(Radio Iowa) – Two former T-V journalists are running to represent Iowa’s new second congressional district. Republican Ashley Hinson of Marion, who worked at K-C-R-G in Cedar Rapids for a decade, is seeking a second term in the U.S. House. Democratic challenger Liz Mathis of Hiawatha, a state senator, was a news anchor for two and a half decades at K-W-W-L in Waterloo, then at K-C-R-G. They are running in the new second congressional district, which includes the cities of Grinnell, Mason City and Dubuque as well as Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.

The latest data shows nearly equal numbers of Democrats, Republicans and independent voters in the area. University of Northern Iowa political science professor Donna Hoffman uses the word “swingy” to describe the district. “If you just look at the last 20 years, it was represented by Republican Jim Nussle and then Democrat Bruce Braley and then Republican Rod Blum and then Democrat Abby Finkenauer and now Republican Ashley Hinson,” Hoffman says, “and so people nationally who look at House races have moved this race more competitive.”

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists Iowa’s second district as among 88 competitive U.S. House races, with a current rating of leans Republican. Hoffman says there’s a degree of uncertainty in this race, like many others around the country. “For example, we don’t know what effect the Dobbs decision might have on activating Democrats to vote in a midterm election, whereas they might have stayed home,” Hoffman says. “We don’t know how much Republicans will be activated by their concerns about the economy and inflation.”

Loras College professor Christopher Budzisz says there have been a barrage of commercials in this race, but the advertising strategies have been fairly traditional. “Whatever the nationalized, negative element is, both candidates have tried to hit on that,” Budzisz says, “which I think is symptomatic of the kind of nationalization of these congressional races, no matter if it’s in the second district or other parts of Iowa.”

Budzisz says there’s a lot of head scratching about early voting trends, since Iowa election law changes shortened the duration of early voting. That makes it hard to compare this year’s data with what was happening in the week before the midterm election in 2018.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is proposing that congress issue fines to the Internal Revenue Service if the agency oversteps its plan to hire more auditors. “Follow up on what the Democrats said they were going to use this money for, that they’re only going to use this money against people that make $400,000 and corporations,” Grassley says. “We don’t believe that.”

This summer, President Biden approved the plan congressional Democrats passed that will give the I-R-S 80 billion dollars over the next 10 years to modernize agency computers and hire 87-thousand auditors.  “They did this without providing any oversight mechanisms to make sure that money is wisely spent,” Grassley says. Grassley is proposing that the I-R-S submit plans to congress on how it intends to spend each year’s allotment. If the agency doesn’t follow its plan, Grassley says the agency should forfeit some of its budget, as a fine.

Other Republicans have proposed shifting the spending from the I-R-S to the Border Patrol. It’s unlikely President Biden would rescind the plan to hire more auditors to go after wealthy Americans who have failed to pay the taxes they owe. The I-R-S estimates about 15 percent of federal taxes owed are not paid.

(Radio Iowa) – The monthly survey of business leaders across Iowa and eight other states finds the region’s economy remains weak and improved only slightly. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the survey ranks the economy on a zero to 100 scale, with 50 being growth neutral. “The overall index rose from September’s 52.7 to October’s 53.1, but this is only the second increase in the last seven months,” Goss says, “so I would still place the manufacturing economy of the Mid-American states in a slow-to-no growth stage.”

Iowa’s overall Business Conditions Index for October sank below growth neutral to 49.8, falling from September’s 50.9. Supply managers across the region were asked about what they see as their biggest obstacles for the rest of the year and Goss says their responses focused on four key areas. “Supply chain disruptions remains the number-one challenge, one third indicated that,” Goss says. “Labor shortages, about one-fourth indicated that. Higher input costs, of course, growing there. That rose significantly from last month up to almost one-third, and then higher interest rates, likewise, increased as the Federal Reserve raised rates.”

One telling factor on the October survey, Goss says, is how the Economic Confidence Index is at its lowest point since March of 2020 when the wide impact of the pandemic first kicked in. Also, hiring levels in Iowa and across the region are still lagging. “Some of that, just the inability to get the workers, find the workers, hire the workers, that’s a big, big issue,” Goss says. “The regional employment is still down from pre-COVID levels, and we’re seeing a loss since COVID of about 77,000 workers across the nine-state region.”

Inflation rates are still high, but Goss says they’re dropping and are now at the lowest level since August of 2020. He predicts inflation may reach six-percent during the fourth quarter.

DES MOINES, Iowa (November 1, 2022) – Doug’s Feed Service, Inc., of Baxter, Iowa has consented to a voluntary revocation of its grain warehouse license, effective October 31, 2022, by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Due to the revocation of the license, Doug’s Feed Store, Inc., is prohibited from storing grain after November 30, 2022.

The warehouse license revocation was due to the licensee being unable to provide proof of insurance as required by Iowa Code, Section 203C.15 (2020). Doug’s Feed Store, Inc., will maintain their grain dealer license.

A grain depositor has three options available to them for their grain storage obligation with Doug’s Feed Store, Inc.

They may:

1. Remove their grain from the facility on or by November 30, 2022
2. Price their grain obligation for payment on or by November 30, 2022
3. Arrange with Doug’s to transfer the storage obligation to another licensed warehouse on or by November 30, 2022.

Any grain storage obligation must be finalized on or before November 30, 2022.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Grain Warehouse Bureau regulates and examines the financial solvency of grain dealers and grain warehouse operators. The functions of the Bureau include warehouse licensing, warehouse examination, grain dealer licensing, and grain dealer examinations.

DES MOINES, Iowa – On Friday, October 28, 2022, 73 year old Daniel Wiechmann was arrested at his residence in Hampton, Iowa by Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol on several warrants as a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Ankeny Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Polk County Attorney’s Office, which began in October of 2021.

On October 25, 2021, a report was filed with the Ankeny Police Department regarding historical sexual abuse that had been occurring between Wiechmann and several juvenile step-grandchildren over the course of several years.  Due to the fact that abuse was alleged to have taken place in multiple counties in Iowa, and that Wiechmann had served as an attorney in the Franklin County area, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was asked to assist.  Due to a conflict of interest, the Franklin County Attorney’s Office requested that the Polk County Attorney’s Office serve as a special prosecutor for this investigation.

Dan Wiechmann

As a result of the investigation, Wiechmann was charged with one count of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd degree (class C Felony), two counts of Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse (Aggravated Misdemeanor), one count of Indecent Contact with a Child (Aggravated Misdemeanor) and one count of Indecent Exposure (Serious Misdemeanor).  These charges were filed in Polk, Dallas, and Franklin Counties.

Wiechmann is currently being held at the Dallas County Jail on a $5000 cash bond and a detainer from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office regarding warrants currently on file related to Polk County charges.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is adding another layer of protection to Iowa’s electoral process by expanding post-election audits. All 99 counties will be required to conduct a hand count audit of two races following the November 2022 general election. Previously, they audited one race.

One randomly selected precinct in each county will hand count the votes for the Governor’s race to match with the ballot tabulators to ensure the accuracy of the vote. On November 9, the day after the election, Secretary Pate will announce an additional race in a randomly selected precinct in each county.

“This is being done to ensure Iowans of the integrity of the vote,” Secretary Pate said. “Our post-election audits consistently match the ballot tabulators perfectly. Adding another race to the process gives greater protection, transparency and security to the process. We want Iowans to know their vote counts.”

Every ballot tabulator in Iowa undergoes a public pre-election audit to ensure it will count votes accurately on Election Day. Post-election audits are mandatory in all 99 counties following each election.

For more information about election security in Iowa, visit the Secretary of State’s website at sos.iowa.gov. Information about casting your ballot is available at VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

Des Moines, IA – United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Leemkuil will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Leemkuil has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Iowa, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Richard Westphal said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Ryan Leemkuil will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 515-473-9300.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 515-223-4278 (Des Moines).

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
United States Attorney Westphal said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

(Radio Iowa) -Iowa is the only state without a compassionate release program for prison inmates, ranking Iowa at the very bottom of a new report comparing state programs. They allow inmates, generally near the end of their lives, to apply for release due to factors like debilitating illnesses, injuries or age-related chronic conditions. Mary Price is general counsel for FAMM, a criminal justice reform advocacy group that issued the report. Price says keeping someone who is sick and near death in prison is not only costly for the state, but also can cause excessive suffering. Price says, “It means that people in Iowa will die in prison after incarceration has lost any meaning for them or for the people of Iowa.” Price says programs vary widely between states, but if it’s wanted, Iowa is well-positioned to build a program from the ground up and include a range of stakeholders.

Alison Guernsey directs the University of Iowa’s Federal Criminal Defense Clinic. Guernsey says one of the reasons it’s disappointing there’s no compassionate release program here is that it’s a poor reflection of Iowa’s justice system. “I think that mercy and second chances are really important philosophical things for us to embed in our judicial and legal systems,” Guernsey says, “and so it seems quite behind the times not to have a mechanism for just the mercy purposes.”

Two neighboring states received high marks in the report. Illinois earned an A, and Minnesota received a B-minus. Iowa’s other neighbors also failed, but scored more points than Iowa’s zero.

(reporting by Catherine Wheeler, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Just before today’s strike deadline, members of the Teamsters Union have approved a new, three-year contract for about 200 workers at the Archer Daniels Midland plant in Cedar Rapids.

According to Jesse Case, the Secretary-Treasurer of Teamster Local 238, the deal includes a $5000 ratification bonus and an immediate 6% across the board raise in the first year. In a statement posted on Facebook, Case said ADM’s “multi-billion dollar profit margin exists” because of “the labor and sweat of its workers: and the union would like to see higher wages for everyone in the industry.

In a written statement, an ADM spokesperson described the contract as “extremely competitive.” ADM’s plant in Cedar Rapids breaks corn kernels down into corn oil, corn starch and other byproducts.

(Radio Iowa) – Powerball tickets are a hot ticket in Iowa lately. There are about three-point-two million people living in Iowa, and the Iowa Lottery says the latest Powerball drawing saw two-point-six million dollars in sales, just within the state. That includes more than two-point-one million dollars in Iowa sales just on Monday.

The average spent per person was around six dollars, or three plays, which lottery officials say demonstrates people didn’t go overboard. 

There was no jackpot winner Monday night, so (as of Noon Tuesday) the big prize for Wednesday’s drawing is forecast to grow to one-point-two billion dollars, the game’s second-highest jackpot.