(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowa families have a tradition of taking down the Christmas tree on this last day of the year in order to start the new year out fresh tomorrow. Horticulturist and extension educator John Fech says don’t just toss the tree to the curb, but find a way to repurpose it. “Recycling it, reusing it, thinking of it again as a resource or an asset,” Fech says.

If you’re crafty, trim the branches to make a fragrant sachet, wreath or garland to enjoy in the weeks ahead. You could also cut up pieces of the evergreen to toss in a nearby lake or pond to provide a habitat for fish. Fech says mulching is another option. “Do that yourself with a hatchet or you could have it run through a chipper,” Fech says. “Many of the cities do that for their parks and then they use that for trail cover around city parks and hospitals and places like that.”

Another idea is to return the tree to the great outdoors for wildlife to use as shelter. “Also, it could just be songbird habitat,” Fech says. “Set it near the bird feeder so birds have a place to get out of the wind and have a little bit of refuge from predator birds.”

If mulching the entire tree is too much work, just using the needles can be an effective mulch on perennial plants, in your garden and to keep weeds in check.

(Radio Iowa) – If you’ll be making a New Year’s resolution tonight (Friday), you may need to genuinely focus on making the change in order to keep the pledge. Alison Phillips, a psychology professor at Iowa State University, says our approach to making resolutions usually sets us up for failure.

“I’ve seen two different statistics, one is that 80% of resolutions fail by the second week in February,” Phillips says. “The other is a bit less depressing and that’s 40% of us are still hanging on after four months. Either way, long-term efforts at changing our behavior generally fail.” Phillips, who studies behavior change and habit formation, says to focus on how to make changes that will lead to creating a better version of yourself.

“This is important because behaviors that do stick around are those that become part of our self-identity, it’s how we see ourselves,” Phillips says. “They’re usually things that we’re proud of, that we’re good at, and they make us feel like we’re competent at something.” Zero in on things you can become good at and that you see yourself doing and take pride in, she says, as those are the kinds of things people won’t give up on.

Prof. Alison Phillips (ISU photo)

“Habits form as you repeat them in a stable context,” Phillips says. “Pick a time that’s pretty regular that you could do it and that will help you form a habit more quickly. Also, pick something that you relatively enjoy. You might not like exercise at all but pick something that you hate the least and that you would be proud of yourself to do.” If better physical fitness is your target, Phillips says it’s important to aim for specific goals that focus on behavior and not on certain outcomes, like a number on the scale.

“If you prefer bicycling to running, by all means, go for the bike,” Phillips says, “even if it’s in the gym and the stationary bike isn’t awesome, maybe try a spin class until the weather is nicer.” Everyone fails, she says, so plan ahead and rehearse how you will cope when you run into barriers. Also, social support is important, so in addition to having a workout buddy, make sure your family is on board, too, and will encourage you as you create new, positive habits.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Officials with the Red Oak Police Department said Friday (Today), 31-year-old Eric Alan Vannausdle, of Red Oak, was arrested Thursday on an assault charge. Vannausdle transported to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. He was being held in the jail without bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University officials have been investigating a public-private partnership for operation of its campus utility system. It would be similar to the University of Iowa’s 50-year deal that yielded more than a billion dollars for the university. I-S-U president Wendy Wintersteen says after the first of the year, more information will be released about I-S-U’s investigation of a similar deal for the Ames campus, but Wintersteen notes I-S-U’s utility system is not as large of the one in Iowa City.

“We have a number of other public-private partnerships that are in place or are being discussed,” Wintersteen says. “The most recent one is our very good partnership with Alliant Energy to establish a solar farm near our farms on the south side of the Iowa State property. That is a great opportunity for us because it will tremendously reduce the cost of our utilities at the dairy farm and some of our other facilities down there and it gives an opportunity for research.”

ISU President Wendy Wintersteen. (file photo)

Rod Lehnertz, a senior vice president at the University of Iowa, says the 50-year lease for the utility system on the Iowa City campus yields about 15 million dollars a year for the University of Iowa. It’s being used for some utility improvements and to test programs that aim to keep students on track to graduate. “They’re very important morale-boosting efforts on our campus,” he says. University of Iowa president Barbara Wilson says one of the pilot projects is called “Next Gen Hawks” program.

“They’re coming from backgrounds where nobody in their family has gone to college and they are the first ones and we introduced a new orientation program to get them to campus earlier and we’re wrapping supports around them for their first year,” Wilson says. “And with that pilot program we’ve been able to take our first year retention for that group of 70 students from about 88% to 92%.” A member of the board that governs the University of Iowa says they’ve investigated a public-private partnership for operating a parking facility in Iowa City, but the risk appears to be greater than the reward.

(Radio Iowa) – The Republican who’s leading development of a tax reduction plan in the Iowa Senate says the focus is on cutting INCOME taxes. Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs says reducing PROPERTY taxes is more complicated. “I think anything on property taxes, it’s going to be a multi-year effort.” Dawson is chairman of the Iowa Senate’s Ways and Means Committee. The last major property tax reduction in Iowa was the 2013 law that reduced commercial property taxes by 10 percent.

“It’s something that we definitely are trying to take a look at this year,” Dawson says, “but knowing the history of this, I think probably the best way to go about it is more of an incremental approach and try to tackle one or two levies at a time.” The tax plan that took effect this summer gets rid of the property tax levy that has supported Iowa’s mental health system and the state is to cover all those costs in the future. Representative Lee Hein, a Republican from Monticello, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Hein says Iowa should consider adopting a law, like one in Utah, that requires citizens be notified of the intent to raise property taxes and invited to a public hearing to voice concerns.

“I think that’s something that we need to look at first,” Hein says. “And then we need to figure out a way, from that, what’s the next procedure for controlling the property taxes?” Representative Dave Jacoby is the top-ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. He says the starting block on property tax reform should be relief for homeowners.

“More people 65 and older who are living on incomes that don’t rise like they did before retirement…they’re the ones saying: ‘I want to stay here, but I can’t afford a 15% to 25% jump year-to-year,” Jacoby says. “…We all want to see our homes improve in value, but it is putting some people in a hardship when valuations went up 25% — actually 30% to 35% in our neck of the woods.” Jacoby is from Coralville. Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque, the top Democrat on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, says the property tax system is perplexing.

“It really is a more regressive tax, so regardless of what your income is, you’re going to pay that property tax bill every year,” Jochum says. “Those who are on a fixed income, I do believe we can do more to make sure that they can afford to stay in their homes long-term.” The legislators made their comments during a forum sponsored by the Iowa Taxpayers Association. The 2022 Iowa Legislative session begins January 10th.

(Radio Iowa) – The city of Manchester will enter the new year with a new leader for the first time in nearly five decades. Manchester Mayor Milt Kramer is retiring from the job he started on September 16th, 1974. The Decorah native says government was never originally in his plans when he first came to Manchester in the 1960s as a teacher and basketball coach. He gained some notoriety as a coach and then was approached about running “A number of business people came to me and said ‘Milt why don’t you run for city council’ and I said I’m basketball coach and they said you are not going to do that forever,” he says. “I didn’t, but I did for a year trying to balance coaching and city government. Found out that that just didn’t work and I had to give one of them up — not thinking that I gave up the better paying of the two.”

Mayor Milt says he has many things to be proud of in the last 47 years — including the development of the industrial park and businesses in the community. Many of his former students now run businesses in the town. His tenure in Manchester is record-setting. “I’m the longest-serving mayor in Iowa — people have checked on me nationwide and I’ve been told and don’t know if there is proof of this or not — some guy in upper New York has me by a couple of months — otherwise, I’m number two in the United States,” he says. He’s only had a challenger three times in 17 elections.

(photo by Janelle Tucker, KMCH)

“I had no idea that I was going to be elected 17 times,” he says, “it blows my mind. But every time I finished a term people would come up to me and says ‘are you going to run again, are you going to run again?’ Fact is, this last time I had people who said ‘you should run.'” Mayor Milt announced his retirement in July and conducted his last city council meeting this week. City council members and City staff presented him with tokens of appreciation, including a special plaque and his typewriter.
Longtime city council member Dean Sherman says Mayor Milt is leaving a legacy of service after encouraging so many people to get involved in the city.

“It’s hard to put words behind the impact he’s had on literally hundreds of people in our community. Where they not only learned leadership for the city — but took it home into their own lives and their own businesses,” Sherman says. The city council also presented Milt with a new lawn chair that says “Mayor Milt” on the back. Mayor Milt gave his homemade wooden gavel to incoming mayor Connie Behnken — and says she will do a great job and the city will continue moving forward.

(By Janelle Tucker, KMCH, Manchester)

DES MOINES– Gov. Kim Reynolds, Wednesday, announced her appointment of Derek Johnson as a district court judge in Judicial Election District 2B.  Johnson, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, currently serves as a district associate judge in Judicial Election District 2B.

He previously worked in private practice and has served as the Humboldt County Attorney. Johnson received his bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University and his law degree from the Drake University Law School.

Johnson fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Gina Badding to the Iowa Court of Appeals. Judicial Election District 2B includes Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, and Wright counties.

Breda, IA (December 30, 2021) – Western Iowa Networks (WIN) recently presented the City of Breda, IA with a check for $25,000 to help with fundraising efforts for their pool project. The donation will help the city as the finishing touches are completed on this restoration project.

“One thing that Breda is known for is the quality of life that it offers. The new pool will be an extreme asset to the residents of Breda.” Said WIN CEO Jeff Roiland. “We are proud to be able to join other contributors to help push this project to completion.”

Pictured in the presentation from L-R, are: Breda City Clerk Rhonda Martin; City Council member Sam Pietig; Breda Mayor Dan Snyder, & WIN CEO Jeff Roiland. (Photo submitted)

The Breda City Pool was constructed in 1967 and was reported to be in need of significant repair or replacement. The decision was made to renovate the current pool at an estimated cost of $580,420. This project included all new piping to meet today’s code standards, new pool and deck resurfacing, new diving board and stand, new chemical shed and feed system, new bathhouse roof and privacy fencing.

The City of Breda previously received funding for this project through WIN in the form of the USDA Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) back in May. Breda was the first entity to apply for this loan through WIN which totaled $360,000 at 0% interest. This loan helped to bridge the gap to allow work to continue on the restoration project while fund raising efforts continued.

(Iowa DNR News) – What are your plans for New Year’s 2022? Iowa state parks and forests invite you to join the First Day Hike Challenge. Visit state parks on your own, or join a guided hike at more than 20 parks and forests. Whichever works for you, check in and take part in the First Day Hike Challenge through the State Park Passport!

How It Works:

• Check into any of more than 50 participating state parks and forests on the Park Passport from Friday, Dec. 31, 2021 through the end of Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022.
• Every check-in qualifies for a prize drawing for a free 2-night stay at a 2-bedroom cabin at Lake Darling State Park, near Brighton, Iowa! Restrictions and booking fees apply.
• Visit as many parks as you want during the weekend — every check-in counts as a contest entry.
• As an option, join a Guided Hike at more than 20 parks, led by park staff and Friends Groups, with some offering hot chocolate and snacks.

Be sure to look under your park’s “More Info” tab on the Passport to see a Suggested Trail from park staff!

The temperatures may be chilly this weekend, so please dress for the weather! Please wear hats, gloves and warm boots. 

Learn more about the First Day Hikes and sign up for the Passport today!