(Cedar Rapids) – In an update to our earlier report, the Iowa State Patrol late Thursday identified the driver of a semi who died in an eastern Iowa weather-related accident, as being from Pottawattamie County. 58-year-old Brian Jensen, from Council Bluffs, was driving a 2020 Freightliner semi was traveling south on Highway 151 in Benton County at around 8:30-p.m., Wednesday, when the truck/trailer was struck by a strong gust of wind and went out of control.

The vehicle rolled onto its side and came to rest in the east ditch. Jensen – who was not wearing a seat belt – died from his injuries. The accident remains under investigation. The State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Norway and Fairfax Fire Departments.

(Radio Iowa) – Various interest groups lobbied for their preferred approach to tax changes during the hour-long virtual budget hearing Governor Kim Reynolds hosted this afternoon. Reynolds did not reveal her own plans, but made it clear she will propose tax cuts of some kind. “We’re not competitive. We’re not where we need to be,” Reynolds said. “I’m looking forward to working with the legislature and passing generational tax relief…and we absolutely should be moving in that direction.”

Chris Hagenow of Iowans for Tax Relief got the first speaking slot and called for “permanent reductions” in personal income tax rates. “Secondly, we think there’s an opportunity to make some progress on property taxes, specifically through a truth-in-taxation, direct notification system,” Hagenow said, “to give Iowans the tools to understand when their property taxes are going to be increased.”

A new Utah law requires citizens be notified when a city, county or school district intends to raise property taxes and be invited to a public hearing to voice concerns.

Some representatives of business groups urged the governor to cut corporate income taxes. Jessica Hyland of the Iowa Biotechnology Association urged Reynolds to maintain tax breaks for investors in start-up companies and the research and development tax credit for corporations. “We just hope you’ll kind of keep those in mind and keep those strong as you’re looking at overall tax reform,” Hyland said.

Others spoke in general terms, using phrases like” tax equity” for businesses. “AGC encourages tax policy that allows businesses to compete vigorously in worldwide market,” said Scott Newhard of the Associated General Contractors of Iowa

Sharon Presnall of the Iowa Bankers Association brought up the long-running dispute over the different ways banks and credit unions are taxed. “In the financial services sector, for example, we have vast difference in what financial service providers pay in income taxes,” she said, “and that inequity skews the competitive marketplace and it makes the task of delivering tax reform for all Iowans more difficult.”

Banks pay a state tax on their profits. Credit unions pay a state tax on their reserves. The Republican-led Senate voted to change that in 2018, but Republicans in the House — led by one of their own GOP members — rejected the idea.

(Radio Iowa) – Members of Sioux City’s 185th Iowa Air Guard refueling wing put together holiday care packages to send to the family members who have a member of the unit on deployment. Master Sergeant Stephanie Bowen says the 185th Family Readiness Office led the effort as a way to recognize the contributions made by family members during the holiday season.

“It isn’t just a member who is leaving — it also the family who is left behind and also taking on new roles,” she says. Bowen says every deployed member has already received care packages from other organizations and 185th wanted to use some of the many donated items to do something for the unit family members.

Putting together Care pkgs

“We have anything from your drink mixes to candy bars to toys. Carmel corn came from the Boy Scouts — which was amazing. We had toiletry items that were donated as well, so we were able to put those in those packages for the members’ families,” she says, “just to let them know that we are thinking about them at this time while their members are deployed.” They put together 50 packages that will be delivered to the families this week.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Thursday, reported that school districts are learning of an anonymous, nationwide threat against schools that is being shared on social media platforms. The general threat toward all U.S. schools declares Friday, Dec. 17, as “American School Shooting Day.” The posts warn about the possibility of nationwide shootings or bomb threats associated with this day.

School safety is a top priority for the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The Department is aware of this general threat and the Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center is working with law enforcement partners to assess and analyze open source reporting for specific threats.

“At this time, we are not seeing any specific or credible threats towards any schools in Iowa, but we are continuing to diligently monitor the situation,” said Assistant Director of the Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Pat Waymire. “No division within the Iowa Department of Public Safety has received any requests for assistance.”

Parents and guardians are encouraged take this opportunity to talk with their students about the appropriate use of social media, and the seriousness and resulting consequences of making any kind of threat. If anyone sees something suspicious, please report it to local law enforcement.

WASHINGTON – Today (Thursday), President Joe Biden signed a bill co-sponsored by Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Marine Corporal Daegan Page from Red Oak, Iowa. The bipartisan legislation awards the Congressional honor to all thirteen U.S. servicemembers who were killed while protecting civilians at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.

Axne said “I’m proud to see the service and bravery of Marine Corporal Daegan Page honored today with the Congressional Gold Medal. Corporal Page made the ultimate sacrifice in Kabul this summer while protecting innocent civilians and his fellow servicemembers – and though I wish that this honor could return Corporal Page to his parents and his grateful nation, I hope his family and friends know that his service and bravery will never be forgotten.”

Daegan Page. (Photo from the FB memorial page.)

“The selfless actions of this young man and the twelve other service members who died alongside him were nothing short of heroic – and I’m glad that the measure that I co-sponsored to bestow this honor will now officially preserve his memory in our nation’s history forever.”

As of June 2021, the Congressional Gold Medal had only been awarded to 173 people or institutions since the award was created in 1776. In September, Rep. Axne voted to pass defense policy legislation that included an amendment co-sponsored by Axne to establish a memorial for the same thirteen servicemembers honored by today’s vote. Her office says Rep. Axne also recently led the Iowa delegation in the introduction of a resolution honoring the service and sacrifice of all Iowa servicemembers who served in Afghanistan over the past two decades.