(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Lottery’s Chief Revenue Officer says the organization’s drop in sales in the first two months of the fiscal year is a trend the lottery industry is facing nationwide. Jon Roth says scratch ticket sales nationwide are down three-point-two percent so far this year. “Scratch tickets are the mainstay of lottery industry. They represent anywhere from 60 to 67 percent of sales for the lottery industry. So it’s important. So when those numbers are down, that’s an indicator overall the industry is still facing challenges,” Roth says. Roth says sales of lotto games nationwide in the past 52 weeks are down more than 17 percent.

“And in particular, if you look at the last 12 weeks, so year-over-year comparison for those last 12 weeks, sales are down 23-three point two percent,” he says. Roth says instaplay games are also down. “Although better than the lotto performance, it’s actually tracking lower than where scratch ticket sales are. And if you look through early August, we’re showing a decrease of five-point-five percent over the last 52 weeks,” Roth says. “And over the shorter time periods we’re actually seeing higher levels, closer to double digits.” Roth says the Iowa Lottery is trying to counter some of the trends, including a revamp of its instaplay games. He says they are also sending out more self-service machines to retailers.

“We have 150 that will be launching shortly into the marketplace. These are new machines for us. They’ll provide a great opportunity for retailers that continue to face staffing challenges,” he says. “It’s always hard for retailers to service all of their customers in the multiple ways that the customers want, and having these self serve machines provides an opportunity for individuals who don’t have the time, or don’t want to face those lines.” Roth says the new machines will handle more tickets so they don’t have to be refilled as often. He says retailers will still keep their counter sales along with the self-service machines, as they’ve found sales drop significantly if they get rid of counter sales.

Roth made his comments during the Iowa Lottery Commission Meeting Tuesday.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Adair County, today (Wednesday), approve a motion not to exceed $1.5-million in General Obligation Urban Renewal Bonds or Capital Loan Notes. Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg…

The Board also passed a Resolution fixing the date for a meeting on the proposition to issue the bonds. The hearing will be held Oct. 23rd at 9:15-a.m., as part of the Board’s regular weekly meeting. County Treasurer Brenda Wallace informed the Board her office will be closed Oct. 10th for staff training in Red Oak. The Supervisors received a Conservation update and Annual Report from Dominic Johnson, who spoke about projects completed over the past year, and other matters.

He said the Department’s Facebook page reached more than 17,000 people, and helped to bring attention to events from people all across the country.

For the third week in a row, the Adair County Supervisors heard from cattle producers Rob and Tony Mensing, with regard to proposed easier access to their property near Canby, for the purpose of grazing cattle. This time around, they provided letters from all the adjoining landowner’s, who expressed their support of upgrading Lewis Avenue at 150th Street from a Level B (Mud) road to a Level A (Gravel)road, or about three-quarters of a mile.

Rob Mensing also brought information with regard to the cost of upgrading the road, according to his data. Including projects the Board approved that were somewhat similar in nature, or in the same price ballpark. He said improving the road would not only help his business, but that of other property owners, as well.

Board member Jodi Hoadley said the County is not in the position right now to improve the whole roadway, but she entertained a motion to fix part of the intersection to make it wider and easier for the property owners to navigate with their vehicles and equipment.

The Board voted unanimously to get a culvert replacement project included in the list of road projects in the county’s five-year plan, and as it fits into the budget.

And, the Board heard a weekly report from County Engineer Nick Kauffman. Prior to his report, the Supervisors approved Longevity Raises for Secondary Roads Department employees Brad Cooper and Adam Comstock.

(Atlantic, Iowa) — Officials with Cass Health, in Atlantic, they are now offering and administering seasonal vaccines for influenza and COVID. Flu shots and FluMist are both available, as well as high-dose flu shots for patients over the age of 65. FluMist is an option for patients ages 2 through 49. Patients wanting a COVID booster can receive the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine 2024-2025 Formula. Walk-ins are welcome during normal Immunization Room hours; all patients should check-in at Registration first. The Immunization Room is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm.

In Atlantic, drive-thru appointments will be available on Saturday, October 5^th from 10 am to 2 pm. The drive-thru will once again be in the curved driveway on 10^th street, at the top of the staff parking lot (Lot D). Appointments are required for the drive-thru clinic. The annual Ayzlee’s Family Flu Clinic will be held on Tuesday, October 8^th from 5 to 7 pm. This clinic is specifically for young families and will include children’s activities and snacks. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. The event will be held inside the Cass Health Main Entrance.

Cass Health will also be administering flu vaccines, via injection or FluMist, at local schools. A clinic will be held at the Atlantic schools on October 15^th and at the Griswold school on October 16^th. Parents who wish to have their child immunized at school must return the consent form to the school by September 30^th. For more information, please contact your school nurse for details and required paperwork or visit casshealth.org/vaccines.

Patients can also make an appointment to receive seasonal vaccines at Cass Health clinics in Anita, Griswold, and Massena. For more information or to schedule any appointments for seasonal vaccines, please call Cass Health at 712-243-2850.

(Radio Iowa) – The federal Small Business Deduction will expire at the end of next year, and unless Congress acts, small businesses in Iowa and elsewhere will no longer be able to deduct up to 20-percent of what’s considered qualified income. Jeff Brabant, with the National Federation of Independent Businesses, says that deduction is a big deal, benefitting more than nine in every ten small businesses across the country. “This is almost every new business starts as a pass-through business,” Brabant says, “and if you’re going to increase taxes on them, while their larger competitors have their tax rate remain the same, you’re really making Main Street less competitive and that’s a real problem for them.”

Brabant says coffee shops, barber shops and all sorts of small mom-and-pop businesses could have to pay more in taxes if the 2017 law is allowed to expire. “That’s one thing we’re really trying to hammer home to people,” he says. “Is it a good idea for Congress to selectively increase taxes on small businesses while their larger competitors keep the same tax rate?”

An estimate from the U-S Small Business Administration finds more than 95-percent of the businesses in Iowa are -small- businesses. Brabant says many small businesses in Iowa and nationwide have been struggling since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “They were only allowing — in many states — just essential businesses to be open. Who was the essential business? It was Walmart. It wasn’t your local small retailer. They were shut down. So, they had no income coming in for a long time,” Brabant says. “That was the first challenge they had. Once the pandemic began to abate and the restrictions were lifted, they then had to deal with inflation.”

Inflation, Brabant says, remains the top issue small business owners face post-pandemic. The Main Street Tax Certainty Act would make that deduction permanent for small and family-owned businesses, which Brabant says owners use to invest in their employees and growth for the future.

(Des Moines, Iowa)- Iowa’s Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Wednesday) released a report on a special investigation of the City of Hamburg for the period of March 1, 2019 through August 31, 2023. The special investigation was requested by Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department (HSEMD) as a result of concerns communicated to the Department’s regarding certain grant funds and a forgivable loan received by the City following the March 2019 flood. Concerns were also received regarding City officials, City employees, and their family members and friends receiving direct benefit from the funds awarded to the City.

Sand reported the special investigation identified the following, with regard to the Nuisance Property and Abandoned Building Remediation Loan Program:

• The City did not enter into an agreement with Hamburg Economic Development Council (HEDC) to administer the Nuisance Property and Abandoned Building Remediation Loan Program.
• City officials were unable to provide supporting documents showing the properties acquired under the program were nuisance properties as defined by the Code of Iowa or under the terms of the program. HEDC officials stated that properties were identified by physically driving through the community and selecting lots that would have been favorable for potential buyers.
• Under the program, 6 properties were purchased by HEDC and not the City. However, HEDC was not a party to the grant between the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the City of Hamburg.
• The City provided funding under the program to build two new homes. One home was owned by a City Council member who transferred ownership to a family member. The second home was privately owned. The owner was not related to a member of City government. City officials were unable to provide any support why NPAB funds were used on lots that were not cleared or owned by the City.
• The program allows funds to be used for construction for City owned homes. If the funds are used for projects owned by private citizens, the homeowners are to repay the funds to the City. Under the program the city paid 60% of the construction costs for two privately owned homes. Sand’s office could not determine why the homeowners did not repay the funds to the City as required by the program. For the two homes the construction costs paid by the grant were $86,730.00 and $104,576.50.
• For the two homes constructed there is no evidence the owners repaid any portion of the funds provided under the program.

Sand reported the special investigation identified the following with the Community Catalyst Building Remediation Grant Program:
• The City did not enter into an agreement with Hamburg Economic Development Council (HEDC) to administer the Community Catalyst Building Remediation Grant Program awarded to the City.
• Under the terms of the program, if the building is owned by an entity other than the city, the respective city must provide information regarding ownership and the relationship with the City. The City did not disclose a City Council member was negotiating ownership of 2 buildings which received funding.
• The city was unable to provide support showing two applicants provided the required match in the form of financial or in-kind assistance.
• The city violated Iowa Code 234.7, by quit claiming a deed to a property owned by the City to an applicant who received funding under the program. Under the Code of Iowa, the City should have published a notice on the date a public hearing was to be held regarding the sale. The Code also prohibits the disposal of real property by gift, except to a governmental body for public purpose.

Other issues
• The City made a duplicate payment to HEDC totaling $50,000.00 that was not authorized or explained.
o The duplicate payment was issued on April 29, 2020 for $50,000.00 for the Catalyst Grant. The $50,000.00 was previously paid on February 13, 2020.
• HEDC cashed and deposited donation checks expressly written out to the City totaling $23,690.17.

Sand also reported several familial relationships were identified between recipients of Nuisance/Abandoned Property Remediation Fund (NPAB) funds and City Council member, Kent Benefiel, and the City’s public works director, Alan Dovel. Sand reported that the Community Catalyst Building Remediation Grant Program (Catalyst grant) was facilitated by HEDC, even though there was a prohibition on the transfer or reassignment of the grant funds in the agreement between the City and IEDA. Mr. Benefiel applied for catalyst grant funds related to two properties on Main Street and received the largest share of the catalyst grant funds.

Copies of the report have been filed with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fremont County Attorney’s Office, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. A copy of the report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website at Special Interest Reports.

(Marshall, MN) – Officials with Yelloh, this week, announced the company will cease all operations in November 2024, closing out a storied 72-year history as a Minnesota pioneer in the food home-delivery market. Founded as Schwan’s in Marshall, Minnesota, in 1952, the company expanded to serve people nationwide, delivering frozen meals, food, treats and ice cream to homes. The company has about 1,100 employees and according to Iowa WARN, 53 employees in Iowa are being laid off.

Yelloh CEO Bernardo Santana said in a news release, “It’s with heavy hearts that we made the difficult decision to cease operations of Yelloh. We are thankful to our many loyal customers and hard-working employees for everything they have done to support us. I am deeply grateful for our employees’ tireless and bold efforts, and our customers’ dedication. It has been our utmost pleasure and honor to serve our customers their favorite meals and frozen treats.”

The company cited multiple insurmountable business challenges for the decision, including economic and market forces, as well as changing consumer lifestyles. Yelloh will wind down operations over the next two months, taking care of employees with notice and pay in accordance with the WARN Act. The last day products may be purchased via Yelloh trucks will be Friday, November 8.