WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court won’t stop Iowa from forcing KFC Corp. to pay nearly $250,000 in corporate income taxes, even though it had no restaurants or employees in the state. The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from the fried-chicken giant, which a decision by that state’s Supreme Court overturned. All KFC restaurants in Iowa are independent franchises, whose owners pay KFC for the use of its logo and systems. But the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance assessed the company more than $248,000 in unpaid corporate income taxes, including interest and penalties, in 2001. The taxes were for 1997 to 1999. KFC says it doesn’t owe Iowa taxes because it doesn’t have property in the state. But Iowa judges have not agreed with that argument.

Harvest Fest - Apple Pie contest (file photo courtesy Atlantic Chamber)

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and the BPO DOES have once again teamed-up for this year’s Harvest Fest in Atlantic, to help raise funds for the DOES Scholarship Fund. As part of Harvest Fest, which takes place this Saturday, October 8^th, an Apple Pie Contest will be held, with AtlantiCash prizes of $50 for the blue ribbon winner in the amateur division, and $25 for the runner-up. Winner of the commercial division will be awarded the title of “Best Apple Pie in Atlantic” with a framed certificate for their restaurant or bakery. Pies should be delivered to the Chamber by no later than noon, Saturday, in order to be considered for the contest.

Chamber Executive Director Megan Roberts says “Each year, the Chamber and the DOES partner up for the apple pie contest to help raise funds for the DOES scholarship fund.” She adds that with a scoop of ice cream on top, there’s “Never a crumb left to taste.” There will also be a Smoked Meat Cook-off held in conjunction with Harvest Fest this year. Pulled pork, brisket sandwiches and smoked ribs will be available for purchase with chips and drink also to enjoy during the Atlantic Fire Department entertainment from 4- to 6-p.m. before the Firemen’s Parade. Roberts says “The Atlantic Firemen will have a unique team of horses and a drum corps stepping team performing,“ while dinner is served. For more information contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712.243.3017 or e-mail megan@atlanticiowa.com.

Local business leaders and potential entrepreneurs are invited to attend a “Lunch and Learn” session to be held in Atlantic next week. The session, being held October 11^th at the historic Rock Island Depot, is sponsored by the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and is designed to provide the tools business leaders need to ensure they’re able to reach their full potential.

The Lunch and Learn takes place from 11:30-a.m. to 1:00-p.m., and is open to Chamber members, and non-members alike. Guest speaker is Bob Clements, a business coach from the E-Myth business

Bob Clements

 development system. The philosophy behind E-Myth focuses on designing businesses the work for the owner. The program has been in existence for more than 30-years, and the seminar is based on a best selling book detailing why most small businesses don’t work, and what to do about it.

Clements, a trained and certified Senior E-Myth Coach, has served as a practicing business attorney, bank counsel, Chamber of Commerce president, and consultant. The seminar, and Clements’ presentation, will ask business owners to question everything they think they know about business, to consider that their experience may be their worst teacher instead of the best, and to ponder what they have been doing incorrectly that repeatedly produces the same results.

Tickets for the seminar and lunch are $20 for Chamber members, or $30 for non-members. They’re available from the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Persons interested in attending should make their reservations by no later than this Friday, October 7^th. To do so, call 712-243-3017, or e-mail Nicky Christensen at nicky@atlanticiowa.com

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A new monthly survey of business managers suggests weak economic growth will continue in nine Midwest and Plains states with little chance of another recession in the region. The overall economic index released Monday increased to 52.2 in September from August’s 52, and any score above 50 suggests economic growth in the next few months. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the region is being helped by the relative strength of businesses tied to agriculture or exports.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Even though the region’s economy looks OK, the business leaders surveyed aren’t very confident about their prospects. The survey’s confidence index slid to 40.5 in September from August’s 43.4 as concerns about Europe’s economy continued to grow.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Average High temp for the month: 73.6 degrees.  Average Low: 43.8.  Rainfall: 1.08 inches.  Date with the most precipitation recorded at the KJAN studios: Sept. 18th, @ .37″. Warmest day: Sept. 1st, 91-degrees.  The lowest temperature was 29, set on Sept. 30th.

A review of the U-S Army Corps of Engineers’ management of the Missouri River begins this week, in the wake of this summer’s record flooding. Witt Anderson, director of programs for the Corps’ Northwestern Division, is overseeing the process and says the Corps will provide information but will also allow the review panel free reign. “A very high, important principle for us is that is does have independence and the integrity is maintained,” Anderson says. “They have to be able to do the work as they see fit and do it unfettered by influence from the Corps or anyone else.”

Anderson says the Corps is also analyzing what would have happened under different management scenarios. For example, if the Corps had released water from upstream reservoirs earlier this year to free up storage space for flood waters, would the region have been as devastated? “That information, coupled with this review by this independent panel, will help us have a dialogue in the basin about…future operations,” Anderson says. “That then leads to questions like, is it time to go back to Congress to seek new authority or do we need resources to do something else?”

The four-member panel includes scientists from the National Weather Service, U-S Geological Survey, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Colorado State University. Critics have accused the Corps of failing to work aggressively enough to prevent flooding. Anderson says information gleaned from the review may be used to ask Congress for new direction on managing the Missouri River. The review officially begins tomorrow (Tuesday) and results are expected in early December.

(Radio Iowa)

Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum says moving the opening voting contests in the presidential campaign earlier puts lesser-known candidates like him at a disadvantage. A panel in Florida has decided to hold that state’s primary on January 31st, a move which means Iowa’s Caucuses won’t be held as scheduled on February 6th, but will be moved much earlier.

“I can’t say that I was pleased that Florida did what they did. I think it was no question about it, it was to the benefit of the leading candidates,” Santorum said Sunday. “You know, it takes a game that was 60 minutes and turns it into 45 minutes and, of course, if you’re ahead, you’d like the game to be played tomorrow.” Santorum’s campaign strategy was already heavily weighted toward a better-than-expected finish in an early state like Iowa, and Santorum says Florida’s decision makes a good finish in the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary an even bigger prize.

“You’re only going to have a couple of candidates that are going to have the ability to compete in Florida. The rest of the candidates are going to have to focus even more so on these early primary states because of the compressed time frame,” Santorum said. “…I think it’s going to end up Florida getting less attention, not more attention.” Santorum participated in an old-fashioned baseball game at Living History Farms in Urbandale on Sunday afternoon. He’s campaigning in Clarion, Grundy Center, Toledo and Vinton later today (Monday). Rival candidate Michele Bachmann will campaign in western Iowa this afternoon, with stops in Sioux City and Council Bluffs.

(Radio Iowa)

Congressman Steve King has just returned from a trip to Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. King was part of a congressional delegation. “To look at the friction that’s emerging there between Turkey and Greece — two of our NATO allies that seem to be lining up a little bit against one another,” King says. “And the friction exists in Cyprus because of the Turk and the Greek influence in divided Cyprus, so all of those things were extraordinarily interesting.” King says it’s important to know what’s happening in that part of the world right now.

“If Greece’s economy should collapse, then that indicates that there’s a high-risk of a domino or chain-reaction effect which could go through Italy and Spain and Portugal,” King says, “perhaps Ireland and Belgium and other countries.” King was returning to the United States when news broke that key al Qaida operatives in Yemen had been assassinated.

“I’m glad to add my voice to the entire Iowa delegation in encouragement of the administration and our military and our CIA and all of the people out there with their lives on the line,” King says. “They have landed a severe blow to the al Qaida network.” Others, like Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, have said the slain al Qaida leaders had rights, because they were American citizens, and the Obama administration violated the constitution with the assassinations. King disagrees with that assertion.

“If they are attacking and killing us, of course we have to strike back,” King says. “That’s what the president’s done and I support his move.” On Friday, the four other congressmen from Iowa made statements of support for the action in Yemen.

(Radio Iowa)