The Omaha World-Herald reports an Iowa judge has granted the state’s request to appoint a receiver for two southwest Iowa care homes to ensure the government gets money it says it’s owed. The State alleges Faith Ridge Life Center of Malvern and Kevington Lane in Sidney owe the Iowa Department of Human Services hundreds of thousands of dollars in Medicaid funds. District Court Judge Mary Pat Gunderson also has ordered the homes to disclose all of their property and liabilities and ordered them to not transfer any property.Faith Ridge is a 51-bed nursing home, and Kevington Lane is a 21-bed residential care  facility, serving those who need a lower level of care than a nursing home. Both properties are owned by Mary Morse-Bolton of Plattsmouth, Neb. Iowa has already suspended payment of Medicaid funds to the facilities.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press …

A Shelby County man was injured and fled the scene of a crash Thursday night on Interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County. The Iowa State Patrol says 37-year old Ryan Schwery, of Earling, was found at the Country Inn in Shelby following a collision between his SUV and a van on I-80 westbound, about a mile west of the Shelby exit at around 8:45-p.m.  Schwery was transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan for treatment of minor injuries before being taken into custody and transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail. The Patrol’s report did not indicated what charges were filed against Schwery.

Officials say the 1991 Chevy Blazer Schwery was driving, was experiencing engine problems and was traveling below the posted minimum speed (40-mph), when a 2008 Dodge Sprinter van driven by 24-year old Tyler Mark of Lincoln, NE, approached from behind. Mark swerved to avoid hitting the SUV but was unable to prevent the collision. The impact spun the Blazer off the road to the right before it rolled over into the north ditch and came to rest upright. The van spun out and came to rest in the north ditch.

Shenandoah native Monte Shaw, Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, officially threw his hat into the ring in the campaign for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, a seat being vacated by Republican Representative Tom Latham, who announced in December he would not be running for re-election. Shaw made his announcement during stops Thursday in Red Oak, Corning, Glenwood, Adel, Perry and Atlantic.

Monte Shaw

During a visit to the KJAN studios, Shaw said his focus is winning the June 3rd Primary, by setting himself apart from the other Republican candidates by proving he’s the best person to advocate for Iowans. He said he’s spent the last 20-years working for Iowans, advocating for the protection of Senior Citizens and working on Renewable Fuels issues that are important to Iowa’s future.

Shaw says one of the biggest advocacy skills he has in knowing how to negotiate over the “fine points, but knowing when to stand and fight on principle.” Shaw says he will stand-firm on getting spending under control and getting rid of “Job killing regulations like Obamacare.” He says creating growth and jobs which create higher tax revenues and in turn will get the budget deficit under control so it doesn‘t continue to increase and become a burden for the younger generation. He says working together with other like-minded leaders in Washington will help to overcome the gridlock displayed over the past couple of years, especially with regard to the recently passed Farm Bill.

Shaw didn’t have much good to say about it, though. He says it was better than going back to 1940’s law, but it did not reform enough. Shaw says they got rid of direct payments, and they should have gotten rid of counter-cyclical payments. There’s still much work to be done on the Farm Bill, according to Shaw. Shaw says creating an environment for robust job creation will be his number one priority if he’s elected to Congress. That, he says, starts with less restrictions on the Ag industry. “That means having the government stop whip lashing them [farmers] with embargos or new EPA restrictions that make no sense, or even undermining the Renewable Fuels standard.”

He says passing “Silly regulations like Obamacare” has caused many small business owners and those looking to expand, to hold-off on investing in expansion and hiring more workers, because of the uncertainty on how much the Affordable Care Act will cost them.