(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Association of Realtors report for March shows buyers had more homes to choose from. The Association’s statewide housing analyst, Les Sulgrove, says that’s important. “Listing inventory is up about 25 percent over the same time a year ago in fact you know the first of April we’ve got over 62-hundred homes on the market across the state,” Sulgrove says. “So that’s really good news for home buyers, because in the past they’ve all been fighting for the same house.”

The number of homes sold in March was down by just under two percent. Sulgrove says that’s an indicator that the market is back to pre-covid conditions. “Sales are slightly down compared to the last couple of years but I think that’s the key right there is that you know we’re no longer in really that COVID market where everything is selling extremely fast,” he says.
Sulgrove says getting back to more of a normal pattern is good for everyone.

“It gives homebuyers that chance to think about our decision besides instead of just making one on the spot, it also encourages homeowners that are sitting on the sidelines waiting to either jump into market as a seller themselves, they have that confidence knowing that you know they’re not going to maybe be out of a home if they sell their so quickly,” Sulgrove says. Interest rates are higher than they were a few years ago, but he says right now the key is those rates have been stable.

“A lot of homebuyers you know don’t want to make a decision when rates are either going up or going down, but as long as they’re kind of in that same stability that gives them the confidence to know what their payments going to be without the fear of you know moving target,” he says. Sulgrove says “As soon as school gets out homeowners have a chance to really focus on selling their home and like you said making that move between now and the beginning of school,” Sulgrove says. “So this is our busiest time of the year and I don’t expect any difference in that moving forward.”

He says there is more optimism now in the housing market then there has been as they move forward this spring.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is firing new criticism at the Pentagon after an audit found tens of thousands of incidents where government workers inappropriately used federal pandemic dollars for personal expenses. Grassley, a Republican, says it’s a “slap in the face to the taxpayer” that millions of dollars in military spending is being so blatantly misspent.

“The Defense Department is the only agency, let me emphasize, the only agency of the gigantic federal bureaucracy that when they get an audit, they never get their audit certified,” Grassley says. “I’ve written so many times that they don’t have a financial control system.”

Grassley is demanding accountability from the Pentagon after an Inspector General’s report found DOD employees used government purchase cards to make more than 110,000 purchases, while more than 43,000 of those were “inappropriately justified as pandemic-related expenses.” Grassley says more than 57,000 of the orders lacked proper documentation, “raising the risk of additional unsupported purchases.” The report stretched from March of 2020 to January of 2022.

“The financial control system didn’t check on pandemic money that was supposed to be used for the pandemic and it ended up being used for personal use,” Grassley says. The senator says the questionable purchases and “irresponsible accounting” featured a range of items, including musical equipment, dental supplies, plumbing services, vehicle repair and even Nordic skiing machines. Grassley says the Pentagon has a long history of misspending.

“Something came up yesterday at one of my county meetings here,” Grassley says. “Somebody said, ‘Do you remember the $2,000 toilet seat?’ Well, it was really a $700 toilet seat, but that’s been 30 years ago.”

Grassley says when it comes to catching fraud, “the DOD’s internal controls are a complete failure.”

(Radio Iowa) – The body of a missing northwest Iowa trucker has been found a mile and a half from where his truck was found abandoned in November. The wife of 53-year-old David Schultz of Wall Lake says she suspects foul play in his death. Sarah Schultz spoke this (Thursday) morning at a news conference broadcast by KTIV TV.

She said also…

Schultz says she was notified at yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon that a body had been found. Schultz says law enforcement told her she would not recognize the body and she was shown her husband’s boots to make the identification. David Schultz’s disappearance sparked a massive search. Jake Rowley of Louisiana’s United Cajun Navy was involved in the search and joined the trucker’s wife at today’s (Thursday’s) news conference, explaining where Schultz’s body was found.

Rowley says his group did not search the field where Schultz’s body was found, but is familiar with the area. David Schultz’s wallet and cell phone were in his truck when it was found parked on a highway in rural Sac County.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports 43-year-old Roderick Alan Crawford Jr., who was convicted of Habitual Offender (Person) in Scott County, failed to report back to the Davenport Residential Corrections Facility as required Wednesday.

Crawford is 5-feet 9-inches tall and weighs 301-pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on April 1, 2024.

Persons with information on Crawford’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Roderick Alan Crawford Jr.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Atlantic Trees Forever have announced that spring tree vouchers are available beginning April 29th. The local Trees Forever organization says that with the past year’s weather we’ve experienced, many people are needing trees this spring. They ask that you please limit your request to one voucher per homeowner, so more people can get a start replacing trees that are being removed.

Tree vouchers are a great way to help with the cost of a tree to plant. The vouchers are for $30 off the cost of a tree, and can be obtained at the Atlantic Hy-Vee, 1630 E 7^th Street when you purchase a tree.

Dolly Bergmann, with Atlantic Trees Forever said there are a limited number of vouchers available. Those at the Hy-Vee garden center can help you determine what kind of tree would work best in the location you would like to plant a tree.

It is important to water the trees this spring and during the summer.

(Radio Iowa) – Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City has reached a settlement with international students who accused the school of human trafficking. The school’s board of directors has approved a three-million-dollar payment to 13 students from Chile who filed a lawsuit in November of 2020. The students who took part in what’s called the Federal J-1 student program and said they were promised a free two-year program with internships. But the students say they ended up doing jobs involving manual labor to pay off their tuition.

The college issued a statement that acknowledges the program did not meet its high standards, but denied the allegations in the lawsuit. A lawsuit is still pending against the Sioux City area companies involved with the program.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Firefighters in Atlantic responded to a reported garage fire this (Thursday) morning. The call about a fire at 511 Front Street went out at around 10:30-a.m. Crews obtained a quick knock-down of the flames in the metal structure, and by 10:50-a.m. only light gray smoke was observed coming from the garage. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel reports an investigation determined the cause of the fire was electrical-related.

Cappel thanked the Atlantic Police, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies and a crew from Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) who were on the scene to assist.

511 Front St. fire (Ric Hanson/photo)

The Cass County Community Foundation awarded $145,696.77 to Cass County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Spring 2024 Grant Cycle.
The following organizations are Spring 2024 Grant Recipients:

All grantees met the criteria as Cass County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible to apply. To inquire about donating to the Cass County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Advisory board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Kristi Burg, Gaylord Schelling, Sue Hunt, Sandy Bierbaum, Justin D. Hockenberry, and Mike Tibken.
For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Sarah Beth Ray, Iowa Foundations Advisor, at 800-794-3458 or sarahbeth@omahafoundation.org.