DES MOINES — Today (Monday), Governor Kim Reynolds, along with 21 other Governors, sent a letter to President Biden vehemently opposing his plan to forgive federal student loans for millions of Americans.  “We support making higher education more affordable and accessible for students, but not at the expense of the American taxpayers,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Your plan will encourage more student borrowing, incentivize higher tuition rates, and drive-up inflation even further. These outcomes hurt everyone, but none more so than the millions of working-class Americans who’ve already paid off their loans or chosen not to borrow.”

The Governor’s Office says Currently, an estimated 16-17% of Americans have federal student loan debt that would be forgiven under the Biden Administration’s plan, shifting the burden of cost to each American taxpayer to the tune of more than $2,000 or $16 billion in total.  “Rather than addressing the high cost of tuition for higher education or working to lower interest rates for student loans, your plan kicks the can down the road and makes today’s problems worse for tomorrow’s students,” said Gov. Reynolds.

The Governors request the President immediately withdraw his student loan plan. You can read the full letter here.

Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to Governor Kim Reynolds spearheading a letter to President Biden opposing his plan to forgive a portion of student loan debt for millions of Americans:

“The burden of student loan debt has forced millions of Americans into terrible choices, like staying in a bad job or delaying needed medical care. Thankfully, President Biden’s decision to forgive thousands in student loan debt will put money back into the hands of people who keep our economy going.

“Now, Governor Kim Reynolds is once again displaying her hypocrisy and backwards logic. For years she has failed to adequately fund public schools, continuing to cut funding for Iowa’s public universities. At the same time, she has sent massive tax cuts to the companies that are price-gouging Iowa consumers.

“Reynolds is showing Iowans her true colors by railing against President Biden’s student loan forgiveness that is helping thousands of Iowans afford their bills and the things that matter most. Working families fuel our economy, but Corporate Kim is afraid of increasing taxes on the greedy companies that fund her campaign war chest. Iowa workers and families with student loan debt benefit from President Biden’s loan forgiveness. Iowans deserve a leader who supports working families and makes their lives better, not worse.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Heritage House on Thursday, September 9th, to celebrate the opening of the Gingery Café with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Kennedy Freund, Sales Director, introduced the Ambassadors to Barb Riley who came on board to the Food and Beverage Department in 2020 and is now the Chef for the newly opened Café. The café is located just inside the main entrance of the Heritage House Towers. The Café opened to residents on August 17th and has now officially opened to the public. The team at Heritage House want the Gingery Café to be a place where residents, family and community can gather for a long chat or a quick bite.

The Gingery Café provides both dine-in and grab-and-go breakfast items such as freshly made baked goods, burritos and biscuits and gravy. The café also features lunch items including, but not limited to, paninis, wraps, flatbread pizzas, salads and smoothies. Barb Riley also encourages community members to call ahead to arrange a carryout order. The Gingery Café is open Wednesday-Saturday, 7AM to 2PM.

Photo & info. courtesy of the Atlantic Chamber

For more information about the Gingery Café please call 712-243-9481. Menus are made available at the Gingery Café located at 1200 Brookridge Circle in Atlantic.

(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents plans to ask the Iowa Legislature for an increase of 32 million dollars for its next budget when they meet this week. The Regents say the additional funding is needed due to inflation and increased costs for everything from software, food, utilities, fuel, and wages. Information provided for the meeting in Cedar Falls Thursday says there is great concern about employee costs in a market heavily influenced by inflation, competition for talent, and labor shortages.

The Iowa Legislature increased university funding by five million dollars in the last budget — which was 15 million dollars short of what the Board of Regents requested. The Board then voted to raise tuition at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.

(Avoca, Iowa) – UPDATE 9/16/22: TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT! Thank you!

Seats are filling-up, but (as of today, Sept. 12) there is still space for you to sit at the table this weekend, in Avoca. This isn’t just any table, it’s Avoca Main Street’s “Longest Table.” Amber Mohr is the Executive Director of Avoca Main Street.

(As said: It takes place Saturday, Sept. 17th. Happy Hour begins 4-p.m. at the Avoca Legion Hall at 112 N Elm Street, and weather permitting, outside dining will take place from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are available at https://amslongesttable.brownpapertickets.com/ )

The meal consists of five courses designed and executed by Chef James Edward Calkins, from Milk & Honey Restaurant, in Harlan. Everything he uses is locally procured.

Paul Hart, versatile acoustic musician, will provide entertainment. The “Longest Table” was first held in 2016. Covid affected many restaurants as well as Avoca Main Street’s Longest Table, but Mohr says they were able to come up with a solution to still bring a taste of unique food to residents in the area. 

There were safety concerns last year, but once again organizers were able to work around them.

Masks are optional. Anyone who feels sick is encouraged to check your symptoms and not attend, especially if you have COVID, or have tested positive for Covid, even if you don’t have any symptoms. Servers, Mohr said, WILL be masked.

The Avoca Main Street Longest Table event is designed to celebrate the rural city’s agricultural heritage, enhance community fellowship, and recognize the farmers who provide local produce for the seasonal Avoca Main Street Farmers Market. The event was recognized in 2020 by the Iowa Tourism Awards for “Best Rural Event,” and in 2018 by the Main Street Iowa Awards as “Exceptional Special Event.”

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report nine arrests occurred over the past few days. At around 9:41-p.m. Saturday, 43-year-old Kimberly Morgan, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in Creston, and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Morgan was cited and released at the scene, on a promise to appear in court. At around 3:15-p.m., Saturday, Douglas Edward Woodward, III, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in Creston. He was charged with Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order, and held without bond until seen by a Magistrate. Also arrested on Saturday, in Creston, was 36-year-old Erminio Velasquez Alvarado, of Texas, who was take into custody at the Highway 24 and S. Walnut Street. Alvarado was charged with OWI/1st offense, and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond (c/s).

At around 2:30-a.m. Friday, Creston Police arrested 38-year-old Lee Ryan Fowler, of Creston, for Interference with Official Acts, and Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. He was arrested at his residence and transported to the Union County Jail. Fowler was later released on a $600 (c/s) bond. Friday evening, Creston Police arrested 37-year-old Dusty Levi Champlin, of Creston, for Driving While Barred. He was later released on a $2,000 (c/s) bond.

Thursday night, 22-year-old Hugo Eduardo Hernandez, of Dallas, TX, was arrested at the Casey’s Store in Creston, located on Highway 34. Hernandez was charged with Disorderly Conduct – loud and raucous noise. He was released from the Union County Jail after Time-Served. Thursday evening, 37-year-old Jackie Lee Marler, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. He was wanted on a Union County warrant for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order, and later released on a $500 (c/s) bond.

Thursday morning, Creston Police arrested 34-year-old Casey David Mitchell, of Thayer, on a Union County warrant for Child Endangerment. Mitchell was later released on a $2,000 (c/s) bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The Department of Natural resources has been holding meetings on discuss possible changes or improvements to the process of disposing of used wind turbine blades. The D-N-R’s Aime Davidson says there are regulations in place already for disposing of the blades — but she says there are still challenges. “They’re really large and really strong, so they’re hard to manage at the landfills in those large pieces. And I think there is also desire to recycle them, obviously as they’re a green energy,” she says. “And so kind of similar situation figuring out exactly how you do that has been difficult.” She says there have been some solutions worked out.

“Landfilling — I think they’ve gotten to a point where if they’re cut down into small enough pieces, they’re able to manage them just like any other waste. So that’s good,” Davidson says. “As far as recycling, I do know that there are a few places where they grind them up and are potentially using them as a substitute for aggregate and concrete mixes.” She says those concrete mixes are used for parking areas and planters. Davidson there’s continued work on figuring out new formulations for blades going out to make them easier to recycle. Another aspect of the blades is making sure they don’t get backed up into big piles. Davidson says there are regulations that require recyclers to show they are indeed recycling the blades.

“Whatever amount of material coming in a certain percentage has to go off site. So…it doesn’t focus so much on how much you can have on site, it’s more focused on is the material moving through. So, that shows that you have a legitimate end use,” she says. Davidson says they don’t want to necessarily stifle the recycling industry to keep it from having the quantity it needs. She says there has been one case of a pile of blades that has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s office, but the other piles have all been taken care of. The D-N-R’s ongoing meetings include the utility companies, industry representatives, and solid waste agencies, to develop recommendations.

“These strategies would be looking at is there something different or more that we would want to do an Iowa to manage these materials,” she says. Davidson says they are starting to put together some recommendations from those discussions. I’m not 100 percent sure, at this point, if it would be to the extent of any law changes, or if it would be more along the lines of incentives or some assistance to have more recycling — kind of what direction should this go,” according to Davidson. Davidson says disposing of wind blades has become a topic of discussion in a lot of places. “It’s been a struggle across the whole country, even in Europe. This is not unique to Iowa by any means,” she says.

Davidson says the use of solar panels is not as far along as wind turbines, but finding ways to dispose of the solar panels is something that looms as well.

(Radio Iowa) – A University of Iowa researcher has created a free online training program that companies can use to help employees identify warning signs of intimate partner violence, or what’s also been called domestic abuse. Beth Livingston, a U-I professor management and entrepreneurship, says the Abuse is Not Love program provides strategies employers can use to help at-risk employees before the situation becomes explosive. “We have built an evidence-based training to help make people aware of what intimate partner violence actually is,” Livingston says, “because this sort of awareness of the warning signs of violence — before it gets to a point where we’re worried about people’s physical well being — can allow us to intervene in ways that keeps people safe.”

Livingston says the COVID era has demonstrated that companies have an interest in the overall wellbeing of their employees and the ways in which the things that happen at home affect work. “This is an acknowledgment that our employees do not cease being our employees when they go home and the things that happen at home can absolutely affect them at work,” Livingston says. “I think companies have, if not an interest, a responsibility to think about how to keep their employees safe.” Intimate partner violence is one of the most common forms of violence against women. It includes physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse, as well as controlling behaviors by an intimate partner.

Statistics show a woman is killed every three days as a result of intimate partner violence. “Warning signs like jealousy that’s meant to control, controlling the sorts of things that people wear and the places they go,” Livingston says. “Getting passwords for your computer, for your email, to intrude upon your personal life, and isolating you from friends and family, all the way down to humiliating you in public, trying to make you feel small.” The workplace is especially critical for intimate partner violence as Livingston’s research shows work is one of few places where victims can find respite from abuse, and the income they earn can bring independence from their abuser.

“When employees are dealing with stress and pain and consternation at home, it absolutely spills over into their satisfaction at work and their productivity and their distraction at work,” Livingston says. “We know with so many employees working at home, that they might be working in the same space that their abuser is holding court over them.” A CDC report finds intimate partner violence costs about one-billion dollars in lost time and productivity every year in the U-S, and a recent European study found more than 20-percent of intimate partner violence victims report increased absenteeism from work, and 50-percent say it affects the quality of their work.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests. At around 12:16-a.m. today (Sept. 12th), Ashley Perez, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested at the Sheriff’s Office in Red Oak, on an active Montgomery County warrant for unauthorized use of a credit card. Perez was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.  And, at around 6:30-p.m. Sunday, Deputies arrested 23-year-old Athea Hamilton, of Red Oak, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was taken into custody in the 300 block of E. Elm Street, following a brief investigation into an incident that had occurred on August 26th, in the 2400 block of North Broadway Street, in Red Oak. Hamilton was being held on a $300 bond.

And Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 6:30-p.m., Sunday, of 65-year-old Michael Loren Kelly, from Red Oak, on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge. Kelly was issued a summons to appear in court at the later date, and released back to the Red Oak Health Care Community.