(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa small business owner says changing or eliminating some federal mandates would make employer-sponsored insurance premiums more affordable. Marcia Strouse — a partner and consultant at Capitol Benefits Group in Des Moines — is one of eight employees at the firm. She testified yesterday (Thursday) before a U-S Senate Committee.

“Premiums have risen more than 120% since the early 2000s, while the number of insurers offering small group plans has sharply declined,” Strouse said. “It’s no wonder that 98% of small business owners fear they will no longer be able to afford coverage in the coming years.” Strouse says several mandates in the 2009 Affordable Care Act should be repealed.

“They have unintentionally contributed to rising costs, fueled industry consolidation and reduced flexibility,” Strouse said. Strouse says prohibiting insurance companies from varying premium within a geographic area based on factors like age or gender inflates premiums for younger workers and she says the Affordable Care Act has required companies to pay for coverage or services their employees may never use.

Strouse is also a critic of the ban on yearly or lifetime insurance coverage limits for essential health care services like hospital stays, pregnancy and newborn care or prescription drugs to be repealed. “Removal of the lifetime limits has contributed to uncontrolled cost growth across the system,” Strouse said. “Eliminating or at a minimum right sizing these mandates would help bring premiums back in line with what small employers and families can afford.”

Strouse told the Senate Committee any group of small businesses should be able to ban together and offer “Association Health Plans.” Under current regulations, small businesses must be in the same industry in order to purchase coverage as a group.

(Council Bluffs, IA) — A district court judge has ruled that former Pottawattamie County Supervisor’s Board Member Scott Belt CANNOT return to his seat on the Board. Judge Roger Sailer issued his ruling Thursday afternoon, after he heard nearly two days worth of arguments and testimony presented by Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber.

A legal petition filed by Wilber against Belt last month, citied Belt’s actions at a town hall meeting in Carson on November 5th and several other incidents of alleged drunken conduct by Belt.

In his ruling, Sailer concluded the evidence was enough to take the “extraordinary measure” of removing Belt from an elected office, whose term runs through the end of 2026.

According to reports, arguments made during the trial centered around whether Belt was intoxicated while performing his official duties, with the defense arguing the town hall, which is not mandated by a state statute, did not qualify as an official part of a supervisor’s job and that Belt was there voluntarily.

Under rules set forth by the Code of Iowa, an appointment to fill the vacancy is expected to be made by a three-person committee, including the county auditor, treasurer, and recorder, who have 40 days from the creation of the vacancy to do so.

In a statement, county officials say that deadline would be December 24th, since Belt was temporarily removed from office after Wilber filed his petition. Officials added they had opted against filling the vacancy immediately to allow Belt to “have his case heard by the judge.”

Belt has held public office for nearly 30 years, with time on the board of supervisors and the Council Bluffs city council. He was also the top vote-getter in the 2022 general election for county supervisor.

(Radio Iowa) – The Court of Appeals is calling for more review of a case that falls under a law that gives farm owners immunity for accidents with animals. Janey Shafer was taking video for Frank Santana as he used a horse-drawn sickle mower on his Madison County farm in 2021. Santana then asked Shafer to hold the horses while he raised the sickle. The sickle bar fell, startling the horses who took off and Shafer was run over by one of the mower wheels and left paralyzed.

Shaffer sued, but the district court said Santana has immunity under Iowa’s law that shields animal operations from liability.

The Appeals Court agreed the Domestic Animal Activities Act applies, but says there is a lingering question as to whether the injury was caused by Santana’s recklessness. It ordered the case back to the district court to review that issue.

(Radio Iowa) – It may sound silly and look ridiculous, but experts say Iowans should consider walking like penguins when it’s this cold and icy to prevent falls. That means taking short strides with deliberate steps, keeping your center of gravity over your feet and your arms out from your sides to maintain balance. Edison Weig, a physical therapist with Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says they see a lot of injuries from falls during the winter months.

“It’s a multitude of things, but I would say probably the most that we see are those hip fractures, especially in the hospital setting that’s related to that increase in fall risk, especially the outdoor environments,” Weig says. “It’s easy to take one wrong step.” Other injuries may range from broken arms and legs to back injuries and concussions, and one in every five falls results in a serious injury. Weig says one segment of the Iowa population is most at risk.

“As you age, you tend to lose some strength, so definitely in the older population, like people 65 years and older,” Weig says. “One out of four older people every year fall, but less than 50% of that population reports that fall to their doctor.”

He says more than 75-thousand Iowans were treated in emergency rooms last year for fall-related injuries.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested on separate warrants, recently.

On December 1st, Cass County Deputies arrested 22-year-old Adia Mae Hebron, of Cumberland, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Hebron was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on her own recognizance.

On December 3rd, 34-year-old Mikel Ann Erickson, of Omaha, was arrested  on a warrant for Theft 1st Degree>$10,000. Erickson was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on bond; And, 28-year-old Christina Marie Stevens, of Anita, was arrested on four warrants for Failure to Appear. Stevens was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she expects a bipartisan solution to emerge to resolve the debate over the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies — but she says any deal must include new income restrictions.  “My biggest concern is ending the fraud and abuse here,” Hinson said, “because we have some incredibly wealthy folks who have been able to take advantage of a system that really should be used for working class and vulnerable Americans.” In 2021, Americans with incomes 400 percent ABOVE the poverty line became eligible for the tax credits for insurance policies purchased through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. That set of credits expire December 31st.

Republican Congressman Zach Nunn is the only member of Iowa’s congressional delegation to co-sponsor a bipartisan plan that calls for a two-year extension of the credits, giving congress time to come up with Affordable Care Act changes. Hinson says she prefers direct federal payments into Health Savings Accounts that consumers could use to buy insurance.”Those kind of proposals, in my mind, are the way we should be going here because they send the subsidies directly to the consumer and so that protects consumer choice,” Hinson says, “and it also makes sure we’re not subsidizing wealthy families or big health insurance companies.” The top Republican in the Senate has promised senators will have an Affordable Care Act vote next week. Senate Democrats plan to propose a three-year extension of the insurance subsidies. Hinson expects a different plan to emerge.

“I’m looking at details of all these proposals, but I’m not commit to supporting any of them until I see them number one cross the finish line in the other chamber and make it over as a serious proposal,” Hinson said, “but number two it has to be a something again that meets those requirements of protecting taxpayers and lowering costs at the same time.” Hinson currently represents Iowa’s second congressional district and is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026.

Other Republicans in the House have cited a recent report from the Government Accountability Office. The agency was able to use fictitious Social Security numbers to buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for about two dozen people who did not exist.

(Red Oak, IA) – Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies responded at around 7:55-a.m. today (Thursday), to a collision in Villisca. The Sheriff’s report says the accident happened at the intersection of W. 4th Street and U Avenue, as a 2011 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Axel Eugene McCuen, of Villisca, was traveling westbound on W. 4th Street. When the vehicle approached the intersection with U Avenue, McCuen applied the brakes, but was unable to come to a stop, due to the weight of the trailer attached to the pickup, and the snow/ice covered roadway.

The pickup truck slid through the intersection and struck a 2019 Dodge RAM 1500 pickup belonging to Douglas Dewey Scott, of Villisca. No injuries were reported. Damage from the accident amounted to a total of $8,000. McCuen was cited for having no insurance – accident related.

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 16, 2024 — U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Deputy State Director in Iowa Henry Kummerer today (Thursday) announced that the Agency is investing in six projects in Iowa including three loans totaling $3,000,000 and three grants totaling $683,333. Five of the projects support small business expansion and one project will improve fire and emergency service. In a news release, Kummerer said “Throughout the state, cooperatives help unleash innovation and entrepreneurship by passing along project financing to small businesses and ag producers with funds from USDA programs. Under the leadership of the Trump Administration, USDA is continuing to partner with co-ops to support job creation and to promote economic development in rural Iowa.” The funding was made through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program.

The projects and the amount of the funds received include:

• Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative: A $1-million dollar loan to fund a pass-through loan to Iowa Corn Processors L.C.; The project will replace outdated equipment and upgrade the company’s packaging line at its milling services facility in Glidden. The project is expected to create five new jobs and promote economic development in this rural Carroll County community.
• Corn Belt Power Cooperative: A $1-million dollar loan to fund a pass-through loan to Iowa Corn Processors, L.C.; This project will replace outdated equipment and upgrade the company’s packaging line at its milling services facility in Glidden. This project is expected to create five new jobs and promote economic development in this rural Carroll County community.
• The Central Iowa Power Cooperative received a $1,000,000 loan to fund a pass-through loan to Industrial Hardfacing Inc., a company located in Lamoni which manufactures custom parts for rendering, meatpacking, oil seed and the pet food industry. This project will fund building expansion and equipment purchases. The project is expected to create six jobs and promote rural economic development in Decatur County and surrounding areas.
• The Dumont Telephone Company, headquartered in Butler County, received a $300,000 grant to provide a loan to Erika and Thaylan Bowman DDS PLLC, doing business as White Oak Dental. This loan will help the company purchase a dental practice in Fort Dodge in Webster County. Once completed, this project is expected to promote employment, expand dental care options, and support economic development in this rural community and surrounding areas.
• The Lehigh Valley Cooperative Telephone Association Inc. received a $300,000 grant to establish a revolving loan fund. This project will provide a loan to Erika and Thaylan Bowman DDS PLLC, doing business as White Oak Dental. The loan will help the company purchase a dental practice in Fort Dodge in Webster County. Once completed, this project is expected to promote employment, expand dental care options, and support economic development in this rural community and surrounding areas.
• Rockwell Cooperative Telephone Association received an $83,333 grant to establish a revolving loan fund. This project will partially finance the construction of a new fire department and emergency services facility for the Bristow Fire Department. Repayment of this loan will be used for future business and community development loans and will help spur economic development in the rural community of Bristow in Butler County as well as in surrounding areas.

USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly. To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Iowa, call (515) 284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia.

(Radio Iowa) – About 150 people will gather in Ames this weekend for the third annual Iowa Farmers of Color Conference. Todd Western, who founded the group, is a sixth-generation black farmer in Iowa. “Our farm was established in 1864 in Mahaska County on 160 acres,” Western said. “…Imagine Iowa in 1864, the Civil War is still raging…and yet in the middle of all this tension, this moment of uncertainty the Western family settled in Mahaska County and planted this seed.” The Western family farm is now near Waterloo. Western’s father, who worked at John Deere, too, was killed in a bicycling accident in 2008. Western, his brothers and his mother are now running the row crop operation. Row crop farmers, beginning farmers and farmers raising specialty crops will be at the Iowa Farmers of Color conference.

“Regardless of your color, like, we’re always looking for opportunity right? We all succumb to the same things: weather, politics and markets, so the opportunity is within us,” Western said. “It’s within us as farmers of color and it’s within the broader agricultural family.” Western says urban farmers benefiting from the growing demand for locally produced food will be at the conference, too. “We have all types of different groups that grow all types of different stuff,” he says. “And on top of it, we stress the importance of making sure that we’re growing things that are edible and healthy for us to eat.”

Western says on Monday an older farmer contacted the group, wondering if Iowa Farmers of Color has a way to link him with a beginning farmer who could take over his operation in a couple of years. The organization plans to host events in 2026 for long-time farmers exiting the business and beginning or aspiring farmers. The Iowa Farmers of Color conference will be held on Saturday at the Harvest Vinyard Church in Ames.