(Radio Iowa) — The executive director of the Iowa Business Council says their third-quarter survey shows weaker confidence among members. Georgia Van Gundy says the survey found sales expectations for the next year were down 24 percent compared to survey results from one year ago. “Due primarily to the political and global market uncertainty and the disruptive regulatory climate is what they cite,” Van Gundy says. “In past quarters they have been pretty positive , but this time they aren’t as optimistic as they have been.”

The survey also questions members on expected capital spending and workforce to get an overall index. Van Gundy says the survey’s overall index number is down from last quarter. She says they have been putting out the survey since 2004 and this quarter it is at the lowest point that it has been then since Q-4 of of 2016,” Van Gundy says.

The index dropped from 63-point-75 to 62-point-five. The organization includes the chief executives of the 23 biggest companies in the state. Van Gundy says the uncertainty of when trade deals are going to get completed is a big issue. “That’s why our members have been speaking with the Iowa delegation as far as passage of U-S M-C-A and some other issues that they see from a trade perspective,” she says. “We met with them during our third-quarter meeting and we have also been sending letters and other communications from around the state in terms of getting some certainty and passing U-S M-C-A.”

Thirty-three-percent of those in the survey expect the number of employees in their business to grow over the fourth quarter — and 53 percent expect the number to stay the same. Van Gundy says finding employees to do that remains a challenge. “Workforce is always an issue with employers — any size employer in our state — and honestly it’s in other states as well. But for our members, 83 percent cite attracting, developing and retaining a quality workforce as restraining for growth,” according to Van Gundy.

Van Gundy says they continue trying to address the worker shortage with programs that help train workers, and build the workforce. “Some of them are short term issues that we are working on — but some of them are hopefully long-term that will help us hopefully stabilize the workforce,” Van Gundy explains. “In addition to that — one of our high-level initiatives that our members have is looking at increasing our populations.” You can see the full survey by going to the Iowa Business Council’s website.

(Radio Iowa) — The governor has announced the State of Iowa’s last fiscal year ended with a surplus of nearly 290-million dollars. The state’s 12-month fiscal year ended June 30th, but the books don’t close until two months later to ensure all receipts and payments are processed. This year’s 289-point-three MILLION dollar surplus is more than twice as large as last year’s.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests:

• Today (Monday), 39-year old Brian James Johnson, of Plattsmouth, NE., was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $5,000.
• Early Sunday morning, 31-year old Bobby Brice Horn, of Maryville, MO., was arrested on I-29 for OWI/3rd offense, Eluding, Speeding and Reckless Driving. Bond was set at $10,000.
• Friday morning, 36-year old Terence Chevy Magill, of Red Oak, was arrested at the Montgomery County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. Bond was set at $12,000.
• On Sept. 25th, 58-year old Michael Earl Gillenwater, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested for Theft in the2nd Degree, and on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. His total bond was set at $10,000.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – This (Monday) morning, the National Weather Service Missouri Basin River Forecast Center in Pleasant Hill, Missouri released forecast data which places the Missouri River and several tributary rivers back in higher levels of flood stage throughout  Pottawattamie, Harrison & Mills counties.  Many of the river forecasts are showing significant increases, primarily because the current modeling uses rain projections for the next 72 hours of potential precipitation. Typical models only account for 24 hours of projected rainfall.

Emergency Managers for the three counties, in consultation with the River Forecast Center, remind residents that the current projections should be viewed as one plausible scenario for the upcoming rainfall event. “What we do know is that over the next 72 hours we are going to see a heavy precipitation event of 4 to 5 inches of rain somewhere in the region; what we don’t know for certain is where it will fall,” commented Doug Reed, Director of Emergency Management for Pottawattamie County.

The current 72 hour rainfall predictions estimate a heavy band of rain, upwards of six inches, falling in a northeasterly line from near Columbus, NE through Onawa and Northwest Iowa. The heaviest rains in this system falling in this area would have a profound impact on the Missouri and some of its tributaries.

Emergency Managers urge residents to interpret the latest flood prediction in a measured manner based on the high degree of uncertainty of where the heaviest rains will fall. “We want people to be aware of the possibility of another round of significant flooding, but also aware that it is not certain we will see water at those levels until we get closer to the rain event,” commented Larry Hurst, Emergency Management Director for Mills County. “Residents should use all available information to take actions they feel necessary, keeping in mind that this forecast is certain to change as we enter the 72 hour window and have better forecast models to work from,” stated Larry Oliver, Harrison County Emergency Management/911 Director.

Below is a table of anticipated river levels based on a 24 hour prediction as well as the 72 hour prediction should the existing weather forecast have no changes over the next few days:

In addition to the river threats, emergency managers do want residents to recognize that we are expected to see in our counties a 2-3” rain event in already wet conditions. This could lead to interior flash flooding events along rural creeks and streams as well as urban flash flooding in municipal areas where drainage issues are typical.

All residents are encouraged to pay close attention to updated rain and river forecasts this week. Forecast details and river predictions will be changing through the next few days. Residents in all three counties can sign up for weather alerts and local emergency notifications below:

Pottawattamie County Pottawattamie Alert https://entry.inspironlogistics.com/pottawattamie_ia/wens.cfm Harrison County Citizen Alert System https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736721501#/login  Mills County Mills Alert https://entry.inspironlogistics.com/Mills_ia/wens.cfm

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge is questioning the University of Iowa’s decision to deregister dozens of student organizations following a lawsuit by a Christian student group that accused university officials of discrimination. U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Rose said in a ruling Friday that the university can’t selectively deregister student organizations.

The group InterVarsity Christian Fellowship sued the university after administrators deregistered its local chapter along with a dozen other religious groups. Rose says she “does not know how a reasonable person could have concluded this was acceptable” given her previous ruling in a related case.

Another faith-based group, Business Leaders in Christ, sued the university for kicking it off campus following a complaint that it wouldn’t let an openly gay member seek a leadership post.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa House Speaker Linda Upmeyer says she will not seek re-election next year and plans to resign as speaker before lawmakers return in January. Republican lawmakers in 2015 chose Upmeyer to be the first woman in Iowa to hold the job as speaker of the House, the presiding officer over the legislative chamber.

The GOP lawmaker of 17 years says Monday she wants to step away from the legislature to spend more time with her family. Upmeyer, a nurse practitioner from Clear Lake, was first elected to the Iowa House in 2002. She became the first woman in Iowa to be elected House majority leader in 2010.

A date hasn’t been set for a House leadership election. Upmeyer’s father, Del Stromer, served as House speaker in the 1980s.

DES MOINES– Today (Monday), Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation allowing the transportation of oversize and overweight loads of grain for 60 days during the harvest season.  The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage and stover to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit, for the duration of this proclamation.

The proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is directed to monitor the operation of this proclamation to ensure the public’s safety and facilitate the movement of the trucks involved in our state’s harvest. The proclamation goes into effect 12:01 a.m. on October 1st, 2019, and will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2019.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel has approved the latest bill for former Gov. Terry Branstad’s continued fight against a jury verdict that found he discriminated against a former state executive. The Iowa Executive Council approved payment Monday of a bill for over $488,000 to a Des Moines law firm. That raises the taxpayer costs of defending Branstad to $2.4 million.
Jurors unanimously found in July that Branstad, now U.S. ambassador to China, and his former legal counsel Brenna Findley discriminated against former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey in 2011 because he’s gay.

State taxpayers also may end up paying Godfrey’s legal costs of $3.5 million if they’re approved by a judge as well as the $1.5 million in damages the jury awarded Godfrey. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of State Paul Pate and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, the Republicans on the council, supported paying the bills. Democratic Auditor Rob Sand also voted to pay the bill but says he won’t support paying appeal costs. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, a Democrat, opposed paying the latest bill.

DUNDEE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are trying to find the source of a fish kill at a state park in eastern Iowa. The Iowa Natural Resources Department reports that trout anglers reported spotting dead trout and other dead fish in Richmond Springs and Fenchel Creek at Backbone State Park. The park sits about 2.5 miles north of Dundee. Authorities found dead fish but also live fish in several sections of the stream on Saturday. The department says heavy rains Friday night might have washed contaminants into the streams.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports rules for the election of school board members changed July 1, 2019.  School Board elections changed from September to November.  On November 5, 2019, a county-wide election will be held at which both school board members and city officers will be elected.  New election rules require (1) that each voter will vote in his/her county of residence and (2) each voter is to vote at his/her voting precinct used in a GENERAL (Presidential, Primary or other county-wide) election (combining of precincts is permitted).  As a result, some polling places have changed.

This is a county-wide election and every voter in Cass County is eligible to vote.  Some will vote for both city and school offices/public measures (city residents); and rural voters will vote for school offices/public measures only.  Voting locations have changed for some voters. If you are unsure of your voting precinct for this election, please contact the Cass County Auditor or visit the county website – www.casscountyiowa.us

     The PRECINCTS to be used in CASS COUNTY at this COMBINED CITY & SCHOOL ELECTION which will be conducted on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 are as follows:

• Atlantic 1st Ward – Zion Lutheran Church (811 Oak St) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 1)
• Atlantic 2nd Ward – Atlantic Public Library (507 Poplar) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 2)
• Atlantic 3rd Ward – Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 3)
• Atlantic 4th Ward – United Church of Christ (1607 Hazel) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 4)
• Atlantic 5th Ward – Heritage House (1200 Brookridge Circle) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 5)

City of Anita & Grant and Lincoln Townships – Anita Community Center (805 Main St) (For voters in Anita & voters residing in the CAM Community School District in the townships of Grant and Lincoln)

City of Cumberland & Union Township – Cumberland Community Building (200 W 2nd) (For voters in Cumberland & voters residing in the CAM Community School District in Union Township)

City of Griswold & Noble and Pleasant Townships – Griswold Community Building (601 2nd St) (For voters in Griswold & voters residing in the Griswold Community School District or the CAM Community School District in the townships of Noble and Pleasant)

City of Lewis & Cass and Bear Grove Townships – Lewis Public Library (412 W. Main St, Lewis) (For voters in Lewis & voters residing in the Atlantic Community School District, CAM Community School District or Griswold Community School District in the townships of Cass and Bear Grove)

City of Marne & Brighton, Grove, Pymosa and Washington Townships – Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th) (For voters in the City of Marne & voters residing in the Atlantic Community School District, AHSTW Community School District, Griswold Community School District or EEHK Community School District in the townships of Brighton, Grove, Pymosa and Washington)

City of Massena & Edna, Victoria and Massena Townships – Massena Public Library (122 Main St, Massena) (For voters in the City of Massena & voters residing in the CAM Community School District or Griswold Community School District in the townships of Massena, Edna and Victoria)

City of Wiota & Benton and Franklin Townships – Wiota City Hall (311 Center St) (For voters in Wiota & voters residing in the Atlantic Community School District, CAM Community School District, or EEHK Community School District in the townships of Benton and Franklin)