(Radio Iowa) – A bill introduced in the Iowa Senate would let state agencies hire private C-P-A firms to audit government spending rather than have the state auditor’s office do it. Senator Mike Bousselot, a Republican from Ankeny, says private C-P-As can audit state agencies in Illinois. “It is a flexibility that exists today for our cities. In fact the City of Des Moines, the largest city in our state, hires not the state auditor’s office — even though they could, but they hire a private CPA firm,” Bousselot says, “as well as the vast majority of school districts in our state.”

Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, says this is the second year in a row Republicans have introduced a bill to limit the authority of State Auditor Rob Sand.  “You know we can all act like there’s no elephant in the room, but there is. We have one Democrat elected statewide — one — and he’s the auditor, unfortunately for you because he’s the guy that can look in to see what the rest of yous are doing,” Bisignano said. “That seems to be a problem here now.”

John McCormally is chief of staff in the state auditor’s office. He told lawmakers it would likely cost the state five MILLION dollars more to have private C-P-As do the work that’s being done now by the state auditor’s office. “Voters make a choice for state auditor every four years and the author of this bill doesn’t like who they chose,” McCormally said, “so he wants to use more taxpayer money to hire somebody else.”

Marlys Gaston recently retired as the chief deputy in the financial audit division in the state auditor’s office. She worked for two Republican state auditors as well as Democrat Rob Sand and she’s raising concerns about the bill. “Allowing the departments to choose their independent auditor would, I think, eliminate economy and efficiency to begin with,” Gaston says. “…You’re increasing costs exponentially.”

A lobbyist for the Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants told lawmakers fewer C-P-A firms are willing to audit government agencies due to the nationwide shortage of C-P-As. Bousselot says letting state agencies hire private C-P-A firms for audits might boost the workforce. “The flexibility to hire ethical but private CPAs that are answerable to the same standards as a public CPA,…is something that we could leverage here at the state to get more CPAs and greater expertise in delivering audits for state government.”

The bill has cleared a Senate subcommittee and is likely to be approved by a Senate committee later today (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa) – The National Weather Service is seeking volunteers to be trained to be storm spotters for the spring severe weather season. Meteorologist Andrew Ansorge says spotter classes will begin next month. “This is just an opportunity for us to come out into the community and provide refresher training on spotter training, as well as for people who might be interested that haven’t taken it before. It gives them information about how to spot a storm safely and to report that information back to us here at the National Weather Service,” Ansorge says.

Ansorge said the first class will be held in southwest Iowa, and you can find out more about the classes online. “They can go to our website, weather.gov forward slash Des Moines and there’s a link at the top there that talks about storm spotting,” he says. The first class is on March 19th in Creston.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Montgomery County was arrested at the conclusion of a pursuit that began in northwest Missouri and ended in Page County. Authorities say 21-year-old Drake Leslie Brown, of Red Oak, faces charges of Eluding, Interference with official acts, Reckless Driving, and four scheduled motor vehicle violation citations. Brown was being held in the Page County Jail on a $2,000 cash-only bond.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says it was notified at around 1:46-a.m. Sunday, of a high speed pursuit that was entering the County on Highway 71. Officers with the Maryville, MO. Police Department and Deputies with the Nodaway County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, were pursuing the vehicle. Page County Deputies engaged in the pursuit on Highway 71 at 300th Street. The chase continued through southern Page County until Deputies lost sight of the vehicle.

Drake Brown

They later received a tip that the vehicle and two suspects were in Coin (Iowa). Following-up on the tip and after arriving at the suspect’s location, Brown was taken into custody. In addition to the aforementioned Missouri law enforcement agencies, Red Oak Iowa Police and Fremont County Iowa Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in handling the incident.

A charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting this (Wednesday) morning, acted on approving several matters, including: Taxable mileage in the amount of $112.22 (1,071 miles) Supervisor Matt Wedemeyer, who uses his own vehicle to conduct county business. The Supervisors renewed a Grove Township Cemetery mowing contract with Mike Mangels was renewed; They also acted on Homestead and Military Disallowances; and authorized Kelly Mitchell to use the County Recorder’s Credit Card.

They also approved publishing a “Notice of Intent” to Appoint Kelly Mitchell as Adair County Recorder. Auditor Mandy Berg…

In other business, Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg discussed with the Board, an Election Equipment Contract. The current equipment is nearly 10-years old. The Board unanimously approved the contract as presented.

They also approved a Software License Agreement and an Extended Warranty and Maintenance Agreement.

County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board Chair to sign, a contract and performance bond and liability insurance, with Henningsen Construction, for a HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) resurfacing project on Adair County Road P-33. Kauffman discussed with the Board a Summer Internship Program. The part-time position pays $15/hour.

And, he spoke about Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities. He said there will be two projects (one is bridge, the other is a concrete box culvert) up for letting on February 26^th. He said also they will be looking at vacating five different roads, beginning in April.

(Radio Iowa) – Members of the Iowa House are scaling back the governor’s plan to consolidate or eliminate 111 state boards and commissions. A bill that cleared a House subcommittee this (Wednesday) morning only focuses on the elimination of 49 boards or commissions. Republican Representative Jane Bloomingdale of Northwood is chair of the House State Government Committee.

“I didn’t feel like the committee or subcommittee had time to really look through, look at the mergers,” Bloomingdale says. “…I didn’t think it was fair to ask my committee to vote on something they didn’t have time to look at.” A review committee met last fall and made recommendations about streamlining state boards and commissions, but Governor Reynolds’ bill to implement those changes wasn’t released until Monday. Bloomingdale says she reviewed the commission’s recommendations, developed a plan that focuses on the obvious changes and sent it to all of the members of her committee on Sunday.

“Everyone looked at it — Democrats and Republicans — and this was the list we came up with and said: ‘Let’s start here,’ and as we have time the rest of session we’ll look at adding to this, ” Bloomingdale says. “We’ll look at the merger recommendations. We’ll look at a couple of these that we didn’t eliminate that we can eliminate, but at this point this is the consensus.” A Senate subcommittee will meet at noon today (Wednesday) to review the governor’s bill which would eliminate or merge 43 percent of state boards and commissions.

(Radio Iowa) – A 40-year-old Webster City man has been arrested by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department after a lengthy investigation into a fatal accident last fall.  Dustin Humlicek (HUM-leh-check) has been charged with homicide by vehicle operating while intoxicated, operating while under the influence and driving with a suspended license. The accident happened at about 3 a.m. on September 2nd near Webster City.

Authorities say Humlicek failed to stop at a stop sign, his pickup entered a ditch and came to rest in the yard of a home. Humlicek and a passenger, 48-year-old Kevin Beightol of Webster City were taken to Webster City’s hospital for treatment, then transported to hospitals in the Des Moines. Beightol, the passenger in the pickup, died later that same day.

A preliminary hearing for Humlicek is scheduled next Tuesday in Hamilton County Magistrate Court.