The president of the Iowa Association of Realtors is touting a program launched this year that’s designed to make it easier for Iowans to save for their first home. Mark Kamps says a bill signed into law last year allows individuals or couples to save money in a tax-deductible savings account to go toward the purchase of a home. “So, first-time buyers or any buyer who hasn’t owned a home in the previous three years are going to be able to put away $2,000 per year, for an individual, for a maximum of 10 years,” Kamps said. “If it’s a married couple, they can put away up to $4,000 per year for a 10-year time period.”

There’s no limit on annual contributions to a First Time Home Savings Account, but tax deductions are capped at contribution totals of $4,000 for married joint filers and $2,000 for all other filers. “Our hope is that’ll help young people get started saving toward that first purchase and encourage them to do so, so they’ll have a down payment when the time comes,” Kamps said. The new program is similar to the popular College Savings Iowa program. Kamps notes contributions can be made to a First Time Home Savings Account for up to 10 years, though he doubts most people looking to purchase their first home will wait that long. “But, parents or grandparents could start putting away money for their children to purchase a home in 10 years. That way, they could get the tax deduction for that time period, as long as their child purchases a house in the State of Iowa,” Kamps said.

(Radio Iowa)

A recent report shows ten-percent of all Americans lack access to high-speed internet service, but 39-percent of -rural- Americans lack that same access. Iowa is the nation’s 38th most-connected state, according to the study from Broadband Now-dot-com. U-S Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says one of his priorities in the 2018 Farm Bill is connecting America through better rural broadband coverage. Perdue says, “We want to take the federal spending, that, along with state and local spending as well as the private sector, and focus them strategically like a laser in how we go across this country with a multi-year plan of becoming ubiquitous with broadband coverage across the country.”

Backers say broadband provides access to a range of resources, services and products, including: Telehealth & telemedicine, economic development, public safety, education and entertainment. Perdue says he wants the U-S-D-A to help spearhead the effort in getting broadband coverage to even the most remote parts of the country. “We think we can be a facilitator to get this done,” Perdue says. “We will continue to push because I think it’s that important for rural America. If you’re really talking about the quality of life for rural America, then broadband has to be a part of that.”

The Broadband Now report shows 21-percent of Iowans are underserved by their internet provider.

(Radio Iowa)

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Voters will decide on a proposed $25.5 million bond issue to pay for improvements at Iowa Central Community College. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports the bond issue on Tuesday’s ballot would pay for work at facilities in Eagle Grove, Fort Dodge, Storm Lake and Webster City. Voters in Buena Vista, Calhoun, Greene, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Sac, Webster and Wright counties will decide on the request. To be enacted, the bond needs approval by 60 percent of people who cast ballots.

If approved, the measure would increase property taxes by $12 a year for the owner of a $100,000 home. Projects that would be financed by the bond include a new student center in Fort Dodge, a new industrial training facility in Storm Lake and a new biofuels testing lab.

GEORGE, Iowa (AP) — One person has died in a house fire in the small northwest Iowa city of George. George Fire Chief Bill Sprock says the fire started early Sunday and took firefighters several hours to extinguish. He says crews from six communities helped fight the fire, which was complicated by cold temperatures that caused water from the trucks to repeatedly freeze.

Officials didn’t immediately identify the person killed in the fire. George is a city of about 1,000 people, located about 40 miles north of Le Mars.

The Iowa Caucuses are tonight (Monday). These precinct-level meetings are national news every four years when participants make their presidential picks, but Iowa’s two major political parties hold Caucuses in EVERY election year. The leaders of both parties say they expect newly-engaged people to show up tonight (Monday). Iowa Democratic Party chairman Troy Price. “There’s a lot of energy out there,” Price says. “and then, on top of that, with the crowded primaries we have in some of our congressional races and our gubernatorial race, you know there’s interest in the caucuses because this is the first step to electing delegates to our state convention.”

If none of the Democratic candidates running for governor win 35 percent of the vote in June’s primary, the party’s nominee will be selected by delegates at the state convention. Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann expects some of the first-time G-O-P voters who cast ballots for Trump in 2016 to show up at the Republican caucuses tonight (Monday). “People that go to these caucuses can expect, if they have something to say about an issue, they’re going to have a chance to say it. They’re going to have a chance to talk about it and discuss it. There’s going to be back and forth,” Kaufmann says. “I mean, it really is a true conversation.”

These philosophical debates are the opening round in development of the party’s platform — the document that outlines the policies each party formally embraces. “Caucuses are the best way to give the grassroots a chance to speak,” Kaufmann says. Price says there’s one other wrinkle in the Democratic Party’s process that could play out tonight (Monday). Participants at each caucus site have the option of splitting into “preference groups” related to candidates in a specific race — like the contest for governor — or on issue that’s dividing the group to see where the majority lies. “We’ve been training and making sure our folks know that process,” Price says “so that’s going to be something to watch for.”

Participants in tonight’s (Monday’s) caucuses may find themselves being asked to sign petitions, too. Candidates are required to collect a specific number of signatures on nominating petitions in order to have their names printed on the June primary ballots.

To locate your caucus site, click on the following link:

Republicans… https://www.iowagop.org/2018/01/10/2018-iowa-gop-precinct-locations/

Democrats… https://iwillvote.com/locate/?locale=en&state=IA

The meetings begin at 7 p.m.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A proposal in the Iowa Legislature to lessen penalties for people who possess small amounts of marijuana could save the state money and reduce what groups say is racial injustice, yet its chances of advancing this session are unclear. The bill would make first offense possession of marijuana that’s five grams or less a simple misdemeanor instead of a serious misdemeanor, reducing jail time and court fees for a person facing the charge.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Abortion legislation emerges as a hot topic as state legislatures get back to work around the country. Republicans seek to ban abortions after a certain point in pregnancy and prohibit a common procedure used in late-term abortions. The National Right to Life Committee has drafted model legislation that it hopes will be viewed favorably if appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former dentist who had operated clinics in West Des Moines and Des Moines has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for drug and gun convictions. The Des Moines Register reports that 39-year-old Shawn Michael Kerby was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for obtaining hydrocodone by misrepresentation and being a user and addict of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines man has been sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison for killing a puppy by snapping its neck. The Des Moines Register reports that 26-year-old Christopher Vogel was sentenced Thursday and ordered to pay a $650 fine. Police say Vogel went to a friend’s apartment and asked the neighbors if he could use their Wi-Fi password, then killed their 12-week-old dog when they refused his request.