(Radio Iowa) – Some might call it a Christmas miracle. A north-central Iowa community is in the midst of raising money for a new municipal swimming pool, and Hamilton County Supervisor Rick Young says they’ve gotten a tremendous, surprise gift. “In the last week, we received an anonymous donation of $1 million,” Young says, “and this person does not wish to be recognized and they don’t want to name the area for them.” The entire project is expected to cost four-million dollars, so Young says this donation is a huge step forward.

The pool is to be built in Jewell, to replace a pool that’s around 60 years old. “Initially, it was just going to be the Jewell area, but it serves Gilbert, Hubbard, Radcliffe, Blairsburg, Kamrar, Williams, a lot of the towns around the surrounding area,” Young says, “so that entails about 12,000 people.”

Donations are still being taken for the project. There’s no date set on when construction is to begin.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis says former President Donald Trump is moving to the left on some issues. DeSantis points to Trump touting an endorsement from a Rhode Island man who was part of the Black Lives Matter movement. “He was bragging about that on his social media, saying, you know I’m so glad to have the support of this particular gentleman as well as BLM,” DeSantis says. “BLM was responsible for riots in the summer of 2020. That cost billions of dollars and led to a number of deaths and it was something that actually happened under his watch as president of the United States.”

DeSantis says Trump is flip flopping on abortion, by criticizing state laws that ban nearly all abortions. And DeSantis says he and Trump have a different frame of mind about the 2024 campaign and presidential conduct. “I consider myself a servant leader. It’s not about me,” DeSantis says. “…I want people to know that supporting me as president that when I get up there, obviously I’m going to take care of business, but I’m going to be able to conduct myself in a way they’re going to be proud of. They’re not going to have to make excuses for me…We’ll execute, get the job done and we’ll do it in a way that really aims higher.”

C-N-N recently announced plans for a candidate debate on January 10th, with polling thresholds that only DeSantis, former U-N Ambassador Nikki Haley and Trump would meet. DeSantis is the only one of the three who’s said he’ll participate. “I think if you’re not willing to debate in Iowa on the eve of the Caucus, that shows a lot about you and your willingness to engage,” DeSantis says. DeSantis made his comments to Iowa reporters during an online news conference.

Trump is scheduled to campaign in Coralville early this (Wednesday) evening and return to the state for a rally in Waterloo next Tuesday. A recent Des Moines Register/N-B-C News/Mediacom “Iowa Poll” found Trump’s lead has grown since October, with over half of likely Caucus goers backing Trump.

(Radio Iowa) – Members of the panel that predicts state tax revenue say recession fears are receding and, while total receipts are down slightly, that’s due to previously approved tax cuts. The December report from the Revenue Estimating Conference sets the stage as Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and G-O-P lawmakers signal they hope to eventually eliminate the state income tax. Iowa Department of Management director Kraig Paulsen, the governor’s top budget advisor, is chairman of the Revenue Estimating Conference.

“We continue to see modest growth in Iowa’s economy,” Paulsen says “and the revenue numbers coming in support this.” The panel predicts the state of Iowa will collect over nine-point-seven BILLION dollars in taxes during the current budgeting year. By January, there will be more than three-point-six BILLION dollars in the Taxpayer Relief Fund where unspent taxes are being deposited. Paulsen says consumer spending in Iowa appears strong and, while, corporate income tax reductions have been made, total corporate tax receipts are up 15 percent over the past five months.

“To me, this indicates continued organic growth within Iowa’s economy,” Paulsen says. Clear Lake C-P-A David Underwood is another member of the tax-predicting panel. “The continued discussion of when’s the recession coming — it seems like finally everybody’s decided, well, it hasn’t gotten here yet, so maybe we won’t have one at least in the near term,” Underwood says. “That consensus helps a little bit, that we aren’t just wondering when that bottom is going to fall out.”

The Revenue Estimating Conference predicts the State of Iowa will collect over nine-point-seven BILLION dollars in taxes in the current budgeting year that ends June 30th. The prediction for the following 12 months is slightly less, primarily due to tax cuts approved in 2018 and 2022.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports 26-year-old Adam Edward Lee Austin, of Creston, was arrested at around 8-p.m. Tuesday (12/12/23), on three counts Violation of Probation. Austin was transported to the Union County Jail and held without bond, until seen by a Magistrate Judge.