Home News Tuesday Afternoon News, August 28th

Tuesday Afternoon News, August 28th

Reynolds Wants To Reduce Additional Taxes

(Des Moines) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds says she hopes to cut taxes again if she is elected to a full, four-year term this November.

Reynolds took over as governor in late May of 2017, so the 2018 legislative session was her first as governor. Reynolds approved a plan to cut taxes by two BILLION dollars over the next six years. The package imposed new sales taxes on digital goods and services, but also reduced state income taxes on
individuals. The plan calls for reducing taxes for corporations in future years.

The governor says a primary target for future action should be greater reductions in Iowa’s income tax on corporations.

Reducing the amount of state tax credits that are awarded would then give policymakers room to reduce corporate taxes, according to Reynolds. Democrats in the legislature have said the tax cuts Reynolds already approved will create state budget deficits. Jeff Holmes is a spokesman for Fred Hubbell, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor. He says Reynolds is showing that her “fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement seem to have no end” as she ponders more tax cuts. Hubbell has proposed limiting or reducing a series of state tax CREDITS and boosting state spending on schools and the health care
system.
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Buena Vista Authorities Investigate Hit-and-Run Accident

(Storm Lake) — Buena Vista County authorities are investigating a hit-and- run accident that happened Sunday afternoon, leaving an eight-year old girl
with head injuries. The accident happened at about 1:40 p.m. when the Communications Center had received a 9-1-1 call reporting that a young child was screaming and lying in the roadway on West Highway Street, otherwise
known as, county road M-31 in Alta. Investigators have been able to determine that after striking the child, the vehicle failed to stop and continued south on West Highway Street and headed south out of Alta. The eight year old reported that she had been struck by a pickup truck, and she believed the truck was dark in color, possibly black, and was a GMC pickup with possibly four doors. The child’s bike was damaged beyond repair, and if
there is damage to the pickup truck it would be on the driver’s side. The girl was transported to the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center for significant head injury, and injuries to her extremities. The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for assistance with the investigation. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office at (712) 749-2530.

 

 

Former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Dale Cochran Dies

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Family members say former Speaker of the Iowa House and former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Dale Cochran has died.
Iowa Rep. John Forbes, Cochran’s son-in-law, says Cochran died Monday in West Des Moines. He was 89.
Cochran, a Democrat, was elected to the Iowa House in 1964. He served as House speaker from 1975 to 1979.
He was first elected Iowa secretary of agriculture in 1986 and served three terms, retiring from the job in 1999.
Born in Fort Dodge in 1928, Cochran farmed for more than 40 years while serving in elected positions.
He is survived by his wife, Jeannene, three daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The funeral is scheduled for Friday at Dunn’s Funeral Home in Des Moines, with burial in Fort Dodge.

 

 

Division of Criminal Investigation Looks At Woodward-Granger School’s Finances

GRANGER, Iowa — On January 31, 2018, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Office of Auditor of State, began providing law enforcement assistance in an investigation into a string of suspicious financial transactions at the Woodward-Granger Community School District.

A comprehensive investigation into the improper disbursements revealed that the Woodward-Granger Community School District’s former Business Manager – School Board Secretary, Melissa Lee Lantz, 35 was the sole person responsible for $221,851.27 in improper payroll disbursements.

On August 22, 2018 a warrant for Theft in the first degree was issued out of Dallas County for the arrest of Melissa Lee Lantz. On August 28, 2018 Melissa Lee Lantz was taken into custody at the Dallas County Jail. Lantz has bonded out of the Dallas County Jail.

No additional information will be released at this time.

 

 

Northeast Iowa Community Needs To Raise Funds Or Risk Losing Gifted Area Designated For Youth Activities and Fairgrounds

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) – A northeastern Iowa community may lose the opportunity to build new fairgrounds and ball diamonds if it doesn’t raise $1 million by the end of the year.
Terry Hinrichs is the consultant for the Champions Ridge project in Waverly. He tells The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that work would begin next spring if the project reaches its goal, otherwise “the dream’s gone.”
Discussions for Champions Ridge began in 2007, when the city sought a new home for the Waverly-Shell Rock baseball and softball diamonds as well as a new home for the Bremer County Fairgrounds.
Hinrichs says that landowner Neil Smith offered Waverly 142 acres (57 hectares) of his land in 2011 at a fraction of its value if the city agreed to use it for youth programs.

 

 

Most of Mollie Tibbetts Reward Money To Be Returned

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Administrators say most of a roughly $400,000 reward fund aimed at gathering information about a missing Iowa student will be returned to donors now that she’s been found dead. Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa said Tuesday that donations made on the condition of Mollie Tibbetts’ safe return will be returned. Donations not linked to Tibbetts being found alive will go to the group’s general fund and Tibbetts’ family.