(Radio Iowa) – The co-owner of the central Iowa bar that’s home of this year’s “Best Burger” competition winner says their business has picked up dramatically since the announcement. Marianne and Matt Pacha opened their “Flight Bar and Grill” in Huxley one year ago, and were hoping that milestone would help them plan. “We said, as soon as we hit the year mark, we’ll be able to know, like, usually the season is like this or that. And then this kind of threw things out the window — it’s gonna be a whole new data we’ll have to figure out — but all for good reason. We are thrilled about this,” Pacha says.

She says they had been 200 to 300 burgers in a week and Tuesday they sold 260. The couple didn’t have any background in running a restaurant, but she says her husband worked in grocery retail, and they knew there was a need for the establishment in the community. “We were a young couple have built a house here. And after we moved in, we were like let’s go grab a drink. We’re tired from the day. And there wasn’t really a place to do that at the time,” she says.

The name of the establishment comes from the Ballard school district, which mascot is the Bombers, and then they have flights of beer too. They donate one dollar from every burger sold to the Ballard Education Foundation to help support the school district. Pacha says their foundation is a double burger with several ingredients. “Lots of love and lots of fresh ingredients. We source our beef exclusively from Midwest farms. They’re also smash burgers. So cooked in their own fat, a crisp outside, but nice to see inside. We use a really high-quality brioche bun and we also have in-house aoli we use on all of our burgers,” she says.

The Foundation burger at the Flight Bar & Grill, in Huxley.

The contest is held ever year by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council. Pacha says seeing all the extra people come in great because it puts more eyes on the community. “It’s exciting to get more people into Flight — but Huxley as a whole, it’s such a wonderful community we have so much to offer. We have new people come in, say ‘We didn’t even know this was here. We didn’t know there were so many new houses going up. We didn’t know you know, insert fact here.’,” Pacha says. “So it’s really exciting that people are learning that actually has more to offer than just you know, small town I am. Well, we have a great school district.”

You can find Flight just off Highway 69 on the south side of Huxley. They are open Sunday-Thursday from 11 a-m until 10 p-m, and Friday, Saturday from 11 a-m until 11 p-m.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Governor Reynolds has announced that applications for Students First Educations Savings Accounts (ESAs) will be accepted starting May 31, 2023. The Students First Act was signed into law earlier this year and will provide state funding for eligible students who attend accredited nonpublic schools starting in the 2023-2024 school year.  Additionally, the State Board of Education today adopted administrative rules that specify definitions for the program, eligibility requirements for participation, parameters for the application process, and program administration and accountability.

“As we prepare to accept applications later this month for Iowa’s landmark Students First ESA program, the rules approved today will provide families with the details they need to consider their options and prepare to apply,” stated Governor Reynolds. “We are one step closer to providing choice in education for Iowa families regardless of income or zip code.”

All incoming kindergarteners and all K-12 students currently enrolled in a public school district are eligible for the ESA program. Families whose children currently attend an accredited nonpublic school are also eligible for ESAs based on their annual income during the first two years of the program. For the 2023-2024 school year, income eligibility is 300 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL); and 400 percent FPL for the 2024-2025 school year. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, all K-12 students in Iowa will be eligible for an ESA regardless of income.

The following rules specify some eligibility requirements for students currently attending an accredited nonpublic school:

• Parents or guardians of students currently enrolled in an accredited nonpublic school will verify their income eligibility using “net income” from their 2022 state tax form.
• Household size will be determined by the number of people who reside together and are related by birth, marriage, adoption, legal guardianship, or by placement in the home through a state agency. “Household” includes parents, student applicants, and other children who share at least one parent by birth, adoption, a parent’s current marriage, or placement in the home through a state agency.
• Students must be enrolled full time at an accredited nonpublic school.

The administrative rules are posted in their entirety on the Iowa Department of Education’s ESA webpage, along with answers to frequently asked questions about the program. Parents interested in applying for an ESA are encouraged to sign up for notifications when information is updated on the website.  Parents will complete and submit applications through an online system which the Department of Education, Office of the Chief Information Officer, and other state agencies are now implementing with Odyssey, the vendor selected to administer the ESA program. Webinars will be offered to assist parents with the application process when the system launches on May 31.

Applications will be accepted from May 31 through June 30, 2023, for the 2023-2024 school year.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s 150 legislators have gathered at the Capitol for the final day of the 2023 legislative session. Representative Gary Mohr, of Bettendorf, is the Republican who led development of the state budget. “This is a wonderful day, absolutely,” Mohr says. “We had a great session, but it’s time to go home.”

A handful of bills remain on the list for votes in the House and Senate. Governor Reynolds will host a ceremony this (Thursday) afternoon to publicly sign the property tax relief plan the legislature

May 4, 2023 (DES MOINES) – Gov. Kim Reynolds marked the start of National Small Business Month with the announcement of a chance for Iowa communities to showcase their support for small businesses through the third annual #IowansUnite Community contest. The winning community will be awarded a custom mural.

The contest invites cities, municipalities and economic development organizations to submit creative and inspirational videos showcasing how their community members support small businesses and celebrate the businesses’ importance to the community. Communities that submit a video have the chance to win a one-of-a-kind mural designed and installed by Iowa artist Ben Schuh that welcomes visitors to their shopping district or downtown area.

“Small businesses are not only important economic drivers, but they also serve as cultural pillars in our thriving communities,” Gov. Reynolds said. “This contest is an opportunity for communities to showcase their support for their small businesses by entering for a chance to win custom art for their downtown and I look forward to seeing the creative entries.”

To enter the contest, communities must create a short video and submit it through the official entry form found on the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Facebook page through June 23, 2023. Creativity is encouraged, but all submissions must feature local residents and small businesses and must incorporate elements reflecting each community’s unique brand of hometown spirit. Examples include storefronts, main street districts, notable landmarks and people shopping or eating. Videos may be created by an individual or group representing the community, but the video must be submitted by the city, municipality or economic development organization.

Following an online voting period (June 26 through June 29), the communities whose videos meet the designated vote threshold for their community size will become finalists. Small communities, cities with a population of 15,000 or less, must have at least 500 votes. Large communities, cities with a population of 15,001 or more, must have at least 1,000 votes.

The finalists will receive an assignment to showcase their community spirit. An independent panel of judges will review and score all assignments submitted along with the video submitted with the official entry form. The community with the highest score will win the contest and a custom mural. IEDA and IFA officials will meet with designees from the winning community to facilitate the mural project.

“Both small businesses and community art add life and vibrancy to our downtown districts and this contest provides the unique opportunity to celebrate the importance of both,” said Debi Durham, executive director of IEDA and IFA. “One community will win a custom mural that will serve as both a local tribute and a visitor attraction and I wish all entrants the best of luck in the competition.”

The 2023 #IowansUnite contest is the third annual contest in conjunction with National Small Business Month. Previous winners include the communities of Knoxville and Washington, photos of their murals are available on IEDA’s Facebook page.

For more information about the #IowansUnite Community Contest, including official rules and the submission process, visit https://woobox.com/oqhd3r

(Radio Iowa) – Areas of Iowa that have suffered through months of drought may see some relief soon with the development of an El Nino weather pattern, as the Climate Prediction Center has issued an El Nino Watch for this summer. Doug Kluck, the Central Region climate service director for the National Weather Service, says the El Nino would come after three years of a La Nina. “If this does turn into an El Nino, and it turns into a moderate and/or strong one, it is the opposite of what we expect from a La Nina,” Kluck says. “In the wintertime, El Nino brings warmer-than-normal temperatures in the northern states, cooler-than-normal temperatures in the southern states, and wetter conditions along the south and drier conditions along the north.”

An El Nino occurs when Pacific Ocean surface temperatures rise above normal, and for Iowa, it typically means moderate temperatures and better chances for precipitation. Kluck says weather patterns change under an El Nino. “It tends to have a split jetstream, meaning, that the southern part of the U.S. gets more activity. The northern part, is sort of the northern jet, if you will, splits over the top, it stays in Canada. We don’t get as many arctic air pushes, it doesn’t get as cold and we have a relatively warm winter.”

Kluck says the El Nino is expected to develop rapidly this summer. Parts of Woodbury and Monona counties are in the worst categories of drought: exceptional, extreme and severe, while moderate to severe drought extends across wide sections of western Iowa. Large areas of central and eastern Iowa are considered extremely dry by the U-S Drought Monitor.

U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced more actions aimed at making local and regional food systems stronger. The USDA’s Gary Crawford reports….

Vilsack is a former Governor from Iowa. He served as the 40th governor of the State from 1999 to 2000, and is the 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, serving under the Biden administration. He previously served in the role from 2009 to 2017 during the Obama administration.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will partner in 16 urban water quality projects across the state by investing nearly $2.8 million. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, utilizing the state’s Water Quality Initiative (WQI) and funding from the Conservation Infrastructure Program (CIP), will provide cost-share grants that cover up to 50 percent of the total cost of each project. The overall cost of the 16 projects is expected to be approximately $14.6 million, which includes $2.8 million from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and $11.8 million from local sources.

The Department provides financial and technical assistance to the communities and organizations implementing the urban water quality practices. To receive state funding, the urban water quality projects must include education and outreach components and involve local partners. These community-based projects raise awareness about new stormwater management methods and encourage others to adopt similar infrastructure-based practices to improve water quality. These urban conservation projects include water quality practices like bioretention cells, bioswales, native plantings, permeable pavers, rain gardens, soil quality restoration, and wetlands among many other proven practices.

Wednesday’s grant announcement coincides with Soil and Water Conservation Week, which Governor Kim Reynolds has proclaimed will be recognized from April 30 through May 7 in Iowa.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – A Polk County man has entered a plea of guilty to a Felony count of Theft in the 2nd Degree. 27-year-old El Messiah Muhammad Moor, of Des Moines, pled guilty on April 20, 2023, following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau. The investigation began in September 2022 after the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau received information indicating Moor provided false information and fabricated documents in support of six insurance loss claims and received monetary benefits to which he would have not otherwise been entitled.

The investigation determined that Moor claimed that multiple incidents of power outages resulted in damage to perishable food items, a computer and television. Moor provided false information and submitted fabricated repair receipts to two different insurance companies. The receipts were from companies that did not actually exist and to which no payments were made. Moor received $2,273.85 in benefits due to the false statements and fabricated receipts. Moor was arrested on February 10, 2023.

El Messiah Muhammad Moor. (Photo courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

Following his guilty plea, Moor received a five year suspended prison sentence and was placed on supervised probation for a period of two years. Moor was also ordered to pay a civil penalty of $1,025 as well as restitution which has yet to be determined.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

(Creston, Iowa) – A collision Wednesday morning in Creston, resulted in minor damage that amounted to a total of $6,000, but no one was hurt. According to the Creston Police Department, the accident happened at around 8:20-a.m., the intersection of N. Cherry and Howard Streets. A small, 2013 shuttle bus driven by 62-year-old Lorie Cooper Lee, of Bridgewater, was traveling south on N. Cherry Street and nearing the intersection with Howard Street. She did not have a stop sign or lights.

A 2003 Chevy Express van driven by 38-year-old Boone Daniel Hayes, of Creston, was traveling east on Howard Street and approaching a stop sign at the intersection. Hayes told Police his brakes failed, and he was unable to stop before entering the intersection and colliding broadside with the shuttle bus. Hayes said he pressed on the brake pedal, but it did not engage without being pressed repeatedly.

Both vehicles were able to be driven away from the scene. No citations were issued.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, Iowa — A second first-degree murder trial that began this week in Council Bluffs, continues for a day care provider in Massena, charged with the death of a child. Alison Dorsey, of Anita, is accused of causing the death of 11-week-old Luka Hodges, in October 2019. Cass County Attorney Vanessa Strazdas had previously said the child suffered from internal bleeding resulting in brain death while in Dorsey’s care. According to court documents, Dorsey said the child was hurt outside her care. Strazdas said medical evidence shows the child’s injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Dorsey’s first trial in 2021 ended with a hung jury and mistrial, in Atlantic.

The prosecution has presented its evidence in the case and is expected to wrap-up today. The defense is expected to present its opening arguments today (Thursday). The trial began Monday, with the selection of a jury, followed by opening statements and testimony, on Tuesday.