(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Representatives with the Iowa West Foundation are once again hitting the road and taking their Grants Workshop to another rural community – this time to Harlan on July 31st. The hope is that the workshop makes it easier for the non-profits and government entities in the IWF greater funding region, to access information on how to apply in person and hear directly from IWF program officers about budget inquiries and the grants management system, among other topics, in advance of the third and final funding cycle of 2024. Here is the link to register. https://bit.ly/iwfHarlan.

The grants workshop will be held on July 31st from 9-until 10:30-a.m., In-Person ONLY. It will not be offered on Zoom.Venue details will be shared upon registration. Registrations will be accepted until noon on Friday, July 26 or until registrations meet our workshop’s maximum capacity.

Ideally, attendees will come to the grants workshop with a specific grant idea in mind. They will have an opportunity to:

• hear from program officers,
• ask questions about the grant application process,
• work through budget inquiries, and
• learn about the IWF new grants management system.

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon City Council met in a regular session Monday evening, and discussed the use of personal fireworks within the City. It was noted in the minutes of the meeting, that there have been many complaints regarding the discharging of fireworks. Councilman Richardson motioned and Councilman Grabill seconded, an amendment to Ordinance No. 739, entitled “Fireworks,” to read that a person shall be at least 100-feet away from a neighboring property to discharge a fireworks device, unless consent has been given. The motion passed. The Council acted also, to permit the use of fireworks on July 3rd and 4th from 6-until 10-p.m.  Fireworks will no longer be allowed on New Year’s Eve.

In other business, the Audubon City Council approved the installation of Stop and Yield sign(s) at the intersection of 3rd Ave. & Chicago St. to match the intersection of 3rd Ave. & South. Audubon Police Chief Coby Gust discussed with the Council the topic of speed signs on Highway 71 (Market St.). Chief Gust said the Iowa D.O.T. will need to remove the 30-mph signs, and then do a speed survey to determine if the 30-mph signs are necessary.

Audubon Parks and Rec Board member Ashley Hartl told the Council that there will be a zip line installed at Bluegrass Park (Dinosaur Park). Hartl was going to check also, to see if it is possible to get AED certification for the lifeguards.

(Radio Iowa) – All of members of Iowa’s U-S House delegation voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act that prevents non-citizens from registering to vote in U-S federal elections. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says the bill strengthens the election process. “This bill will prevent illegal immigrants and non-citizens from voting in U-S elections by requiring our state election officials to ask about citizenship before providing voter registration forms. It would require an individual to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections,” Hinson says. The Republicans from Marion says voting is a sacred right.

“Only American citizens should be able to vote in American elections,” she says. “I will continue working on common sense election integrity measures that make it easy for American citizens to vote and hard to cheat.” Hinson says the Biden Administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into our country and wants to maintain loopholes that them to vote. Only five Democrats voted for the measure, as Democrats who voted against it say the number of voters who illegally vote is very small. Hinson says if Democrats believe illegals should not vote, they should support this measure.

“It’s a vital election integrity issue. It still protects states’ rights to run their own elections, but it makes sure that people understand that their vote counts and that the integrity of their vote counts,” she says. Hinson made her comments in her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Red Oak Police Department reports a Fremont County woman was arrested this (Thursday) morning. 45-year-old Christie Marie Alley, of Randolph, was taken into custody a little after 9-a.m. in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street. She was charged with Public Intoxication and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where Alley’s bond was set at $300.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau report a woman from Bondurant was sentenced July 2nd, following her plea of guilty to Tampering with Records (an Aggravated Misdemeanor). 39-year-old Sarah Rahm received a deferred sentence and was placed on probation for a period of two years. Rahm was also ordered to pay a civil penalty of $855.

The investigation began in March 2024 after the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau received information indicating Rahm made willful misrepresentations regarding her pet’s medical history and then falsified the onset date of a claimed medical condition in connection with an insurance claim.

Sarah Rahm (Photo courtesy of the Polk County Jail)

The investigation concluded that Rahm was aware of her pet’s medical condition before purchasing a pet insurance policy, which required a five-day waiting period for accidents. On the sixth day after the policy commenced, Rahm submitted a claim to the insurance company for the medical condition, misrepresenting the date of injury in an attempt to obtain $593.15 in coverage for a pre-existing condition. Rahm was arrested on May 3, 2024.

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

OSKALOOSA, Iowa — An Oskaloosa school administrator died earlier this week in an apparent drowning in Lake Michigan.The Mason County, MI, Sheriff’s Office reports 44-year-old Mark Scholes, of Oskaloosa, was seen struggling Tuesday afternoon in the water at Lake Michigan at the Ludington State Park. Authorities say several people entered the water in an effort to assist Scholes, but by the time they reached him, he had already slipped under the surface. The citizens who responded were able to locate the Scholes under the surface and pull him to a raft, and then to shore where CPR was started.

Several people entered the water in an attempt to help him, the sheriff’s office said, and pulled him onto a raft after he slipped under the surface and then to shore, where they performed CPR. Mark Scholes was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Oskaloosa Middle School Principal Mark Scholes (from the school district’s website)

The Oskaloosa Community School District confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Scholes was the district’s middle school principal. Scholes started with the district as an associate principal in 2013. He became principal of the middle school in 2019, according to the district.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa [KCCI-TV] – Eight one-week-old puppies were rescued by the Midlands Humane Society after being found abandoned in a cardboard box near the Wabash Trail in Council Bluffs. KCCI says according to the shelter, a Good Samaritan walking on the trail heard the puppies crying and investigated the “distressing noise.” She took the puppies home to care for them on Tuesday evening before calling Pottawattamie County Animal Control, which then took the puppies to the shelter on Wednesday.

Officials with the Midlands Humane Society said each puppy was evaluated and is in fair to good health. “This was very fortunate,” MHS said in a press release, “as it was uncertain just how long the puppies had been left outside in the elements to fend for themselves with temperatures in the low to mid-80s.” The puppies are in “loving foster homes” and receiving round-the-clock care, the shelter added. They will need to be bottle-fed every two to three hours for now. The puppies, whose breed is unknown at this time, will be available for adoption within the next couple of months.

There is no open investigation into who left the puppies near the trail at this time, according to Midlands Humane Society. Pottawattamie County Animal Control said there is not enough information to open an investigation at this time.

(Radio Iowa) – Spencer officials estimate about 80 percent of the more than five-thousand homes, business and other structures in their city were hit by flooding or backed up sewer water last month. Spencer Mayor Steve Bomgaars says 30 percent of Spencer businesses have been impacted by the disaster. “What we want to do is help our residents get back into their homes, if at all possible, but we also want to retain our small businesses,” Bomgaars says. “We want to help them as much as we can to keep them here.” Bomgaars made his comments late Wednesday after he and about three dozen local leaders met with Governor Kim Reynolds and other state officials to talk about flood recovery concerns.

Spencer is the largest community in Clay County and federal officials say over 15-hundred households in Clay County already have been approved for federal disaster assistance. John Mills, a spokesman for FEMA, says his agency has provided over 16 MILLION dollars to Clay County flood victims. “That’s to help with serious needs, pay for a temporary place to live, for home repairs, for help in replacing personal property that was destroyed,” Mills says. As of today, about 50 people are living in a Red Cross shelter in Spencer. A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Spencer is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“I’ve visited Spencer a few times since the flooding happened and it’s very clear that for a lot of people this is going to be a challenging recovery,” Mills says. Mills says FEMA staff at the Disaster Recovery Center are able to help residents apply for government assistance and Small Business Administration disaster loans. “FEMA can also make referrals to charities, non-profits and faith-based organizations that are actively working in northwest Iowa right now to help people recover,” Mills says.

Over 50 Clay County residents who had federal flood insurance have already filed claims. Spencer experienced the worst flooding by both the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers since 1953. The waterways converge through the main part of town.

(Reporting by George Bower, KICD, Spencer and Sheila Brumer, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – A new report finds nearly a quarter of Iowa workers make less than 17-dollars an hour, what’s considered a living wage. The non-profit Oxfam America says 24-point-2 percent of Iowa workers make less than that wage, which is slightly higher than the national average of 23 percent. Oxfam senior researcher Kaitlin Henderson says the report also found Iowans of color are significantly more likely to earn low wages as compared to national numbers. “The national average, 35% of black women earn low wages. In Iowa, that number jumps up to 47%,” Henderson says. “In national averages, nearly 40% of Latino women earn low wages. In Iowa, we see that number jump up to 45%.”

Henderson says 17-dollars an hour is the living wage needed to afford the basic costs of running a household. “If you’re making less than 17, it becomes increasingly difficult to afford basic costs of living,” she says, “ranging from, of course, childcare, but also things like food, transportation, housing.” Henderson says Iowa hasn’t raised its minimum wage in 15 years. It’s currently $7.25 an hour, which is the minimum wage requirement set by the federal government.

(story contributed by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)