(Radio Iowa) – Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says the initial draft of the Democrats’ infrastructure plan in the U.S. House now reserves a billion dollars to promote the use of ethanol and biodiesel over the next eight years. “To issue grants directly to fuel retailers so that they can convert their existing pumps to deliver higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel,” Axne says. “They can install new pumps or related infrastructure, retrofit terminal operations, etc., so that they can carry more ethanol and biodiesel.”

Axne says it will be quite some time before electric models make up the majority of vehicles in use in America and biofuels are a greener alternative to gasoline AND to hybrid electric vehicles with a liquid fuel back-up. “There are multiple sectors of transportation that should also look to other opportunities, so this is a win-win,” Axne says. “This puts money in the pockets of Iowans while literally reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.”

A recent study led by a Harvard University environmental health professor found carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol were 46 percent lower than from gasoline. Axne says she’s pretty confident the billion dollars for biofuels will stay in the infrastructure package, but she concedes it hasn’t been an easy fight to get it included in the initial draft.

“I’ve been handing out flyers in, literally, the chambers, educating people about biofuels. We’ve been hammering this thing home and, I think it sunk in that: ‘Listen, as we move towards this, let’s not forget a tool that really can move us in the right direction immediately,'” Axne says, “and that’s biofuels.”

The bill, which Democrats call their Build Back Better plan, will be considered in the U.S. House Agriculture Committee today (Friday).

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says the president’s new Covid vaccine rules for federal workers, health care staff and employees in large businesses are dangerous and unprecedented. President Biden says Americans who are vaccinated are growing frustrated with the 80 million who are not and the unvaccinated are fueling the current surge in Covid cases. Biden has moved to require that businesses with more than 100 employees ensure workers are fully vaccinated or tested for Covid weekly.

The president’s executive order now requires all federal government employees and contractors as well as health care workers at facilities that receive federal money be vaccinated. Reynolds, a Republican, has encouraged Iowans to get vaccinated, but she opposes these mandates. Reynolds says Iowans have the ability to make health care decisions for themselves and Biden’s plan will only worsen the workforce shortage as people quit or retire rather than get vaccinated.

Zach Wahls, the top Democrat in the Iowa Senate, says Iowa is in the midst of a dangerous surge in Covid cases because Iowa Republicans have embraced vaccine skepticism. Some Republicans in Iowa’s congressional delegation issued statements yesterday (Thursday) criticizing Biden’s vaccination requirements. Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s encouraging Iowans to get vaccinated, but he opposes the heavy hand of government threatening to fine for businesses if employees aren’t vaccinated or tested regularly.

First district Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says the president’s actions are unconstitutional. Second district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa says she encourages adults to be vaccinated, but she’s deeply opposed to a federal Covid vaccine mandate. The Republican National Committee announced last (Thursday) night it plans to file a lawsuit to overturn the president’s vaccine mandates.

(Radio Iowa) – The Legislative Services Agency has announced that the first proposed plan for reconfiguring legislative and congressional districts will be delivered to lawmakers at 10 a.m. next Thursday (Sept. 16). The boundaries for congressional districts and for Iowa House and Senate districts are being redrawn to account for population shifts that are shown in the 2020 Census data.

Three public hearings are scheduled after the maps are released, to give Iowans a chance to weigh in on the plans, then the bipartisan Temporary Redistricting Commission must submit its report on the maps to the legislature. After all that, a Special Legislative Session will convene — probably in early October — so the Iowa House and Senate can approve or reject the proposed maps.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The owner of a western Iowa welding and metal fabricating company along with several others, have teamed-up to sponsor an event this Saturday in Cass County, to mark the 20^th anniversary of the Sept. 11^th attacks.

Photo’s courtesy Duane Weirich

Duane Weirich, who owns Weirich Welding Plus, in Lewis, says his role in the event was the creation of an eight-by-20-foot custom metal “We the People” wall of American History, with individual cut-out pieces that will be bolted to the wall.

He says there are 91 separate pieces that make up the characters on the wall.

This isn’t the first time he’s his metal working skills to make a wall of history.

He says the first eagle he made was completely out of scrap iron.

Weirich says he and a friend decided to incorporate the project into the 9/11 event. The Lewis Celebration and Freedom Rock Committees got involved in the plan as well. The wall will be on display at Weirich Welding in Lewis, from 10-a.m., until 2-p.m., Saturday, and will include a free light lunch for current First Responders, Law Enforcement, and Veterans. The Public Lunch will be a free-will offering.

On Sunday, Weirich will transport the 5,000-pound patriotic wall to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it was entered into the  “Art Prize” contest.

He says the wall will be one of the largest objects on display and to be voted on, and then sold through an online auction.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports two candidates have filed nomination papers for two seats on the Griswold City Council.  Jim Ridlen and Kirt Underwood, both of Griswold, filed to have their names on the ballot for the Nov. 2nd City/School Elections. The two seats that are open are currently held by Julie Adams and Carol Preston. Their terms expire Dec. 31, 2012.

As of Thursday, Sept. 9th,  the following candidates have filed to run for City offices in Cass County:

Atlantic City Council, 5th Ward (Vote for 1):

Dick Casady (Incumbent)

Anita City Council (Vote for 3):

Simon Jensen (Incumbent)

Mayor of Anita (to fill a vacancy):

John Knutson (Appointed – term ends 11/2021)

Anita City Council (to fill a vacancy) – Vote for 1):

Mark Harris (Incumbent)

City of Atlantic Parks and Recreation Board (Vote for 1):

Shirley Jensen

Mayor of Atlantic:

Pat McCurdy

Grace Garrett

Kathy Somers

Tim Teig

Cumberland City Council (Vote for 3):

Mike Hill (Incumbent)

Darrin Hardisty (Incumbent)

Cumberland City Mayor

Nancy Virginia Coughlin (Incumbent)

Griswold City Council Member (Vote for 2):

Jim Ridlen

Kirt Underwood

Nomination papers may be filed with the Cass County Auditors Office until 5-p.m., Sept. 16th.

(Radio Iowa) – There could be a new lead in the case of missing Xavior Harrelson. He’s the 11-year-old boy from Montezuma who disappeared May 27. Mitch Mortvedt is assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.  “The DCI is assisting the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office…as part of the investigation,” he says, “information that we have received that has led us to the Fox Forest area of Poweshiek County.”

Fox Forest is a 531 acre wildlife area, about five miles from Montezuma. Mortvedt says the search started this (Thursday) morning. “It’s open-ended and it will go as long as it needs to,” Mortvedt says, “as the investigators and agents on the scene determine that it needs to.”

Mortvedt says he cannot comment on what led law enforcement to start searching in that area of Poweshiek County.

In an update to our report this (Thursday) morning, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office says one person was transported to the UNMC in Omaha, following a collision west of Lewis, near the Cass/Pottawattamie County line. Authorities say at around 8:02-a.m., Thursday, Cass County Deputies responded to an accident at the intersection of White Pole Road and 542^nd Street.

Shayeleigh Marshall Julich Howard, of Glenwood, was east bound on White Pole Road driving a 2011 Jeep Patriot.  Anita Marie Riley, of Griswold, was driving a 2004 Ford F-150 pick-up. She was stopped at the stop sign at 542^nd Street.  Riley failed to see the on-coming traffic and pulled onto White Pole Road, was attempting to go east when her pickup  was struck by Howard’s SUV.

Howard was taken to the hospital in Omaha for treatment. Riley refused medical treatment.  The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Cass County EMS, Lewis Fire Department and Griswold Fire Department.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has raised more than eight million dollars to purchase about two-thousand feet of shoreline on East Lake Okoboji. Joe Jayjack, the foundation’s communications director, says more than 400 donors stepped up so the natural beauty of the lakeshore can be preserved. “It is such a special place that we felt like we had to go for it,” Jayjack says. “We had an $8.2 million goal and the reality is about 90% of that was raised just in the last couple of months and it’s been an amazing effort by folks up at the lakes, showing how much they care about this.”

The property, which covers 50 acres, is next to a state park. It’s the last undeveloped and privately owned tract of shoreline on East Okoboji. The sale should close sometime in December and Jayjack says the Natural Heritage Foundation has begun planning for work at the site. “How we’re going to allow access and public use of it, along with some of the restoration plans that we’ll be doing there, too,” Jayjack says, “just restoring some of the native prairie, oak savanna and the natural shoreline there.”

The eight-point-two million dollar project is the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation’s largest ever fundraiser. The organization had a September 7th deadline to raise the money after making an offer on the property a year ago.

(Radio Iowa) – As the rate of new COVID-19 infections remains high in Iowa, the state’s top health official says they are working on more rapid testing options. Interim Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia says testing is widely available across the state — but the department is seeing some issues for those who need rapid testing. “It’s not that there’s supply chain issues. But there do seem to be some kinks in the pipeline in terms of folks being able to access testing quickly when ill and that is most important,” Garcia says.

Since mid-July, the state’s Test Iowa program has offered mail-in testing kits that can be requested online or picked up at certain locations. But the mail-in option creates a longer turnaround time for results for Iowans experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. “So the lab processing is not the constraint at the moment. But the mailing time is and so we’re working to solve for that,” she says.

Kelly Garcia

Garcia says if you need a rapid test you should check options at local pharmacies or urgent care facilities. But you should avoid seeking tests at hospital emergency rooms.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County have arrested a woman on a warrant for Failure to Appear for her Pre-Trial Conference. 49-year-old Shawn Carlene Beard, of Lenox, was arrested today (Thursday), at the Page County Courthouse, in Clarinda. Shewas unable to post the $25,000 bond, and was being held in the Page County Jail pending further court appearances.

Shawn Carlene Beard