DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) – Officials say Iowa National Guard members will not be paid during the government shutdown despite some troops already being deployed, KCCI reports.

The guard has about 1,000 full-time civilian employees and around two-thirds of them will be furloughed.

Around 18,000 soldiers started their deployment to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve in the spring.

The Iowa National Guard says there’s legislation in Congress which would address this issue. The Pay Our Troops Act would ensure uniformed service members get paid during shutdowns.

The guard says the shutdown will not stop its deployment or military duties.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has denied the appeal of a Howard County man who was convicted of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. Sayvonne Jordan of Elam was found guilty of killing Jonathan Esparza of New Hampton, and then cutting up the body with an axe and setting it on fire in 2022.

Court information shows Jordan found Esparza on a surveillance camera stealing several pounds of meth from his home. Jordan appealed his conviction on procederal issues and though he was at the scene, there is not substantial evidence he committed the crimes.

The Appeals Court ruled issues handled by the court did not impact the outcome of the trial, and there was substantial evidence supporting Jordan’s convictions

(Radio Iowa) – President Trump says the federal government will make payments to soybean farmers who are taking a financial hit due to China’s stance in the trade war. China — the world’s largest buyer of soybeans — has turned to other countries for its soybean supply.

“We’re going to take some of that tariff money that’s we’ve made, we’re going to give it to our farmers who are for a little while going to be hurt until…the tariffs kick in to their benefit,” Trump said recently, “so we’re going to make sure that our farmers are in great shape because we’re taking in a lot of money.” Trump has not indicated when the payments will start or how big they’ll be.

“We’re going to be taking some money from all of the tariff money that we’ve taking and we’re going to be distributing it to our farmers until the tariffs kick in to their benefit, which ultimately the farmers are going to be making a fortune,” Trump said, “but it’s a process.”

Trump — in a post on social media yesterday (Wednesday) — said he will be meeting with China’s president in four weeks and soybeans will be a major topic of discussion. Last year, a little over half U.S. soybean exports went to China, but China hasn’t purchased U.S. soybeans for the past four months.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council this (Wednesday) evening, acted on passing several matters on their agenda. The Council approved an Order temporarily closing 4th Street between Chestnut and Walnut Streets on Oct. 31st, for the grand opening celebration of a new business: Grinnin’ Bear Tattoo. The street will be closed from 4-pm. until midnight on the 31st.

The Council passed the Third and Final Reading of an Ordinance amending the City Code, with regard to Flood Plain Regulations. Two previous readings were passed on the 3rd and 24th of September. The Council also passed the Second Reading of an Ordinance amending the City Code by adding a Chapter that regulates the use of electric scooters, motorized scooters, and low-speed vehicles.

Mayor Grace Garrett reminded the Council and residents of Atlantic, Halloween Trick-or-Treating will be held on October 31st. Kids can Trick-or-Treat downtown businesses from 3-until 5-pm; City-wide Trick-or-Treating is from 5-until 7-pm. A reminder also, that there is a costume and coloring contest on the 31st, from 3:15-until 3:50-pm in the downtown City Park, with Judging at 4-pm.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed Orders to approve pay applications to three contractors, for Street Improvement Projects, amounting to a little more than $753, 090.

The Council’s final order of business was to enter into a closed session to discuss strategy with legal counsel, pertaining to matters that are currently in litigation, or where such litigation is imminent.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the launch of its brand-new website, which officials say is a long-awaited upgrade designed to bring the community closer, support local businesses, and make accessing information easier than ever. Retaining beloved features like the community calendar, business directory, and featured events, the new site adds fresh tools and resources with a sleek, modern design.

Chamber Program Director Kelsey Beschorner says “Our community deserves a website that works as hard as it does. This launch is all about accessibility, engagement, and giving both residents and businesses the tools they need to thrive.” Chamber Board member, Kolton Hewlett, Cass Health CFO, says “Strong community connections are vital, and this new website helps make those connections even easier. This site ensures that residents and visitors alike can quickly access the resources they need to engage and thrive in Atlantic.”

What’s New:

• Housing Page with Rental Listings: Find your next home faster with local rental listings updated regularly on the site.
• Starting a Business Page: Get step-by-step guidance, resources, and local connections to help launch or grow your business.
• Sleek, User-Friendly Design: Navigate the site with ease on any device, thanks to a modern, mobile-responsive layout.
• Enhanced Community Calendar: Never miss another event—explore programs, activities, and gatherings happening in your area.
• Upgraded Business Directory: Connect with local businesses quickly, with detailed profiles and easy-to-find contact information.

The revamped website demonstrates Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’s commitment to keeping the community informed, supporting local commerce, and making valuable resources more accessible. Explore the new site today at www.atlanticiowa.com and discover everything your community has to offer.

(Radio Iowa) – Senator Mike Klimesh — the new Iowa Senate Majority Leader — says the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline was front and center in conversations he had with his fellow Senate Republicans before they elected him as leader two weeks ago.

“We have moved forward on a whole level of other issues — education, taxation — and we’ve done that as a team,” Klimesh said. “This is a disagreement that we had, but I really believe that continuing the conversation is of the utmost importance to finding a solution.” In May, 13 of the 34 Republicans in the Iowa Senate joined with Democrats in voting for new restrictions for carbon pipelines and other utility projects, but Governor Reynolds vetoed the bill in June.

Senator Mike Klemish (R-Spilleville) is the sponsor of Senate Study Bill 1137. (official photo)

“The issue’s not going away, obviously,” Klimesh said. Klimesh says the key is setting the rift aside and finding some sort of common ground. “Remembering how successful we’ve been when we’re together,” Klimesh said, “and to rebuild that internally.” Klimesh says he honed conflict resolution skills while serving as Spillville’s mayor — off and on — for a total of 20 years.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest survey of supply managers in Iowa and eight other Midwestern states shows the economy sagging under the weight of retaliatory tariffs, as the region’s manufacturing sector sheds jobs for the sixth straight month. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the September survey indicates many farmers are in for a difficult harvest season as the Trump administration tariffs are backfiring with one of the biggest trading partners.

“China just purchased soybeans from Brazil,” Goss says. “Now, they have not bought U.S. soybeans since May. That’s very unusual. They’re retaliating against our agricultural sector and they’re retaliating against other sectors. And they’re not the only one.” A year ago, China bought about 60-percent of all U-S soybean exports, and is now buying none. As a result, soybean prices are plummeting as Iowa growers are seeing per-bushel prices at one-third of what they were last fall.

Goss says the Creighton survey shows both imports and exports weakened during September, while wholesale prices rose from August and stayed at elevated levels.”Four out of five of our supply managers indicated that tariffs were pushing up prices,” Goss says. “Obviously, that’s not good. Inflation’s above the fed’s target.” Hiring is down significantly and the survey shows the Midwest region lost 38-hundred manufacturing jobs in the past month, while Goss says the U-S lost 78-thousand manufacturing jobs.

“We’re losing jobs, losing manufacturing jobs,” Goss says, “and I know I’ve raised my voice there, but we need to raise our voice about what’s going on in manufacturing because manufacturing and agriculture depend heavily on trade, and trade is not good right now.”

According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, Iowa’s manufacturing sector exported $8.4 billion in goods for the first seven months of this year, compared to $9.3 billion for the same period last year. That’s a drop of more than nine-percent.

DES MOINES [KIMT-TV] — The Iowa Attorney General’s Office announced today (Wednesday, Oct. 1st) that the fatal shooting of Michael Patrick Broyles on August 27 in Council Bluffs, was legally justified. The incident involved officers from the Iowa State Patrol, Council Bluffs Police Department, and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

The confrontation began when Iowa State Trooper Zach Jensen attempted to stop Broyles on Interstate 29 in Harrison County. Broyles failed to stop immediately and later exited the highway, confronting Jensen with a shotgun. Despite commands to disarm, Broyles fled toward Council Bluffs, and multiple agencies joined the pursuit. The AG’s report states Broyles eventually stopped under an I-29 overpass, where he ignored further commands to surrender. Officers used pepper ball guns unsuccessfully to subdue him. Broyles pointed his shotgun at officers, prompting them to fire.

Broyles returned fire before officers incapacitated him. He was later confirmed dead at a local hospital. Investigators found evidence at the scene, including shotgun shells and a firearm. The AG’s report says Broyles, identified through fingerprints, had a history of confrontations with law enforcement in Alaska and had expressed a refusal to return to jail.

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(Radio Iowa) – Senator Joni Ernst has obtained a Congressional Budget Office report showing about 750-thousand federal employees are likely furloughed today (Wednesday). The agency previously estimated the 2019 government shutdown — which lasted 35 days — cost the overall economy about three BILLION dollars in lost goods and services. Ernst asked the agency to provide an updated cost breakdown for this year.

The Congressional Budget Office says there will be a reduction in consumer spending due to the number of federal workers who aren’t being paid, but the effect on business activity is uncertain and will depend on how long the shutdown lasts.