(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Utilities Board heard from the attorneys representing two companies which hope to build carbon dioxide pipelines today (Tuesday) as they try to work out scheduling issues for their permit requests. I-U-B chair, Geri Huser asked Wolf Carbon Solutions attorney, Amanda James, if they still plan to request a hearing on the project in the second quarter of 2024. “At this time it’s too early to be able to tell when we would like to schedule our hearing. They’re just getting out in the field now, and so they’re working with landowners, property owners,” she says. “To be able to say when we want a hearing, we just don’t have that information yet for a defined route.” Huser told James the Board does not believe there needs to be oral arguments on the location of the hearing — which is required to be near the middle of the area where the pipeline will be built.

“We agree and we thought that maybe just written comments if there’s any ideas on how to determine the location or midpoint,” James says. Navigator Ventures attorney, Samantha Norris was also asked about the timeline for the hearing. “We are requesting a hearing in the first quarter — we’ll plan on requesting a hearing in the first quarter of 2024. We would ideally like to finish that hearing before spring planting commences,” Norris says. Norris says they would like to start construction in the first half of 2024 if approved. She was also asked about taking oral arguments on the proposed site for the hearing on the pipeline.

“At this point, we don’t know that oral arguments are necessary. But because we have a number of interested stakeholders. And because our the layout of our line differs somewhat from Summit’s and from Wolf’s we think that it should be briefed at least so that all parties have a chance to say what location they think or multiple locations may be compliant with the statutory requirements,” Norris says. Summit Carbon Solutions is the third company proposing a pipeline — with a public hearing on the project set for October.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests. Today (Tuesday, 3/14/23), 42-year-old Joshua Edward Mastin, of Hastings, was arrested for Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $2,000. On Monday, 54-year-old Richard James Linfor, of Shenandoah, was arrested at the Page County Jail, on a warrant for Failure to Appear, on an original charge of OWI/1st offense. He remains held on a $5,000 bond.

On March 12th, 29-year-old Yaritza Concepcion Cibrian, of Omaha, was arrested following a non-injury accident. Authorities say Cibrian was traveling east on Bunge Avenue at around 3-a.m., at attempting to get into a club in Mills County. She took a wrong turn and ended-up traveling south in the northbound off-ramp at I-29, mile marker 42. She then attempted to make a U-turn, but her 2016 Chrysler went into the east side ditch. Deputies on patrol came upon the scene as Cibrian was attempting to get her vehicle out of the ditch. She was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.

And, on March 9th, 39-year-old Travis Mitchell Long, of Omaha, was arrested at the Mills County Jail on a Mills County warrant for two-counts Violation of Probation. He was being held without bond in the jail.

On March 11th, a man from Kennard, NE was transported by EMS ground to Jennie Edmundson Hospital, following a collision on I-29. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says a 2003 Ford driven by Scott Sonnenfelt was southbound near mile marker 41.4 at around 12:09-p.m., and when a 2021 Toyota driven by 31-year-old Kyle Schwanbach, of Omaha, attempted to pass, the car went out of control due to the sleet. It collided with the Ford and both vehicle went into the ditch on the west side of I-29. Sonnenfelt complained of neck and shoulder pain before being transported to the hospital.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), heard a report from representatives with the non-profit Cass County Committee on Aging. Judy Marnin spoke about the history of the organization, activities at each site and working to get senior’s out and about so they stay healthy and active.

Supervisor’s Board Chair Steve Baier told the Board the Supervisors had been contributing a total of $7,446 per year for the organization, but then Covid came along….

The Board opted to continue with the same amount funds from the upcoming Budget.

In other action, the Cass County Supervisor’s approved the hire of Tony Gustafson, Operator 1 with the Secondary Roads Department, but they scrubbed discussion and action on a County Investment Policy, while waiting on additional information.

Discussion, followed by action to approve, took place on the following matters:

• Snow removal for all three locations (courthouse, annex & jail), effective July 1, 2023. Green Acres’ bid was approved. They had bid $75 for the courthouse (an increase of $25 over last year), and $50 each for the Comm. Center & DHS Building.
• Trash service for all three (Aforementioned) locations, efffectve July 2, 2023. Cook Sanitation’s bid of $195/month. An increase of $30.Trash is collected once per week.
• and Seasonal lawn service to include fertilizer, chemical sprays, etc., for the courthouse and public safety building (does not include mowing services), beginning immediately. Green Acres was the lone bidder, with no change in the price from last year.

All contracts are for two-years. The Board however tabled action on a bid for Southlawn Memory Gardens mowing services, until Supervisor O’Brien can talk with Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett about cost-sharing and related matters.

Des Moines – A Mason City woman, 26-year-old Shavhona Whitmore, pled guilty and was sentenced on March 13, 2023 to one count of Fraudulent Submissions (Class D Felony) following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Divisions Fraud Bureau.

The investigation began in July of 2022. According to criminal complaints filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, Whitmore misrepresented information to an insurance company in an attempt to receive benefits she otherwise would not have been entitled to.

Following her guilty plea, Whitmore was placed on supervised probation for five years. A civil penalty of $1,025 is imposed, but suspended.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is scheduled to testify before members of the Senate Ag Committee this week, including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. Vilsack, a former Iowa governor and a Democrat, is pushing through policies at U-S-D-A which Grassley says will make it difficult to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill. Grassley, a Republican, says Vilsack discussed the continued consolidation of farming at the agency’s Ag Outlook Forum. “Even with record farm income, almost half of our farmers have negative farm income. We know that the largest 10% of the farms receive 70% of the commodity payments,” Grassley says. “That’s unacceptable.”

Grassley says he’s pursuing payment cap legislation which targets farm programs specifically to small- and medium-sized farmers.  “Along this line, the words ‘actively engaged in farming,’ a legal term, is very important,” Grassley says. “USDA has the ability to tighten the rules on those, whether or not they’re actively engaged. If they aren’t actively engaged, they shouldn’t be qualifying for payments.”

Grassley says they need to find ways to make the farm safety net work for all farmers, not just the large ones. He says the U-S-D-A’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a program championed by Vilsack, is a departure from the agency’s earlier efforts to focus on small farmers. “Not-so-small companies like Microsoft, Campbell’s Soup, and Hershey’s have all been rewarded by this new program that the USDA created,” Grassley says, “and keep in mind that USDA created this program without input from Congress.”

Grassley says Vilsack’s actions, which he says include increasing the price of SNAP by 250-billion dollars, will put hopes for swift passage of the Farm Bill in jeopardy. The Senate Ag Committee hearing is scheduled for 8:30 A-M/Central on Thursday.

CRESTON, Iowa – March 14, 2023 – If you are driving on U.S. 59 in Mills and Pottawattamie counties in the coming weeks you may notice some construction work taking place on the roadway between U.S. 34 near Emerson and Iowa 92 near Carson.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 20, weather permitting, construction crews will work on finishing up asphalt paving work that began last year. To get the work done, crews will need to take the road down to one lane. To help move traffic safely through the work zone, there will be flaggers and a pilot car from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays until completed on Friday, May 5. There’s also a 12-foot lane restriction while this work is being done.

Help keep everyone on the road safer. Drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, you should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

The latest traveler information is available anytime through the 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or Twitter (find links at https://iowadot.gov/511/511-social-media-sites); or download the free app to your mobile device.

(Anita, Iowa) – Members of the CAM School District’s Board of Education met in a regular session Monday evening. Superintendent Paul Croghan told KJAN News there were numerous resignations.

Croghan explains why there were so many resignations for the end of the current school year.

Croghan says some of those resignations will fit into the Board’s plan to close a District attendance center.

The Board voted to approve Sitelogiq as the architectural firm for the District’s facilities, and to enter into a contract with the firm for any kind of future needs.

And, Superintendent Croghan reports that on Wed., March 15^th, in the High School Commons, the Facilities Committee will be taking public comments on the closing of a district facility.

He asks everyone to attend Wednesday’s presentation, if at all possible. The CAM School Board will receive the Committee’s official recommendation during their regular meeting in April.

(Creston, Iowa) – A woman from Creston was arrested at around 6:11-p.m., Monday. Creston Police report 46-year-old Elizabeth Lea Reents was arrested at 900 N. Chestnut Street on a charge of Disorderly Conduct-Loud Raucous Noise. She was transported to the Union County Jail and later released on a $300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University study finds the size and number of small farms in Iowa is dwindling, while the size and number of commercial farms is exploding. Professor David Peters, an extension rural sociologist at I-S-U, defines a small farm as being about 300 acres. Those small farm numbers are down 27-percent and the acreages farmed by those small operators shrunk by nearly 50-percent.

As for large commercial farms, of between two- and four-thousand acres, their numbers doubled while the farmland that they operated expanded by some 75-percent. Peters says whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on your point of view. Larger farms tend to be more efficient and produce large amounts of commodities at relatively better prices, but he says Iowa is in danger of losing its agricultural legacy.

(Poweshiek, County, Iowa) – A crash involving three vehicles in eastern Iowa left one person dead and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened just before 2-p.m. at the intersection of Highways 6 and 63, east of Grinnell. The Patrol says a 2014 Buick Encore was traveling south on Highway 63 when the unidentified driver failed to stop at the intersection with Highway 6.

The car struck a trailer being pulled by a 2008 Chevy Silverado pickup that was westbound on Highway 6. An eastbound 2011 Volvo semi struck the pickup’s trailer also, when the trailer was pushed into the eastbound lanes. The semi also struck the Buick, which came to rest in the north ditch and caught fire.

The other vehicles also came to rest in the north ditch. The driver of the Buick – who was wearing a seat belt – died at the scene. Their name was withheld pending notification of family. The driver of the semi, 73-year-old Steven M. Crow, of Marengo, was injured and transported by ambulance to the hospital in Grinnell.

The crash remains under investigation.