(Radio Iowa) – A federal agency called the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority is set to take over the over the regulation of drug testing for thoroughbred horses in January. Iowa Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilkoh  says that will impact Iowa’s only horse track at in Altoona.

“The intent is for uniformity across the country. It’s something that some states view it favorably — many states do not — but what we do know is that there will definitely be some changes in terms of how racing is regulated,” he says, “not only at Prairie Meadows, but at every racetrack throughout the country. ” The federal government has assessed Iowa a fee of more than one million dollars for these services. If the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission picks up and conduct the tasks outlined in the different federal regulations, the state will receive a credit of approximately 400-thousand dollars. That leaves around 650-thousand dollar that the race track and horse industry have to figure out a way to pay.

“And that, you know, at this point is really kind of the major factor in terms of how those fees will be paid, who will pay for them and how that those payments will trickle down and impact the rest of the industry in terms of number of people that are able to continue to participate number of starters per race,” Ohorilkoh says. He says Prairie Meadows already pays the state a fee — but it includes more than horse racing.

“The regulatory fees currently for Prairie Meadows are just north of a million dollars. And that includes the regulation of casino gambling, sports betting, thoroughbred racing and quarter horse racing,” Ohorilkoh says. Regulators and the groups involved in horse racing have has some discussion on the issue, and Ohorilkoh says that will continue.

“We’re working towards compliance and in trying to determine what will everyone will play and how it will be paid for,” he says. The I-R-G-C has hired a company that is conducting a study of the horse racing industry. Ohorilkoh says the potential impact of the federal regulation is one of the things included in the study. It will also look at things like the scheduling of races and the marketing of the track and how to maximize its benefits.

(Updated) [Atlantic, Iowa] – The Atlantic City Council met Wednesday evening, and adopted two Resolutions. The first was for the Final Plat associated with the Prairie Hills Development Subdivision, in Atlantic. The second Resolution was to Amend the City of Atlantic’s Personnel Policy, “By repealing and replacing Series 100 and Series 200 Codes through 206, with New Codes numbered as the same.”

City Administrator John Lund says he and Mayor Grace Garrett spent a considerable amount of time the past Spring, Summer and Early Fall, going through the City’s Personnel Policy, and the Personnel and Finance Committee met in September and reviewed the proposed changes. The Committee has endorsed the proposed amendments as written. In his report to the Council, John Lund, who conferenced-in by phone, said “Everything now is really about budget. I will be working on that over the next week.” He said they hope by then he has more more concrete numbers to work with.

The State Legislature convenes January 9^th. The Council will have to digest all the information Lund will have available, when they meet in January (2023). Mayor Grace Garrett reminded the Council of the importance of getting to Des Moines in January and having Council persons get to know the “decision makers, and what it’s going to take to continue to allow a rural America, specifically Iowa, to continue to thrive.”

In other business, the Council heard from Atlantic native Ali Pieken, with regard to the development of a Splash Pad. Ali is a member of the Splash Pad Executive and Fund Raising Committees tasked with overseeing the project. She was also at a meeting of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Tuesday afternoon. Pieken said what’s been decided so far, is for a bean-shaped splash pad area with 5,000-square feet of play space.

Ali Pieken speaks about the Atlantic Splash Pad project (12-21-22)

The facility will have features for all ages and water comfort levels, including a “toddler bay,” shade and seating. The bean-shaped space calls also for a sand volleyball course, dual-play playground equipment that will compliment the Splash Pad.

Splash Pad layout, 12-2022

In other news, Mayor Grace Garret reported that in-person interviews with two finalists for the Parks and Rec Director’s job will take place on December 29th.

(Radio Iowa) – Des Moines police have made an arrest for a murder that happened nearly seven years ago.

Sixty-two-year-old Kirk Blunck, a prominent architect in Des Moines, was found injured in the stairwell of a six story building a few blocks from the Iowa Capitol on January 24, 2016. He died a short time later. Blunck had worked on the restoration of several historic structures in Des Moines, including the Teachout Building where he was found.

According to a news release from Des Moines Police, Zachary Allen Gaskill of Des Moines was seen in surveillance photos near the crime scene. Gaskill, who was in his mid-20s at the time of Blunck’s death, is now 32. He’s been charged with second degree murder.

In 2016, the county medical examiner concluded the architect had died of blunt force trauma after a fall from some height.

(Radio Iowa) – State, county and city snow plows are gassed up and ready to roll as a winter storm arrives. Hamilton County engineer Ryan Weidemann says their snow patrol is ready to tackle the roads, though the heavy snow and strong winds could create a challenge.

“It looks like a good chance for some blizzard conditions Thursday and Friday,” Weidemann says. “We have to take into account the safety of our operators and so if the visibility were to get to a point where it reduced to zero, there may be times where we’re not able to be out on the road.”

DOT Snowplow cam

Tim Zahn, the Hamilton County Emergency Management director, says Iowans need to heed the warnings and cancel or postpone their travel plans. “They really should stay home probably until Saturday,” Zahn says. “If you can’t stay home, check the weather, check the 511 app, and just go super slow. Part of the danger is, it’ll be white-out conditions and that bitter, extreme cold. You’re not gonna last long if you have to get out of your car.”

Make sure to have the appropriate winter gear in the car in the event of a roadside emergency. The kit should include things like: blankets, water and snacks, a flashlight with fresh batteries, tools, a shovel, an ice scraper, jumper cables, sand and a first aid kit.

(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowans try to combat the bone-chilling cold of winter with space heaters, but they can also bring an increased risk of house fires. Le Mars Fire and Rescue Chief Dave Schipper says space heaters can provide much-needed warmth to an icy room, however, they can also be very dangerous if they’re misused.

“We want those plugged directly into an outlet and not onto an extension cord, they draw a lot of juice,” Schipper says. “We want at least three feet of clearance around them of combustibles. A couple of the recent fires we’ve had, those space heaters were too close to bedding, blankets, combustible material.”

The more modern space heaters have been manufactured with better safety features, yet they’re not foolproof, especially if you set a load of laundry down next to one. “A lot of the newer ones have safety tip-over switches, meaning, if they get knocked over, they’ll shut themselves off,” he says, “however, even those, if they’re too close to combustibles, will ignite a fire.”

A house fire in Mason City last month that killed four brothers, ranging in age from three to 12, is blamed on an overloaded power strip. Schipper says portable heaters can be a real hazard if they’re left unattended. “Space heaters should never be running when you’re not around,” he says. “So, whether you have it at home or work or wherever, the only time it should be operating is when you’re with it. Otherwise, those should be shut off.”

The chief strongly recommends smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in all homes.

(Radio Iowa) – State Ombudsman, Bernardo Granwehr, says while a majority of the complaints his office handled in the last fiscal year were from inmates in state prisons and local jails — there were a wide variety of other concerns. “Human services type complaints are probably the second most, but from a percentage standpoint, they’re really all over the board,” he says. “Anywhere from complaints about snow removal, or that kind of thing, or, it could be child welfare related type type stuff.” He says anything to do with state and local government agencies can end up generating complaints. Granwehr says his office does what it can to help.

“If it turns out that there’s something, you know, a process that could be potentially improved, that people are sticking on a little bit, or running into problems with, we can we can work with that agency,”Granwher says. He says Iowa’s Ombudsman is unique when it comes to others across the country. “There’s a variety of ombudsman offices across the nation, but Hawaii is the only office along with our office, they are only two in the nation that have such a broad jurisdiction,” he says.

Granwehr encourages you to be sure you’ve tried all your options for resolving your situation before calling his office.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Business Council is asking the legislature to enact limits on what judges or juries can award when businesses are sued in civil court. Joe Murphy is executive director of the Iowa Business Council, which represents the state’s 20 largest employers. “For the first time in our organization’s history, we are going to join the coalition to support tort reform efforts in our state,” Murphy says. “This is an economic issue. This is a workforce issues and we stand proud with a broad coalition that has worked on this issue for many, many years.” The Iowa Business Council is calling for limits on non-economic damages in civil lawsuits against businesses. The group also supports caps on medical malpractice claims, something Iowa’s medical community has sought for years.

Brett Altman, the C-E-O of Cass Health and its hospital in Atlantic, is a trustee of the Iowa Hospital Association.

A bill that would have limited non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits was introduced in the legislature this past spring, but failed to become law. The governor’s proposal for a one million dollar limit on non-economic damages in lawsuits against commercial trucking companies also stalled during the 2022 legislative session.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Secondary Roads Department is encouraging residents to be prepared, and avoid travel during the forecast storm, and for 48 hours to follow. Shelby County Engineer Brandon Burmeister says plows will be unable to maintain clear roadways during rapid snow accumulation or high winds. For your safety and ours, Shelby County advises against travel in blizzard conditions.

“Our operations will be most effective as the accumulation and winds subside and visibility is restored. Snow removal operations may take up to 48 hours after the storm subsides. Please consider the timing of the storm and our ability to respond; Christmas travel will likely be difficult in the rural areas.”

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira-EHK School District’s Board of Education met Monday and approved four action items on their agenda. Superintendent Trevor Miller said one of them was a Resolution approving a Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS)

The RPS allows the District to have access to SAVE and PPEL funds. It must be updated by 2029.

The measure will be on a ballot in March. Additional information is forthcoming to stakeholders, community members, to explain how the funds will be used. The Exira-EHK Board also discussed a facilities planning proposal in cooperation with Boyd Jones design and construction services.

The Board approved a renewed Human Resources Sharing Agreement with IKM-Manning, and the 2022-23 Early Notification Incentive Plan.

And, the Board approved a request to the SBRC (School Budget Review Committee) for At-Risk Dropout Prevention, in the amount of $159,127, which helps to pay for guidance counselor nurses, multi-tier systems of support for At-Risk students, and more. The request is made each year, in a varying amount, depending on enrollment.