FLOYD VALLEY HEALTHCARE A TOP CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL
Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars has been recognized by the National Rural Health Care Association as one of the top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in America. In February, Floyd Valley Health was rated one of the top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in a February announcement., Both rankings were based on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance Index. Chartis is a national health care advisory firm, based on Boston, Massachusetts.
STREET CLOSING THURSDAY
Well’s North Ice Cream plant will be closing 2nd St. S.E. between 1st Ave. S.E. and 2nd Ave. S.E. starting Thursday April 4th at 5 a.m. and will be reopened by 6 p.m. that day. They will have 1st St. S.E. on the north side of the plant reopened to traffic before they close the south side.
2024 IOWA LEGISLATURE SHIFTS FOCUS TO DRAFTING A STATE BUDGET
Republicans in the Iowa House have released an overall state spending goal for the next budgeting year that’s 82 million dollars higher than Republicans in the Iowa Senate have proposed. It’s also slightly higher than Governor Reynolds proposed in January. Republican Representative Gary Mohr of Bettendorf is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Mohr says the plan spends substantially less than projected tax revenue in the coming year, leaving room to — perhaps — adopt deeper cuts in the state income tax. Mohr says just because there’s more tax money that COULD be spent doesn’t mean it SHOULD be spent.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says he’s optimistic the Republican-led legislature will do more for the taxpayer before the 2024 session ends. Democrats say Iowans deserve more information about the tax and spending plans Republicans are developing — and public schools deserve more state support. Earlier this week the governor signed a bill into law that sets the general level of state spending on K-12 students in public and private schools. It also raised pay for public school teachers and other school staff.
PRIMARY ELECTION CANDIDATES
Primary election candidates are now set in Plymouth County, as the filing deadline has passed. There are two seats on the Board of Supervisors up for election. In District 2, Incumbent Mike Van Otterloo of Le Mars has filed for re-election. In District 5, Douglas Manley of Akron has filed for election. The incumbent in that District is Gary Horton of Akron. He is not seeking re-election. Two county officials have filed for re-election. They are County Auditor Stacey Feldman of Le Mars, and County Sheriff Jeff TeBrink of Westfield. All these candidates for Plymouth County offices are Republicans. No Democrats have filed for the primary elections. The primary elections take place June 4.
CONFINEMENT FIRE
A confinement fire was report near Hospers Sunday. The call to the Hospers Fire Department went out around 9-40 am, to a location on Log Avenue, one and a half miles north of Hospers. Mutual assistance came from the Sheldon, Alton, Granville, Boyden, and Orange City Fire Departments. Hospers ambulance and the Sioux County Sheriffs Office also assisted at the scene. No feeder pigs were lost as the result of the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
IUB RULES ON MIDAMERICAN NATURAL GAS INCREASE
The Iowa Utilities Board Friday released its ruling on MidAmerican Energy’s request for a natural gas service rate increase. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.
UIHC PROGRAM SAVED PATIENTS MORE THAN $69 MILLION ON RX COSTS
A small team is reporting huge success with a program that helps University of Iowa Health Care patients save money on their prescriptions. Last year, the U-I-H-C Medication Assistance Center saved thousands of uninsured or underinsured patients more than 69-million dollars. Wendy Ostrem, one of the center’s pharmacist financial counselors, says some patients are saving a few thousand dollars a year, while others, facing chemotherapy infusions that run 30-thousand dollars a month, may save a quarter-million. The center uses free drug programs offered by pharmaceutical companies, as well as copay assistance programs and grants.
VILSACK HOPING IOWA RECONSIDERS EXTRA FEDERAL FOOD ASSISTANCE
U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he hopes Iowa officials reconsider the decision to turn down additional federal food assistance in the summer for 240-thousand Iowa children from low income households. Under the program, families with children eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school may receive an Electronic Benefits Card that allows them to buy an extra 40-dollars worth of food per child during the summer months when school is not in session. Governor Reynolds announced in December that Iowa would not participate in the program because of administrative costs to the state and because she said it did nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.
