(Radio Iowa) – A new report shows non-profit organizations across the region are facing severe workforce shortages, and potential solutions revolve around boosting salaries and benefits. Anne Hindery is C-E-O of the Omaha-based Nonprofit Association of the Midlands which surveyed the leaders of nearly 700 nonprofits in Iowa and Nebraska. Hindery says it’s always been a challenge finding and keeping qualified people, and it’s only gotten worse since the pandemic.

“We’re still seeing shortages in things like behavioral health therapists, childcare workers, accountants that understand nonprofit accounting — those are still some of the challenges that we’re seeing,” Hindery says. “So I think the Salary and Benefits Report really helps educate nonprofits on what they need to do to attract and retain talent.” The report finds the average yearly turnover rate among nonprofits in the two states is 29-percent, while most open positions are filled in less than two months.

“We unofficially track changes in leadership as we hear about it, and I would say before the pandemic, we used to see maybe three or so a month, and now it’s anywhere between eight to 10 a month,” Hindery says. “Some people are retiring, some people are just moving around in the sector. It’s just really an interesting thing to watch.” The report finds most nonprofits match market compensation and almost all of them post salaries in job listings. Hindery says it also found that almost all nonprofits granted salary increases of three-percent or higher last year and plan do so again this year. In addition, if shows 42-percent of surveyed nonprofits offer bonuses.

“I firmly believe that if we’re going to attract smart people to the nonprofit sector, we better pay them enough to pay off their student loans, give them benefits and flexibility,” Hindery says. “That is, as a membership organization for nonprofits, we try to help our members do just that.” She confesses that some charitable organizations face the stigma that working for them means you’ll pull down a very meager salary.

“That is an urban legend, that nonprofits mean no money. It just means our profits go back into the organization and into our people to better serve our clients, as opposed to going to shareholders like it does in private corporations,” Hindery says. “It’s a meaningful mission, and so you can go to work every day and whether you’re in direct service or not, you are making a difference in your community, and I think that’s very attractive to people.”

Other findings in the report find more than two-thirds of organizations offer medical insurance and retirement options, while more than half offer dental, vision and life insurance. Also, the majority of nonprofits offer paid holidays, paid time off and sick days, while nearly all have employees that primarily work on-site or use a hybrid model.

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, says Vice President Kamala Harris had an obligation to be in Washington, D.C. today (1-p.m., Wednesday) for Israeli Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to congress. “Not having the vice president presiding over a joint session of congress with our closest ally in the Middle East present — that’s a disgrace,” Ernst said. The vice president’s appearance at a historically black sorority’s annual convention was announced several weeks ago, before Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris appears to have the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nomination secured. Ernst suggests Harris should have cancelled the trip to Indianapolis today (Wednesday) once the Netanyahu speech was scheduled.

“She’s abdicating her duties now as vice president. What is she going to do — and this will never happen — but should she become hypothetically President of the United States, what is she going to abdicate them?” Ernst said. “…Whether she likes the prime minister of Israel or not, whether she respects him or not, she should be here.” Harris is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu tomorrow (Thursday). The Israeli leader’s visit to the U-S includes a separate meeting with President Joe Biden tomorrow (Thursday) and on Friday he’s to meet with former President Donald Trump in Florida. Reports indicate pro-Palestinian activists released maggots and crickets into the hotel where Netanyahu and other Israelis are staying in Washington. Ernst says whatever the goal of those protesters might be, that is not constructive.

“To treat a friend and ally like that in that manner…is not helpful,”Ernst said. “…As a mom, I’d be swatting my daughter on the rear end if she had done something like that.” The senator’s daughter, Libby, is a graduate of the U-S Military Academy at West Point. Senator Ernst has made two trips to Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The first was just hours after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th. Ernst has often met in the U-S with the American families of Israeli hostages and she did so again earlier today (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa) – There’s a new level of interest in an Iowa Democratic Party banquet this weekend. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear — booked weeks ago to headline a party fundraiser in Des Moines this Saturday — has emerged as one of the people Kamala Harris is considering as a running mate. Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says the event is sold out. “We were excited about him coming just in general because of who he is and his success there in Kentucky,” Hart says. “To have him spotlight right now for vice presidential contention is very lucky timing on our part.”

Beshear is one of only three Democrats from Kentucky serving in statewide or federal office. He won a second term as governor last year after steering his state through a series of tragic natural disasters. Hart says Iowa Democratic Party activists are generally more jazzed about the party’s prospects in the 2024 election now that Harris is the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. “To have an opportunity to get together as Democrats on Sunday to celebrate that and to hear from a possible vice presidential contender, that’s really got people fired up,” Hart says.

Donald Trump easily won Iowa’s electoral college votes in 2016 and 2020. Polling for 2024 — prior to Joe Biden’s exit from the race — has indicated Iowa to be firmly in Trump’s column again. Hart says enthusiasm for Harris may help Democrats who are also on the Iowa ballot this year, running for congress and for state and local offices. “If this is an opportunity for people to pay more attention, to feel more positive, have the notion that it’s really important that they show up to vote, that’s when Democrats to better,” Hart says.

Hart and the rest of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention met Monday night and unanimously endorsed Harris.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says police often classify cases of human trafficking as some other type of offense, like a drug crime, but hotlines are fielding more reports about people being forced into all types of labor.  “People are calling it in now and either saying: ‘I’m a victim and I need help,’ or ‘We saw something you need to be aware of,'” Pate says. “Those numbers are going up significantly every year and a lot of that I think is attributed to what we’re doing and others are doing to put more awareness out there.”

On Tuesday, Pate and a manager of the federal government anti-human trafficking campaign hosted a seminar for more than 100 people — mostly Iowans — to discuss the warning signs. Tom Ruck of the U-S Department of Homeland Security says an estimated 750-thousand predators are online. “They’re looking for that vulnerable person. They’re looking for somebody they can easily groom or they can become a boyfriend to or a girlfriend to,” Ruck said. “…The indicators could be just simply if it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.”

Iowa’s secretary of state launched an anti-human trafficking campaign in 2022, encouraging Iowa businesses to train employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking. Pate’s office is in charge of Iowa’s “Safe at Home” program which provides confidential addresses that survivors of human trafficking and other types of abuse, like stalking, can use to make it harder for their abusers to find them.

(Left) Tom Ruck from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign., & Iowa Sec. of State Paul Pate. (Photo from the Sec. of State Facebook page)

July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking. Pate says you can ‘Do Something’ and help use the day of action to raise awareness about this crime and ways to prevent it. If you’re passionate about making a difference, join us at ibat.iowa.gov

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors met this (Wednesday). During the Board Committee reports, Supervisor Jodie Hoadley mentioned Crossroads Mental Health in Creston was in the process of moving their facilities to the WIC, or Area Agency on Aging, building.

Supervisor John Twombly talked briefly about the Regional Mental Health Board.

Adair County Courthouse, Greenfield, IA

The Board approved Sheriff Jeff Vandewater’s request to hire Paula Bates as Dispatcher/Jailer for the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff was asked how things went with regard to Tuesday’s RAGBRAI event, as the bicyclists passed through Greenfield, on their way to Winterset. He said overall, things went smoothly, with the exception of some RV mishaps.

Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board’s approval, a resolution to award a three-mile, Farm-to-Market pavement marking project to Highway Signing, Inc., of Council Bluffs, in the amount of $29,591.81. The Board passed the resolution as presented.

Kauffman also updated the Board on current Secondary Roads projects and maintenance activities. He said they have continued helping some homeowners with tornado recovery.

The Adair County Board of Supervisor’s next meeting is on July 31st.

(Radio Iowa) – One month after flooding devastated the northwest Iowa town of Rock Valley, the mayor says work is still underway to bring in temporary housing. Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo says the residents of about 150 households can no longer live in their homes. “We are working hard on trying to get housing options, trailer court options. We’re working on a lot of stuff,” the mayor says. “We are at first working on temporary options for people to at least have a place to stay at night, instead of staying with relatives, because that can only go on for so long.”

Van Otterloo says Rock Valley is still waiting to get the all-clear from the federal government to start moving people into campers and trailers that are being staged at the Sioux County Fairgrounds, some ten miles away. He says FEMA is still assessing the damage to determine what financial help will be available for residents who were impacted the most. “The major concern is, ‘Do I put money back in this house, or are you going to buy me out?’ We can’t answer that question yet,” he says. “We keep telling then ‘It’s your house. Even if there’s a buyout offered, you don’t have to take it. You can still stay there. It’s your property.”

Radio Iowa – flood file photo

Van Otterloo says there was already a critical need for housing -before- flooding hit the town of four-thousand.

DES MOINES, Iowa – State Treasurer Roby Smith reports over $456 million in interest was earned on the Pooled Money Fund for the State’s 2024 fiscal year, which runs from July to June. “Records were broken in fiscal year 2024 as we earned more for the State than ever before,” said Smith. “Our goal is to earn high income while also preserving investment principal, and I’m proud to say we’ve accomplished that again this fiscal year.”

As Treasurer, Smith is the State’s banker and chief financial officer. One of his responsibilities includes investing all public funds not needed to meet current expenses in the Pooled Money Fund. The Fund is a combination of the State’s General Fund, Road Use Tax Fund, two reserve funds and a number of smaller funds.

“The more money we earn means less comes out of Iowans’ pockets,” concluded Smith. “This is a win for all of us.”

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report the arrest Tuesday evening, of a woman from Lorimor. 43-year-old Megan Marie Brown, was arrested a little before 6-p.m. at 307 North St., in Creston. She was arrested on four warrants, all for failure to appear on the following charges:

• Possession of drug paraphernalia (a simple misdemeanor)
• Driving while barred (an aggravated misdemeanor)
• Possession of controlled substance (marijuana & methamphetamine/1st offense) (serious misdemeanors),
• and for failure to serve jail time on a charge of person ineligible to carry dangerous weapons (a serious misdemeanor).

Brown was taken to the Union County Jail and later transported to the Adams County Jail, where her cash-only bond was set at $3,300.

(Radio Iowa) – Thousands of cyclists on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa stopped in Greenfield yesterday (Tuesday), just two months after tornado ripped through the community, killing four people and destroying homes. Greenfield resident Mackenzie Meisenheimer says right after the tornado, it wasn’t clear if the town would still be able to host RAGBRAI. “It’s a good thing we had RAGBRAI though because it gave us a reason to clean up. It gave us a reason to get ourselves together a little bit and something to look forward to, having people here looking at what’s left of our awesome town,” Meisenheimer said. “I mean, we have so much left that’s still here and beautiful.”

RAGBRAI rider Dana Kramer of Urbandale says the bike route took her past part of town that was in the tornado’s path.  “I thought I would see a little bit more of the devastation from the storm, but they’ve gotten pretty much everything torn down and they’ve started the rebuilding processes,” she says. “Some houses are still boarded up, but I think it shows the strength of the city in wanting to get things back to normal and continue to host RAGBRAI.”

Kramer and other riders say they stopped in Greenfield to help boost the local economy. The town square in Greenfield was not hit by the tornado and that’s where vendors selling food, t-shirts and other items were set up. Vendors also had plastic containers to accept cash donations and a Q-R code was printed on fliers for digital contributions to Greenfield’s tornado recovery fund.