Auditor of State Rob Sand Tuesday (today) released a report on a special investigation of the Fremont and Mills County Outreach Centers (Centers) of the West Central Community Action Agency (Agency). The report covers a period from July 1, 2017 through February 28, 2019. The special investigation was conducted as a result of concerns monetary donations collected at the Centers were not properly deposited and non-monetary donations were used for personal purposes rather than distributed to individuals in need of services. A single Family Development Specialist (Specialist) was responsible for receiving monetary donations and donations of food, clothing, and other items at both Centers.

Sand reported the special investigation identified $1,016.00 of donations received at the Centers that were not properly deposited with the Agency’s Central Office in Harlan, Iowa from December 12, 2017 through February 26, 2019. Sand also reported the undeposited donations were identified by comparing receipts issued by the Centers to amounts deposited with the Central Office. However, Sand also reported $1,664.02 of donations were deposited with the Agency’s Central Office which were not supported by receipts from the Centers during the same period.

As a result, it was determined receipts were not prepared on a consistent basis at the Centers and it was not possible to determine if additional donations were not properly deposited. In addition, because receipts were not issued by the Centers prior to December 2017, any donations not properly deposited prior to that period could not be identified.

Sand also reported no one provided direct oversight of the Specialist at the Fremont and Mills County Outreach Centers or ensured appropriate reports were prepared for each distribution of non-monetary donations received at the Centers. As a result, it was not possible to determine if any non-monetary donations were improperly distributed.

Copies of the report have been filed with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fremont County Attorney’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. A copy of the report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s web site at https://www.auditor.iowa.gov/reports/audit-reports/.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is applauding reports that say a bipartisan group of U-S senators will propose a massive economic stimulus package today (Tuesday) after many months of delays. Grassley, a Republican, says he’s encouraged that members of both parties are finally finding common ground in order to help the nation’s struggling economy survive the pandemic. Grassley says, “If it’s got any chance of passing, whatever number it adds up to, all of the components would have to be something where there’s already bipartisan agreement on.”

The 908-billion dollar package is said to include 300-dollars a week in federal unemployment benefits, 240-billion dollars for state and local governments, as well as a six-month moratorium on some coronavirus-related lawsuits. Grassley says if the issues already have bipartisan support, the measure has a much better chance of passing. “There’s just massive numbers of things that don’t get a lot of attention that have that sort of an agreement,” Grassley says. “The figure of 900-billion may be a little bit high but it sure sounds a lot less than two-and-two-tenths trillion is the last thing that Pelosi proposed.”

While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been negotiating with the White House on a stimulus plan since August, Grassley says Senate Republicans have offered four separate plans in recent months, all of which were rejected by Democrats. He says the focus needs to be on things everyone can agree upon. “More money for testing, money for K-through-12 education because our local school districts have a lot of expenses to keep their classrooms open or even for distance learning,” Grassley says. “And then more help for hospitals and front line workers.”

Another area with wide support, according to Grassley, is pumping more federal dollars into small businesses, especially restaurants and the Paycheck Protection Program.