Des Moines, Iowa – The Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau announced, Friday, that 50-year old Kimberly Joy Lovekin, of Cedar Rapids, was charged with one count each of Insurance Fraud – Presenting False Information (Class D Felony), Forgery (Aggravated Misdemeanor), Fraudulent Practices – 2nd Degree (Class D Felony), and Tampering with Records (Aggravated Misdemeanor).

The charges are a result of an investigation conducted by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau which began in July of 2020. In criminal complaints filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, it is alleged Lovekin submitted falsified and fictitious medical records to her insurer which were purported to be from various medical facilities throughout Linn County. The alleged actions in support of her claims for payment resulted in over $7,000 in monetary insurance benefits to which she would not have otherwise been entitled.

Kim Lovekin (Photo courtesy of the Linn County Correctional Center)

On September 4, 2021, Lovekin was arrested and booked into the Linn County Correctional Center. Lovekin was later released after posting a $10,000 bond with trial being set for a future date.

Photo courtesy of the Linn County Correctional Center.

(Washington, D-C) – Officials in Washington, D-C have announced First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday, September 15. Additional details are currently not available, but will be updated in a later post.  Dr. Biden is a community college educator, and bestselling author. She also served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009–2017.

Dr. Jill Biden (Official White House photo)

DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ Administration, Friday, announced several staff changes:

• Stephanie Groen, will now serve as the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff. She assumes the role following the departure of Paige Thorson. Stephanie was previously the governor’s federal liaison.
• Alex Murphy, will serve as the Governor’s new Communications Director. He assumes the role following the departure of Pat Garrett, who is leaving to join Governor Reynolds’ Political Team. Alex previously served as the Communications Director for the Iowa DNR.
• Molly Severn, will now serve as the Governor’s Legislative Liaison and Education Policy Advisor, she assumes that role following the departure of Logan Shine.
• Meaghan O’Brien, will now serve as the Governor’s Director of State-Federal Relations, based out of Washington D.C. She assumes that role following the vacancy created by Stephanie Groen. She previously served on the Governor’s policy team.
• Patrick Tomka, will now serve as the Governor’s Senior Tax and Economic Policy Advisor, he assumes that role following the departure of Joel Anderson, who is now serving as the Interim Director of the Department of Management.  He previously served as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Drake University.
• Clare Kelly, will serve as the Governor’s Health Care Policy Advisor, she assumes that role following the departure of Liz Matney, who is now serving as the Governor’s Medicaid Director. She previously served as Executive Vice President and CEO of the Iowa Medical Society.

Gov. Reynolds said “Pat played an important role on my communications team and I know he’ll excel in his future roles. Over the last two years, we’ve faced a pandemic, a derecho, civil unrest, and more. Being surrounded by an exceptional team has been more important than ever. I want to thank Paige and Pat for everything they’ve done. Paige has done an outstanding job as Deputy Chief of Staff and head of policy. We know that she has an incredible career ahead of her. I am proud to lead a team that has continually put Iowans at the center of our decisions. That’s how we will ensure Iowa continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family. “

Current Reynolds Staff:

• Sara Craig Gongol, Chief of Staff
• Taryn Frideres, Chief Operating Officer
• Stephanie Groen, Deputy Chief of Staff
• Heather Nahas, Public Relations Manager
• Alex Murphy, Communications Director
• Damian Bell, Communications Advisor and Chief Speechwriter
• Michael Boal, Senior Legal Counsel
• Nick Davis, Deputy Legal Counsel
• Megan Hall, Director of Boards and Commissions and Legal Assistant
• Molly Foley, Legislative Liaison and Education Policy Advisor
• Nate Ristow, Workforce Policy Advisor
• Jake Swanson, Agriculture Policy Advisor
• Patrick Tomka, Senior Tax and Economic Policy Advisor
• Clare Kelly, Health Policy Advisor
• Meaghan O’Brien, Director of State-Federal Relations
• Anna Hartzog, Constituent Services Director and Intern Coordinator
• William de Blois, Constituent Services Liaison and Policy Assistant
• Ryan Capps, Executive Scheduler
• Alex Brynes, Executive Assistant to the Governor
• John Hirl, Executive Assistant to the Lt. Governor

The broadcast News at 8:07-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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The broadcast News at 7:06-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says NASA research on what’s called “sustainable aviation fuel” should examine the use of biofuels for airplanes and spacecraft. “When I questioned Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in our committee meeting in May, she told me directly that she believes biofuels and biofuel technologies have an extremely bright future in sustainable aviation fueling,” Feenstra says.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel — sometimes called biojet fuel — is a crop based alternative to jet fuel made only from petroleum. “This cleaner, more affordable of powering transit and lowering emissions in NASA’s future of clean air transportation is extremely essential and is needed,” Feenstra says.

During a U.S. House subcommittee meeting Thursday, Feenstra proposed and the panel approved adding language to House Democrats’ infrastructure plan that will require NASA research and development of “sustainable aviation fuel” to include biofuels. Also Thursday, the White House invited representatives of the ethanol and biodiesel industry to a discussion about wider use “sustainable aviation fuel.”

(Audubon, Iowa) – Patrons of the Audubon Community School District are heading to the polls Tuesday, Sept. 14th, to cast their ballot on a Special Election for a Bond Referendum with regard to the district’s facilities.  Voters are being asked to approve a Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS), that would allow them to bond for up to $7.6 million in additional funds — with just under $2 million of that going to refinance a 2013 bond now at lower rates — against the district’s one cent sales tax revenue. Superintendent Eric Trager said the change in the district’s RPS was needed to make sure that there would be enough funding to complete the $10.8 million middle school/high school renovation project.

(Manning, Iowa) – Patrons of the IKM-Manning School District are being asked to vote Tuesday, Sept. 14^th, $19.5-million General Obligation Bond, that if approved, would allow the district to address a series of facilities needs in both Irwin and Manning. School officials say three needs identified include: Safety and Security; Space and Capacity, and Long-Term investments.

The ballot referendum reads as follows: “Shall the Board of DIrectors of the IKM-Manning Community School District in the Counties of Audubon, Carroll, Crawford and Shelby, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $19,950,000 ot provide funds to renovate, remodel, repair, improve, furnish and equip, including HVAC/ventilation, safety and security improvements, and to construct, build, furnish and equip an addition to the Manning school building and improve the site; and to renovate, repair, improve, furnish and equip the Irwin school building?”

According to district administrators, the tax rate impact would amount to $118 per year on a home with a $100,000 assessed value. For agricultural property, it would be an additional $2.63 per acre/year, depending on where you live. The district’s tax rate would increase from $9.51/$1,000 of taxable valuation to $11.81, which is still one of the lowest tax levies in the area.

Out of 327 public school districts in the state, only 15 have a lower tax rate than IKM-Manning—placing the district in the bottom 5 percent. Officials say interest rates remain at historic lows at this time, and by moving forward now, they can take advantage of those low rates and significantly reduce the total cost of the proposed projects.

Polling stations open 7am-8pm on Tuesday, Sept 14th

• Audubon – Irwin Community Building
• Carroll – Sacred Heart Church
• Crawford – Manilla Fire Department
• Shelby – Irwin Community Building

For more information on IKM-Manning’s facility needs and the proposed solution on the ballot, visit https://www.ikmmanningbond.org.

(Omaha, Nebraska) – Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp has announced that 22-year-old Lauryn Besta, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced Friday in Omaha Federal Court, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Besta to 142 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, Besta will begin a five-year term of supervised release.

An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office determined that from January 2016 and continuing through January 2019, in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere, Besta (also known as “Lola”) and a co-defendant, Darien Brewer, conspired and agreed to recruit, transport, and entice four minor females, under the age of 18 years old, to engage in commercial sex.  The victims were introduced into the lifestyle of prostitution through the use of drugs and alcohol provided by Besta and Brewer.  Besta and Brewer often referred to the minors as “the Bunny Gang.”

Investigators determined that Besta and Brewer would instruct the minors how to advertise, solicit, and charge for commercial sex acts in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere.  They obtained commercial sex customers for the minors by purchasing and posting advertisements on internet sites such as www.backpage.com. Sex customers responded to the advertisements via telephone and text message and commercial sex acts were coordinated to occur at various hotels, motels, and other locations.  Besta and Brewer used vehicles and public highways to drive the minors to various hotels, motels, and other locations for commercial sex acts, including Omaha, Nebraska; Lincoln, Nebraska; Iowa; and Houston, Texas.  The minors paid a portion or all of the payments received for commercial sex acts to Besta and Brewer.

On August 27, 2021, Chief Judge Rossiter sentenced Brewer to 180 months’ imprisonment and a five-year term of supervised release.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says to achieve the goal of expanding existing Iowa meat lockers and getting new ones established, more people need to be trained as butchers. “You can’t just walk in off the street and automatically go to work,” Naig told Radio Iowa. “There’s training that’s required.”

A few college-level programs in the state offer instruction in meat processing, but Naig said more training programs, like apprenticeships, are needed. “There is a really good meat science program at Iowa State, but that’s a four year or an advanced degree and there’s a place for that from a management perspective or if you’re looking at food safety or specialty products….There’s a few community colleges with meat science programs as well, for a two-year program,” Naig said. “And then we think that there are folks who don’t need either of those and, really, what they need to do is come into a meat locker and do an apprenticeship.”

The Artisanal Butchery Task Force. (Ag Dept photo.)

Naig is chairman of the Artisanal Butchery Task Force, a temporary group created by a state law passed this spring. The group held its first meeting this week. “What we saw in the last year, year and a half is that the small meat locker was incredibly busy and we think there’s a tremendous opportunity for that to expand,” Naig said, “…so I think what we try to look at, then, is what can we do to try to have an impact.”

The legislature set aside $750 thousand worth of state grant money to help small meat lockers expand. Naig said the demand is there, from the consumer end. He’s heard from cattle producers who have potential customers for their beef, but can’t find a meat locker to break it down and package it. “It builds on a great Iowa brand for meat, direct to consumer and I think even branded products that end up in grocery stores and in restaurants is a good thing, too,” Naig said. “To me there’s just tremendous opportunity that also, potentially, can bring more cattle into the state.”

Naig is also lobbying the USDA to make more Iowa meat lockers eligible for the $500 million in federal grants that will be available. A meat processor must be federally-inspected or enrolled in a USDA program to ship meat across state lines to qualify. Naig said about half of Iowa’s 250 meat lockers are state inspected and under current rules would be ineligible for the federal grants.