(Radio Iowa) – Racing and Gaming Administrator Tina Eick says the money bet on sports went up in Iowa in the fiscal year that ended June 30th.  “The amount wagered in the last fiscal year was almost two-point-nine billion dollars ($2.9). That’s up nine-point-three percent (9.3%) over the last fiscal,” Eick says. Eick says there were some records set for the amount wagered that is known as the handle.

“Fiscal year 2025 marks the first time that a single operator, Draft Kings took in more than one billion in handle on its own in the state of Iowa,” she says. There were several monthly betting records set. “November in particular set an all time record for handle at 315 million dollars, ” Eick says, “and we set records for revenue in eight out of the 12 months.” A majority of the money bet is paid out in prizes, but the sports gambling operators and the state also got a cut.

“Revenue on that for the operators was over 240 million dollars, and tax dollar wise to the state, that was over 16-point-two million dollars, which is up just over 13 percent,” she says. Iowa was one of the first states to start sports betting in 2019, and Eick says as the industry grows, there continues to be more options. “New leagues are still being requested and approved for wagering from the Commission on a regular basis,” she says. “So we’re covering everything from those standard markets that everybody knows and loves, football, March Madness, to obscure European table tennis.”

While sports wagering has grown, Eick says it still lags behind casino revenue in Iowa. The last fiscal year taxes on casino wagering were approximately 345-million dollars, compared to 16-point-two million from sports wagering. Eick says Racing and Gaming also wants to be sure that no one gets in over their head in any type of gambling and there is help available.

If anyone finds themselves or a family members in need of those resources, information on the self exclusion program can be found on the Commission website,” she says. You can also go to yourlifeiowa.org or call 1-800-BETS-Off to get free confidential help.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission has approved an update of rules on septic systems. Eric Wiklund of the D-N-R’s Water Quality Bureau says the change involves aerobic treatment units or A-T-U’s, which are an alternative to the normal septic tank systems. “An aerobic treatment unit is like a small activated sludge plant where you don’t have the physical media in there. They’re using aeration and mixing to create that environment where the microbes will consume the material and produce clean water at the other end. They use oxygen where the other ones use a media,” Wiklund says. Wiklund says the update drops the requirement that A-T-U’s run its water through a soil absorption system or a sand filter as a third step before discharging treated water.

“It ends up being kind of a prohibition A-T-U’s because if you can use soil absorption, you’re already required to do it, so if you have to use soil absorption on an A-T-U, you probably can’t because of the way that the soils are or just the groundwater. So it really has put them at a disadvantage,” he says. There were some people who spoke out against the change, saying the water from the aerobic units could lead to pollution. The majority of people who spoke at the Environmental Protection Commission meeting said they supported the change as studies show the treated water meets the same standards of other methods. Wiklund says the rules are now the same for whatever is used.

“All these alternative units, whether they’re media filters or aerobic treatment units, they all have to meet the same standards for testing in Iowa. And we want everybody to be able to. meet that same standard and be treated equally.” Wiklund says. The change came after the governor mandated agencies review their rules to cut burdensome regulations. Wiklund says the change allows for the use of new ideas. “We want innovation to be available to come to Iowa. So if there’s new treatment technologies and they meet that same standard, that same national standard, they can all be utilized in Iowa, ” he says. Those who spoke out against the rule change also say the aerobic systems require more maintenance and if that is not done there can be polluted water released. Wiklund says the extra maintenance is figured into the rule change.

“In the case of the A-T-U’s, everybody knows they do need more frequent maintenance, typically twice a year. So the rule supports that. If the manufacturer requires maintenance twice per year, then our rule is going to require maintenance twice per year. The counties are required to track those maintenance agreements and ensure that the maintenance is occurring,” he says. Wiklund estimates there are more than 10-thousand septic systems in Iowa, though he says it’s hard to get a count. He says the can be individual homes, or groups of homes that share one system together.

The new rules will go into effect in August.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery this (Wednesday) morning, of a body in the Harrah’s Casino parking garage at 1 Harrah’s Blvd. Authorities and rescue personnel were notified about the discovery of a man’s body at around 9:50-a.m..

Council Bluffs Police and Council Bluffs Fire & Rescue found the male party deceased upon their arrival. The incident is
under investigation however, foul play is not suspected at this time and the name of the deceased is not being released
pending notification of family. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

If you any information regarding this incident, please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at (712)328‐4728.

(Radio Iowa) – A business professor at the University of Iowa says she’s stunned by the results of a new survey that finds some parents will accompany their adult children on job interviews, and even make calls on their kid’s behalf. Jennifer Nahrgang, a professor of management and entrepreneurship in the U-I’s Tippie College of Business, says bringing mom or dad along for a sit-down with a potential employer sends the absolute wrong message.

“That’s a mistake on behalf of the child,” Nahrgang says, “and then it’s a mistake on behalf of the parent because they’re not letting their child showcase their own abilities and skills.” The survey released by TopResume found 26-percent of Gen Z job applicants said they’d brought a parent with them on an interview, which Nahrgang says demonstrates a critical error in judgment. “I think what employers are looking for is someone that’s proactive, that can be independent in their work,” Nahrgang says, “and so I think that signals the complete opposite.”

Prof. Jennifer Nahrgang (UI photo)

The survey found many candidates cited stress or anxiety as the reason, saying having a parent by their side provides emotional support, and makes them feel more relaxed and reassured. The roots may be traced to a rising deficit in social and communication skills, a boost in remote work, and an increased reliance on digital interaction instead of face-to-face conversations. At what age should someone be able to handle a job interview without a parental wingman?

“I think it depends on the type of job. I think teenagers, when they take summer jobs, they certainly should be able to handle that,” she says. “If you think about, if they’re able to do the work, they should be able to do the interview.” She says certainly a college-age person ought to be capable of a one-on-one interview without a guiding hand, though Nahrgang notes, parents are getting more involved in recent years.

There are guidelines against it, but she says parents aren’t above attempting to contact university professors to discuss a bad test score or a failing grade.

https://topresume.com/graduate-job-placement

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Senate is debating a package of nine BILLION dollars in federal budget cuts — carrying out many of the cuts identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. Iowa Republican Joni Ernst has been leading the Senate’s DOGE Caucus. “Overseas projects without merit are being ended and the tax-dollars that were paying for them will be refunded,” Ernst said, “if the Senate passes the recissions bill.”

Ernst says the U-S Agency for International Development became a rogue bureaucracy, operating with little accountability. “Money intended to aleviate economic distress in war-torn Ukraine was spent sending models and designers on junkets to New York City and ‘Fashion Weeks’ in Paris and London,” Ernst said, “at a cost of more than $203,000.” Ernst points to other U-S-A-I-D spending in Ukraine, including two million dollars for a custom carpet maker and 300-thousand dollars to a dog collar manufacturer.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Red Oak, Iowa) (official photo)

“Two million dollars went toward, get this folks, promoting tourism to Lebanon — a nation our very own State Department wars against traveling to,” Ernst said. Ernst says there’s no shortage of questionable spending by U-S-A-I-D. “President Trump is putting an end to this ‘Deep State’ operation,” Ernst said. “The foreign assistance programs that do advance American interests are now being administered under the watchful eye of Secretary (of State) Marco Rubio.”

Ernst also cites the bill’s cancellation of over one BILLION dollars in taxpayer support of public broadcasting networks. “NPR and PBS have a right to say whatever the heck they want,” Ernst said, “but they don’t have a right to force hardworking Americans to pay for their political propaganda being masked as a public service.” Once Senate debate ends, the bill appears poised to pass, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

There were some procedural votes leading up to today (Wednesday) and Vance’s vote was necessary after three Republican senators joining Democrats in seeking to block debate of the bill.

(Iowa DNR News) – Rivers across Iowa are swollen and swift with recent heavy rainfall. Some rivers are already dangerously high at or near flood stage, and more rivers could rise fast with chances of rain forecast later this week. “All paddlers, even experienced paddlers, should stay off of rain swollen rivers,” said Todd Robertson, paddling instructor and Outreach Coordinator for Rivers Programs at the Iowa DNR. “If a river level is at the top or out of its bank, don’t try to paddle on it.”

Always know your river conditions before you go paddling. For the latest river conditions, visit the USGS site at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/current or contact your local county conservation board for updates. “Swollen rivers are super powerful with unpredictable current and tons of wood or branch piles coming downstream that can pull a paddler under or pin them underwater,” said Robertson. “These deadly hazards are usually found on outside river bends where currents are strongest, but can be found anywhere on rivers including at the base of bridge piers.”

Large fallen cottonwood trees are a dangerous hazard on the South Skunk River Water Trail immediately downstream of Lincoln Way in Ames. Photo credit: Rick Dietz

Check the Iowa DNR’s interactive paddler’s map for updates on real-time hazards like downed trees and log jams, strainers and bridge construction. Pay attention to the dam warning signs and know where dams are located before you head out on the water. Bridge construction projects across Iowa could close some sections of rivers this summer.

“Water trails across Iowa are impassable with large fallen trees including the South Skunk River Water Trail immediately downstream of Lincoln Way in Ames,”warns John Wenck, Water Trails Coordinator at the Iowa DNR.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is dismissing a report in a Washington, D.C. publication that cites unnamed Republicans as being concerned she will not seek reelection in 2026. “There’s always all kinds of chitter chatter everywhere,” Ernst said, “but I have a lot left to do in the United States Senate, so I am not slowing down any time soon. We’ll have an announcement this fall.” Ernst, who is 55 years old, hired a campaign manager in June.

Federal Election Commission reports show Ernst raised about one-and-a-half MILLION dollars in the first half of this year and has about three-point-four MILLION dollars in her campaign account. Last week, Senate Republican Leader John Thune told the digital newspaper Politico that he is doing everything he can to encourage Ernst to run for reelection — and Thune believes Ernst is moving in that direction. At the of June, a top Republican senator from North Carolina announced he’ll retire at the end of his current term.

Senator Ernst. (Photo from Ernst’s office)

And Governor Kim Reynolds, a key Ernst ally, announced in April she wouldn’t seek reelection next year. Ernst says those retirements have no bearing on her own deliberations about a 2026 campaign for reelection.  “Everybody makes their own decisions,” Ernst says.

Ernst’s annual “Roast and Ride” fundraiser is scheduled for October 11th in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa) – The C-E-O of the Des Moines Water Works says the utility may spend close to two million dollars this year to remove nitrates from their water sources. Ted Corrigan says there are solutions to reducing nitrates in Iowa’s rivers, and more farms are adding practices and infrastructure that can make a difference. “I have never met a producer or a farmer who says, ‘You know, hey, I don’t care about water quality,’” Corrigan says.

But Corrigan says he has met many farmers who don’t know what to do or feel like their margins are too thin to make changes.  “The state of Iowa is probably the only entity that can make a dent in this problem, and asking individual landowners or farmers to do it on their own, voluntarily, isn’t going to get that kind of change that we need to see,” he says.

Corrigan is retiring this week after 35 years with Des Moines Water Works that included the flooding of the plant in 1993, the pandemic and the most recent issues with nitrate removal. He made his comments on the IPR program “River to River.”

(Woodbine, Iowa) – Exposure to career pathways can often be difficult for students to find or relate to in a traditional classroom setting. IGNITE Pathways, an arm of the Woodbine Community School District, is striving to open doors to career exploration for students across the region. The career and technical education program is housed in a state-of-the-art 45,000 sq ft facility next door to the Woodbine CREW Center recreation facility. The IGNITE program originally started in the CREW Center in 2021 until the separate building was opened in August of 2023. Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) helped IGNITE Pathways obtain a $1.8 million US Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant, which IGNITE Pathways matched another $1.3 million, to purchase equipment for the new facility in 2022. Now that the facility has been running for a couple years, its impact is starting to bloom.

Based in Atlantic, SWIPCO serves an 8-county region in Southwest Iowa and is designated by the federal government as an Economic Development District. This designation and the planning and development work SWIPCO does makes the region eligible for various types of funding that supports job creation. Director Michelle Barry said, “We’re truly changing students’ lives by giving them opportunities they may have never had otherwise. Whether it’s getting them on a path to a two-year program, a four-year university, post-secondary training, or into a job where they feel confident and successful—none of that would be possible at this scale without this facility.”

IGNITE offers 9th-12th Grade Pathways in numerous fields, a 7th-8th Grade Spark Academy, work-based learning, core credit courses, adult learning, educator training/workshops, and so much more. The pathway courses explore realms like aviation, nursing, agriculture, athletic performance, welding, HVAC, automotive technology, engineering, computer programming, criminal justice, early childhood education, cosmetology, and the list continues. Many of these courses have top-notch simulators and equipment that were funded through the EDA grant.

Barry is a native of Woodbine and thought that she would never move back. Now getting to be a part of this program she feels like it was meant to be, “This experience brings clarity—it feels like this work was meant to be, rooted in education at its core. I truly believe we’re transforming what education can look like, and we have a team committed to that vision. It feels like we’re gaining momentum, and people are starting to feel welcome to visit, see what we’re doing, and take ideas back with them.” (Photos & info. courtesy Chris Parks, SWIPCO Communications Coordinator)

Barry gave high praise to their staff and instructors, saying that they all have a strong passion for the work they do, and everyone is always willing and eager to do more. She said they never have a problem finding instructors for courses and the off-site locations have done a wonderful job running their programs. Now that they have settled in for a couple of years with their course curriculum, IGNITE Pathways has an added focus for outreach. In the 2024-25 academic year they piloted their Career Adventure Days. These days work like a field trip, allowing 2nd-12th grade students to come to the IGNITE facility and go to different career stations to learn and gain hands-on experience. These days are tailored to grade levels with Explore My Future for 2nd-5th Grades, Spark My Future for 6th-8th Grades, IGNITE My Future for 9th-12th Grades, and Career Camps for 9th-12th Grades.

Barry said these Career Adventure Days “Have several benefits: 1. Enhance the college/career readiness, they have an idea of what they might want to do heading into college or even high school. 2. Get some hands-on skill, they get to see what they might have a knack for and what maybe is really hard. 3. Discover hidden interests, they didn’t know these jobs existed or what they meant. 4. Connections to core, that’s at the heart of IGNITE, we believe you don’t need to learn English, math, social studies, and science sitting in desks and rows…We are just trying to evolve and show there is a different way to let kids learn.”

Barry has started to line up these Career Adventure Days for this upcoming academic year for districts across Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. Any school districts that have an interest can reach out to Michelle to explore options. IGNITE Pathways can be reached at 712-647-3526 or Info@Ignite-Pathways.com

SWIPCO is always eager to be a resource for member communities to seek innovation and growth. The IGNITE Pathways project is certainly a great example of innovation in a rural community that is looking to thrive. The City of Woodbine has positioned itself well with many other projects such as a revitalized downtown, the CREW Center construction, and the Harvest Hills housing development. SWIPCO has been a proud partner in many of those projects and is always available to assist in any way possible.

SWIPCO is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, this (Wednesday) morning, approved the renewal of an Actuarial Services Agreement with HUB International. Board Chair Nathan Baier explained…

Adair County Conservation Director Dominic Johnson provided his latest Conservation report.

The Supervisors approved several matters related to the Secondary Roads Department, including:

• An N-11 Lee (Township) bridge repair proposal
• An agreement for County Road P-28 widening design services
• the Use of TIF funds for the P-48 road project
• and Resolutions awarding the following contracts:
  • The N11 Bridge to GovCo Construction for their low bid $217,475 (engineer’s est. was $260k)
  • The Farm-To-Market (road) Pavement Marking project to Iowa Plains Signing, Inc., for their low bid $119,604 (engineer’s estimate was $106,000 to $107,000)

County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented his weekly report on Adair County Secondary Roads projects and maintenance efforts.