(Radio Iowa) – Greyhound racing is scheduled to end in Dubuque next spring and Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission Administrator Brian Ohorilko says the commission will be involved in deciding what’s done with the Iowa Greyhound Park property. “The commission would, ultimately, have to approve or reject any type of capital improvement project,” he says, “and at this point I know there are discussions and I expect that we probably will see some plans in the next year or two.”

The license for racing in Dubuque has been held by the Iowa Greyhound Association, representing kennel owners, but Ohorilko says the track’s property is owned by the City of Dubuque and leased by the Q Casino. “We have not seen any formal plans, but I expect that area will be developed in the near future,” Ohorilko says. Ohorilko made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

The Dubuque Greyhound Park opened in June of 1985 and it was the first licensed dog racing track in Iowa. The greyhound track in Waterloo closed in 1994. The state’s other greyhound track was in Council Bluffs. It closed in 2015. The Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque is currently scheduled to hold an 18-day spring racing season and close in May. Once the Dubuque track closes, there will be just two greyhound racing facilities left in the U.S.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axnes, a Democrat from West Des Moines is backing a bill she says will help with supply chain issues at the country’s ports. She says it prohibits ocean carriers from unreasonably declining opportunities for U-S exports. “At any given point in time, we have about a ten percent lag in import-export where we don’t export as much — ten percent of our containers might go empty. But right now, we’ve been up to 70 percent. So, that’s what this addresses,” Axne says. Axne says the requirements could be enforced.

“There is certainly oversight over what happens in our ports, oversee maritime import-export business to ensure that we are moving products appropriately,” she says. The supply chain issues are one of the factors in the high inflation the country is experiencing. Axne says it’s not the main problem. “But what I would tell you is that the best way to get any inflationary issues under control is to put things in place like our Build Back Better Act — which addresses multiple areas. Whether it is helping families to have the financial means by reducing the cost of prescription drugs. Capping things like insulin at 35 dollars a month so that they could afford it. Making sure that child care doesn’t exceed seven percent of our income,” according to Axne.

Axne rejects the idea that the big-spending bills add to inflation. “No — because those two don’t even add up. If anything, I would have to say it’s the major tax breaks that have been given to the wealthy over the last several years that have limited our ability to bring in enough funding to support what America needs,” Axne says. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson spoke with reporters today (Friday) on her weekly conference call and says spending more isn’t the answer.

“When we are seeing that inflation has accelerated at its fastest pace since 1982 –that’s longer than I have been alive. That’s hugely concerning to me. One of the things that I have been sounding the alarm on for months is slowing the spending down,” Hinson says. She says the spending bills pushed by Democrats are making things worse. “When you look at the American Rescue Plan Funds that surged into our economy, also with the Build Back Better plan that the Senate is considering right now. Not only is it a big government bill that will put our country on the wrong track — it has some provisions in it that will add to our inflation problems,” according to Hinson.

She is backing her own legislation to deal with supply chain issues. “I introduced a bill that will take a look at the supply chain and critical manufacturing — specifically for rural areas — what that supply chain pipeline looks like. Looking at the high-demand products and what that supply chain looks like and what we can manufacture, specifically focused on rural America,” Hinson says.

“We are seeing that because of the administration policies. I am hopeful we will have some common sense policies that will get our economy working again. Right now our economy is not working for working families.” Hinson is seeking re-election in the new Second Congressional District. Axne is seeking re-election for a third term in the new Third Congressional District.

(Radio Iowa) – Non-profits are having the same struggles as for-profit companies when it comes to finding workers. Recruiters have filled just a quarter of the 50 AmeriCorps assignments in Iowa that are to start in early 2022. AmeriCorps members must be between the ages of 18 and 25 and they receive health care coverage, a monthly stipend and more than 63-hundred dollars to cover student loan debt or pay college tuition. Rachel Wagner of Conservative Corps for Minnesota and Iowa says the job market is really competitive right now.

“There are so many hiring signs out there,” Wagner says. “When the job market is better, I think people are less likely to do an AmeriCorps program because it’s more of a service thing.” Most of the job openings in Iowa are for work on conservation-related projects outdoors. Wagner says the crews will be based in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls, but may travel outside Iowa to work in some of the National Parks in the Midwest.

“This is a really great opportunity for a young person who, whether or not they want to get into natural resources work or environmental work, they really can network, build their resume and try something new for just a year or part of a year before starting on another career path,” she says. Student loan payments are put on hold while an AmeriCorps member is on assignment, too.

A recent survey by the National Council of Non-profits found 80 percent of the organizations were finding it difficult to hire workers.

DES MOINES – Today (Friday), Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced appointments to Iowa’s boards and commissions.  They included two residents from each of Cass, Carroll and Dallas Counties, and one each from Page & Union Counties.

The following (Area) appointments are subject to Senate confirmation:

Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology
Caitlin McKenney, Dallas County

Commission on Tobacco Use Prevention and Control
Chad Jensen, Carroll County

Iowa Workforce Development Board
Mary Landhuis, Page County
Alicia Stafford, Union County

The following appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation:

Council on Agricultural Education
Ben Booth, Carroll County

Southwest Regional STEM Advisory Board
Misty Gray, Cass County
Katherine Somers, Cass County

State Historical Records Advisory
Joseph (Andy) Swanson, Dallas

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Friday (today) said there were three arrests over the past week, and one accident. On Friday (Dec. 10th), 43-year-old Anthony Karns, of Wiota, was arrested on a warrant for violation of a protective order. Karns was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held, pending release by bond or on his own recognizance.

Wednesday (Dec. 8), Cass County Deputies arrested 67-year-old Terry Bahney, of Austin, TX, for OWI 1st Offense. Bahney was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released after posting bond. And, on Tuesday, Dec. 7th, deputies arrested 34-year-old Lisa Sivard, of Council Bluffs, on a warrant for controlled substance violations. Sivard was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released with time served.

Authorities said also, a non-injury accident took place December 5th, in Cass County. Deputies were notified at around 6:50-a.m. about the accident on Main Street / Highway 92, in Griswold. A 2019 Chevrolet Spark driven by Randall Myers, of Griswold, was traveling West on Main Street / Highway 92. When he leaned over to pick up something, his actions caused the vehicle to veer rightward. The car struck a legally parked 2009 Ford F150 owned by Ross Baier, of Atlantic.

Damage from the collision amounted to $12,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A recount of the November 30th run-off election for Mayor in the City of Atlantic, resulted in no change in the winner. The recount was requested by candidate Tim Teig, after election night results showed he lost by just four votes. A committee of three people gathered in the Cass County Board of Supervisor’s Board Room Friday morning. They included Bert Hoeck, representing candidate Tim Teig, Leanne Pellett, representing candidate Grace Garrett, and Tammy Wickman, who served a non-partisan role. Election night results had shown there were a total of 1,174 votes cast during the race, including two write-in votes for Kathy Somers.

Dorene South, Assistant to the Cass County Auditor, oversees the recount process.

All ballots were counted separately for each of three precincts: Absentee; Atlantic Wards 1,2,&3; and Atlantic Wards 4&5. The number of ballots matched the number counted electronically on November 30th. The committee then went through and separated in each precinct, the ballots for each candidate. Afterward, they went through a three-stage process for counting each ballot as a means of confirming the tallies.

In the end, there were no disputed ballots, and there no change in any of the total precinct numbers. The vote remains 588 for Garrett and 584 for Teig. Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns acknowledge the results are official, and Garrett is the winner. Karns said also, Precinct 3 (Atlantic Wards 4 & 5), was chosen by the Secretary of State’s Office to be audited, as part of the election validity process every county goes through. The State found no discrepancies during the audit.

The recount was overseen by Dorene South, Assistant to the Cass County Auditor. The recount lasted just under 2 ½ hours.

More area/state News from Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – A coalition of churches in the Carroll area is hosting its annual “Blue Christmas” service this weekend. Reverend Terry Plocher is pastor of the United Methodist Church in Carroll, where the event will be held Saturday, December 11th. “Anyone might find themselves in a place where they’re grieving during the holiday season, where they find that they’re sad or blue and this is for everybody,” he says. “It’s not just for people of a particular church or people of a particular denomination.” Plocher says the service aims to provide a quiet time of reflection for people experiencing a loss.

“It is a difficult time for people who have lost someone they love or I like to emphasize other losses as well — losing a job, losing the opportunity to do some of the things they wanted to do. losing a dream,” he says. “Those things are all hard on us come the holidays.” Plocher says the holiday season can be difficult for people who are grieving or have been diagnosed with a mental illness. “All around them are these lights and people having fun and the parties and people smiling and cards and they just don’t feel it,” Plocher says. “It’s just not there for them and whatever the reason for that is, whether it’s a biological cause or if it’s a situational cause after the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or something, we want to let them know that it’s o.k. to feel however you feel at Christmas time, during the holidays.”

The Carroll County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and two funeral homes in Carroll are co-sponsors of what has become an annual event. This year’s “Blue Christmas” service in Carroll will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 11th.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  At its first annual grant celebration event, the Cass County Community Foundation honored 32 nonprofit organizations and community projects that received grants throughout the past year. These honorees included both spring and fall grant recipients, who were awarded a collective sum of over $137,000.
Spring 2021 Grant Recipients:

Throughout 2021, the Foundation received a total of 48 grant applications from community
organizations, with over $280,000 requested. As a part of its two grant cycles, the Cass County
Community Foundation awarded $137,525 to 46 of these 48 applications. “In 2021, we’ve been able to fund a wide array of projects and programs,” said Board Chair Kristi Burg. “Grants were awarded to
support a variety of recreational opportunities and building renovations, as well as many more projects that will have a positive effect on our community members—both young and old. We’re proud of the impact of the Foundation, and we’re glad to have this opportunity to celebrate the important work of these organizations throughout Cass County.”

Each year, the Cass County Community Foundation holds two grant cycles with an objective to fund projects that will have a lasting impact in the county. “Since the Foundation was established in 1998, it has distributed over $2.4 million in grants and scholarships,” said Iowa Foundations Director Stacey Goodman. “Through the generosity of donors and charitable funds allocated through the community foundation, along with our participation in the County Endowment Fund Program, we are able to continue to invest valuable resources back into communities across Cass County.”

The Cass County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, which meets National Standards for Community Foundations, and is one of nine county members of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa. It annually receives funds from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and grantmaking throughout the county. The spring grant cycle is made possible through the County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.

The Foundation’s fall grant cycle is made possible through the generosity of donors to the Cass County Community Foundation. The Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

The Cass County Advisory Board Members are Chair, Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair, Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic; Secretary/Treasurer, Sue Hunt of Atlantic; Sandy Bierbaum of Griswold; and Gaylord Schelling of Atlantic. For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org.