STATE OF IOWA GIVING APPLE NEARLY $20 MILLION IN TAX BREAKS FOR DATA CENTERS
State economic development officials this morning awarded nearly 20 million dollars in tax incentives to Apple, which plans to place two data centers in a Des Moines suburb. Radio Iowa’s Pat Curtis reports.
TRI-STATE PURSUIT LEADS TO ARREST OF SIOUX FALLS SUSPECT
Dakota County authorities have released information about a pursuit Tuesday through the tri-state area that resulted in the arrest of a Sioux Falls man.
It started when South Sioux City Police responded to a report of shoplifting at Wal-Mart.
The suspect had fled the scene but a Dakota County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the suspect’s vehicle on Highway 20 westbound and attempted to pull it over.
The suspect sped south to Thurston County and turned back towards South Sioux City, and eventually into Iowa and then north onto I-29 into South Dakota.
The pursuit finally ended at mile marker 41 when the South Dakota Highway Patrol was able to spike the vehicle and it eventually went into a ditch.
The driver, 34 year old Daniel Fawcett, was taken into custody by the Union County Sheriff’s Department.
Fawcett is facing numerous charges including felony operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, felony criminal attempt of assault on law enforcement officers by motor vehicle, reckless driving, resisting arrest, no operator’s license and stop sign violation.
The pursuit lasted for over an hour and covered over 100 miles.
REYNOLDS SAYS EDUCATION SPENDING THE BIGGEST PIECE OF PIE IN STATE BUDGET
Governor Kim Reynolds has visited several Iowa schools this week to mark the start of the academic year for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. During a stop in Forest City on Wednesday morning, Reynolds stressed that nearly half the state budget is spent on education.
“Reynolds met with students and staff in Forest City’s Science Technology Engineering and Math programs. Reynolds also visited schools in Emmetsburg as well as the Iowa Lakes Community College campus in Estherville.
AMERICAN AIRLINES ADDS SECOND HOLIDAY FLIGHT TO DALLAS
Good news out of Sioux Gateway Airport.
American Airlines will add a temporary second round trip flight out of Sioux City to their hub in Dallas/Ft. Worth from November 20th through the 28th.
Darrell Jessie, President of the Sioux Gateway Airport Board of Trustees, says the additional flight will help to accommodate holiday travel:
Jessie says travelers have been very supportive of the current afternoon flight to Dallas:
He hopes that support will lead to making this second flight a permanent one:
The scheduled times for the new flight have an 8:30 a.m. departure from Sioux City and a 10:52 a.m. arrival at Dallas/Ft. Worth.
The return flight departs Dallas at 8:55 p.m., landing in Sioux City at 10:54 p.m.
IOWA AGENCY ENDS NURSING HOME VISITS AMID BUDGET CUTS
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa agency that advocates for the elderly and people with disabilities has halted nearly all nursing home visits because of budget cuts.
The Iowa Long-Term Care Ombudsman’s office has eliminated in-state travel after losing a quarter of its nearly $2 million budget this fiscal year. In-state travel can cost up to $85,000 annually.
Data from the office says staff visited more than 5,000 care facilities in the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Lori Smetanka is the executive director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care in Washington, D.C. She says it will be difficult to thoroughly investigate complaints without facility visits.
Interim Long-Term Care Ombudsman Cindy Pederson says staff is using telephones and other technology to connect with residents.
LONGTIME PUBLISHER OF FORT DODGE NEWSPAPER STEPPING DOWN
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – The longtime publisher of The Messenger newspaper in Fort Dodge is stepping down.
The Messenger reports that 75-year-old Larry Bushman intends to retire Sept. 30 and is being replaced by Terry Christensen, general manager of the Daily Freeman-Journal, which serves Webster City. Both are owned by Ogden Newspapers, which is based in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Bushman said Thursday that he’d been The Messenger publisher since 1991 after ending a corporate role with Ogden. He says he began his newspaper career at the age of 16 in Glidden, Iowa.
Christensen has been general manager of the Freeman-Journal since 2010, and his career has included stints with the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World-Herald in Nebraska.
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