Michael Bloomberg has reached out to a senior Iowa Democrat in a sign that the billionaire former New York City mayor is planning a presidential campaign. Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack told The Associated Press that Bloomberg telephoned him Thursday evening as reports were emerging that he was weighing a campaign. Bloomberg left a voicemail indicating he plans to run.

Of Bloomberg’s message, Vilsack said: “He is in.” In a follow-up email, Vilsack told the AP that Bloomberg said in the message that “it was true he is running.” Bloomberg aides say he has made calls to prominent Democrats but has not made a final decision to run for president.

Vilsack was the U.S. secretary of agriculture under President Barack Obama. Vilsack has been consulted by several of the more than one dozen Democrats campaigning in his state, which holds the leadoff caucuses in fewer than 90 days.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An airline says it plans to base two planes in Des Moines, bringing jobs and possibly new flights to the city’s airport. Allegiant Travel Company announced Friday it would base two Airbus A320 aircraft at the Des Moines International Airport. Allegiant, based in the Las Vegas area, said it would invest $50 million in Des Moines and bring at least 66 jobs to the community. It plans to begin hiring pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and other employees.

Allegiant now offers eight non-stop flights from Des Moines to cities in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada. Allegiant says the new planes and crews create options for more flights from Des Moines but didn’t specify specific locations.

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees reminds landlords or others with rental properties, and those persons planning construction of new homes or the sale of existing homes, that the law in Iowa requires those residences to have Carbon Monoxide Detectors.  He says effective July 1^st 2018, a new law went into effect that requires carbon monoxide alarms in rental properties – single or multi-family units – you must provide and install those alarms in each unit, unless there is no fuel burning source of heat. Homes/apartment with electric are okay, but if there is a garage attached where a vehicle stored, an alarm is needed there as well.

If a tenant has approached their landlord about installing a carbon monoxide alarm, and it isn’t taken care of promptly, the renter has another option. The tenant can purchase their own and install it, then submit their receipt to the landlord and have the cost taken off their next month’s rent. Or, the renter may be simply reimbursed for the cost, depending on the arrangement. The detectors typically cost around $20 if they are batter operated, or around $30 if they are a plug-in type. Rentors who run into push back from their landord can notify the Atlantic Fire Department. McNees said he or someone in the department will make sure the landlord is aware of their responsibilities, just like they were notified when the smoke detector law went into effect.

Landlords who have questions about the law, can click on this PDF link for review. Chief McNees said the alarms should be installed near a gas-fired furnace or fireplace, on every floor if possible, or in an apartment building, in every unit. He said unfortunately, there have been deaths in Atlantic and the area, from carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, with regard to home heating in these cold months ahead, McNees reminds area residents about the dangers of space heaters: Make sure there is a dedicated line to plug them in, don’t overload the plug-in, or leave space heaters unattended. Space heaters should never be located near curtains or other flammable materials. The same applies to the use of candles.

(Radio Iowa) — A Grammy-award-winning rock-a-billy star is the headliner at the annual “Winter Dance Party” — an event that celebrates the lives of three performers who perished in a northern Iowa plane crash nearly 60 years ago. Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives will perform February 1st at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. Laurie Lietz, executive director of the Surf Ballroom and Museum, says it becomes a little harder each year to set the entertainment lineup for the three-day event.

“The traditional artists from the ’50s are in many cases not performing anymore,” she says. “We found that to be the case, specifically, when we were looking to do something a little more rock-a-billy centric as we did this year.” The Kingsmen will open the 2020 Winter Dance Party on January 30th. The band is known for the song “Louie, Louie” and has one remaining member who played with the ensemble in the 1960s.

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J-P “The Big Bopper” Richardson performed at the Surf in February of 1959 and died a few hours later when their plane crashed in a cornfield.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Ames police say they’ve arrested a man suspected of fatally injuring his roommate at their apartment. Officers who responded to the residence around 6:10 p.m. Thursday found the injured man suffering from knife wounds. Police say he was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to a Des Moines hospital, where he died. Story County court records say 55-year-old David Hunter is charged with first-degree murder and with misdemeanor assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Police say he threatened another person. Police have not released the name of the roommate or the other person. The records say Hunter told investigators that he was responsible for the man’s injuries.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Red Oak man wanted on a Montgomery County warrant, was arrested at around 10-a.m. today (Friday). 34-year old Andrew Falk was taken into custody on the warrant for Probation Violation. Falk was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo reports, that as of this (Friday) morning, all 911 services have been restored and calls have been transferred back to Shelby county. The cause of the outage, which was discovered Thursday morning, remains undetermined, and is being investigated by an I-T company.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Union leaders say they’ve reached a tentative contract agreement for more than 500 workers at General Mills’ processing plant in Cedar Rapids. Local 110 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said today (Friday), that the contract could be ratified as soon as Thursday. Details on the agreement have not been publicly released.
Officials say 99% of the workers who voted Wednesday said no to a previous company offer. The two sides have been negotiating since January, when workers voted for the union representation.

The union also announced that nearly 700 workers at the Quaker Oats processing plant in Cedar Rapids have ratified a new contract. It calls for hourly wage increases totaling 10 percent over four years.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court says a small liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids must continue to classify seven Grant Wood paintings as restricted gifts that cannot be sold. Coe College doesn’t want to sell the paintings but has considered them unrestricted gifts, allowing the college to count them as an asset and boost the value of its endowment fund.
An auditor in 2016 concluded they should be reclassified as restricted property, which reduces the endowment’s available assets by $5.4 million.

Hotel magnate Eugene Eppley gave the college the seven panels that once made up the Grant Wood mural “The Fruits of Iowa” in 1976. Eppley required the paintings must remain in Coe’s library, so auditors argued they can’t be sold and must be held as a restricted asset. The college took the case to court and a district court judge concluded Eppley’s intent must be honored.

The Iowa Supreme Court today (Friday) agreed, saying courts often require donation recipients to abide by donors’ wishes.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and Hy-Vee are renewing their annual Veterans Day partnership to pay tribute to Iowans who served our nation. Hy-Vee stores celebrate Veterans Day each year by offering a free breakfast to all veterans and active-duty military members as a way of thanking them for their service. They will also distribute the Secretary of State’s “Honor a Veteran” postcards during the breakfast and throughout Veterans Day, encouraging customers to pay tribute to a friend or loved one. Secretary Pate says “The brave men and women who served our country in uniform deserve our gratitude and this is one way to say thank you. So many brave Iowans stepped up and risked their lives to defend our freedoms. I’m proud to partner with Hy-Vee each year to honor our veterans.”

Honor A Veteran postcards and lapel pins

Approximately 30,000 “Honor a Veteran” postcards have been distributed to Hy-Vee stores across Iowa for use on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11th. Tina Potthoff, senior vice-president at Hy-Vee, says “Together with our customers we have the opportunity this Veterans Day to show our support to those who have served us. This program is one more way we can thank our veterans for serving our country and show our appreciation to these brave men and women.”

The veterans receiving the postcards at Hy-Vee can write a tribute to a fellow soldier, submit their own information to receive recognition from the State of Iowa, or give the card to a loved one to post an acknowledgement. The postcards will be returned to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office and tributes will be posted online at HonorAVet.net and Facebook.com/HonoraVeteran. The person making the tribute and the veteran being honored, if they are still with us, will both receive an ‘Honor a Veteran with Your Vote’ lapel pin in the mail. The lapel pins are red, white and blue, and in the shape of the state of Iowa. Secretary Pate encourages recipients of the lapel pins to wear them on Election Day as a tribute to the sacrifice veterans made to provide Americans with the right to choose our elected leaders and form of government.