(Radio Iowa) – Iowans for Tax Relief president Chris Hagenow is optimistic Iowa lawmakers will be open to making changes next year in a tax break for big corporations. It’s called the “research activities” tax credit and it’s refundable. That means the state is required to cut the corporation a check for any amount above what the company owes in taxes. Hagenow says the latest data from the state of Iowa shows John Deere received over 19 million dollars in tax credits for research activities last year.

“The conditions are ripe for a new conversation about these credits,” Hagenow says, “and not even necessarily because of this one particular example with regards to John Deere.” John Deere was the state’s largest recipient of Iowa’s research activities tax credit in 2023. Hagenow says Iowans may find that worrisome given recent layoffs at Deere facilities in Iowa, as well as the company’s plan to build a plant in Mexico.

“We generally support a flatter, fairer tax code for everyone without carve outs for anyone,” Hagenow says. “With regard to John Deere, then, being the biggest recipient of those credits, it really makes it much more difficult to take.” In tax year 2023, about 350 corporations filed for the state research activities tax credit — with claims totaling 77 million dollars. Hagenow, a former Republican lawmaker, says he hears from small business owners who cannot qualify for this kind of a lucrative subsidy.

“I think Iowans instinctively know a lot of these incentives are there and they’re not always fairly applied,” Hagenow says.

The 1984 Iowa legislature created the research activities credit. Businesses may receive a credit worth up to six-and-a-half percent of the company’s annual budget for research. Backers of the credit say it keeps companies in Iowa that are doing high value research — with highly paid staff. According to a state report, the salaries paid to employees who do research accounted for over 56 percent of the total amount of the tax credits awarded last year.

(Clear Lake, Iowa) – A crash this (Monday) afternoon north of Clear Lake resulted in the death of one teenager and injuries to another. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened at around 2:20-p.m. on Hickory Avenue, north of 275th Street, when a 2008 Subaru Outback driven by 15-year-old Jannali Bear-Dont-Walk, of Clear Lake, went out of control as the car was traveling northbound on Hickory Street.

The vehicle cross the road into the path of a southbound 2024 GMC 3500 pickup. After the vehicles collided, the driver of the Subaru and a passenger, 16-year-old Aali Martinez, of Clear Lake, were transported to Mercy Hospital in Mason City, where Jannali Bear-Dont-Walk died from injuries suffered in the crash. Both teens were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Clear Lake Police, Clear Lake Fire/EMS, Mason City Fire, and Mercy Air Med.

(Radio Iowa) – In an update to our previous report, authorities say a  77-year-old University of Iowa physics professor was killed and four others were injured following a four-vehicle crash in eastern Iowa early Sunday evening.

The accident happened on Highway 1, near Solon. According to the Iowa State Patrol’s accident report, the driver of a Jeep Cherokee failed to stop at a stop sign, crashed through a camper and hit an S-U-V on the driver’s side. Dr. Usha Mallik, an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Iowa, was driving that third vehicle and died at the scene.

Dr. Usha Mallik (U of I photo)

A fourth vehicle was hit by debris from the camper. The driver of the first vehicle was flown to University of Iowa Hospitals. A one year old child, a woman from Cedar Rapids and a man from Paris, France, were taken by ambulance to the same hospital in Iowa City.

The professor who died in the accident has been involved in research at CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. In 2020, Dr. Mallik received a University of Iowa award for being a mentor to students and faculty as well as her service to the global “high energy physics” community.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic is set to meet at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, August 7th, at City Hall. On their agenda is action on approving an Order to close certain streets in Atlantic on Saturday, Aug. 10th, for AtlanticFest. If approved, the following streets would be closed from 5-a.m. until 6-p.m.:

• Chestnut Street (both lanes), from 6th to 7th St.
• Chestnut (both lanes), from 2nd to 6th.
• 6th Street (Both lanes) from Walnut to Chestnut.
• 6th Street (Both lanes) from Chestnut to Poplar.
• 5th Street from Chestnut to 1/2 block east of the alley before the Post Office.
• 5th Street from Chestnut to Poplar.
• 4th Street from Chestnut to 1/2 block east, right before the alley.
• 4th Street from Chestnut to Poplar.
• 3rd Street from Walnut to Poplar.
• Walnut Street will remain open.

The Council will act on passing a Resolution “Setting the date for a Public Hearing on a proposed Ordinance vacating the 66-foot wide street Right-Of-Way (ROW),” beginning west of the ROW line of Laurel Street extended, then west to the east property line of the Iowa Interstate Railroad (a parcel approx. .7″ of an acre). The request (Which was previously heard during the Council’s meeting on May 1st), comes from property owner Rob Stamp, who wishes to have an additional access to his property to the north, by means of cutting the curb on the vacated area, and pouring a driveway, and maintain it as another entrance.

Atlantic City Hall building

The City’s Engineer recommends the Council approves the request, CADCO’s Executive Director reports there is no economic development purpose for the City to maintain ownership of the ROW. AMU’s Exective Director says there is no water or electric infrastructure below the parcel in question, and Atlantic’s Public Works Director said the ROW has no current or future value to the City. The Planning and Zoning Commission will issue their recommendation to the Council during the meeting Wednesday evening.

The Atlantic City Council will also hold the 3rd and final reading of an Ordinance that rezones the Camblin Hills Subdivision from R-2 (Low Density/Single Family) residential to R-4 (Multifamily) residential. The first reading was passed during the Council’s meeting on July 10th.

In other business, the Council will act on an Order to approve a bid from Tim Beadle, for 411 Birch Street, in the amount of $5,350. The City’s Personnel and Finance Committee has endorsed his bid. The final order of business is action on a proposal to move the Sept. 18th City Council meeting to Sept. 16th, due to the Annual Iowa League of Cities Conference.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the U-S must maintain its ironclad commitment to Israel as it faces a possible attack from Iran.  “Because Israel took out a terrorist leader in Tehran — right in Iran, then the Iranians feel like they need to do something to exact retribution equal to what the Israelis did,” Ernst says. A Hamas leader attending an event in Iran was killed last week. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Six days ago, an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, a terrorist group backed by Iran.

Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, is a member of the U-S Senate Armed Services Committee. She says if Iran or Hezbollah send missiles toward Israel, the U-S must be prepared to support counter measures. “As we saw in April with the United States and a number of our Arab friends in conjunction with Israel, we were able to defend from those rocket attacks,” Ernst says, “but what we don’t want to see is a wider scale war in the Middle East.”

Ernst and nearly all the other Republicans in the U-S Senate, including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, signed a letter Friday that calls on the Biden Administration to ensure all congressionally-approved ammunition and weapons systems are delivered to Israel. The G-O-P senators accused Biden of imposing a partial arms embargo on Israel.

A State Department spokesman says the U-S has delayed a shipment of 35-hundred bombs out of concern the bombs would be used in densely populated urban areas, but nothing else has been stopped or paused.

(Radio Iowa) – A rare bird came into sight in eastern Iowa this weekend. A four-legged chicken was hatched in the Mississippi Valley Fair’s Expo building. Gary Kaase and his wife manage the display where the chick hatched. “I was taking the chicks out and I thought that one was laying on top of the other. I saw four legs,” Kaase says, “and then I picked the chick up and I realized this was a real rare oddity that I had hatched here at the fair.” Sunday was the last day of the fair in Davenport. The tiny chick is now at home on Kaase’s farm just outside of Eldridge. “He is running around, he’s keeping up with everybody, he’s eating, drinking,”Kaase says. “The future for this chick — we hope to do some educational things with him.” The chick is the offspring of a Brown Sex Link chicken and a Leghorn rooster.

Kaase will be seeking permission to take the chick to visit patients at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and he’s hoping to line up other venues where the chick could spread the message that anything is possible. “With the kids…hopefully show them that life isn’t so bad,” Kaase says. “You can handle anything as long as you try.” About two decades ago, Kaase took eggs to his daughter’s third grade classroom so the students could watch the chicks emerge from the shells. He and his wife now take incubators to dozens of classrooms — and three fairs. “We bring in about three dozen eggs every day and we have a big glass incubator where people can actually see the chicks hatch,” Kaase says. “We have two barns set up, one for the chicks that we hatch, one for the ducks…Everything is educational.”

A rare four-legged chick born in Iowa. (Photo courtesy Mississippi Valley Fair.)

His daughter became a veterinarian. She checked the chick out and says he’s healthy. The family has not named him yet. “He’s kind of a light yellow color,” Kaase says. “I don’t know what he’s going to look like when he gets bigger. I’m sure he’ll change some colors.” Kaase’s four-legged chick is motoring around on its two front legs. Kaase’s family has done some research about four-legged chickens. “All we could find is maybe one in 10 million,” Kaase says. “I’ve got to say it’s rarer than that. I’ve been doing this for probably close to 40 years as far as hatching and everything else and I had never even heard of it.”

Kaase’s farm, by the way, is called Anything is Kaase-able.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Cass Health, in Atlantic, report the August session of “Healthy U” at CCHS, will focus on planning for the future. The program is being presented by Cass Health Care Coordinators Megan Bierbaum, LMSW and Tiara Zemanek. The session will be on Thursday, August 15 at noon in Conference Room 2 at the hospital.

The Care Coordination team will touch on topics common amongst older adults as they plan for their futures, such as home health services, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, Power of Attorney, living wills, and outlining the Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment. This session’s goal is to equip older adults with this important information, so they can make decisions that are best for their health, their family, and their future.

Space is limited! A free boxed lunch is provided for all attendees, so reservations are required. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat. For more information about Healthy U, visit casshealth.org/healthyu.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report three people were arrested on separate charges, over the weekend. Two people were arrested on Saturday: 60-year-old Gary Cowan, of Malvern, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. He has since posted bond. And, 70-year-old Dennis Burnell, of Glenwood, was arrested on two counts of Harassment in the 3rd Degree. He was being held without bond until seen by a magistrate judge, and then released on his Own Recognizance.

On Sunday, Glenwood Police arrested 36-year-old Elayna Werner, of Glenwood, for Domestic Abuse Assault. She was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail pending a court appearance.

Glenwood Police said also, a Glenwood resident reported Sunday, an incident of Criminal Mischief, and, a separate resident reported the theft of a vehicle.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports three people were arrested last Friday, Aug. 2nd. 39-year-old Sherrece Patricia Kilgore was arrested on a Union County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense. She posted a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

At around 2:35-p.m. Friday, Adair County Deputies arrested 23-year-old Genevieve Lynn Williams, of Adair, for OWI/1st offense. Williams was arrested in an alley behind the Adair Fire Station, after Adair County Dispatch was notified about a car which had struck numerous items. The caller was able to get Williams’ vehicle to stop. Her Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) at the Adair County Jail registered .170%, or slightly more than twice the legal limit. Williams was cited, and later released from custody.

And, at around 10:40-p.m., Friday, 32-year-old Kayla Dawn Herring, of Bridgewater, was arrested in Bridgewater, for Theft in the 4th Degree, for allegedly stealing a neighbor’s go-kart, and Driving Under Suspension, for allegedly driving the machine down the street before she had to push it to her home. Herring claimed she thought her neighbors had moved, and took the cart for safe keeping in-case the owners wanted it back. The go-kart owners told police they had not moved, still have property, and pay rent. They were simply out-of-town. Herring was released from the Adair County Jail on Saturday, after posting a $1,000 bond.