HABITAT FOR HUMANITY DEDICATION
Siouxland Habitat for Humanity is celebrating today, with a home dedication in South Sioux City Nebraska, and in northwest Iowa.
Kim Fickett says the South Sioux City dedication was a long time in arriving.
Habitat for Humanity chooses a family to purchase the home they are building, and require the family help with construction.
Siouxland Habitat for Humanity also held a groundbreaking last week for a new home in Rock Valley. Construction at the site is to begin today, if the weather cooperates.
HOUSE PASSES PROPERTY TAX BREAK FOR COMMERCIAL CHILD CARE CENTERS
The Iowa House has approved the governor’s idea of reducing property taxes for some child care businesses. State Representative Tom Jeneary of Le Mars says this is a great idea.
Commercial child care centers are currently taxed as commercial property and the governor has proposed they be taxed at a far lower rate – just like residential property.
State Jeneary says the bill will help the community day care the city has established.
He says daycare is an essential part of a thriving community
The House approved the move on a 94 to one vote.. A Legislative Services Agency analysis indicates the bill could cut property taxes by a total of 19 million dollars for the 15-hundred commercial child care centers in the state.
TAX DEADLINES
The Plymouth County Treasurer reminds residents that real estate and mobile home taxes are due on April 1. Typically, the deadline is March 31, but Shelly Sitzmann says this year, March 31 falls on a weekend, so the deadline is April 1. Taxes are delinquent after April 2. Online payment of property taxes is an option. This can be done at iowatreasurers.org. Online payment can be done up until midnight, April 1, without penalty.
NW IOWA ENTREPRENEUR WINS THE SBA’S IOWA SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR
The owner of a catering business in northwest Iowa is the U-S Small Business Administration Iowa Small Business Person of the Year. Cathy Bishop opened a restaurant called Aggies in Sergeant Bluff in 1994, but after a several years, realized she needed to make a change and went with catering full-time. She turned the restaurant into an event venue and immediately began hosting graduations, birthdays, retirements, weddings and more. Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner catering weekdays and multiple events on weekends, Bishop now has about 60 people on staff. She says her mottos and business practices are simple: “I treat people the way I want to be treated,” and “do deals with a handshake.” Bishop will represent Iowa at National Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington D-C in April, where she will compete for the National Small Business Person of the Year Award.
SUPREME COURT SAYS RAP VIDEO DIDN’T INFLUENCE SIOUX CITY MURDER VERDICT
The Iowa Supreme Court says the use of a rap video didn’t prejudice the jury in a Sioux City man’s murder trial. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.
IOWANS ARE OFFERED A REFRESHER COURSE ON THE WEATHER DANGERS OF SPRINGTIME
This is Severe Weather Awareness Week as Iowans are reminded about some of the risks we may see during springtime, including thunderstorms, floods and tornadoes. Meteorologist Chad Hahn, at the National Weather Service, says it’s the ideal time for a refresher as we start to transition out of the winter season and into spring. Hahn says they’ll talk about heading to the basement if there’s a Tornado Warning, or to an interior room with no windows. A statewide tornado drill is planned for Wednesday at 10 A-M as Iowans are urged to think about where they’d go at that moment, should a warning be issued. Other days during the week will include information about hail and wind safety, as well as lightning, thunderstorms and flooding.
TAX CUT PLANNING DELAYED BY LEGISLATURE’S EDUCATION DEBATE
A key state senator says the debate over the future of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, teacher pay and general state funding for schools has delayed decisions on tax policy. Republican Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs is chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. He says the longer it takes to resolve differences among Republicans in the House and Senate on state spending issues, it’s more likely the 2024 legislative session will end without passage of another cut in the state income tax. Dawson says Iowa’s income tax will still be reduced at the beginning of next year and again in January of 2026 — due to the four-year tax cut package Republicans approved in 2022. Dawson made his comments during taping of Iowa Press which aired Friday on Iowa P-B-S.
TAYLOR WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION
Jeremy Taylor will not seek reelection to the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors.
Taylor told KSCJ News he will finish his current term:
Taylor is also employed as a teacher in the Sioux City Community School District and serves in the National Guard.
He says he will continue to monitor what is going on in county government after his term expires:
Taylor in particular wants to see a resolution to the issues and delays facing the opening of the county’s new law enforcement center
Taylor’s wife Kim is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on April 1st on over 50 counts of election fraud in Woodbury County.
Last November she was convicted by a federal jury of 26 counts of providing false information in registering and voting, 23 counts of fraudulent voting and 3 counts of fraudulent registration relating to elections in 2020 when Jeremy Taylor ran for congress and later for Woodbury County Supervisor.
