Holz Says Lawmakers Will Tackle Budget Deficit When Legislature Convenes
(Le Mars) — On Monday, the state lawmakers go back to Des Moines and return to work. The first item of business, according to State Representative Chuck Holz of Le Mars, is to deal with the estimated $100 million dollar shortfall. Holz says legislators have already been discussing the issue.
Holz admits it will be a difficult situation, and he hopes that money will be able to be put back into the programs in the future. The state no longer has any surplus funds available as it did a few years ago. The Le Mars lawmaker
says people will notice several of the services provided by the state, may not be available. Holz serves on the House Judicial Committee and he offers an example of how those budget cuts will adversely affect Iowans.
Holz says it could prove to be a serious situation for the next few years. Republicans generally like to see no tax increases, and they favor tax breaks for businesses and for people. Given the state’s current financial condition,
will the new legislature, that is controlled by the Republican party in both chambers, be able to offer any tax breaks?
Holz says once legislators solve the budget deficit problem, then he expects the next item of business will focus on education.
Governor Branstad is scheduled to deliver his Condition of the State address on Tuesday.
Plathe Awarded Chamber’s “Employee Of The Month”
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Chamber of Commerce awarded its January “Employee of the Month” this morning at the Donegal Insurance Group. The staff of Donegal Insurance nominated Susie Plathe. Plathe is the Assistant Vice President at
Donegal Insurance and is celebrating her 30th annual work anniversary with Le Mars Insurance and Donegal Insurance Group. Plathe provides excellent leadership in her roles as the Assistant Vice President in the Donegal Information Services and the Building and Grounds Manager for the Le Mars Region
office. She was a key player in the automation conversion of the Le Mars Region business units to the Donegal corporate mainframe system. Plathe’s contributions have helped the Le Mars Region grow from $20 million in annual revenue in 2007 to $45 million in revenue in 2016. Our congratulations go to
Susie Plathe for being named the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce January “Employee of the Month”.
Pate Proposes Bill Calling For Voter Identification
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s top election official has announced a bill that would require voters to show identification at the polls, and Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature have indicated a willingness to pass it into law.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate told reporters Thursday that a voter ID bill was needed to ensure integrity in Iowa’s election system. The assertion comes three months after Pate released a statement calling Iowa “one of the best states in the nation for both voter participation and voter integrity.”
Pate says he believes the system is clean but needs to be kept that way. There is little evidence of fraudulent voting in Iowa.
Pate didn’t provide a copy of the proposed bill but confirmed it wouldn’t allow use of student IDs as valid identification to vote.
Regents Want More Money For Universities
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Board of Regents is requesting a significant funding boost for the state’s public universities despite the possibility of budget cuts and an expectation that lawmakers will have limited revenue to work with in the upcoming legislative session.
The Press-Citizen (https://icp-c.com/2iLKRBp ) reports that the board is asking for a 2 percent increase in state funding for the 2017-18 academic year. The regents have said that if they receive that level of funding, they would hold resident undergraduate tuition increases to 2 percent for the next two years.
Regent officials are waiting to hear from the governor’s office on how much and where the state will make budget cuts.
Democratic Sen. Jeff Danielson of Cedar Falls says he thinks it would be possible to fulfill the regents’ request.
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Hy Vee To Participate In USDA Pilot Online Food Stamp Program
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has chosen West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee to participate in a program that will let food stamp recipients shop for groceries online.
Hy-Vee is one of seven retailers that will participate in the two-year pilot program, which will begin this summer.
The USDA says it hopes to expand access to healthy food for people who receive food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
People won’t be able to use their food stamp benefits to pay service or delivery charges.
It wasn’t clear whether the program would be offered only in Iowa or if Hy-Vee customers in other states could participate.
Children Injured By Dog Attacks At Daycare Center
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say two children have been injured by dogs inside the home of their Des Moines day care operator.
Police say 33-year-old Melissa Anderson didn’t report the Nov. 11 attacks on the children or seek medical care for them. A court document says the siblings suffered several wounds that became infected. The children’s parents took them to a hospital the day after the attacks.
Court records say Anderson has been charged with two counts of child endangerment causing injury. A public phone listing for her isn’t available.
Online court records don’t list the name of attorney who could comment for her.
Anderson’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 13.
Contractors Face Work Force Shortage
(Des Moines) — Iowa is seeing a construction boom at the same time contractors are being challenged with a worker shortage. Chad Kleppe (CLEP-ee), president and C-E-O of the Master Builders of Iowa, says the situation will only worsen
over the next five years as about one-third of the existing workforce retires.
Kleppe says the worker shortage is changing the way Iowa builders go about their
jobs.
Some contractors in central Iowa are putting pieces of buildings together on manufacturing floors before hauling them to construction sites as a way to save labor. Kleppe says his association is ramping up efforts to recruit students
into considering construction industry careers.
Kleppe says they’re targeting Iowa kids as young as middle school.
Iowa Company Settles Medicaid Law Suit
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa company has settled a Medicaid billing dispute for $1 million.
The Des Moines Register reports (https://dmreg.co/2hXjcAb ) that the West Des Moines-based company was known as Ultimate Nursing Services when the bills were filed from 2011 into 2013. It’s now known as Universal Pediatrics.
Federal prosecutors said Thursday that the company bills included entertainment and travel costs unrelated to its care of children with disabilities.
The settlement did not include any admission of wrongdoing.
The company’s lawyer, Stephen Locher, says the issues stemmed from errors in complying with Medicaid rules.
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Cedar Rapids Improves Flood Control Projects
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Crews have begun work on flood protections in an area of Cedar Rapids that has seen devastating flooding by the Cedar River.
KCRG-TV reports that the work is the first large-scale project connected with a permanent flood protection system of flood walls, berms and levees to begin on the west side of the river.
In a few years, the Czech Village Levee will protect the area before the entire system is finished on both sides of the Cedar River.
Crews are currently digging up and relocating underground pipes and power lines. The $3.2 million project is expected to run through September.
Cedar Rapids flood project control manager Rob Davis says work on the berm won’t start until 2018 at the earliest. The levee will run almost a half mile.
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Driver Gets 15 Years For Killing Construction Zone Worker
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A man has been given 15 years in prison for killing a worker in an eastern Iowa highway construction zone.
Nineteen-year-old Sebon Reese was sentenced Thursday in Scott County District Court in Davenport. He’d pleaded guilty to eluding and vehicular homicide.
Officials say a deputy spotted Reese’s speeding car Sept. 1 on U.S. Highway 61 near Blue Grass. His car entered a work zone before the deputy could pull it over. Investigators say Reese tried to exit the highway but careened into the construction area, hitting 62-year-old Willie Holley, of Rock Island, Illinois. Holley was pronounced dead later at a hospital.
Reese’s 1-year-old sister was in the car.
Inmate’s Death Ruled As Self-inflicted
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A sheriff says the death of an inmate from Iowa in a Wisconsin prison cell appears to have been self-inflicted.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said Thursday his office is investigating the death of 26-year-old Justin Kestner at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin.
But he says “there’s no foul play involved” by any other inmates and the death “seems that it was self-inflicted.”
Authorities announced last week that Kestner was found unresponsive in his cell on Dec. 21, and was soon pronounced dead. His family said in an obituary that the northwest Iowa native died “unexpectedly.”
Kestner had been transferred to Wisconsin in November after causing major problems for Iowa prison officials, including a July 2015 escape from the maximum-security prison in Fort Madison.
