New Fuel Tax Hike Will Help Plymouth County Bridge Repairs
(Le Mars) — The newly passed increased fuel tax bill will mean about a million dollars more that will come to Plymouth County for road and bridge repairs, according to Plymouth County Engineer Tom Rohe. Rohe says the county gets funding from the state in two separate accounts. The first is the Road Use Tax fund which Rohe says consists of revenue collected from fuel tax, vehicle registrations, and sales tax on new sold vehicles. The county engineer says prior to the passage of the new fuel tax bill, Plymouth County would receive approximately $4.8 million dollars from the state. The second account is the Farm to Market Fund, which generally receives $1.2 million dollars.
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Rohe says the additional $870,000 dollars will be beneficial to Plymouth County as it will help start construction on projects that had been pushed back in priority due to lack of needed funding.
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He says the added money may mean an additional 2 to 3 more bridges can be repaired, or 8 to 10 culverts can be installed. Rohe says the added money will be beneficial, but he faces an uphill battle in terms of catching up with needed bridge and road repairs.
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Rohe explains the funding formula that determines how much money is allocated to counties, cities, and to the state.
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The Plymouth County engineer explains what the original budgets were set at for the upcoming fiscal year in terms of road and bridge construction and repair.
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Woodbury County Attorney Drops Charges Of Stabbing
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The case against a Sioux City man charged in a stabbing earlier this month has been dismissed.
Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Terry Ganzel wrote in a motion to dismiss the case against 51-year-old Harvey Johnson, saying there was insufficient evidence. Johnson had been charged with willful injury in connection to the stabbing of Karl Lyons.
Ganzel says a witness has supported Johnson’s claim that he acted in self-defense and that other evidence shows Lyons had started the Feb. 13 confrontation.
A judge dismissed the case Monday.
According to court documents, Lyons was stabbed in the stomach, chest and under his left armpit. He also had a 4-inch cut to his neck. He was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and later released.
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House Panel Approves Expanded Sale Of Fireworks In Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A House panel has approved a bill that would legalize the sale of more fireworks in Iowa, a move that echoes action in the Senate.
Members of a ways and means subcommittee approved the bill Thursday. It now heads to a full committee for consideration.
The bill would require retailers to obtain a license to legally sell firecrackers, roman candles and other fireworks. Currently, state law allows only sales of sparklers or certain “novelty fireworks.”
Several groups spoke in opposition to the bill and argued it would lead to more injuries. Rep. Matt Windschitl, a Republican from Missouri Valley and chairman of the subcommittee, says it’s important to give consumers the right to buy fireworks.
A similar bill is advancing in the Senate.
Broadband Expansion
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Senate panel has abandoned Gov. Terry Branstad’s broadband bill and instead approved different legislation aimed at expanding high-speed Internet in Iowa.
Members of an economic growth subcommittee approved a bill Thursday that focuses more heavily on the infrastructure of building out broadband, also known as high-speed Internet. The bill has no grant program for service providers but expands a property tax offer.
The bill now heads to a full committee for consideration.
Sen. Steven Sodders, a Democrat from State Center, says Branstad’s bill needed stronger language on expanding a fiber-optic network, which experts say is the best system for robust service.
Sodders is sponsor of the remaining bill and says it incorporates aspects of Branstad’s legislation. He plans to meet with House leaders to ensure there is cohesive legislation.
School District To Close A School Building To Save On Costs
GLADBROOK, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa school district has decided to close one if its three schools in an effort to cut costs.
The Board of Education at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District voted 5-2 Wednesday to close the district’s elementary and middle school building located in Gladbrook. Students will now attend two remaining schools in Reinbeck beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the move is expected to save the district $402,000. Other options considered by the board would have saved between $100,000 and $150,000 less.
Board member Doug Rowe, who voted against the motion, says he thinks the closure is a mistake. But Josh Hemann, another board member who voted in favor of the proposal, says maintaining an elementary school in every town isn’t a reality.
Parishioners Save Church Bells
MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) – Parishioners in Muscatine have saved three bells that chimed for more than a century in a church now slated for demolition.
The Muscatine Journal reports a crane was used Wednesday to remove the bells from St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
St. Mary’s was built in 1876, and the bells were added 13 years later.
Parishioners pooled together their money to buy the bells, windows, lights and other material that could be salvaged from the church.
Concerns about the strength of the church’s floor led to the decision to close the brick building and consolidate the parish with St. Mathias Catholic Church.
