(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A “suspicious device” found at a fitness center in Council Bluffs, Thursday morning, resulted in an arrest. Authorities say the Pottawattamie County/Council Bluffs Bomb Disposal Unit was called at around 9:09-a.m to Planet Fitness (1442 Mall Drive, Ste. 500) when the object was found.
The business was temporarily shut-down while the bomb squad removed the item from the premises. Police say there are “No indications that the item was intended to disrupt the normal business operations [of the business] or the public.
Police said a person suspected of possessing the device was arrested, but their name, and other details, were not immediately released.
(Radio Iowa) – The U-S-S Sioux City is among a group of ships the U-S Navy is considering decommissioning to save money. The Navy’s plan is to eliminate five cruisers, nine littoral combat ships — including the U-S-S Sioux City — four landing dock ships, two submarines, two oilers, and two expeditionary transfer docks. That would save the Navy an estimated three-point-six (3.6) billion dollars over the next few years.
The nine littoral combat ships, including the Sioux City, are the Freedom class variant, which was found to have a major flaw with its combining gear that transfers power from the ship’s engines to its water jets.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak have arrested a man for 1st Degree Harassment (an aggravated misdemeanor). Authorities report 47-year-old David Eugene Anthony Fussell, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 11-a.m. today (Thursday), and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is urging her fellow Republicans in the Iowa House to approve her plan to provide state-funded scholarships to parents who’ll be enrolling their children in a private school. All but one Republican in the Iowa Senate voted for the plan last night, but — for a second year — it hasn’t come up for a vote in the House.“I’m going to be optimistic, right up until the end,” Reynolds told reporters yesterday, before last night’s vote. “It’s part of the process.” Some Republican lawmakers who represent rural areas say there are few, if any private school options for parents in their districts and that’s why they oppose the bill. Reynolds submitted a revamped plan this year that not only provides state money to parents cover the costs of private school expenses, but there’s additional money in it for public schools in rural areas.
“Every day, when I talk to parents, it underscores how important it is to give parents the choice in their child’s education, to pick an environment that’s conducive to them, and it shouldn’t just be available to parents who have the resources to do it,” Reynolds said. “That is fundamentally wrong.” Under the Senate-passed plan, parents with an annual income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level would be eligible to apply for the state scholarships. That means a family of four could have an annual income of up to $110,000 and qualify and get $5500 from the state to cover private school expenses.
“You’ve heard me say a hundred times education is the great equalizer and every parent needs to be able to make that choice, whether they have the funds or not,” Reynolds said, “and so we’re going to keep fighting on behalf of parents.”
The union that represents teachers — the Iowa State Education Association — said the governor’s plan calls for spending $55 million on 10,000 students, while the public schools that serve nearly half a million students need more state support.
(Radio Iowa) – A survey released by the Realtors Land Institute shows land values haven’t dropped off at all. Scott Seifert presented the results. “From September 1st 2021 to March 1st 2022 as a state average on farmland — it went up 14-point-one percent. That is all nine regions and taking in your low, medium and high quality cropland,” Seifert says. Their survey is done every six months, and he says when you look at a full year their survey is close to what other yearly surveys have found for cropland prices. He says land prices probably won’t change a lot in the short term as commodity prices remain strong. But other costs could start to impact them.
“That’s going to hold out for a while, but I think as we get through the year and people made more money on the farm for 2021’s crops than they will for 2022 probably — because inputs are definitely going to catch up, and we’ve already seen that some,” he says. Seifert says those economic factors might slow things a bit. “I don’t think we are going to see the rise like we’ve seen the last 12 to 18 months,” Seifert says. He says that is already evident in the survey when they ask landowners about the expected return.
He says in the survey last March, a majority said they wanted to see a three percent return, and this year they are hoping for a two percent return. But he says they understand they aren’t going to get as much money, but see the land as a hard asset. Seifert says inflation is another factor that is starting to show up more when they asked about impacts on land values. “In 2021 people said that inflation risk was the least important of the list of them there. And then when you came to 2022, that one wasn’t the highest, but it was not the least by any means — it was more the middle of the pack,” Seifert says. “I think people are just understanding the general economics of what’s going on in the U-S today.”
Current interest rate levels and low supply of land being offered to the market were other factors that respondents said impacted land value.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Thursday), held a Public Hearing on an Ordinance establishing Supervisor Districts and Election Precincts, in Cass County. Hearing no comments, the hearing was closed and the Board reconvened to act on approving Ordinance 19-2022 Election Precincts after the first reading, and to waive the second and third readings, before moving to adopt the Ordinance as written.
Board Chair Steve Bair breaks down the precincts as stated in the Ordinance…
He said Precinct seven is comprised of townships including Benton, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, as well as the Cites of Anita and Wiota. Precinct 8 will be comprised of townships that include Brighton, Grove, Pymosa and Washington, as well as the City of Marne.
Precinct 12 will be comprised of the westerly part of Massena Township, and the City of Massena.
Cass County BOS mtg., 3/31/22
All precincts are based on the latest Census data, effective March 31st, 2022. In other business, Atlantic Nishna Valley YMCA Director Dan Haynes reviewed the renovation project of creating a four-year-old child care space at the YMCA, which is licensed for 33 children.
The nearly $400,000 project is being funded by secured grants and other sources, but it still leaves them with a shortage of $88,109. Haynes said the shortfall is the reason he was before the Board to ask for some additional funding. He said it wasn’t cheap to renovate and upgrade their facility for childcare purposes.
He said they still have openings for up to four child care personnel, and up 10 additional children. Haynes was asked by Supervisor Mark O’Brien, about the current “financial status” of the YMCA, in general.
Haynes said they’re happy with the way the Wickman Center is performing, and the way businesses, the City and individuals have stepped-up to fill any current or potential void in funding the Center. The Board took no action on funding, but Chairman Baier encouraged Haynes to fill out an application from the Auditor’s Office for a small scale grant, and possible ARPA Funds.
The Cass County Supervisors heard also from County Engineer Trent Wolken, with a Secondary Roads Department report on maintenance and activities. He said they went from hauling rock Wednesday to hauling salt and sand and clearing roads this (Thursday) morning. Wolken said they’ve been starting on working with contract rock this week and will get into using more of the stockpile next week, weather permitting. He mentioned some bids came in for equipment, such as trucks and motor graders for the next fiscal year, but trying to get new trucks ordered is like the old military saying, “Hurry up and wait.”
The two trucks they ordered in February 2021 were only recently built. In other news, the Board acted on approving a cooperative agreement for a bridge removal mitigation program with the Iowa DOT in the area of 570th Street and Interstate 80. Bid letting for the project won’t even begin until January, 2024. And, the Board approved the assignment of 2017 & 2019 Tax Sale Certificates for certain parcels in the Cities of Cumberland and Griswold, to Situs Cultivation, LLC.), which agrees to purchase the properties for the price of the back taxes, penalty, interest and an assignment fee.
(Harlan, Iowa) – Shelby County Auditor, Mark Maxwell would like to remind all registered voters that absentee ballot applications for the June 7th Primary are available in his office until May 23rd.
If you plan on voting by mail, now would be a good time to call the Auditors office at 712-755-3831 – extension 6. Iowa code dictates that only one request per phone call/person is allowed. Copies may be made if one is mailed to you. A form is available on the Shelby County Website by clicking on the documents tab and then legal notices. This form must be printed and filled out. Voters may also choose to search on the internet for Iowa Secretary of State then click on the elections tab for more information such as “am I registered to vote” and tracking your absentee ballot. Only original completed absentee ballot request forms, completed and signed by eligible voters, filed in the Auditors office, will allow the ballot to be counted once the ballot is received. Maxwell reminds those with intention of voting absentee that on Wednesday, May 18th in-person absentee voting starts in the Courthouse, for those not wishing to mail a request or ballot.
Auditor Maxwell encourages all eligible electors to take part in the primary election. This is a primary election and you may only cast ballots for the political party that you chose to vote. If a person switches parties to vote a different party’s ballot, it is up to the voter to change their party affiliation back to the original party after election day.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa women’s basketball sophomore Caitlin Clark was named a John R. Wooden Award finalist and All-American, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Wednesday on ESPNU.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program recognizes the Division I Women’s Basketball Most Outstanding Player. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Clark joins South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, Michigan’s Naz Hillmon, Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith as one of five finalists for the Wooden Player of the Year Award.
Clark, a Des Moines, Iowa, native, led the nation in points per game (27.0), assists per game (8.0), total assists (257), total points (863), free throws made (200), triple doubles (5) and 30-point games (11). Clark is the only women’s basketball player to lead the country in both assists per game and points per game in a single season.
Clark registered five triple-doubles this season, leading the country in most career triple-doubles by an active player with six. Clark’s six career triple-doubles ties former Hawkeye Sam Logic’s Big Ten record (2011-15) for most in a career and ties for the fifth most single season (5) and career (6) triple-doubles in NCAA Division I history.
In January, Clark joined the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Hardin, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA, WNBA, Division I men’s and women’s basketball to record back-to-back 30-point triple doubles since 2000. She is one of 10 women’s basketball players (15 times) to register back-to-back triple doubles in their careers — the only NCAA player (male or female) to do so with 30-plus points in the pair.
Clark broke the 1,000-career point barrier against Evansville in early January and became the fastest Division I player (men’s or women’s) to reach 1,500 career points over the last 20 seasons, reaching the feat in 56 games.
Clark set a career-high 46 points against No. 6 Michigan, recording her third arena scoring record. She now holds women’s scoring records at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena (44), Michigan’s Crisler Center (46) and Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena (39).
Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Tournament MVP, while earning unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors and an All-Big Ten Tournament spot. She was named a Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year finalist, Dawn Staley Award finalist, Naismith finalist and to the WBCA Wade Trophy finalist, John R. Wooden Award finalist and All-American. She is a 2021-22 first team AP All-American, USBWA All-American, WBCA All-Region and first team CoSIDA Academic All-American.
A number of area track and field teams were set to get the outdoor season in full swing at the Denison Monarch Relays tonight but mother nature isn’t going to allow that to happen. The Monarch Relays have been cancelled due to the poor weather conditions. Much of Western Iowa received a bit of snow overnight and temperatures are expected to only reach the low 40’s today. Atlantic was set to start their outdoor campaign there but will now have to wait until next week.
The Hawkeye 10 South Meet that was to be held in Glenwood on Thursday has also been cancelled.
This form must be printed and filled out. Voters may also choose to search on the internet for Iowa Secretary of State then click on the elections tab for more information such as “am I registered to vote” and tracking your absentee ballot. Only original completed absentee ballot request forms, completed and signed by eligible voters, filed in the Auditors office, will allow the ballot to be counted once the ballot is received. Maxwell reminds those with intention of voting absentee that on Wednesday, May 18th in-person absentee voting starts in the Courthouse, for those not wishing to mail a request or ballot.
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