(Radio Iowa) – The Court of Appeals is calling for more review of a case that falls under a law that gives farm owners immunity for accidents with animals. Janey Shafer was taking video for Frank Santana as he used a horse-drawn sickle mower on his Madison County farm in 2021. Santana then asked Shafer to hold the horses while he raised the sickle. The sickle bar fell, startling the horses who took off and Shafer was run over by one of the mower wheels and left paralyzed.

Shaffer sued, but the district court said Santana has immunity under Iowa’s law that shields animal operations from liability.

The Appeals Court agreed the Domestic Animal Activities Act applies, but says there is a lingering question as to whether the injury was caused by Santana’s recklessness. It ordered the case back to the district court to review that issue.

(Radio Iowa) – It may sound silly and look ridiculous, but experts say Iowans should consider walking like penguins when it’s this cold and icy to prevent falls. That means taking short strides with deliberate steps, keeping your center of gravity over your feet and your arms out from your sides to maintain balance. Edison Weig, a physical therapist with Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says they see a lot of injuries from falls during the winter months.

“It’s a multitude of things, but I would say probably the most that we see are those hip fractures, especially in the hospital setting that’s related to that increase in fall risk, especially the outdoor environments,” Weig says. “It’s easy to take one wrong step.” Other injuries may range from broken arms and legs to back injuries and concussions, and one in every five falls results in a serious injury. Weig says one segment of the Iowa population is most at risk.

“As you age, you tend to lose some strength, so definitely in the older population, like people 65 years and older,” Weig says. “One out of four older people every year fall, but less than 50% of that population reports that fall to their doctor.”

He says more than 75-thousand Iowans were treated in emergency rooms last year for fall-related injuries.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested on separate warrants, recently.

On December 1st, Cass County Deputies arrested 22-year-old Adia Mae Hebron, of Cumberland, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Hebron was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on her own recognizance.

On December 3rd, 34-year-old Mikel Ann Erickson, of Omaha, was arrested  on a warrant for Theft 1st Degree>$10,000. Erickson was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on bond; And, 28-year-old Christina Marie Stevens, of Anita, was arrested on four warrants for Failure to Appear. Stevens was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she expects a bipartisan solution to emerge to resolve the debate over the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies — but she says any deal must include new income restrictions.  “My biggest concern is ending the fraud and abuse here,” Hinson said, “because we have some incredibly wealthy folks who have been able to take advantage of a system that really should be used for working class and vulnerable Americans.” In 2021, Americans with incomes 400 percent ABOVE the poverty line became eligible for the tax credits for insurance policies purchased through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. That set of credits expire December 31st.

Republican Congressman Zach Nunn is the only member of Iowa’s congressional delegation to co-sponsor a bipartisan plan that calls for a two-year extension of the credits, giving congress time to come up with Affordable Care Act changes. Hinson says she prefers direct federal payments into Health Savings Accounts that consumers could use to buy insurance.”Those kind of proposals, in my mind, are the way we should be going here because they send the subsidies directly to the consumer and so that protects consumer choice,” Hinson says, “and it also makes sure we’re not subsidizing wealthy families or big health insurance companies.” The top Republican in the Senate has promised senators will have an Affordable Care Act vote next week. Senate Democrats plan to propose a three-year extension of the insurance subsidies. Hinson expects a different plan to emerge.

“I’m looking at details of all these proposals, but I’m not commit to supporting any of them until I see them number one cross the finish line in the other chamber and make it over as a serious proposal,” Hinson said, “but number two it has to be a something again that meets those requirements of protecting taxpayers and lowering costs at the same time.” Hinson currently represents Iowa’s second congressional district and is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026.

Other Republicans in the House have cited a recent report from the Government Accountability Office. The agency was able to use fictitious Social Security numbers to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for about two dozen people who did not exist.

(Red Oak, IA) – Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies responded at around 7:55-a.m. today (Thursday), to a collision in Villisca. The Sheriff’s report says the accident happened at the intersection of W. 4th Street and U Avenue, as a 2011 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Axel Eugene McCuen, of Villisca, was traveling westbound on W. 4th Street. When the vehicle approached the intersection with U Avenue, McCuen applied the brakes, but was unable to come to a stop, due to the weight of the trailer attached to the pickup, and the snow/ice covered roadway.

The pickup truck slid through the intersection and struck a 2019 Dodge RAM 1500 pickup belonging to Douglas Dewey Scott, of Villisca. No injuries were reported. Damage the accident amounted to a total of $8,000. McCuen was cited for having no insurance – accident related.

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 16, 2024 — U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Deputy State Director in Iowa Henry Kummerer today (Thursday) announced that the Agency is investing in six projects in Iowa including three loans totaling $3,000,000 and three grants totaling $683,333. Five of the projects support small business expansion and one project will improve fire and emergency service. In a news release, Kummerer said “Throughout the state, cooperatives help unleash innovation and entrepreneurship by passing along project financing to small businesses and ag producers with funds from USDA programs. Under the leadership of the Trump Administration, USDA is continuing to partner with co-ops to support job creation and to promote economic development in rural Iowa.” The funding was made through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program.

The projects and the amount of the funds received include:

• Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative: A $1-million dollar loan to fund a pass-through loan to Iowa Corn Processors L.C.; The project will replace outdated equipment and upgrade the company’s packaging line at its milling services facility in Glidden. The project is expected to create five new jobs and promote economic development in this rural Carroll County community.
• Corn Belt Power Cooperative: A $1-million dollar loan to fund a pass-through loan to Iowa Corn Processors, L.C.; This project will replace outdated equipment and upgrade the company’s packaging line at its milling services facility in Glidden. This project is expected to create five new jobs and promote economic development in this rural Carroll County community.
• The Central Iowa Power Cooperative received a $1,000,000 loan to fund a pass-through loan to Industrial Hardfacing Inc., a company located in Lamoni which manufactures custom parts for rendering, meatpacking, oil seed and the pet food industry. This project will fund building expansion and equipment purchases. The project is expected to create six jobs and promote rural economic development in Decatur County and surrounding areas.
• The Dumont Telephone Company, headquartered in Butler County, received a $300,000 grant to provide a loan to Erika and Thaylan Bowman DDS PLLC, doing business as White Oak Dental. This loan will help the company purchase a dental practice in Fort Dodge in Webster County. Once completed, this project is expected to promote employment, expand dental care options, and support economic development in this rural community and surrounding areas.
• The Lehigh Valley Cooperative Telephone Association Inc. received a $300,000 grant to establish a revolving loan fund. This project will provide a loan to Erika and Thaylan Bowman DDS PLLC, doing business as White Oak Dental. The loan will help the company purchase a dental practice in Fort Dodge in Webster County. Once completed, this project is expected to promote employment, expand dental care options, and support economic development in this rural community and surrounding areas.
• Rockwell Cooperative Telephone Association received an $83,333 grant to establish a revolving loan fund. This project will partially finance the construction of a new fire department and emergency services facility for the Bristow Fire Department. Repayment of this loan will be used for future business and community development loans and will help spur economic development in the rural community of Bristow in Butler County as well as in surrounding areas.

USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly. To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Iowa, call (515) 284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia.

(Radio Iowa) – About 150 people will gather in Ames this weekend for the third annual Iowa Farmers of Color Conference. Todd Western, who founded the group, is a sixth-generation black farmer in Iowa. “Our farm was established in 1864 in Mahaska County on 160 acres,” Western said. “…Imagine Iowa in 1864, the Civil War is still raging…and yet in the middle of all this tension, this moment of uncertainty the Western family settled in Mahaska County and planted this seed.” The Western family farm is now near Waterloo. Western’s father, who worked at John Deere, too, was killed in a bicycling accident in 2008. Western, his brothers and his mother are now running the row crop operation. Row crop farmers, beginning farmers and farmers raising specialty crops will be at the Iowa Farmers of Color conference.

“Regardless of your color, like, we’re always looking for opportunity right? We all succumb to the same things: weather, politics and markets, so the opportunity is within us,” Western said. “It’s within us as farmers of color and it’s within the broader agricultural family.” Western says urban farmers benefiting from the growing demand for locally produced food will be at the conference, too. “We have all types of different groups that grow all types of different stuff,” he says. “And on top of it, we stress the importance of making sure that we’re growing things that are edible and healthy for us to eat.”

Western says on Monday an older farmer contacted the group, wondering if Iowa Farmers of Color has a way to link him with a beginning farmer who could take over his operation in a couple of years. The organization plans to host events in 2026 for long-time farmers exiting the business and beginning or aspiring farmers. The Iowa Farmers of Color conference will be held on Saturday at the Harvest Vinyard Church in Ames.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors has awarded more than $11 million in 4% federal housing tax credits to support the construction and rehabilitation of 781 affordable rental homes across five projects in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City. In Wednesday’s announcement, IFA Director Debi Durham said “Recent federal changes to the 4% program have strengthened our ability to bring more projects forward, allowing us to award nearly twice as many units as last year and grow our pipeline at a time when Iowa needs more than 18,000 new homes by 2030.”

The 4% Housing Tax Credit program pairs the state’s tax-exempt bonding authority with federal tax credits to help finance affordable housing developments. Similar to the 9% Housing Tax Credit program, it follows income limits and rent restrictions. Demand for the 4% program has grown significantly and federal reforms now allow more developments to qualify while using fewer bonds, substantially increasing the number of affordable housing projects that can proceed in Iowa. As a result, the 2025 round marked the first competitive application cycle for the program. Applications were evaluated under a defined scoring system to ensure resources were awarded to projects best positioned to move forward. IFA received eight applications requesting more than $18 million in tax credits and $125 million in tax-exempt bonds, with $90 million in bonds available for issuance. The tax credits awarded exceed $111 million as they are distributed annually over 10 years. The awarded projects will receive a combined $76.4 million in tax-exempt bond financing.

The federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program includes both 9% and 4% credits, each supporting different types of affordable housing needs. The 9% credit provides a higher level of equity and is awarded through a highly competitive process. The 4% credit, paired with tax-exempt bonds, provides a lower but still substantial level of equity and has seen significant growth in demand in Iowa. Together, the two programs expand the state’s affordable housing pipeline by supporting the construction and preservation of rental homes.

Awarded projects include:

• The Atheneum, Cedar Rapids: New construction for families – 192 units
• Southridge Flats, Des Moines: New Construction for families – 160 units
• Central at Orchard Court, Iowa City: New Construction for families – 183 units
• Martin Tower Apartments, Sioux City: Acquisition/Rehab for seniors – 86 units
• Sioux City 3, Sioux City: Acquisition/Rehab for families – 160 units

The detailed list of awarded projects is available here.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors, Wednesday, announced $12.2 million in grants to 26 Local Housing Trust Funds to strengthen local housing initiatives. The awards were made through the Local Housing Trust Fund Program and are expected to benefit 2,473 families. IFA Director Debi Durham says “These grants are an essential and highly effective resource, empowering regions to direct funds where they are needed most to meet local housing needs. The success of this program is reflected in the thousands of Iowans who now have safe, affordable homes, made possible through strong partnerships with Local Housing Trust Funds across the state.”

In the KJAN listening area:

• The Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) – serving Dallas County, was awarded $398,340 from the IFA.
• The Pottawattamie County Housing Trust Fund – serving Pott. County, was awarded $377,017 from the IFA, and,
• The Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund – serving Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page and Shelby Counties, was awarded $441,474.

The grant funds will support a range of initiatives aimed at developing or preserving housing for low-income households across the spectrum of housing needs. This includes the development and preservation of housing, assistance for persons experiencing homelessness, rental assistance, homeownership support, bolstering the capacity of local housing organizations and other efforts that directly address local housing needs.  The State Housing Trust Fund helps ensure decent, safe and affordable housing for Iowans through two programs. The Local Housing Trust Fund Program receives at least 60 percent of the SHTF allocation to provide grants for organizations certified by IFA as Local Housing Trust Funds. The remaining funding supports the Project-Based Housing Program, which aids in the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing. IFA administers both programs and provides technical assistance to housing-related organizations.

Established by the Iowa Legislature in 2003, the State Housing Trust Fund continues to play a vital role in advancing Iowa’s housing priorities. The awards announced today are expected to leverage an additional $3.6 million in other financing or approximately 30 cents for every dollar of Local Housing Trust Fund Program funding. Since its inception, the State Housing Trust Fund has supported more than 41,400 Iowa households through the LHTF Program, investing more than $140 million and leveraging an additional $130 million in other funding to advance local housing initiatives.

(Radio Iowa) – Automatic teller machines that are only for cryptocurrency transactions, also known as crypto or bitcoin A-T-Ms, are popping up all over Iowa, and if you’re not careful using them, it could be a very expensive lesson. James Johnson, superintendent of banking with the Iowa Department of Insurance, says investing in crypto is becoming very popular and there are nearly 400 bitcoin A-T-Ms in the state now, including 25 just in Des Moines. “Obviously, with the trend of cryptocurrency, you’re seeing a surge in the availability of the ATMs,” Johnson says. “On the surface, if you’re using them, that’s great, if that’s what you’re wanting to do, as long as you’re putting it in your wallet or your account. The problem we see is that, just like with any financial instrument, scammers find ways to get people to use them for their own gain.”

The Federal Trade Commission says consumers reported losing more than 100-million dollars in crypto scams last year. Johnson says crooks are capitalizing on the accessibility of the A-T-Ms, enticing Iowans into using the machines to transfer cash to digital wallets which the scammers control. “Whether it’s the social media scams, or romance scams, you have a toll scam, whatever it is, they’ll engage someone and try to pressure them through a sense of urgency,” Johnson says. “I think some of the uncertainty that people have with these crypto ATMs, they use them not understanding the full reality of what’s going on, and the fact that they are sending that money to a scammer and they will not get it back.”

Johnson says it’s vital that Iowa consumers understand what cryptocurrency A-T-Ms are, how the scams work, and what they can do to protect themselves.  “Talk to people. That’s the biggest thing. If you have questions, talk to people that you know, start there. Find trusted advisors. Talk to them. Talk to your banker, talk to your financial planner,” Johnson says. “Just reach out to someone that’s an expert that you know and have them help you go through this.” The scams often start through chats, social media, emails, texts, computer pop-ups and phone calls from strangers. Johnson says scammers often pose as a government official who claims to be trying to help the victim transfer funds to keep them safe. “With anything, if you question whether it’s real or not, take a step back, seek guidance, reach out to an expert,” Johnson says. “We have a website, iowafraudfighters.gov, which has a lot of information for Iowans that may be questioning something, and it has a lot of scams that are out there, examples, some cases where people have been taken advantage of.”

Johnson warns to never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message, as only scammers will tell you to do that, and don’t believe anyone who says you need to use a crypto A-T-M to protect your money, fix a problem, or to get a great return on investment.