(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst questioned President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense today (Tuesday) in a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak says the Department of Defense is only federal agency to never pass an audit, and she asked nominee Pete Hegseth about that. “What are those steps that you will take to ensuring the Pentagon has a clean audit by the year 2028?,” she asked. Hegseth responded.

“Previous secretaries of defense, with all due respect, haven’t necessarily emphasized the strategic prerogative of an audit. And myself, my deputy secretary and others already know that a Pentagon audit, the comptroller, others central to ensuring we find those dollars that can be used elsewhere legally under the law inside the Pentagon. So you have my word. It will be a priority,” Hegseth said. Ernst is a retired veteran of the Iowa National Guard and also asked Hegseth about women serving in combat.

“They should be very, very high standards. They must physically be able to achieve those standards so that they can complete their mission,” Ernst says. “But I want to know, again, let’s make it very clear for everyone here today as Secretary of Defense, will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles.” Hegseth says he will.

“Yes, exactly the way that you caveated it. Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, combat roles, given the standards remain high, and will have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded,” he says. Ernst has worked to get rid of sexual assault in the military, and also asked Hegseth about how he will handle that issue.

“As Secretary of Defense, will you appoint a senior level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response?,” Ernst asked. “Senator, as we have discussed, yes, I will,” Hegseth responded. Senator Ernst faced backlash from Trump supporters after saying in December she was not yet ready to say how she would vote on Hegseth’s nomination after allegations of sexual indiscretions as well as financial irregularities at non-profit veterans groups he led.

Ernst later said they have had “encouraging conversations” and she looked forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources. Hegseth addressed the allegations during questioning at the hearing, saying he has faced a concentrated campaign by the media to try and discredit him with unnamed sources.

(Radio Iowa) – As the powerful Santa Ana winds returned to the Los Angeles area today (Tuesday), a team of Red Cross volunteers from Iowa is in southern California, helping some of the thousands of residents impacted by the wildfires to recover. Emily Holley, spokeswoman for the Red Cross’ Nebraska-Iowa region, says three Iowans are among the 350 agency volunteers and staffers who are responding to the disaster, where damage may exceed 150-billion dollars.

“The Iowans are mostly working in sheltering,” Holley says. “As of yesterday morning, 900 people woke up in Red Cross shelters. These are folks who have evacuated due to the fires, and so the Iowans are going to help support the workings of those shelters.” At least two dozen people died in the fires and some 12-thousand structures were lost, as tens of thousands of L-A area residents fled their homes, many seeking refuge in shelters.

Holley says Red Cross volunteers are well trained in a wide scope of skills — from preparing meals for hundreds to addressing survivors’ mental health. “When we are supporting our shelters, we have folks that are in charge of feeding, we have folks that are in charge of the inner workings of the shelter,” Holley says. “We have folks that are sitting down with those who’ve been affected and just listening to them and making them feel heard and supported.”

American Red Cross image

In recent months, the state’s Red Cross volunteers have responded to historic flooding and tornadoes in Iowa, and they’ve also been deployed to states from Florida to North Carolina that saw significant hurricane damage.

“We want to make sure that folks know that they are not going through this alone,” she says, “that the Red Cross is there with them.” Iowans who’d like to help can make a donation by visiting RedCross.org or by calling 1-800-Red Cross.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 14, 2025 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Tuesday) announced that she is departing her leadership position effective at noon on January 20, 2025. Deputy State Director Kate Sand will then assume responsibility for the Agency’s role in providing loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for thousands of Iowans in rural areas.

“It’s been an honor to serve the people of Iowa as State Director for USDA Rural Development,” said Director Greenfield. “From helping to fund healthcare needs—for example—in Muscatine, Shenandoah, Sioux Center, and Grundy Center, to supporting our Iowa co-operatives in Boone, Butler, and Calhoun counties, to fostering the movement to clean energy on hundreds of livestock and grain farms, USDA is making a positive impact in the lives of Iowans. What a privilege it has been to be a part of that!”

Director Greenfield began her tenure at USDA in November of 2021 after a career focused on community development, housing, and real estate. During her time at USDA, she oversaw the distribution of millions of congressionally appropriated dollars for critical hospital, emergency response, and water infrastructure projects across the state.

Acting State Director

Acting State Director Sand has worked alongside rural Iowans since she began her career with USDA Rural Development in 2004. She has served in in multiple positions, programs, and area offices while serving rural communities, businesses, and homeowners for the past 20 years. For nearly ten years, she served as the Community Program Director before taking on the role of Deputy State Director in November of 2022.

Sand grew up on a corn and soybean farm near Joice, Iowa, population 208. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake and a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Iowa.

For the complete list of leadership for USDA Rural Development programs in Iowa, read it online here.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), passed a Bridge Embargo Resolution. Supervisor Mark Peterson read the resolution….

Montgomery County BOS meeting, 1-14-25

The Board then received a report from Montgomery County Treasurer Jackie Porter, with regard to Banking Investments and Interest.

In other business, Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert provided a brief, weekly report on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities. The Board approved changes to the signatories for the Treasurers bank accounts as presented, and they approved the Treasurers Annual Report, along with a resolution designating Depositories.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is submitting a package of election-related bills to the legislature. “We did a great job in 2024. It was a very smooth election and very successful,” Pate says, “but there’s a very things we want to get straightened and codified in the laws so that we’re ready for the next big election.” Pate is asking is asking lawmakers for new authority to cancel voter registrations if his office cannot confirm someone is a citizen. “This is the first of the session so we want to ask the legislative leadership to join us in making the election initiatives a major priority and we’re starting with the citizenship question and how we can back up and beef up our voter list maintenance process.”

Last October, Pate’s staff released a list of potential non-citzens who got an Iowa driver’s license when they were legal residents and Pate asked county auditors to challenge General Election ballots cast by people on the list, in case they had not obtained citizenship. Pate says giving his office broader authority to check the records of state and federal agencies and work with private vendors would speed up the process of checking citizenship status. “So that the voter isn’t the one that gets hassled on Election Day, but we do it at the point where we’re doing registration to ensure only eligible voters who are the right age and are citizens are the ones who are voting,” Pate says.

Last November, there were recounts in close legislative races and a recount in a congressional race. Pate is seeking legislation to ensure recount procedures are the same in every county and to change how the members of recount boards are selected. Pate says taking action now — before the next General Election in 2026, makes sense. “The fine tuning and these major initiatives because it gives us time to get them implemented,” Pate says.

Pate’s also proposing a ban on ranked-choice voting in Iowa elections.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley will chair two days of hearings starting tomorrow as President-elect Trump’s nominee for attorney general Pam Bondi appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I don’t decide on a nominee until after they’ve had a hearing in the Senate, however, I’m very impressed with Bondi’s track record as attorney general of Florida and her work as prosecutor,” Grassley says. “I look forward to learning more about her plans for the Justice Department.”

Grassley says he’s “leaning towards” voting to confirm Bondi for the post, but wants to first hear her public responses to questions about how she’d run things. “The Department of Justice must refocus its attention on enforcing the law, protecting American whistleblowers, and responding to congressional oversights,” he says. Grassley met with Bondi recently in his office and notes, he’s been “dissatisfied” for the past four years with his requests to the DOJ going largely ignored under the current administration. “I showed her a packet of 158 letters, about half of them to the FBI, that had never been responded to, or only non-responsive answers,” he says.

Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019, the first woman elected to the office, and in 2020, she was one of Trump’s defense lawyers during his first impeachment trial.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – If you’ve ever attended a funeral for someone who has served in the military, you might expect a Color Guard to present. There is much to know about the Color Guard tradition that some may take for granted. Atlantic resident Steve Livengood will give a presentation about the Atlantic Veterans Color Guard on Sunday, January 19th, beginning at 2-p.m. The event will be held inside the American Legion Memorial Building, in Atlantic.

Each veterans’ organization has an official manual on how to do a military funeral. However, each funeral can be unique. Livengood will explain the duties and options. He will talk about the number of people required to perform, their training and equipment. How to make arrangements and where the Color Guard may be used will also be included. Rain or snow they carry out their responsibilities. In addition to funerals, they may also volunteer for special events such as Memorial Day and Independence Day.

An American Legion Color Guard (File photo)

Steve Livengood was in the Service for 25 years. He has been involved with Color Guard since 1987 and has been the point of contact for 10 years. Steve has interesting stories to tell about the many military funeral experiences over the years.

The program is sponsored by Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE). It is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 1-p.m., with exhibits in the Military Museum and Military Library available for viewing prior to the presentation.

(Des Moines, Iowa) —State Auditor Rob Sand has released his legislative recommendations to reduce fraud and corruption, save taxpayers money, and address the nationwide shortage of accountants. Among the measures is a proposal to take Sand’s Public Innovations and Efficiencies (PIE) program to the next level. Counties, cities, and school districts began implementing the PIE program five years ago. It is designed to encourage local governments to create innovative strategies to reduce waste and save tax dollars and then share those ideas with other governmental entities in the form of PIE “recipes.”

Sand says “The bill we’re proposing would require the Auditor’s Office to prepare an annual report based on a list of best practices being implemented through the PIE program. We’d then distribute that report statewide so everyone can have access to ideas that have the potential of saving millions of tax dollars.” Sand is also addressing the nationwide shortage of accountants and auditors impacting the public and private sectors.  His proposal would exempt accountants from state income tax when performing audits and examinations of governmental subdivisions like cities and schools.

Auditor Sand says “I’ve already tried to ease the shortage in our office by eliminating the four-year degree requirement and hiring accountants with associate degrees. “The tax exemption incentivizes private CPA firms to perform government audits crucial to tracking how the government spends your money.”

(San Diego, CA) – Despite low unemployment levels, easing inflation, and a robust stock market, many Americans continue to feel the squeeze of high costs—particularly when it comes to housing. Median rents for 2025 are expected to be 4.8% higher nationally than last year, with some areas seeing increases of 20% or more. A new study from Construction Coverage has identified the locations with the biggest change in rent prices. The inflation rate has come down from its peak in mid-2022, but the effects of several years of record price increases still linger, leaving households struggling to make ends meet.

One of the most pressing financial challenges for many is the cost of housing. According to data from Zillow, median rents are approximately 35% higher today than they were before the pandemic. With high home prices and mortgage interest rates pricing many would-be buyers out of the real estate market, rentals have been highly competitive. Underlying these trends is a long-term shortage of housing stock in the United States. Many builders were hard-hit by the Great Recession, and as a result, the U.S. dramatically underbuilt its housing stock throughout the 2010s. Renters are feeling the consequences: rental vacancy rates are near their lowest level on record. In short, this means that more renters are competing for fewer available units.

The study found that in Iowa, rental prices are expected to increase 6.1-percent this year.

• Studio apartment prices are projected to see the largest increases: Nationally, rents for studio apartments are expected to rise 5.9% to a median of $1,384 in 2025. One-bedroom units follow closely with a 5.3% increase to $1,499.
• Larger rentals will fare slightly better: Median rents for two-, three- and four-bedroom homes are projected to grow by over 4% each, reaching median rents as high as $2,681 nationwide.
• Rent prices in Iowa: In 2024, the median rent in Iowa was $1,061. In 2025, it is expected to be $65 more expensive at $1,126, a year-over-year increase of 6.1%.

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

• Percentage change in median rent (2024–2025): +4.8%
• Total change in median rent (2024–2025): +$85
• Median rent (2025): $1,865
• Median rent (2024): $1,780

The full report includes data for nearly 400 U.S. metros and all 50 states.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a man was arrested last week on animal abandonment charges. 19-year-old Jeremy James Eldon Seley, of Creston, was arrested at a location off of Spillway Road, for Abandonment of cats and dogs – a Serious Misdemanor. Seley was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.