(Radio Iowa) – Saturday, July 1st is the day dozens of state laws take effect, including the massive plan to reorganize state government. The number of state agencies is shrinking from 37 to 16. Next week, thousands of state employees will be reporting to new bosses. Another new state law changes child labor guidelines. It means 14 and 15 year olds can work until 11 p.m. for the rest of the summer and until 9 p.m. once school starts. Sixteen and 17 year olds can serve alcohol if they have a parent’s permission. Sixteen and 17 year olds also can work longer hours and in some jobs that were previously off limits.

Today (Friday) just before midnight is the deadline for low income Iowa parents to apply for a state-funded account to cover private school tuition. It will take a while to verify eligibility and whether there’s a spot in a private school for each child. According to the Iowa Department of Education’s website, July 15th is the earliest date the 76-hundred dollars in state funds will be deposited in one of these Education Savings Accounts.

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says as the U-S-D-A extends grants and loans for everything from broadband expansion to production of alternative crops, not all that spending has to be tucked into the Farm Bill.  “Some of it’s going to be met through the Inflation Reduction Act. Some of it can be met through the normal budget process and some of it can be met by creative use of the Commodity Credit Corporation,” Vilsack says. “…If you use all the tools and all the tools are available, then we can get to a point where we have a Farm Bill that benefits the many and the most and not just the few.”

Congress appears on track to release a first draft of the 2023 Farm Bill this fall, close to the September 30th expiration of the last Farm Bill. Vilsack says it’s always tough to put a Farm Bill together. “Not so much because of the partisan challenges, but because of the geographic and commodity challenges and I think there’s also obviously a challenge relative to the financing of the Farm Bill,” Vilsack says. “but I think there is a genuine commitment on the part of both the House and Senate leadership on the Ag Committees to get to yes.”

The current Farm Bill, approved in late 2018, has provided subsidies for crop insurance, but 75 percent of the spending in the Farm Bill has gone to federal food assistance programs. Some House Republicans want to tighten eligibility for food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Vilsack says the Biden Administration considers the issue to be resolved after new food stamp work requirements were included in last month’s budget deal that raised the federal government’s borrowing limit.

“I think that there are probably some things that could be done to strengthen the states’ administration of SNAP that would help and I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t see that being discussed in the context of the Farm Bill, but I don’t think you’re going to see additional work requirements or things of that nature,” Vilsack says. “I think that issue’s been, as I like to say, snapped shut.”

Vilsack says congress will have to find a way to permanently raise the pay for firefighters in the Forest Service, which is part of the U-S-D-A. The 2021 infrastructure bill provided a temporary fix, but Vilsack says in order to keep enough people on the payroll to fight wildfires, congress has to put more money into the Farm Bill for their pay.

(Radio Iowa) – Air quality due to smoke across Iowa’s eastern half remains in the “very unhealthy” category today (Thursday) and comparisons are being drawn about the equivalent of how many cigarettes you’d be smoking just by being outside. Des Moines oncologist Dr. Richard Deming says it’s unclear if the environmental conditions are raising our risk of developing lung cancer, but it’s certainly not good.

Inhaling smoke of any kind is detrimental to health, Dr. Deming says, adding it’s “theoretically possible” that inhaling Canadian forest fire smoke for a few weeks increases the risk of lung cancer. The Iowa D-N-R is extending its air quality advisory for the state’s eastern half through midnight tonight, and even healthy adults are urged to limit outdoor activities. Lung cancer is the most common cancer killer in Iowa, accounting for one out of every four cancer deaths.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Lottery sales have already hit records for the fiscal year with the June numbers still to be added to the total. Lottery C-E-O, Matt Strawn, told to the Lottery Board today (Thursday) it will be the strongest year of lottery performance in the 38-year history of the organization. Sales that will approach 480 million dollars once June numbers are in and Strawn says says proceeds returned to the state top 100 million dollars for the first time in the first 11 months of a fiscal year. The fiscal year ends June 30th and a record for sales is assured.

(Creston, Iowa) – A collision Wednesday afternoon in Creston caused $3,000 damage, but no one was injured and no citations were issued. According to Creston Police, vehicles driven by 18-year-old Gabriel R. Lovell, of Creston, and 35-year-old Jamie Anne Horton, of Lenox, were both traveling southbound on Sumner Avenue at around 12:19-p.m., and approaching the stop lights at Russell Street.

Both drivers said that traffic came to an abrupt stop, causing the right front bumper of the 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Horton, to strike the rear bumper of the 2003 Ford Focus, driven by Lovell.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Mayor of Atlantic, Grace Garrett, Thursday afternoon, called for an Emergency/Special City Council meeting. The session takes place this evening (Thursday), at 6-p.m., and is expected to be a closed session, “To discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent where its disclosure would likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the governmental body in that litigation,” as allowed by the Code of Iowa.

The agenda did not indicate if action would be taken on the undisclosed matter.

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says small and mid-sized farms are part of the country’s muscular core and specialized farming is how they’re likely to flourish.  “The notion of getting big or getting out runs counter, I think, to the heritage of this state and to the heritage of American agriculture,” Vilsack says. Vilsack spoke to a crowd in Des Moines this (Thursday) morning. He pointed to 2022, which was a record year for farm income, with just seven-and-a-half percent of U-S farms got 89 percent of that income.

“Are we comfortable with a situation where income continues to be concentrated, with the understanding that folks who are large scale production agriculture have enormous risk financially and do an enormous service to the country and the world,” Vilsack asked, “or are we big enough and smart enough and innovative enough to basically create another alternative option so that folks can have a choice?”

Vilsack argues production of local foods or the use of farming practices that businesses and consumers are willing to pay a premium for as the way for small operators to find success.

(Griswold, Iowa) – One person was injured during a semi tractor-trailer rollover accident late this (Thursday) morning, near Griswold. According to dispatch reports, the accident happened at around 11:46-a.m. on 600th Street, just north of Tucson Road. The driver was initially said to be unconscious, but then was alert before passing out again. Griswold Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the scene. Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies also were on the scene.

Authorities says an air ambulance (helicopter) would not be needed. Additional information was not immediately available.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), provided an update on a rollover accident we first told you about last week. The Sheriff’s Office says that on June 21st, 2023, at approximately 7:12 PM, area first responders were called to the area of 620th and Jasper Road, for a single vehicle rollover accident.  Responding personnel found that a 2004 Jeep Liberty, being operated by a 17-year-old male, was traveling North on 620th St. nearing Jasper Rd.

The vehicle lost control and rolled into / through the East ditch.  The driver and a 17-year-old male passenger were injured.  Both occupants of the SUV were transported by LifeNet helicopter for treatment of what appeared to be, non-life-threatening injuries. The names of the injured parties were not released.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting beginning at 9-a.m. Friday, (June 30), in Greenfield. Normally, their meetings take place on Wednesdays. There are several action items on the Board’s agenda for Friday, among them is:

• Approval of a Fireworks permit
• Approval of Township Clerk wages
• A Grand Township Trustee appointment
• An Adair County Board of Health appointment
• FY 2024 Wages, Appropriations and Transfer Resolutions.
• and a 28-E Agreement with the Adair/Guthrie County Environmental Health Dept.

Other discussion/and or action matters on the Adair County Supervisor’s agenda include:

Mandy Berg, County Auditor

• Employee Resignation
• Start Employee Hire Process

9:15 a.m. Brenda Wallace, County Treasurer

• Out of County Driver’s License Convenience Fee

Nick Kauffman, County Engineer

• Sign Road Use Agreement Letter of Release for Morning Light Repower Project
• Approve Secondary Roads Benefits Policy
• Approval of Job Classification Change
• Approve Right-of-Way Contracts
• Award of Contract for N29 Prussia L-LRCBN29P–73-01
• Accept quote for W15 Eureka RCB Extension LFM-LRCBEW15E—7X-01
• Sign Hungry Canyons Alliance project agreements
• Report of Maintenance & Activities

The conference phone will still be used for those who cannot attend in person and can be accessed by using the following dial in information:

Dial in Number: (605) 313-6157 Access Code: 526272#