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Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office investigating a possible attempted child abduction

News

June 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s officials in Ringgold County, Friday, posted on social media that they had received a report out of Mt. Ayr, about an early 2000’s model, white Dodge Caravan, whose driver allegedly attempted to pick up a female child.
The male driver of the vehicle was described as being in his 60’s, with a gray beard, short hair and a light blue shirt. He left the scene in an unknown direction of travel. Additional information was not immediately available.

Iowa early News Headlines: Saturday, 6/27/20

News

June 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa agency whose power to remove problem officers was recently expanded generally has taken years to ban those who commit serious crimes and rarely punishes officers for improper policing alone. Records show the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council has sought to decertify 17 officers in the last 2½ years after determining they had committed crimes or misconduct that warranted their removal from the profession. An Associated Press review found that most of those officers had been found guilty of felonies, domestic violence or other crimes that disqualify them from working in law enforcement. Only one officer since 2018 has been decertified for improper police work.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa public health data indicates the state has surpassed 700 deaths from the coronavirus and known additional positive cases have jumped by 493 in the last 24 hours. Data shows the state with 27,555 known positive cases of coronavirus on Friday, about 9.8% of those tested overall. Seven additional deaths reported in the last 24 hours put the state at 701 total known deaths since state officials began tracking the virus in March. Counties showing significant increases in known positive cases in recent days include Story and Johnson, where local health officials have attributed the increase to young adults in college communities with increasingly active bar scenes.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill that limits the secretary of state’s ability to send absentee ballot requests to all registered voters. The change signed into law Thursday followed a record turnout in this year’s primary election, largely because of a surge in absentee voting. Senate Republicans pushed the measure through the legislature barely a week after a huge primary turnout, as Secretary of State Paul Pate sent ballot requests to all voters because of concerns in-person voting could be dangerous during the coronavirus pandemic. If the coronavirus persists and Pate wants to mail ballot applications to voters before the November election, the measure that Reynolds signed would require approval of the Republican-run legislature.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds told President Donald Trump that his is “an administration of action” that is identifying barriers and gaps for U.S. workers and finding solutions. Reynolds is a member of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which Trump established by executive order last year. Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross chair the panel. Video provided by the White House includes Reynolds praising Trump during a Friday visit to the White House for creating the board. The panel’s goal is to develop strategies for improving the workforce.

2020 Adair County Fair 4-H/FFA Shows and Exhibits Different Format Due to COVID-19

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The Adair County ISU Extension office, in partnership with the Adair County Fair Board, are experiencing unprecedented times as we move forward quickly and cautiously with plans for the 2020 Adair County Fair. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a large impact and influence on what the 4-H/FFA fair experience will look like this year. In fact, COVID-19 is causing the cancellation of many fairs, events, and festivals both in Iowa and around the nation.

Adair County Extension staff continue to gather information daily from public health authorities, CDC guidelines, emergency management, and ISU Extension and Outreach guidelines and restrictions, so we may do our due diligence to keep our youth, staff, fair volunteers, and visitors as safe as possible during this extremely challenging time. This will not be a normal fair experience. However, we are working hard to create an environment that highlights the hard work of our youth, while providing a modified platform to create a safer experience.

In the interest of public health, Adair County Extension is creating plans to implement procedures to follow regarding mandated CDC guidelines with social distancing, added signage, additional hand sanitizers and increased sanitation procedures throughout all of our events. As a reminder, if you feel you are sick, vulnerable, showing symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, we ask that you please stay home. We understand families and friends will need to come to their own decision on whether to participate and/or attend this year’s fair. We ask that you adhere to CDC guidelines and keep a social distance of six feet or more from others.

This year’s 4-H/FFA mission for fair is to provide an opportunity to showcase all that 4-H and FFA youth have learned, skills they have gained, and life lessons they have experienced which will help them in their future endeavors. We are concentrating on how their projects and livestock exhibits have taught them valuable lessons and how it will help to empower them as they move forward in life. This year is not necessarily about the competitions and rewards. It is more about resiliency, persistence and the gaining of knowledge.

Please check the Facebook page ‘Adair County ISU Extension’ or website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/adair/ for the latest information.

Industry lobbyists helped kill price hike on Iowa liquor

News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Opposition from lobbyists for the liquor and restaurant industries helped kill a price increase on Iowa booze that was intended to discourage problem drinking. The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division announced June 5 that it would implement a price floor for liquor products beginning July 1. The plan would have set a minimum unit price for liquor based on bottle size and alcohol by volume.

Emails released Friday show that the Iowa Restaurant Association, representatives of national liquor brands and one of Iowa’s largest distributors all raised concerns about the change. The division abruptly withdrew the plan on June 12.

Reynolds compliments Trump on his “administration of action”

News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds told President Donald Trump that his is “an administration of action” that is identifying barriers and gaps for U.S. workers and finding solutions. Reynolds is a member of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which Trump established by executive order last year.

Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross chair the panel. Video provided by the White House includes Reynolds praising Trump during a Friday visit to the White House for creating the board. The panel’s goal is to develop strategies for improving the workforce.

Summer travel season could be worst in decades, especially for airlines, cruise ships

News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The upcoming Independence Day holiday would ordinarily be a very busy one for vacationing Iowans, but a new estimate finds travel will be down about 15-percent this summer, compared to last year. Mark Peterson, a spokesman for Triple-A Iowa, says the COVID-19 pandemic has more people itching to get out and go, but fewer of them are expected to hit the road, just to be on the safe side.

“No, it won’t be as busy, it’s going to be down,” Peterson says. “People are still going to be concerned and conservative in the way they address some of their travel. It’s kind of like a wait-and-see attitude.” Airports in Iowa and at various destinations will be nearly vacant. Leisure air travel is predicted to be down 74-percent between July and September from a year ago. Worse yet, travel by rail, bus or cruise ship is expected to fall 86-percent for the quarter, compared to 2019.

With people avoiding airports and hotels, Iowa recreational vehicle dealers are reporting record sales and rentals. “More people want to be a little safer, a little more inclusive, when they go out,” Peterson says. “If they’re going to spend the night someplace, they know that the place they’re going to stay is going to be safe. They know that the RV is going to be the best way to go so, yes, they are being used a tad more this year.” While the interstates and highways are more sparsely traveled these days, he warns that’s not an invitation for motorists to ignore the speed limit.

“There aren’t as many cars and the road’s a little bit open and all of the sudden, we seem to be having people traveling a tad bit faster,” Peterson says. “We’re getting record numbers of vehicles traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour.” Road trips in cars are still popular for those who are traveling, accounting for 97-percent of the favored modes of transportation. Car trips are expected to see the smallest decrease in travel volume of just three-percent year-over-year.

No state funds, but $85M in federal money for broadband expansion

News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that changes the rules for awarding state grants to businesses that promise to expand broadband service. A spokesman for the governor says five MILLION dollars will be distributed in the next 12 months. In addition, the state will use 85 million dollars in FEDERAL pandemic response money for broadband projects. That block of money is to be distributed based on federal guidelines. Representative Ray “Bubba” Sorenson of Greenfield says up to 35 percent of the project costs can be covered by the STATE grant money. “The Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Fund will award grants based on a competitive basis that is weighed towards providing faster speeds and serving the un-served and underserved areas,” Sorenson says.

Senator Rich Taylor says service at his home just outside of Mount Pleasant is very limited.“If we really want to keep our kids out in our communities, we’ve got to provide better internet service for them,” Taylor says.

The new law Reynolds signed this week directs state officials to draw up new, more accurate maps showing broadband speeds so it’s clear where internet access is slow or non-existent.

Iowa State Fair to host ‘special edition’ for FFA and 4H members

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Due to COVID-19, the Iowa State Fair will not go on this summer, but something called the 2020 Fair Special Edition is now on the schedule. The state fair’s website says the special edition will be held at the fairgrounds in Des Moines over three weekends in August. It’ll be an opportunity for only FFA and 4-H members to showcase their animals.

The site says the edition will focus on the superior showmanship, hard work, and determination of Iowa’s youth. Each club will have the traditional categories, including cattle, horses, goats, poultry, rabbits, sheep and swine. The fair says it will follow all recommendations for social distancing, hand washing and sanitization.

https://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/competition/how-to-enter/

Property Tax, Driver License and Motor Vehicle Deadlines Extended Again to July 25, 2020

News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Cass County Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall reports deadlines for property taxes, Driver License and motor vehicle in Cass County Treasurer’s Office, have been extended in response to COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a proclamation (Friday) today, that extends the deadlines to July 25th for March 2020 property tax payments, Driver License, vehicle registration renewals, vehicle title registration and license plates. Keep in mind the September 2020 tax payments will be due soon, we also take partial tax payments.

While her office is open by appointment only for Cass County Citizens, Marshall says they are encouraging citizens to use online, mail, email and drop box if possible. Online payments can be made at www.iowatreasurers.org.

Mail in payments can be mailed: Cass County Treasurer, 5 W 7th St, Atlantic, IA 50022. The drop box can be found at the courthouse main entrance door. Anyone with questions regarding property tax, Driver License or motor vehicle inquiries should contact Cass County Treasurers Office at 712-243-5503 or email cass.treasurer@casscoia.us

AP: Iowa can take years to decertify officers for crimes

News

June 26th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa agency whose power to remove problem officers was recently expanded generally has taken years to ban those who commit serious crimes and rarely punishes officers for improper policing alone. Records show the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council has sought to decertify 17 officers in the last 2½ years after determining they had committed crimes or misconduct that warranted their removal from the profession.

An Associated Press review found that most of those officers had been found guilty of felonies, domestic violence or other crimes that disqualify them from working in law enforcement. Only one officer since 2018 has been decertified for improper police work.