GOSS ECONOMY
The Midwest Manufacturing Index was below neutrial for a second consecutive month. Creighton University Economist Dr. Ernie Goss says this comes after five straight months above growth neutral.
Hiring remains in a slump across the midwest as employers scramble to find the right people for their operations.
Inflation will continue to rise, as government spending does, too.
Dr. Goss says the slumping world economy is going to be a drag on the U.S. economy.
Iowa’s business conditions index remained below growth neutral in August, but increased from July. Iowa manufacturers reported exports expanded from 7.7 billion dollars in the middle of last year, to 8.6 billion dollars a year later.
AAA ACTIVATES ‘TOW TO GO’ IN IOWA
Triple A will provide a free service this weekend, in an effort to keep inpaired drivers off the road. The groups is activating its Tow to GO program in Iowa, Nebraska, and eight other states. When called, the auto Club Group dispatches a tow truck to transport the driver and vehicle to a safe location wtihin a 10-mile radius for free. Its active until 6 a.m. Tuesday, and provides free, confidential rides to Triple A adn non-Triple A members. This is the 25th year the Auto Club Group has provivded the Tow to Go program. Call Triple A at 855-286-9246 for the Tow to Go program.
FLAT INCOME TAX PROPOSED
A tax debate is looming for federal policymakers because Trump era tax cuts expire at the end of 2025. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would not extend those tax breaks, but instead is proposing a flat 12 percent federal income tax. It would apply to all income, including capital gains and inherited money or assets. Ramaswamy says the 59 percent inheritance tax he proposed in his book last year was a thought experiment and under his 12 percent flat tax, a broad base of Americans would be paying the lowest possible rate. Ramaswamy says it’s also connected to his call to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and shift a small number of workers who process payments into the U-S Treasury Department. The I-R-S is currently a bureau within the department.
DROUGHT MONITOR
The latest Iowa Drought Monitor shows drought conditions have worsened. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says there’s been an 18 percent increase in extreme drought conditions since last week’s report.
There’s a persistent area of extreme drought in southeast Iowa as well. Some farmers have begun chopping corn for silage because most leaves on the stalks have died.
Small sections of Fremont and Ringgold Counties are the only areas of Iowa considered to be drought-free and Glisan says nearly 99-and-a-half percent of the entire state is now in some level of drought. The U-S-D-A began issuing Drought Monitor reports 23 years ago.
Those two drought years were more intense because of particularly warm temperatures in the upper Midwest, according to Glisan. Glisan says the statewide average rainfall is about three and a quarter inches in August — about an inch below normal, but Glisan says there’s wide variation in sections of the state.
The southern two tiers of Iowa got an average amount of rainfall during the past month. On this last day of August, there is no rain in the forecast anywhere in Iowa.
NEW FLOYD VALLEY STAFF
Floyd Valley Therapies has added a Doctor of Physical Therapy to their operation this summer. Remsen native Megan Maass specializes in helping patients with Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, stroke rehabilitation and neuromuscular and muscular therapy. Maass is a graduate of Northwestern College and Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.
BIG CHALLENGE
Three Economic Development groups are sponsoring a competition for startup businesses. It’s called the BIG Challenge, as Jesse Hinrichs of Iowa’s West Coast Initiative explains.
Entrepreneurs with ideas to Build, Innovate, and Grow their businesses will present their ideas online.
Applications are now being accepted for the competition. Entries must come from seven northwest Iowa counties, including Plymouth, Woodbury and Sioux.
People will vote online among the contestants for the best ideas. Hinrich says this competition moves quickly, with a winner determined this fall.
The five finalists will compete Thursday, November 16 at the Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor in Le Mars. They will pitch their ideas to a panel, which will choose the winner.
LIFESERVE APPEALS TO DONORS
Iowa-based LifeServe Blood Center is appealing for donors as it’s on-call through a national network to provide blood anywhere it’s needed as the hurricane that hit Florida on Wednesday is now a tropical storm heading up the East Coast. LifeServe spokeswoman Danielle West says they’ve been in close contact with blood centers across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, all of which felt — or are feeling — the impact of Idalia.
In addition to widespread power outages, there’s damage from the powerful winds, as well as heavy rains and flash flooding. West says blood centers in cities that were hit by the monster storm are regrouping and determining what they need.
Monday is a holiday and LifeServe offices won’t be open for donations, so they’re working to continue stocking up now, as the summertime has been challenging for donations.
LifeServe has multiple offices in the Des Moines metro, as well as in Ames, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Mason City, Pella and Sioux City. LifeServe provides blood products to 161 hospitals primarily in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. To schedule a visit, call 800.287.4903 or log on to lifeservebloodcenter.org.
SIOUX FALLS MAN FACES LYON COUNTY CHARGES
A Sioux Falls man has been arrested on drug-related warrants from Lyon County, Iowa. The Lyon County Sheriffs Office says 20 year old Joseph Hines was the subject of a high speed chase through Larchwood, in Lyon County last February. There were three warrants for his arrest, involving several felony drug possession and distribution counts. He was transported form the Minnehaha County Jail to Lyon County this week to face charges. He’s held in the Lyon County Jail on 18-thousand, 500 dollars bond.
