Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced the State of Iowa will end Fiscal Year 2023 with a balance of $1.83 billion in the General Fund, $902 million in reserve funds and $2.74 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund.

“Some see a surplus as government not spending enough, but I view it as an over collection from the hard-working men and women of Iowa,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds. “We’ve seen what the powerful combination of growth-oriented policies and fiscal restraint can create, and now it’s time for Iowans to directly receive the benefits. I look forward to cutting taxes again next legislative session and returning this surplus back to where it belongs – the people of Iowa.”

“As a result of the Governor’s great budget management, we are in an extremely strong financial position, making it possible to meet the needs of Iowans while leaving more money in the pockets of Iowa taxpayers,” said Kraig Paulsen, Director of the Department of Management.

Last week, Gov. Reynolds announced that Iowa’s corporate tax rate will drop to 7.1 percent from 8.4 percent for Tax Year 2024 due to corporate tax receipts exceeding $700 million.

(Radio Iowa) – The interim outreach director for the Iowa Association of Christian Schools says the new state-fund Education Savings Account program is likely to lead to the opening of more private schools. “This is going to open up ways for schools to begin.”

That’s Josh Bowar, who is also head of school at Sioux Center Christian School. Forty-two Iowa counties do not have a private school. Seventy-five counties do not have a private high school. Bowar says there are discussions. “This has really provided a pathway forward for schools of all kinds to be able to start,” Bowar says, “and that parents can have that choice to open those other opportunities.”

Bowar made his comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S. He is an administrator at one of the 15 private schools in Sioux County. Just over six percent of all applications for a taxpayer-funded account to cover private school expenses came from Sioux County.

(Radio Iowa) – With a federal government shutdown looming this weekend, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says it’s “idiocy” to be going through this process again. The U-S Senate has created a bipartisan package that’s designed to temporarily fund the government but indications are, the House likely won’t be able to finish its work before Saturday’s deadline. Grassley, a Republican, says he can’t predict what will happen. “The Senate this week is going to concentrate on just the government not shutting down, and hopefully pass a bill, without waiting to see what the House is going to do,” Grassley says, “and we started that last night with getting 60 or more votes.”

Grassley says the House is making a “serious attempt” to avert a shutdown, while the Senate’s stop-gap measure should be finished on Friday in plenty of time to meet the deadline. “Now, that doesn’t mean that we’re going to go home for the weekend, because I think we’ll be here Saturday and Sunday, and if government shuts down, I don’t think it’d look very good for me to be in Iowa,” Grassley says. “So I’ll probably be here this weekend and probably be forced to be here this weekend anyway because we’re in session.” The government shutdown would impact millions of federal workers, though many others would be forced to work without pay. In the past, they’ve always gotten backpay once the government restarts, but Grassley says there’s no guarantee that will happen.

“Under the 27th Amendment, Congress has to be paid and all these other people can’t be paid,” Grassley says. “So can’t you consider the idiocy of shutting down the government? I would hope that would embarrass enough members of both houses to make sure that we don’t shut down the government.” While saying he loves his job, Grassley says the three most frustrating things about being a U-S senator are: 1) the inconsistency of air travel, 2) blizzards in northwest Iowa during January and February, and 3) government shutdowns.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will gather for a work session this evening, in the High School Media Center. Their meeting takes place at 5:30-p.m., and includes discussion on the following:

• Negotiations
• Board of Education Committees
• Facility/Program Study
• TLC Leadership

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has updated information about an accident that occurred Tuesday afternoon, west of Atlantic. Authorities say at around 12:19-p.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and area first responders were called to the intersection of 570^th and Galveston Road in rural Cass County for a two vehicle accident with injuries.  Emergency first responders found that a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport being operated by Courtney Cooper, of Exira, was traveling East on Galveston, approaching the intersection with 570^th St.

At the same time, a 2019 Freightliner UPS truck being operated by Dallas Morrison, of Red Oak, was traveling North on 570^th St.  When Cooper failed to yield to the right, her SUV struck the UPS truck, sending the truck into the North East ditch, when it rolled and landing back on it’s wheels.  Both drivers were transported to Cass Health by Cass EMS for what appeared to be non life-threatening injuries.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors took action on a few matters during their brief meeting this (Wednesday) morning, in Greenfield. The Board approved an extension of the courtyard use permit for the Farmer’s Market, and township clerk wages for three townships.

The Supervisors approved the early retirement resignations of Deputy Auditor Sandy Mitchell, as well as the resignation in December of custodian & maintenance employee Rich Wallace, along with one other person.

In his report, County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented a Speed Limit Resolution and signs for the Adair County portions of Front Street and Division Street, near Stuart, a requested by the City of Stuart.

The Board acted on passing that Resolution. Board Chair Jerry Walker was authorized by the Supervisors to sign the final pay voucher of $25,843.66 to Murphy Construction, for the N5 Richland Bridge Project. The grand total cost of the project is $861, 455.02.

And, Nick Kauffman updated the Board of various road and bridge projects underway in Adair County.

He mentioned they are having to obtain road rock from Schildberg’s through Madison County, at Pitzer and Earlham sites, as well as Corning, because they are out of rock at the Menlo site. That’s why the county currently isn’t hauling much rock at the present. The county has a small stockpile of rock. Kauffman said also, Gus Construction continues to work on the road south of Fontanelle.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Wednesday) released an Independent Auditor’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters on the State of Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2022. The State of Iowa previously released its annual financial report for the year ended June 30, 2022.

AUDIT FINDINGS:
Sand reported twelve findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds of the State of Iowa. The findings address issues such as inaccurate financial information for the GAAP package related to Unemployment Insurance and material amounts of cash, accounts receivable, federal commodities, unearned revenues, compensated absences, revenues, expenditures and various related footnote disclosures for financial reporting. Sand provided the State with recommendations to address each of these findings.

Nine of the findings mentioned are repeated from the prior year. Each Department head has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of their Department’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible” care one exercises in their fiduciary capacity.

A copy of the audit report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website at Audit Reports – Auditor of State.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports 42-year-old David Junior Richman, of Creston, was arrested Tuesday evening, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Richman was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.

And, at around 10:40-p.m., Tuesday, Creston Police arrested 42-year-old Keenan Russell Elwood, of Creston. He was charged with Theft 5th Degree. Elwood was taken to Union County Jail. Bail of $300 cash or approved surety was posted.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials in a city that’s been called the southern gateway to the Iowa Great Lakes have hired an architectural firm to study the housing market in Milford. Charlie Cowell, a lead consultant on the project, says Milford is like other lake communities in the Midwest that draw tons of visitors in the summer months and that drives up housing prices for year round residents.

According to Realtor-dot-com, 470-thousand dollars is the median listing price for homes that are for sale right now in Milford and that’s 24-and-a-half percent higher than a year ago. In late July, Milford’s City Council approved spending 18-thousand dollars on the housing research project and a final report should be ready by the end of the year.

(Radio Iowa) – A spokesman for the Polk County Sheriff’s Department says a man fired a gun at a deputy during an attempted traffic stop Tuesday, then barricaded himself inside a north Des Moines hotel. The traffic stop happened around 10:30 a-m and the man was taken into custody around 2:30 p-m without any problems.

The Saydel School district is nearby, and the district was put on lockdown as a precaution.