Sioux City Hot Dog Restaurant To Close
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A nearly century-old hot dog eatery in downtown Sioux City is closing.
Coney Island owner Virginia Margeas says she’s shutting down the business after 99 years only because of the death in May of her husband, Steve Margeas. Greek immigrant George Margeas opened the restaurant in 1918, and Steve Margeas later took over the business.
Virginia Margeas says, “I’m overwhelmed. We’ve been here 99 years. If my husband was still here we’d be here 100.”
Many customers have been eating at the restaurant for decades. The Coney Island also has served its share of celebrities, including Elvis Presley, band leader Lawrence Welk and 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater.
Virginia Margeas says she’s sought a buyer for six month who could continue the restaurant, but decided it’s time to close.
Body Found In Floyd County
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a body has been discovered in rural Floyd County in northeastern Iowa.
The discovery comes amid an investigation into the disappearance of a Grundy Center man who has been missing for more than a month. Police have said they suspect foul play in the disappearance of 28-year-old Michael Johns, who was last seen between Green and Charles City early on Oct. 25. He was reported missing the next day.
Police have not identified the body, which was found Friday near a rural intersection about 10 miles south of Charles City.
Urban-Rural Poverty Gap is Narrowing
(Washington) — A new report from the USDA shows the urban-rural poverty gap continues to close.A new report from the USDA shows the urban-rural poverty gap continues to close.
John Cromartie, with USDA’s Economic Research Service, says the gap has been slowly declining since 1960 when the Rural America at a Glance Report was first published. At that time, 54 years ago, the gap between rural and urban poverty was at 17 percent. Cromartie says while overall rural poverty rates declined slightly from last year, persistent rural poverty — or rural counties with 20 percent or more of their population poor for at least 30 years — continues to be very regional.
The report also found the rural population is shrinking for the first time. USDA credits fewer births, an aging population and an outmigration of young adults for the decline. Employment in rural areas since 2011 has increased modestly with medium incomes also increasing. The report says infrastructure investments like access to broadband and more public services could improve rural economies and quality of life for residents. In Iowa, just under 36-percent of the state’s residents live in rural areas. According to the most recent data from the USDA, the poverty rate in rural Iowa is 11.5 percent, compared with 11.9 percent in urban areas of the state.
Reynolds Makes Judicial Appointments
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced appointments to fill two vacant district court judge seats.
Reynolds on Friday announced the appointment of Samantha Gronewald, of Urbandale, as district court judge in the Judicial District 5C, which covers Polk County. Gronewald will fill the seat formerly held by Judge Mary Pat Gunderson.
Gronewald currently serves as an attorney at Sullivan & Ward, P.C.
Reynolds also appointed Patrick McElyea, of Davenport, as district court judge in the Seventh Judicial District, which includes Jackson, Clinton, Scott, Muscatine and Cedar counties. McElyea will fill the judicial seat formerly held by Judge Paul L. Macek.
McElyea currently serves as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Iowa.
Reynolds Says She Will Push For Tax Reform
(Des Moines) — Governor Kim Reynolds says “almost everything is on the table” as she and her fellow Republicans in the legislature craft a tax package.
The goal is to both simplify the process of filing state income taxes AND reduce the taxes Iowans pay according to the governor.
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The governor isn’t ruling out a so-called “flat tax” on income, but Reynolds says it’s too early to say what the end product may be. She does say Iowa policymakers have to wait to see what happens at the federal level before deciding whether a popular deduction is eliminated. That deduction lets Iowans subtract their federal tax bill from their income BEFORE calculating how much they owe in state income taxes.
The governor isn’t revealing what tax changes may have been ruled out, but Reynolds is suggesting the volume of state tax credits available may shrink.
The State of Iowa awarded 427-MILLION dollars in tax credits last year, ranging from the lucrative research and development tax credit for businesses to a 100-dollar-per-year tax credit for fire fighters. Reynolds made her comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program.
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