The chairman of the committee in the state senate that drafts tax state policy says Governor Terry Branstad is trying to push through a 37-million dollar tax break for businesses that senators reviewed but did NOT approve two years ago. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the Governor is “Making an end run around 150 legislators who, at this point, have not come to consensus on whether or not in fact we ought to approve this policy.”

Bolkcom is chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. He says the governor is abusing executive power by having the proposal drafted as an administrative rule and implemented by his state agency. “This governor has been around so long he thinks that he gets to make all the decisions and this is just another example,” Bolkcom says. “Earlier this year he closed two Mental Health Institutes. A year and a half ago he closed the Juvenile Home for girls. He shut down 60 Workforce Development centers. All of those things illegal, but he believes that he has absolute power at this point.”

Bolkcom says the move is also suspect because Branstad item vetoed millions of dollars worth of state spending for schools in July. “Three months later we apparently are flush with money and are able to give another major corporate tax cut,” Bolkcom says.

The proposal deals with “consumable supplies” that are used in the manufacturing process, like hydraulic fluids and drill bits. Branstad’s Department of Revenue is proposing an administrative rule that would exclude “consumable supplies” from the state sales tax. It’s an estimated savings of 37 million dollars for Iowa businesses.

Branstad describes it as a way to “modernize” the tax code. A bill that would have achieved the same goal passed the Republican-led Iowa House in 2013, but stalled in the Iowa Senate, where Democrats control the debate agenda. A legislative committee reviews all administrative rules and could block the proposal.

(Radio Iowa)

A man from Council Bluffs who allegedly attempted to run over a person with whom he had a dispute was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning, but not without a fight. According to Bluffs Police, Michael Wurtz was taken into custody in the basement of his residence, after officers forced their way into his home and used a stun gun to bring him under control.

The incident began at around 1:45-a.m. , with officers being dispatched to the 1700 block of 6th Ave for a disturbance between two parties. As officers were in route witnesses stated one of the males attempted to run over the other male. Officers made contact with the victim and he stated he was assaulted by the suspect, Michael Wurtz, and that Wurtz attempted to run him over and did strike the victim’s vehicle.

Officers checked for the Wurtz at his residence and saw the man enter his home. Officers attempted to make contact with Wurtz but he continually refused to open the door. Police then made a forced entry into Wurtz’s home and located him hiding in the basement. Wurtz refused to comply with officers, forcing them to deploy a Taser to gain control of the man. Wurtz was treated on scene by medics for the Tazer deployment and transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says the latest U-S-D-A crop report shows good progress in the harvest. According to Northey, “Last week we had five percent of the corn, seven percent of the beans out. Now we’re up to 13 percent of the corn — 32 percent of the soybeans.”  Northey says he’s hearing good things about yields.

“It’s gonna vary every place, but certainly in some areas of north-west and north-central Iowa we’re seeing 60-bushel soybeans where sometimes those are normally 50-bushel soybeans. Certainly corn in a lot of places over 200 bushels (an acre) in place that don’t always get that,” according to Northey. “We are going to have other parts of Iowa that are not going to have their best crop, but in some of these areas, that’s the best crop they’ve harvested.”

The corn harvest is 10 days ahead of last year, but eight days behind average. The soybean harvest is one week ahead of last year, but one day behind average. He expects thing to move forward quite a bit this week. “If we get a good week this week and dodge some moisture in the middle of the week, we’ll be moving along real good,” Northey says.

He says the crop appears to be pretty dry. There have been some concerns about the beans not being dry enough. “Stems are a little damp in some places, so it makes it a little hard to harvest. It takes a lot of power to get those damp stems through the combine, but with good yields, you’ll certainly take that,” Northey says.

Northey farms corn and beans near Spirit Lake.

(Radio Iowa)

The former city clerk in Pacific Junction faces a charge of first-degree Theft following a state investigation that revealed she gave herself unauthorized Christmas bonuses, vacation and sick pay. The Omaha World-Herald says 43-year old Kari Williams was also charged with felonious misconduct in office, tampering with records and failing to publish city expenditures. The latter two charges are misdemeanors, while the Theft and misconduct charges are classified as felonies. The four charges result from an investigation conducted by the Iowa Auditor’s Office.

A Red Oak man repeatedly in trouble with the law was arrested again early this (Tuesday) morning on a Trespass charge. 53-year old David Lawrence Howe was taken into custody around 3:20-a.m. and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $300 bond.

Howe was previously arrested Sept. 27th for Public Intoxication, and on July 19th for OWI.

Authorities in Montgomery County report a Stanton man was arrested Monday night on an assault charge. 47-year old Michael William Arterburn was taken into custody at around 8:05-p.m. following an incident in the 2500 block of 190th Street, north of Stanton. Arterburn was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond (pending an appearance before a magistrate), on a charge of Serious Domestic Assault.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Two male teenagers who escaped the Clarinda Academy last Friday morning were found later that same evening about three-quarters of a mile north of facility for troubled youth. According to Clarinda Police Chief Kieth Brothers, the teens, one black, the other white, left the residential foster care facility at around 11-a.m. Friday. Brothers said they believe the boys laid low in a cornfield until sunset while authorities searched for them.

The teens, one from Exira, the other from Kansas City, MO., were later found near 16th and Nishna Streets. The unidentified students were set to appear in juvenile court following their escapade, but will not face any additional charges.

The Clarinda Academy provides residential treatment programs and shelter care to as many as 250 at-risk and delinquent male and female youth, from several states.

A collision between a pickup and a car Monday afternoon near Shambaugh, in Page County, has claimed the life of a Clarinda woman. The Iowa State Patrol reports 52-year old Joanne Lynne Goudie, who was not wearing her seat belt, died, when her 1999 Buick Lesabre was hit broadside in the intersection of 265th Street and  Highway 71, by a 2014 Dodge 3500 pickup truck.

The driver of the truck, 50-year old Toby D. Holloman, of Soloman, Kansas, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported by Clarinda EMS to the Clarinda Regional Hospital. The Patrol says Goudie’s car was traveling west on 265th Street just before 5-p.m.,when it was hit by the pickup as it was headed south on the Highway.

Clarinda Fire and EMS along with Page County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted at the scene.

The Iowa State Patrol has updated information about a crash that occurred west of Atlantic Monday morning. Authorities say two people, a man from Oregon and a woman from Griswold were injured in the crash that happened at the intersection of Highway 6 (Whitepole Road) the Lewis Road (M-56) at around 10:45-a.m.

The accident happened when according to witnesses, a 2007 Audi driven by 28-year old Joseph Allen Williams, of Lake Oswego, OR., blew through a stop sign as he was heading north on the Lewis Road. His car collided with a westbound 2008 VW Jetta driven by 65-year old Deborah Jane Weaver, of Griswold. Both vehicles ended up in the north ditch.

Both drivers were transported by Griswold Fire to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. Williams, who was not wearing a seat belt, was later flown to Iowa Methodist in Des Moines, while Weaver, who was wearing her seat belt, was flown to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. She reportedly was being treated for a broken pelvis, several broken ribs, and other injuries. Family members said Williams was doing ok, but they didn’t indicate the extent of his injuries.