(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would let state agencies hire private certified public accountants rather than have the state auditor’s office review spending is in limbo in the Iowa House. Senate Republicans approved the bill in February, the first bill to pass the Senate this year. This morning, Republicans on a House subcommittee decided to let the House State Government Committee chair decide the bill’s fate. Republican Representative Michael Bergan of Dorchester, an accountant, is not recommending the committee pass the bill. “There might be some additional costs and added inefficiencies, too,” Bergan, the subcommittee chairman, said after the hearing.

According to the Legislative Services Agency, it could cost up to three times as much to have private CPA firms rather than State Auditor’s Office staff conduct the annual audits, plus Bergan said private CPA audits of state agencies could make it difficult for the state auditor to compile a required annual report on how the state spends federal funds. Brad Epperly, a lobbyist for the Iowa Society of CPAs, said the group is neutral on the bill and he suggested if the bill goes into effect, state agencies would have to hire out-of-state CPA firms to do the work. “As of right now, I don’t know that we have any members that would have the ability to do the audits,” Epperly said.

State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat elected to statewide office, has said letting state agencies pick who audits the books could conceal corruption. Representative Adam Zabner of Iowa City, a Democrat from Iowa City, voted no on the bill in subcommittee. “Auditor Sand does a nice job. To be honest, it really doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what the voters think and they reelected him to come back and be in charge of audits for the State of Iowa,” Zabner said. “I don’t like the idea that the legislature can circumvent that.”

There were a handful of speakers at today’s House subcommittee hearing on the bill and no one spoke in favor of it.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – “Iowa in the Jazz age” is the topic of a presentation 2-p.m. this Sunday, March 17th, in Atlantic. The program is sponsored by ARISE (Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise). Lively music, “flappers ‘” dresses and Iowa bootleggers may come to mind representing the 1920’s. There was much more happening. Prohibition, beginning of the depression and the end of prosperity. See the bigger picture this Sunday, at the American Legion Memorial Building (The Armory) in Atlantic.

Leo Landis examines life in the 1920s and early 1930s and the various conflicts concerning music, dancing, immigration, evolutions and race. These cultural clashes formed the basis for longstanding trends in America. Landis is the Curator for the State Historical Society and Iowa Museum. The museum houses more than 80,000 artifacts, of which about 1,500 objects are on display at any given time. More objects from the collection are on display in the State Capitol and on loan to other museums in Iowa.

There is no fee to attend the presentation, but donations are appreciated. The American Legion Memorial Building is located at 201 Poplar Street in Atlantic and is handicapped accessible. For more information contact LaVon Eblen, 712-254-2254.

(Radio Iowa) – Several elected officials from Iowa communities are in Washington D-C this week to attend the non-partisan National League of Cities Congressional City Conference. Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh is among them and he says it’s an excellent opportunity to network with other civic leaders, and also with those at the federal level. “In Dubuque, we have a lot of things going on, particularly around infrastructure, and making sure that we’re creating and investing in a city that is going to last for generations,” Cavanagh says. “So we have really important meetings that we’ve had with lots of different federal departments, from the White House on down, meetings with the Department of Interior, USDA, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency.”

Organizers say the conference is being attended by more than 28-hundred city leaders from across the country who are discussing some of the most pressing issues facing cities today. Those include infrastructure, transportation, public safety, clean energy and digital equity. Being in the nation’s capitol, the mayor says he’s cementing good partnerships with key federal officials. “We have access to a lot of resources to be able to get some of these major projects done,” Cavanagh says, “so talking to these departments and having direct relationships with them in this way is really how we make sure we have good access to those resources, and we can apply for the grants we need to, and really be able to have these things moving forward.”

Cavanagh says many elements of federal legislation that are being approved have been “transformative.” “Generationally, for cities and towns, and I think in Iowa, there’s absolutely no exception to that,” Cavanagh says. “We are seeing a lot of things happen from an infrastructure standpoint. In the Inflation Reduction Act, we have a lot of access to things that surround the sustainability efforts that are really important to us in Dubuque, and I think are important across Iowa.”

Other Iowans who are listed as attending the conference include: Ames city council members Gloria Betcher and Anita Rollins, Cedar Rapids city council member Ashley Vanorny, Dubuque city council member Susan Farber, and Alan Kemp, the executive director of the Iowa League of Cities. The conference opened Monday and will conclude on Wednesday.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), voted unanimously to send a letter to the Director of Policy Studies Center in Washington, D-C, refuting an accusation that Montgomery County is a “Sanctuary” for illegal immigrants.

Board Chair Mike Olson said he consulted with Cass County Supervisors Chair Steve Baier on the matter. Last week, the Cass County Board agreed to send a similar letter to Jessica M. Vaughan, vehemently denying the claim.

Olson said in 2014, counties in Iowa passed a resolution stating unequivocally, they will NOT hold illegal aliens if they have no green card or visa, for more than 48-hours.

Olson said “I took offense to that.”

Olson said he was going to mail the letter by registered mail that requires a signature of receipt.

Montgomery County BOS mtg. 3-12-24

In other business, the Board received an update from Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert.

And, they voted to approve allocating a refund payment from United Health Care (UHC) to the Two Rivers (Bank) partially self-funded account, in the amount of $12,878.80. The funds can be used to help reduce County employee health insurance premiums and/or deductibles.

RED OAK, Iowa – On March 11, New Cooperative in Red Oak notified the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) of a release on-site early Monday morning.

Approximately 1,500 tons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (32% solution) discharged into a drainage ditch, then into the East Nishnabotna River. The release occurred due to a valve left open on an aboveground storage tank overnight. Areas of pooled fertilizer have been pumped into a vac truck and will be land applied later. Dead fish were observed in the East Nishnabotna. The extent of the fish kill is still being determined.

DNR field staff are on-site. Samples have been collected and will be analyzed. The investigation is on-going.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a man was arrested at around 8:15-p.m. Monday, for OWI/3rd offense. 42-year-old Anthony Germann, of Villisca, was arrested at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on arrests that took place from February 2nd through the 29th. Most recently:

2-29-24: Vincent Alejandro Celaya, age 31, Harlan, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 500 block of Dye St. Celaya was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault.

2-27-24: Kory Ross Petersen, age 35, Harlan, IA was arrested following a traffic stop in Earling. Petersen was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving under Suspension.

2-23-24: Andrew James Arrick, age 40, Glenwood, IA was arrested following an investigation. Arrick was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Theft 1st, and Burglary 3rd; Daniel Raymond Harris, age 58, Harlan, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 1000 block of Chatburn Avenue in Harlan. Harris was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st.

2-22-24: Jake Michael Scripter, age 32, Omaha, NE was arrested on an active Shelby County Warrant. Scripter was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Theft 5th.

2-18-24: Elizabeth Marie Bailey, age 27, Harlan, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 500 block of Victoria St in Harlan. Bailey was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st; John Joseph Bowen, age 43, Harlan, IA was arrested following a trafiic stop in the area of 12th and Willow St in Harlan. Bowen was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd or Subsequent Offense (2 counts), Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Driving under Suspension, and Improper Rear Lamps.

2-11-24: Reid Jeffrey Hemminger, age 39, Harlan, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Durant St in Harlan. Hemminger was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving under Suspension, OWI 1st, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability.

2-9-24: Laura Lynn Madden, age 40, Harlan, IA was arrested following a call for service in the 2000 block of College Place in Harlan, Madden was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault 2nd Offense.

2-8-24: Edward Lloyd Auciello, age 31, Altoona, IA was arrested on an active Shelby County Warrant. Auciello was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault.

2-5-24: Jasmine Marie Cowgill, age 31, Dunlap, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Highway 37. Cowgill was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving under Suspension.

2-4-24: Elizabeth Grace Christo, age 40, Harlan, IA was arrested following an investigation. Christo was transported to the Shelby County Jail on an active Shelby County Warrant for Violation of Probation and charged with Violation of a No Contact order; Jennifer Rose Miller, age 42, Harlan, IA was arrested following an investigation. Miller was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Violation of a No Contact Order.

2-2-24: Brian Scott White, age 47, Harlan, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Chatburn Avenue in Harlan. White was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving under Suspension; Michael Wayne Aufrance, age 32, Pisgah, IA was arrested following a traffic stop on Chatburn Ave, in Harlan. Aufrance was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving under Suspension.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Charges have been filed against a teenager in connection with an incident over the weekend in Sioux City, where a 10-year-old was approached by a suspicious vehicle.
The Sioux City Police Department says on Saturday, March 9 at about 5:45 p.m. a young girl was walking in the 4500 block of Cheyenne Blvd. Police say a silver Ford Bronco approached her and the driver offered the 10-year-old candy, and then backed up and made comments about the girl’s shoes.

Police shared surveillance video of this incident with the public to identify the people in the Bronco and to determine if there was a danger to the public. According to police, the video was seen by a juvenile suspect who was inside the vehicle at the time of this incident. This suspect ended up contacting the Sioux City Police Department.

A 16-year-old girl was subsequently charged with harassment. Authorities have not identified the teen.

Still frame video image of a girl and the suspect vehicle in an alleged harassment case. (Sioux City PD Facebook video image)

Sioux City Police say the incident should serve to encourage parents to “take this opportunity to have open conversations with your children about staying safe and understanding stranger danger.”

(Harlan, Iowa/KNOD) – Shelby County Auditor Mark Maxwell, Monday, announced he will not be filing papers to run for re-election in the June Primary. Maxwell says he is truly grateful for the trust Shelby County residents have shown, by electing him in two successive elections.

Maxwell noted also, any candidate seeking to run for a County office in Shelby County, must have their properly filled out nomination papers returned to the Auditor’s Office by no later than 5-p.m. on March 22nd, 2024.

He said also, Mike Kolbe has filed his nomination papers to run for County Supervisor in Shelby County.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – State and local officials are investigating a reported liquid nitrogen spill that occurred Monday morning, in Montgomery County. Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce says his department along with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Montgomery County Emergency Management responded to the spill near NEW Cooperative at 203 200th Street.

Bruce said DNR officials were onsite to determine whether the product reached the Nishnabotna River. He says the only risk to the public is if the chemical reached the main river stream.

DNR officials are expected to release further information as it becomes available.

Red Oak Fire Dept. photo