(Red Oak, Iowa) — Police in Red Oak report a man was arrested on a valid Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office warrant, Thursday evening. Authorities say 24-year-old Christopher Floyd Birdtail, of Red Oak, was taken into custody a little before 6:30 p.m., in the 2400 Block of North 8th Street. Birdtail was arrested on the warrant for Failure to Appear, on the original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st Offense.

He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee have approved making changes in Iowa’s Bottle Bill — tripling the amount of deposit fees that go to redemption centers that accept empties and pay back the nickel deposits on cans and bottles. Democrats say the entire package of changes will crush the Bottle Bill. Republican Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig says it’s time to stop waiting for grocers and beverage distributors to come up with a compromise.

“Iowans, I think, are increasingly and justifiably enraged that we’ve let this go this far,” Schultz says. If the bill becomes law, beverage distributors would maintain mobile trailers that accept empties AND the state’s beer excise tax would be reduced next year. The bill also says grocery stores could quit taking back cans and bottles in 2023.

“This is a very real move to reinvigorate and modernize Iowa’s decades old Bottle Bill,” Schultz says. “Every poll shows, every forum that I go to shows…and my own family shows that they want to have it. Iowans love the Bottle Bill.” A survey conducted last month found the Bottle Bill remains popular with 84 percent of eligible Iowa voters. Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, says it’s been one of the most popular laws on the books for years.

“This bill, the way it is written, is the de facto end of the Bottle Bill,” Dotzler says. “…You’re not going to be able to find a place to get rid of your bottles and cans.” Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says that’s already happened — with no consequences to retailers. “The Bottle Bill’s on life support and it’s on life support because HyVee and Fareway and convenience store chains have quit taking the containers that consumers buy,” Bolkcom says. Schultz says while there could be some tweaks, his overall reform plan is the only viable option that could pass the Senate and the House.

“This is the opportunity to make the Bottle Bill live for another 10 years,” Schultz says. “It’s the only way to look at it. It’s hard to imagine any other way you could look at this situation.” The bill passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee Thursday and is now eligible for debate in the full Senate.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports Republican incumbent Cass County Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall, Thursday, filed her nomination papers for re-election, in advance of the March 25th deadline for the June 7th Primary Election.

Marshall is currently finishing her fifth term as County Treasurer.

(Radio Iowa) – Proposals Governor Kim Reynolds unveiled earlier this year have stalled in the legislature, including her call to reduce the number of weeks Iowans may receive unemployment benefits. Reynolds told reporters she’s working with lawmakers to come up with a compromise to get that “across the finish line.”

“Right now, people that qualify for unemployment benefits, they qualify for those for over six months and that is just too long,” Reynolds said during a news conference Wednesday. “And so the bill that we’ve proposed, it moves that down to four months which is still responsible, reasonable.”

A controversial part of her plan delayed payment of the first week of jobless benefits, but Reynolds said she’s willing to make accommodations for seasonal workers, especially in construction, who rely on unemployment benefits when the Iowa weather makes it impossible to work.

Her original workforce bill also included new liability protections for the trucking industry. The bill that dramatically stalled in the House Wednesday night when Republicans couldn’t muster 51 votes to start debate included those provisions. While Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley said he was surprised by some of that opposition, there’s still time to come up with a compromise.

“We want to continue to try and make progress and so I don’t think you’re going to see it all of a sudden just disappear from the conversation,” Grassley said, “whether it’s the rest of this session or moving forward into next.”

Democratic leaders say the proposed cut in unemployment benefits for laid off workers has stalled because a recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll found 53% of likely voters oppose the idea.

(Radio Iowa) – Parts of western Iowa are again in “severe drought” and extremely low soil moisture levels may linger even longer, as the National Climate Prediction Center is now forecasting the current La Nina will last well into summer. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says that could extend a serious worry for Iowa farmers as planting season nears.

“If we were in relatively decent shape soil moisture-wise right now, I wouldn’t be as concerned, but given that we have dry conditions and that we’re not seeing big help so far this spring, that’s what has me concerned,” Todey says. “Any increase in chances that the drought continues is going to be a problem.” Todey says much of the region is heading into spring with very dry soil and the C-P-C is forecasting drought areas may expand across the Central Plains into spring.

“Originally the thought was that La Nina was going to continue weakening this spring and would not be in effect in the summertime,” Todey says. “Some of the models are hinting that this La Nina could last, maybe not strongly, but last into the summer.” The latest map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows roughly 45 Iowa counties are in the category of abnormally dry, with about 36 counties in moderate drought.

Large sections of Monona and Woodbury counties are now listed as “severe drought,” while there are only around 16 counties where soil moisture levels are considered normal.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests took place, Wednesday: Authorities say 55-year-old Dale Clifford Greedy, of Sidney, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office. He was wanted on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $20,000; 37-year-old Brandon Heath Smith, of Glenwood, was also arrested Tuesday, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held without bond.

37-year-old Jessica Dawn Whetsel, of Glenwood, was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. Bond was set at $300. And, 38-year-old Kyle Anthony Zeigler, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Barred, with bond set at $2,000.

LENEXA, KAN. (MARCH 17, 2022) – Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Thursday (today) proposed adding five Superfund sites to the National Priorities List (NPL), including the Highway 3 PCE Site in Le Mars, Iowa. The NPL includes sites where releases of contamination pose significant human health and environmental risks. Before EPA adds a site to the NPL, a site must meet EPA’s requirements and be proposed for addition to the list in the Federal Register, subject to a 60-day public comment period. EPA will add the site to the NPL if it continues to meet the listing requirements after the public comment period closes and the Agency has responded to any comments.

The Highway 3 PCE Site (site) is located southeast of the intersection of Plymouth Street West (Iowa Highway 3) and Central Avenue Northeast in Le Mars. EPA discovered the site in April 2008 during an investigation conducted for the nearby Le Mars Coal Gas Plant Site. Groundwater sampling identified the presence of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and its breakdown products. Those contaminants were determined not to be associated with the Le Mars Coal Gas Plant Site. In today’s announcement, EPA also said it is adding 12 sites to the NPL across the country. Cleaning up contaminated sites is important for the health, safety, and revitalization of communities.

Thousands of contaminated sites, from landfills, processing plants, to manufacturing facilities exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will accelerate EPA’s work to help communities clean up these contaminated sites with a $3.5 billion investment in the Superfund Remedial Program and reinstates the Superfund chemical excise taxes, making it one of the largest investments in American history to address legacy pollution. This historic investment strengthens EPA’s ability to tackle threats to human health and the environment, and EPA has already set action in motion to clear the backlog of the 49 contaminated sites which had been awaiting funding to start remedial action.

Superfund cleanups provide health and economic benefits to communities. The program is credited for significant reductions in both birth defects and blood-lead levels among children living near sites, and research has shown that residential property values increase up to 24% within 3 miles of sites after cleanup. Further, thanks to Superfund cleanups, communities are now using previously blighted properties for a wide range of purposes, including retail businesses, office space, public parks, residences, warehouses, and solar power generation. As of 2021, EPA has collected economic data on 650 Superfund sites. At these sites, there are 10,230 businesses operating, 246,000 people employed, an estimated $18.6 billion in income earned by employees, and $65.8 billion in sales generated by businesses.

With this Superfund NPL update, the Biden-Harris administration is following through on its commitment to update the NPL twice a year, as opposed to once a year.

Background

The National Priorities List (NPL) includes the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination. The list serves as the basis for prioritizing EPA Superfund cleanup funding and enforcement actions. Only releases at sites included on the NPL are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term, permanent cleanup.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by the Masonic Pymosa Lodge today, (Thursday) March 17th, 2022. The Ambassadors learned about the Annual Masonic Scholarship Fundraiser, which includes a St. Patrick’s Day Stew Feed taking place this evening.

Donnie Drennan shared about the rich history of philanthropy of the Masonic organization and their annual fundraiser for the scholarship fund. Annual scholarships are awarded to area seniors to help offset the cost of tuition and vary in amount depending on donations the organization has received throughout the year. The Masons have been handing out scholarships to a graduating Atlantic High School Seniors for over 30 years. Thanks to the generosity of the community, the organization has given out over $25,000 in scholarship funds.

The 6th Annual Masonic Scholarship St. Patrick’s Day Stew Feed Fundraiser will be held today, March 17th from 5-7:30 PM. They will be serving Beef Stew and Irish Soda Bread for a free will donation at the Masonic Lodge, located at 1010 SW 7th Street. There are two ways to enjoy the meal with seating inside the Masonic Lodge or a drive through lane alongside the lodge.

For further information about the Annual Irish Stew Feed, Scholarship Program, or to donate, please contact 402-740-1717. The Masonic Lodge/ Pymosa Lodge #271 is located at 1010 SW 7th Street in Atlantic.