(Radio Iowa) – Forty groups that are part of the Iowa Hunger Coalition are urging Governor Reynolds to veto a bill that establishes an asset test for the food stamp program. The state would do more frequent income checks to see if Iowans remain eligible for government assistance.

E.J. Wallace, the regional advisor for the Save the Children Action Network, is among those who spoke at a news conference today in the Iowa Capitol. “We need legislation that gives families a hand up instead of knocking the chair out from under them,” he says.

Iowa Farmers Union president Aaron Lehman said SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, are important in rural Iowa. “Rural Iowa needs a strong SNAP program for us to have thriving rural communities where we can take care of all in need in times of food insecurity,” Lehman said. “In addition, farmers in rural communities receive positive economic lift from a strong SNAP program. For every dollar spent in SNAP, we estimate that there’s $1.50-$1.80 in economic activity up and down the food chain.”

Hunger Coalition event. (RI photo)

Matt Unger is CEO of the Des Moines Area Religious Council which operates 15 food pantries and a mobile pantry. Unger and the managers of other feeding programs say they’ll have to expand to feed more Iowans who are eligible for food stamps, but may lose benefits due to paperwork delays and mistakes.

“We provided assistance in March to a record 19,410 unique individuals, not to mention the first Monday and Tuesday in April were the fourth and second busiest single days in our network’s nearly 50 year history,” he said, “so you can probably understand why I’m here today to implore the governor to please veto Senate File 494.”

Governor Reynolds has not indicated whether she’ll sign the bill. The new asset test would make any household with more than $15,000 in assets that can quickly be turned into cash ineligible for food stamps. A home, a vehicle and a second vehicle worth less than $10,000 would not be included in that calculation.

(Radio Iowa) -Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is joining fellow Republicans in opposing an effort to temporarily replace Senator Diane Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee, as the California Democrat extends her leave of absence due to a bout with shingles.

Grassley denounces Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, who’s asking for a so-called “courtesy” move that would see Democrats appointing someone else to that powerful panel for a matter of several weeks. “I’m very, very skeptical that we should bow to Schumer using senatorial courtesy,” Grassley says, “when he wants to do it just for a short period of time to get very liberal judges on the bench.”

Grassley says Feinstein is being singled out because of her age. She’s 89, the same age as Grassley. “If it was a permanent replacement of Feinstein on that committee, plus all the other committees she’s on, I can understand that,” Grassley says, “but I’m not inclined to buy that argument today.” Grassley says it’s “just a cruel thing” to say Feinstein is incapable of performing her duties and he’s confident she’ll return soon. She’s already been out for six weeks and is recovering at home.

“When Democrats boast about being for women’s issues, and for older people, I don’t think they have a leg up on Republicans in regard to that, but we don’t brag about it as they do,” Grassley says. “And now they’re going after her because she’s 89 years old.”

Feinstein, the oldest current member of Congress, is about three months older than Grassley.

(Radio Iowa) – Two southeast Iowa teenagers are facing lengthy prison sentences after a 66-year-old woman was beaten to death with a bat in 2021. Appearing in court separately, Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, the two Fairfield teens accused of the first-degree murder of Fairfield teacher Nohema Graber, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a Jefferson County courtroom today. Miller was set to go on trial for the crime in Council Bluffs when his attorney requested a change of venue due to publicity in the case, but then Miller learned that Goodale was planning to testify against him. Judge Shawn Showers asked Miller to confirm the plea deal.

Graber’s beaten body was found hidden under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties at Chautauqua Park where she took daily walks. Witnesses told investigators they saw the two males driving in Graber’s van less than an hour after she arrived at the park. Sentencing in the case will be at a later date. According to court documents, Miller was upset about a bad grade Graber gave him in Spanish class. Both suspects were 16 at the time of the crime. Miller is now 17 and Goodale is 18.

Reports say prosecutors will recommend a 30-year prison sentence for Miller, and 25 years for Goodale.

(Bettendorf,Iowa) – The identity of a tow truck who was struck and killed early Monday morning in eastern Iowa, is now known. The Iowa State Patrol says 52-year-old Mark Muske, of Davenport, was assisting with a broken down bus, when he was hit by a 2015 Jeep Liberty SUV. The accident happened on westbound I-80 at mile marker 302, a little after 2-a.m., Monday.

Two other people were injured during the incident: 43-year-old Darvell Anthony Miller, of Iowa City, and 27-year-old Morgan J. Miller, of Chicago, were transported by ambulance to Trinity Hospital.

According to the Patrol, the driver of the SUV is unknown. The accident remains under investigation, and charges are pending.

(Corning, Iowa) –  Southwest Valley School District Superintendent Chris Fenster, late Tuesday morning, issued a statement on social media with regard to alleged on-going threats. He said “The Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office is aware that some alleged threats have been made by the same student. All threats are being investigated, and the student is at their residence with their parents and being monitored by law enforcement. The school day is continuing as normal, and all buildings are safe.”

The statement was a follow-up to a statement the Superintendent made on social media, late Monday morning. If you missed that statement, Fenster said:

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), revisited a request from the Noble Initiative Community Foundation, for $250,000 from the ARPA Fund. The Foundation’s Jared Wyman said the funds would be used for storm water infrastructure outside the Griswold City limits, where the foundation is working on housing development.

Supervisors Mark O’Brien and Steve Green were opposed to using ARPA funds for that purpose, citing the legality of doing so, and the little amount of money remaining in the County’s portion of the fund. Mark O’Brien….

Steve Green explained there’s not as much money left in the ARPA fund as they previously thought.

The Supervisors encouraged the organization to go after Economic Development monies from the State and through grants, which they are in the process of doing. Board Chair Steve Baier summed-up the Board’s opinion by saying “The consensus is not to use ARPA funds at this stage.”

Wyman was asked if the project will still move forward if they didn’t get the ARPA funds. He said it would. In other business, the Supervisors approved a three-year contact for Cost Advisory Services to obtain reimbursement for indirect costs, expanded on behalf of the Iowa Dept. of Health and Human Services. The price-tag for the contract is $4,450 per year.

Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken updated the Board of Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities. He mentioned his crews have been spreading contract rock in the Massena and Anita Districts, and that those activities are almost finished with their initial application. Construction-wise, he said a bridge in the Anita area will be closed soon.

And, the Board also passed a 28-E cost sharing Resolution appointing Norma Hemphill as Cass County’s representative to the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (SIRHA) for a term of 3-years. They also approved the appointment of Shauna Holiday as Massena Township Clerk.

(Fairfield, Iowa/KCCI) – One of the Fairfield teens charged in the Nov., 2021 murder of a Fairfield High School Teacher, has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, thereby eliminating the need for his trial Friday, in Council Bluffs.  KCCI reports 17-year-old Willard Miller entered a guilty plea Tuesday (today) in Jefferson County Court in Fairfield.Miller and Jeremy Goodale both stand accused in the death of 66-year-old Spanish Teacher Nohema Graber, whose body was found under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties on Nov. 3, 2021, in a Fairfield Park. Prosecutors say she had been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Graber was 66.

Both Miller and Jeremy Goodale were charged with first-degree murder. Each was 16 at the time. Both are 17 now. Prosecutors say both of the teens struck Graber with a baseball bat and destroyed evidence in the case. Miller’s lawyer states he denies hitting Graber with a bat.

In Iowa, the penalty for a first-degree murder conviction is life in prison. The judge said Miller will not receive mandatory life without the possibility of parole because he is a minor. He will be responsible for restitution and other costs.

(Griswold, Iowa) – Members of the Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education, Monday evening, held a public hearing on the District’s 2023-24 Budget, during which there was no public input. Superintendent Dave Henrichs said the Board later on in their meeting approved the Budget at presented, which has the lowest tax levy rate since 2019.

He spoke also about the property tax assessments which have residents all across Iowa riled-up. Henrichs says that will have no bearing on next year’s taxes or budget, because it doesn’t go into effect for another year.

Another budget highlight Henrichs mentioned, was, for the third-year in a row, the District is levying “An advanced payment,” or “Surplus”levy, which will result in a substantial savings for taxpayers.

In other business, the Board continued discussion, but no action for now, with regard to a Four-day School Week. A staff meeting was held April 5th to inform Griswold staff of what research into what a four-day school week may look like, in terms of scheduling, contracts and the school calendar. Staff has an opportunity to ask questions afterward, and fill-out a survey with options to the proposal.

Ultimately, the Griswold School Board, Henrichs says, decided to, during their May meeting, schedule a work session for June or July, to put ideas together in terms of answering some of their staff’s questions. If the District decides to implement a four-day school week, it wouldn’t even happen until the the 2024-25 school year, at the earliest. The Board, Monday, approved the list of graduates. The Class of 2023 has 28 students set to receive their diplomas, in May. The Griswold school board left ’23-’24 registration fees the same as last year. Book fees are $30 per student, with reduced lunch book fees $15, and those on free lunch have no book fees.

A snow day make-up plan was approved, that reduces the amount of days students and staff must attend beyond the end of the school year.

There were two closed sessions and a student expulsion closed session. In the latter session, the Griswold School Board to expel a student for the remainder of the school year. In another, they reviewed the performance of Board Secretary Hannah Bierbaum, who Henrichs says “does a great job,” and, they listened to the concerns of a staff member with regard to contract considerations, and the Board agreed to make adjustments to the contract as necessary.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Tuesday) released a report in a special investigation of the City of Stanwood Fire Department for the period December 1, 2020 through April 30, 2022. The special investigation was requested by City officials in the eastern Iowa town, as a result of concerns regarding how transactions from the Departments fundraising account were handled.

Sand reported the special investigation identified $4,403.84 of improper disbursements, $3,159.28 of unsupported disbursements and $188.50 of undeposited collections related to the fundraising account. The $4,403.84 of improper disbursements includes:
• $1,713.91 of personal purchases by Ryan Pierce,
• $2,141.43 of improper disbursements to other vendors,
• $786.00 of ATM Withdrawals,
• $450.00 of improper payments to fill a personal propane tank, and
• $407.80 of improper reimbursement checks to Mr. Pierce.

The $3,159.28 of unsupported disbursements included payments to Mr. Pierce, Tipton Family Foods, Walmart, and Dollar General. The $188.50 of undeposited collections includes collections received for the sale of t-shirts and tickets for a gun raffle. Sand also reported, it was not possible to determine if any additional improper disbursements were made or if all collections were properly deposited during the period of the investigation because adequate records were not available.

The report includes recommendations for the City to strengthen internal controls, such as improvements to segregation of duties, maintaining supporting documentation for all expenditures, and maintaining adequate financial records including ledgers, receipt books, and bank reconciliations. Copies of the report have been filed with the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Cedar County Attorney’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. A copy of the report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website at Special Interest Reports.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa crop report shows farmers were able to get some planting done last week. The week saw severe storms and snow flurries, but farmers also got some unseasonably warm weather and planted seven percent of the expected corn crop. That’s almost two weeks ahead of last year and six days ahead of the five-year average. The report says some farmers are still waiting for extended warm days to bring the soil temperature up — while others are hoping for some more rain before putting the planter into the fields.