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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Transportation Secretary says addressing safety concerns is the highest priority for the three-point-nine BILLION dollars in new federal infrastructure money for Iowa roads, bridges and airports. Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke with Iowa reporters during an online news conference.
“When you have these bridges, for example, in need of repair, a lot of projects, I think, will make their way to the top of the list for that reason,” Buttigieg says. Nearly one in five bridges in Iowa is considered structurally deficient. Buttigieg is holding news conferences around the country to emphasize that 20 percent of the new infrastructure spending is reserved for projects in rural areas — where 19 percent of Americans live.
“This really is a once in a lifetime investment,” Buttigieg said,” and having gotten to know Iowa well, having traveled many of those roads and having gone around those bridges that are load limited or need work, I’ve seen how much of a difference this legislation is going to make in the Midwest generally and in Iowa specifically.” Buttigieg won Iowa’s 2020 Caucuses, but dropped out of the presidential race a month later and endorsed Joe Biden.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat, were the only two members of Iowa’s D.C. delegation who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Axne says adding money for broadband and water systems, Iowa will receive five BILLION dollars in total as a result of the infrastructure bill. “This law includes more than 375 programs that rural communities across the third district are eligible for,” Axne says.
Axne says she’s grateful to see the infrastructure funding starting to go out the door. “I am always disappointed, though, when I see too many people taking credit without explaining where the funding does come from,” Axne says. Axne says elected officials, including the governor, should explain the money for infrastructure and other large scale projects came from the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as the federal pandemic relief packages approved during the Trump and Biden Administrations.
(Neola, Iowa) – In an update to our previous report, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office tells KJAN News, the driver of a 2011 KIA Sportage was injured Wednesday morning, during a collision that happened near the Tri-Center High School. Authoritiess say 15-year-old Ava Speight, of Logan, was driving the car and pulled up to a stop sign at the T-intersection of 310th and Railroad Highway at around 7:30-a.m.
She proceeded to enter the intersection to make a left turn (northbound), when she pulled in front of a 2018 Ford Edge traveling south on Railroad Highway. The driver of the SUV, 59-year-old Jacaly Ann Velthoff, of Panama, was unable to avoid a collision. Her vehicle struck the KIA on the front, driver side door.
Photo courtesy of Zach Ploen.
Speight was transported by Neola Rescue to Mercy Hospital. Sheriff’s deputies cited the teen for Failure to Yield upon left turn. Damage to the KIA was estimated at $10,000. The Ford Edge sustained about $6,000 damage.
(Cass County, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Cass County report one person suffered minor injuries and was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, following a collision this (Thursday) morning, near Massena. Authorities say the collision happened at around 10:20-a.m. at the intersection of 750th Street and Highway 92.
The report states the driver of a silver 2020 Chevy Silverado, David Schlater, stopped at the stop sign southbound on 750th at the intersection with Highway 92 in Massena. Due to heavy fog, Schlater was unable to see oncoming traffic. He continued through the intersection and was struck by a westbound 1999 Chevy 2500 driven by Randy Shuey. Shuey was transported to CCMH for treatment of his minor injuries.
Schlater was given a warning for failure to yield the right of way. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Massena Rescue, Cass EMS, and the Department of Transportation.
(Radio Iowa) – Some House Republicans are publicly stating their opposition to the governor’s plan to create state scholarships to cover expenses for sending 10-thousand students to a private school. Republican Representative Megan Jones of Sioux Rapids, who is opposed to the bill, says the votes just aren’t there in the House to pass it. “I myself have a lot of concerns about that bill, too, because I don’t think it’s going to impact any kids in our area,” Jones says, “and so if we’re going to pile more money into this, I don’t want to see that money just going to Des Moines.”
There are more than a dozen private schools in the Des Moines metro, including Dowling Catholic and Des Moines Christian High Schools — while 42 of Iowa’s 99 counties do not have a private or parochial school. Jones says the 55-million dollar price tag for the governor’s private school scholarships is also a worry. “We could only do 2.5% supplemental state aid for our public schools, but now we’re going to bite off another huge chunk here,” Jones says. “…I’m just not sure we can carry that through.” Jones is vice chair of the legislative committee that meets year-round to oversee state regulations.
The Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and a retiring Republican lawmaker from Walcott announced at a forum in the Quad Cities that they are opposed to the spending plan.
The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest on Wednesday, of a Sioux City, Iowa, resident. 39-year-old Leslie Wilson was arrested for Driving While Barred. Wilson’s cash or surety bond was set at $2,000.
(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department says officials with AgriVision Equipment, in Creston, reported Wednesday morning, that one of their vehicles was stolen. A white, 2020 Chevy Silverado pickup registered to AgriVision, was stolen. The vehicle was valued at $37,200.
The Iowa Tourism Office, part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, works closely with community partners, attractions and events, to promote the state’s beautifully vast scenery and unique history. Tourism in Iowa generated $1.5 billion in tax revenues in 2020, with more than $860 million supporting state and local governments, while employing a total of 60,218 people statewide. For more information on everything Iowa has to offer tourists, visit traveliowa.com.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic, Wednesday, approved a request from Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) Community Development Director Alexsis Fleener, to support an application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), for a $900,000 CDBG-CV (Community Development Block Grant-Covid Recovery) grant to facilitate facade improvements to buildings in the 200-to 210-block of Chestnut Street, in downtown Atlantic.
(Google image)
Fleener says the City’s support is needed in advance of the submission of the application to IEDA, as they will judge which projects are to be approved in the next grant cycle. The application deadline is April 30th. If approved, the City would act as the holder of the construction contract without any financial obligation. The building’s owners are Keith and Cindy Steffens.
The proposed plan will bring the buildings to good condition by repairing or replacing elements of the fronts of the buildings, which could include brick tuckpointing, windows, doors, painting, awnings, and storefront work.
The Steffens’ property is not the only project on the list for downtown improvements.
She says once it begins, construction will take approximately ten months to complete and must be completed by June 2023. In other news, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved a preliminary plat for the Redwood Subdivision for residential development. The land will be used for the creation of nine new lots for single-family homes. The first reading of a related ordinance changing the area zoning classification from R-4 (multiple family) to R-2 (low density single family),was also approved.
The Atlantic City Council also held and approved the first reading of Ordinances pertaining to the “Mowing of Properties” (reducing the maximum allowable growth of grass from 12 inches to 9 inches), and an Ordinance under Nuisance Abatement to include the amended mowing ordinance.
If the property owner fails to comply after the 2nd notice, the City would mow the grass and bill the owner accordingly. The hourly rate for mowing would be considerably higher than if a private mower were hired to handle the unsightly grassy area.
(Radio Iowa) – Eight people were arrested on Wednesday as part of an undercover investigation by Iowa Drug Task Force agents in Marshalltown and the surrounding area. According to a press release from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, three Marshalltown residents were taken into custody by law enforcement authorities after a search warrant was issued at a home located at 522 North Center Street.
Twenty-seven-year-old Austin Peter Baer was arrested and charged with having possession of a schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine), with intent to deliver; failing to affix a drug tax stamp; and violating a parole warrant. Twenty-nine-year-old Scott William Doc Slocum was also arrested and charged with violating a parole warrant, while 22-year-old Ramon Jesus Mora was charged with having possession of a schedule II controlled substance (meth).
A search warrant was also issued by authorities at a home located at 206 South Third Avenue, at which time multiple arrests were made. Thirty-year-old Omar Alejandro Cruz, and 26-year-old Stefani Jo Perdue, both of Marshalltown were each charged with having possession of a schedule II controlled substance (meth); engaging in prohibited acts; and possession of drug paraphernalia. Thirty-one-year-old Jose Eduardo Victor of Marshalltown was also arrested at the same address on felony warrants. In addition, 45-year-old Michael Joseph Alexander of Wellsburg was arrested by authorities in Wellsburg on a failure to appear warrant.
A warrant was also issued by authorities in Hampton, resulting in the arrest of 41-year-old Andrew Craig Buttshaw on charges of having possession of a schedule II controlled substance (meth); and possession of drug paraphernalia. Warrants were also served at three other addresses in Marshalltown on Wednesday with no additional arrests being made. However, the search did lead to the seizure of a “distributional” amount of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, with a stolen vehicle also being recovered.
According to the press release, a minor child was also encountered while the warrants were being served.
(Radio Iowa) – The City of Ottumwa has a pit bull ban in place, but the city’s leadership are discussing some changes to the ordinance after hearing from some community members. Ottumwa City Council member Cara Galloway says while she can emphasize with the public’s feelings on both sides of the debate, some people are out of line. I don’t like the threatening emails, the bullying tactics and people being rude,” she said at this week’s city council meeting. “I’m sorry. I understand this is a heated issue, but threatening and bullying is not going to get anyone anywhere. It’s really just going to shut us down from listening and truly understanding what you’re trying to say.”
City Council member Marc Roe says some citizens have threatened legal action. “People are taking pictures of litigation papers and (saying): ‘We’re just going to sue the city if we don’t get what we want,'” he said during this week’s council meeting. “Here’s my invitation: If the speed of this process to make sure it’s done correctly is not to your liking, please hire an attorney because we’re not going to be threatened by litigation.”
City Administrator Phil Rath did not directly mention the pit bull ban at the council’s meeting this week, but indicated council discussions about the ordinance began last fall. “We looked at other communities, the Iowa Humane Society, different resources,” he said. “The public weighed in, has been weighing in — the pros, cons, people for and against.”
A revised version of the ordinance is expected to be read during the Ottumwa City Council’s May 3rd meeting. It must be publicly read three times at these meetings before the city council can vote on it. The earliest that vote could happen is June 7th. Ottumwa has had a pit bull ban since 2002 after a child died following a pit bull attack.