Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is renewing his criticism of the Department of Defense for “wasting” enormous amounts of money. Grassley, a Republican, says a new audit of Pentagon spending has found hundreds of millions of dollars are unaccounted for. “That’s a shocking amount of money unaccounted for the taxpayers dollars,” Grassley says. “It oughta’ be a sin but it’s not in this town, I’m sorry to say.” The accounting firm Ernst & Young found that the D-O-D’s Defense Logistics Agency failed to properly document more than 800-million dollars in construction projects. Grassley says, “This is only one example of a series of audits within the Defense Department where there is not a complete record of expenditures.”

Grassley notes, the accounting firm is of no relation to Iowa Senator Joni Ernst or Iowa Congressman David Young. Across the board, Grassley says the Pentagon’s financial management “is so weak that its leaders and oversight bodies have no reliable way to track the huge sums it’s responsible for.”  “The number-one priority of the federal government is national defense,” Grassley says. “It’s critical we maintain our country’s military readiness but combat readiness can’t be an excuse for wasteful spending.”

The report comes at a critical time, Grassley says, since President Trump is proposing a boost in the military budget. Grassley says an audit of Pentagon spending in Afghanistan in 2016 also found hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted. “The Defense Department is required by law to produce a clean audit and the Department of Defense hasn’t been able to do that,” Grassley says. “I understand it’s the only department in the federal government that hasn’t been able to have what we call a quote-unquote clean audit.”

In a statement released Monday, Grassley says: “I think the odds of a successful DoD audit down the road are zero… They are doomed to failure before they ever get started.” Grassley says this latest audit raises new questions about whether the D-O-D can responsibly manage its $700-billion annual budget, let alone the additional billions President Trump plans to propose this month.

(Radio Iowa)

WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) — A second person has pleaded guilty for a fire that destroyed a Madison County historic covered bridge featured on the cover of the novel “The Bridges of Madison County.” Cedar Rapids television station KCRG reports that 18-year-old Joel Davis pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree arson.

Davis told authorities that he and two others set fire to the Cedar Bridge in April last year. Rebuilding the bridge will cost more than $500,000. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced April 16. Nineteen-year-old Alivia Bergmann also pleaded guilty to second-degree arson in December. She’s set to be sentenced in May.

The bridge, located near Winterset, was also featured in the 1995 movie adaptation of “The Bridges of Madison County.”

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on a probation violation warrant, of 28-year old Andrew Heath, of Hancock. Heath was arrested at the Sheriff’s Office Feb. 1st at around 10-a.m., and booked into the Pott. County Jail. A man already being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail was charged Monday afternoon with Violation of Parole. 27-year old Cody Lee McKenzie, of Council Bluffs, was read the warrant by a Deputy, and then returned to the custody of jail staff. And, warrant was served Monday on 29-year old Jeremy Bo Ariel Gil, of Council Bluffs, while he was serving time at the jail. The warrant was for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Gil was returned to the custody of jail staff after he was read the latest warrant against him.

The Board of Supervisors in Adair County will meet at their regular time, Wednesday morning, but at a different location. The meeting begins at 9-a.m., and takes place in the Adair County Engineer’s Conference Room at the Adair County Secondary Roads Building. During the session, the Board will review/discuss taxable meals, Township clerk wages, and the resignation/appointment of a Harrison Township Trustee.

The Board will also hear from Stacie Euken, with Midwest Partnership, and April Hughes, with Iowa Workforce Development, with regard to a Home Base Iowa Initiative Resolution. And, County Engineer Nick Kauffman will present his regular report, and contracts for the Adair County Supervisors to sign.

A third and final Public Hearing prior to a vote to Adopt an ATV/UTV Ordinance in Cass County, will take place 8:35-a.m. Wednesday, in Atlantic. The hearing is part of the regular weekly meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors, that begins at 8:30-a.m. in the Board Room at the Courthouse. During the previous two meetings, persons filled the chamber seating area, voicing their thoughts both for and against the Ordinance, which, if approved, would allow ATV’s and UTV’s to be used on designated Cass County roads, but also sets certain restrictions on the age of the machine operator and calls for the use of some extra safety equipment.

Last week set, the Supervisors were in agreement with the idea that 16-to 18-year old’s may operate the machines with certification, and they added rear-view mirrors as safety equipment. Gone from the latest version of the Ordinance, is a section restricting the speed to 35-miles per hour, and the use of tall orange safety flags. ATV’s and UTV’s may be used from one-hour before sunrise to one-hour after sunset, according to the proposed ordinance. Following the hearing, the Board will vote to Adopt the ATV ordinance.

In other business, the Supervisors will act on approving a Crow River Construction application for partial payment Number 3, on the gray water transmission line to the ethanol plant currently under construction. They’ll also receive, as available, Cass County Department Head reports.