department is still hauling rock for rural roads and driveways in two County districts, and other projects. Wolken updated the Board some Secondary Roads Department construction projects.

On a related note, the Board approved an updated Title IV Non-Discrimination Agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation & U-S Department of Transportation. The agreement existing agreement, Wolken said, dates back to 2016, and needed to be updated according to the DOT’s satisfaction.

The Supervisors then approved extending the current insurance deductible/out-of-pocket maximum through Dec. 31, 2023, but they tabled discussion and possible action, with regard to the Wellness Program and base premium insurance rate for County employees who do not participate in the program, and a discount for those who do. The Supervisors want more information before they act on the matters.

(Griswold, Iowa) – The Griswold School District’s Board of Education, Monday evening approved various personnel matters. They also set the Activity Pass Fees for the 2023-24 School Year, and approved a Spanish III/IV waiver, along with an agreement with the City of Griswold. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the Board approved the transfer of Autumn Osterloh from Elementary Para Educator to MS/HS Cook for the next school year. They also approved compensation for Ryan Lockwood, who currently serves as the HS Baseball practice coach.

There was also a contract amendment and a resignation approved by the Board.

Other personnel action includes an agreement with the Area Education Agency, for a Social Services worker. Henrichs says it’s the second year of the agreement.

The Griswold School Board also established Student Fees for 2023-24.

And, they approved a renewal of an agreement between the District and City of Griswold to share resources and possibly, personnel. Other business included the approval of Fuel Bid and Technology Support Specifications, as well as District Procedures for Student Activity Trip Expenses.

And, the Board agreed to change the date/time for its June and July meetings. Their meetings will be held on the third Monday of each month, but with a 4-p.m. start, instead of 5:30-p.m. There will also be a work session on June 6th at 8-a.m.

(Indianola, Iowa) – Simpson College, in Indianola, has hired a new president, and it’s an alumnus. According to a news release, Jay Byers, a 1993 graduate of Simpson, will be the school’s 25th president when he takes office for the 2023-24 academic year. Byers will succeed retiring president Marsha Kelliher, who was hired in 2020. A formal announcement on Byers’ hiring will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, in Hubbell Hall on Simpson’s Indianola campus.

Jay Byers has worked for the Greater Des Moines Partnership, an economic and community development organization based in downtown Des Moines, for 18 years — the last 11 as president and CEO — and has been on the school’s board of trustees since 2012.