w/ Ric Hanson
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Refund checks to Iowa taxpayers next year may not go out as promptly as they have in the past. Iowa Department of Revenue Director Courtney Kay-Decker says the slow down on the refund process is expected as her agency cracks down on fraud. “I hate to tell you, but I think we are going to slow that process down just a touch because we would like to make sure that we have the opportunity to do more front-end fraud checks,” Kay-Decker said at a recent Statehouse budget hearing. “It’s something we’re always working on and trying to keep on top of…whatever is the latest fraud.”
The director was reluctant to share information about how many tax filers they’ve caught asking for refunds they’re not entitled to. “I do know we’ve stopped significant amounts of fraud. The criminals are always trying to be one step ahead of you and we don’t want them to know what we’re doing – other than that we’re doing it and we’re continuing to do more and more,” Kay-Decker said.
Governor Branstad praised the agency for its efficiency in issuing refunds in the past. Branstad said last year he got his state refund back well before his federal check arrived.
(Radio Iowa)
Thousands of community college students are learning this month that they’re receiving financial aid from a new state program that’s designed to address a skilled workforce shortage in Iowa. Heather Doe, with the Iowa College Student Aid Commission, says roughly 4,400 students will be the first recipients of an Iowa Skilled Workforce Tuition Grant. “It’s kind of a surprise to many of these students who are just finding out now that they’re receiving some assistance to help them this Fall and next Spring towards their tuition and fees,” Doe said.
The program is also referred to as the Kibbie Grant after former Iowa Senate President Jack Kibbie of Emmetsburg. Kibbie sponsored the bill that created the grant during the 2012 session. Students may quality for a grant if they’re from Iowa, are enrolled in at least 3 credit hours in a qualified course of study, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year, and demonstrate a high level of financial need. The minimum Kibbie Grant award is one-half of the average Iowa community college tuition and mandatory fees per year. The maximum amount a student can receive is $2,040.
Doe notes a wide variety of programs at Iowa community colleges are covered by the program. “All sorts of fields in health care, computer science and technology, but also a lot of technical programs like machinists, plumbers, welders, carpenters and sustainable energy,” Doe said. Iowa Workforce Development estimates around half of all jobs in the state require an associate’s degree, certification or apprenticeship training — but only 33 percent of Iowa workers have such skills.
(Radio Iowa)
October broke a string of drier than normal months, but State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the wet trend didn’t last long as November turned dry again. “Statewide average precipitation was just a little bit over an inch — one-point-seven inches to be exact,” Hillaker says. “And that’s basically just a little bit better than half of what’s normal for the month of November. And definitely not what we want to be seeing given the dry weather we’ve already had here in 20012.”
In Atlantic, we received Six-tenths of an inch of precipitation in November, which was .83” below normal. Hillaker says only a few areas of the state saw better than average precipitation. “Kind of along a line from south-central up into northeast Iowa,” Hillaker says. But he says the northwest half of the state was especially dry, with some areas seeing only about three-tenths of an inch of rain.
The air was drier and warmer in November. “The month is going to end up being about two-and-a-half degrees warmer than normal, and we’re actually split fairly evenly as far as cooler and warmer than usual days. But the half that were warmer, some of them were way warmer than normal, and so the month as a whole is going to be a little big on the warm side for November, but nothing unusual as far as weather rankings go,” according to Hillaker.
The average high for the month in Atlantic was 53-degrees, which was 5-degrees warmer than normal. The average low was 27, which was 1-degree warmer than normal. The warmest day was Nov. 10th, when Atlantic reached 75-degrees. The coolest high for the month was 30-degrees on the 20th. That same date saw the coldest low, at 6-degrees above zero. The warmest temperature for the month in Iowa was 79 degrees on November 10 at Little Sioux in Harrison County, while Stanley in Buchanan County hit five degrees for the low on November 27th.
(Radio Iowa & KJAN News Director Ric Hanson compiled the weather data)
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) – William “Walkin’ Willie” Perkins was given a final farewell by friends in Nebraska City as his funeral procession left downtown and headed to southwest Iowa for his burial. The Lincoln Journal Star says Perkins was 79 when he died Nov. 27 at a Lincoln hospital. He’d been struck hit by a car on Nov. 6 in Nebraska City. Friends say Perkins got the nickname because he used to walk 16 miles from Hamburg, Iowa, to Nebraska City to work or pick up his mail.
Perkins became a downtown fixture, visiting friends in stores and offices, when he moved to Nebraska City 10 years ago. Gude Funeral Homes had encouraged people to turn out Friday to watch as the procession turned down Central Avenue. He was buried in Riverton, Iowa.
Here’s the Freese-Notis (Podcast) forecast for the KJAN listening area, and weather data for Atlantic…
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Aaron White tied his season high with 21 points as Iowa beat South Dakota 87-63 on Tuesday night. Devyn Marble added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Hawkeyes (7-2), who pulled away from the Coyotes with a 15-0 run at the end of the first half. Trevor Gruis scored 16 points to lead South Dakota (4-5).
Iowa controlled the interior with 54 points in the paint and a 50-31 rebounding margin. South Dakota nailed nine 3-pointers, including 5 of 8 to start the game. The Hawkeyes finished 2 of 16 from outside. Iowa native Casey Kasperbauer scored 14 points, making 4 of 8 from 3-point range for the Coyotes. Mike Gesell scored 12 points for Iowa. Adam Woodbury chipped in 10 points.
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Point guard Korie Lucious scored a season-high 17 points, Tyrus McGee added 16 off the bench and Iowa State beat Florida Gulf Coast 83-72 on Tuesday night. Melvin Ejim chipped in with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Cyclones (6-2), who’ve won two in a row ahead of Friday’s showdown in Iowa City with the rival Hawkeyes.
Iowa State pushed a slim halftime lead to 62-46 early in the second half and went on a late 15-4 run to put the Eagles out of reach. Chase Fieler had a game-high 18 points to lead Florida Gulf Coast (6-4), which had won two in a row.