State Auditor Gives Report On City Of Remsen And Remsen Municipal Utilities
(Des Moines) — State Auditor Rob Sand has issued a report on an agreed-upon procedures report on the City of Remsen, and the Remsen Municipal Utilities (Utilities) for the period July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. The agreed-upon procedures engagement was performed pursuant to Chapter 11.6 of the
Code of Iowa.
Sand reported eight findings for the City and one finding for the Utilities related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. The findings
address issues such as a lack of segregation of duties, the lack of recording interest earned on certificates of deposit, a deficit fund balance and City disbursements exceeding budgeted amounts.
Sand provided the City and the Utility with recommendations to address each of the findings.
Four of the nine findings discussed for the City and the Utility are repeated from the prior year report. The City Council and the Utilities Board have a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the City’s and the Utility’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as
the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity. State Auditor Rob Sand comments on the Remsen report.
Hypoxia Task Force Writes Letter To Biden Administration
(Des Moines) — Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture is co-chair of what’s called the Hypoxia (hy-POX-ee-ah) Task Force, which works to reduce the size of the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico through cutting nutrient runoff in the Mississippi River basin. Mike Naig says the group, which represents 12 states in the region, recently sent a letter requesting support from President Biden and his administration.
Naig says Iowa launched its nutrient reduction management strategies in 2013 as a way to reduce the size of the hypoxia zone, which covers 21-hundred square miles of the gulf.
Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen and in the gulf, it means plants die and marine life either dies or moves away. Naig says Iowa farmers are using techniques that are having a beneficial effect on the environment and in battling problems like hypoxia.
The group’s action plan has a near-term target of reducing nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico from the basin by 20-percent by 2025.
Iowans With Chronic Illnesses May Be Given Priority Status For COVID-19 Vaccinations
(Des Moines) — State officials say Iowans with chronic medical conditions that put them at risk of getting seriously ill with Covid may become eligible for vaccinations, starting next week.
The decision potentially means hundreds of thousands of Iowans over the age of 16 can start trying to schedule Covid shots next week. The announcement came last night in an Iowa Department of Public Health news release. The state did not issue a list of chronic conditions that would make an Iowan eligible for a Covid shot, but linked to the Centers for Disease Control website. The C-D-C’s list of conditions that make a person more likely to get seriously ill from Covid includes diabetes and cancer, plus heart and immune system disorders. Smoking and obesity are also on the C-D-C’s list. Iowans over the age of 65 as well as those in certain occupations have been eligible for vaccinations. The Iowa Department of Public Health news release indicates those groups in “several” counties are mostly vaccinated, so those are the counties where expanded eligibility will start. “Some” counties will continue to limit vaccinations to the first tiers of eligible Iowans. The agency did not specify which counties are in which category.
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Two Of Governor Reynolds’ Bills Falls Short In Iowa Legislature
(Des Moines) — Key elements of the governor’s 2021 agenda have failed to clear the legislature’s first deadline for policy bills. House Republicans did not have enough votes for state scholarships to cover private school expenses for students in 34 under-performing schools. Governor Kim Reynolds’ plan to make it easier to form charter schools, though, is eligible for House debate. Representative Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Orange City, says it would let a school district or a group of people found a state-funded charter school.
Democrats like Representative Mary Mascher of Iowa City oppose the plan.
G-O-P lawmakers also failed to act on part of the governor’s criminal justice agenda that called for steps to combat racial profiling in law enforcement. Representative Jarad Klein, a Republican from Keota, says the House G-O-P’s bill was drafted after consulting with police.
The Iowa Legislative Black Caucus is calling on the governor to veto any bill on policing that does not include anti-racial profiling language. Representative Ras Smith, a Democrat from Waterloo, notes a SENATE committee has voted to deny state funds to cities that reduce police and sheriffs’ department budgets.
However, the bill penalizing Iowa cities that might “defund the police” did NOT clear a House committee this week, meaning that proposal is unlikely to become state law.
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Iowa’s Congressional Delegation Requests More Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
(Washington, DC) — Iowa’s congressional delegation is urging the Biden Administration to restructure the state’s weekly allocation of Covid vaccine. The group says putting more doses of Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine in the mix make sense. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says pharmacies in rural parts of the state cannot afford the freezers required to store the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Representative Cindy Axne of West Des Moines says the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is fridge-stable and only requires one dose, making it easy to distribute in hard-to-reach areas. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa says prioritizing distribution of the new vaccine to rural areas would reduce the burden on rural health care providers and county health officials. Miller-Meeks is a former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health.
Bill to Penalize Tech Companies over Censorship Moves Forward in Iowa
(Des Moines, IA) — A bill targeting tech companies with operations in Iowa will move forward in the state legislature. It would remove major tax breaks given to companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook if a judge found they violated free speech laws. The Republican backed bill comes after prominent figures such as former President Trump were kicked off Twitter and Facebook. The bill has passed a major deadline set for today (Friday) and can now advance in the legislature.
UI Frat Under Investigation For Alcohol, Hazing Violations
(Iowa City, IA) — University of Iowa officials are investigating the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity for alleged alcohol and hazing violations. The fraternity is accused of holding in-person social events that included alcohol inside the chapter’s house in Iowa City. A letter from the University of Iowa’s Dean of Student Accountability says officials also have been notified that activities with new fraternity members allegedly posed a risk to their health and safety. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports the University of Iowa investigated another fraternity for an alleged hazing incident. However, officials ultimately determined the activity — which was recorded on video — was not an initiation or required for fraternity membership.
Marion School Board Reconsidering New Mavericks Mascot/Nickname
(Marion, IA) — The Marion Independent School District in eastern Iowa is reconsidering changing its mascot from Indians to Mavericks. School officials said in a release, “it has been brought to the attention of the district that the origin of the term ‘Maverick’ is from Samuel A. Maverick, an early 1800s Texas rancher and slave owner.” The school board plans to revisit the name at its meeting Monday. Administrators plan to recommend the board not adopt Marion Mavericks and look at other options. The other top choices in a survey were the Red Bulls and Red Storm.
