(Radio Iowa) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has not yet seen a document outlining how the Trump Administration may address farmers’ fury over ethanol waivers granted to oil refineries.  “I’m optimistic that we’ll hopefully get something this week, but we’re still waiting to see the final details on it,” Reynolds told reporters late this (Wednesday) morning.

Bloomberg and Reuters are reporting President Trump is expected to sign-off on the deal Friday and make the details public next week. Reynolds was in the Oval Office a month ago, arguing for a policy that will increase federal biofuel production and blending requirements. The oil industry has been pressing for concessions that would alter what Reynolds and others discussed with Trump.

“I’m going to still take the president at his word,” Reynolds says. “I know he’s worked really hard to make our farmers and the biofuels industry whole and so I look forward to seeing in writing the verbal agreement that we came to.” If that greement is what materializes, Reynolds has invited Trump to Iowa to make the announcement. Reynolds suggests the president’s chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, is leading the biofuels negotiations.

“They had the meeting at the UN. They were working on a Japan free trade agreement, so there have been some other things that Kudlow and the team have been working on,” Reynolds says, “so hopefully that’s done and now we can move into this.” Earlier this week, Reuters reported the impeachment inquiry in the U.S. House was diverting White House attention from negotiations over biofuels. Reynolds told reporters she’s not ready to weigh in on impeachment.

Reynolds says it is possible to do two things at once and she’s urging Democrats in the U.S. House to ratify the U-S-Mexico-Canada Agreement as they conduct the impeachment inquiry.

(Radio Iowa) — The Technology Association of Iowa is setting up a statewide database to connect students, parents and teachers to the many computer-related programs and events around the state. The idea is to build a community of tech-savvy young people who can learn from each other. T-A-I president Brian Waller offers a few examples of what can be found on the site known as Techstream.

“In Waterloo, there’s a Girl Scout program up there doing cyber security specifically,” Waller says. “If you go to Cedar Rapids, kids on Wednesday nights can do computer coding called Computer Dojo.” Waller says the database may also encourage more young people to enter the information technology field to help fill a labor shortage. Waller says he wants Iowa students to be creators of technology, not just consumers of it.

“We’re hoping that this fabric of lots of different outposts of computer science and technology activities and programming, that they’re going to build a community and learn from each other, and really the end goal we would love to see is computer science in the core curriculum for the state of Iowa,” he says. Waller says connecting students to technology classes, workshops and events may encourage more young people to enter the I-T field.

techstreamiowa.org.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says until the U.S. House votes on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, she’s not convinced there’s a case. Speaking to reporters Wednesday Reynolds said, “until they take a vote and I know what they’re accusing him of, I don’t think there’s anything there.”

Reynolds, a Republican, is an honorary state chairwoman of Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. GOP leaders have aggressively defended Trump against accusations that he abused his power when he asked the Ukrainian president to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son. Trump has since suggested people leading the inquiry should be arrested and charged with treason.

Reynolds says the House should focus on issues such as a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, the details of which are being negotiated between the White House and House leaders. She also says she’s hopeful to hear something from the White House this week on a new ethanol policy that would boost production.

Red Oak Police report the arrest this (Wednesday) afternoon, of 39-year old Luke Daniel Rinehart, from Red Oak. He was taken into custody at around 12:15-p.m. in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue, and charged with Breach of Peace/Disorderly conduct. Rinehart’s bond was set at $300.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say drugs killed two people whose bodies were found in a Burlington apartment. The bodies were found July 17 by officers sent to check on the man who lived there. Neighbors had reported not seeing the man for several days. Police said Tuesday that autopsies showed that 59-year-old Kevin Shavers died after ingesting fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. The woman with him, 33-year-old Marlo Pilkington, of Fort Madison, died of methamphetamine and fentanyl intoxication.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests: 57-year old Thomas Clark Golden, of Omaha, was arrested today (Wednesday following a traffic stop on I-29. He was charged with  OWI 1st, Driving on Wrong Side of two-way Highway and Fail to Yield to Emergency Vehicle. Bond was set at $1,000. Tuesday night, 57-year old Gaylord Melvin Augustine, of  Henderson,  was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was  being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County, Tuesday, arrested a Pottawattamie County woman on a Page County warrant. 30-year old Angela Dawn Land, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody one the warrant for Failure to appear / pay child support. Land was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Page County Jail, by the Page County Deputies. He Cash-Only bond was set at $1,000, pending future court proceedings.

Des Moines – The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently announced that 41 Iowa communities have received low-interest water quality loans totaling more than $123 million through the State Revolving Fund.  State Revolving Fund Construction Loans are a low-cost construction financing option available for Iowa cities and municipalities for water quality initiatives. Planning & Design Loans are zero percent loans that assist with the first phase of project expenses. Locally: the City of Anita received a $520,000 loan for Sewer Planning and Design. Jamaica, in Guthrie County, received a $375,000 loan for Water Planning and Design; Kiron, in Crawford County received a $305,000 loan for Water Transmission Improvements; and, the City of Early in Sac County received a $515,000 SRF loan for Water Planning and Design.

Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Debi Durham says “Reliable water infrastructure is essential for Iowa families, businesses and communities alike. The State Revolving Fund has helped more than 600 Iowa communities invest in more than 2,000 water quality initiatives to date and is available to help many more.”

Iowa communities and municipalities have received a total of nearly $3.3 billion in Construction Loans and more than $240 million in Planning & Design Loans since the program’s inception. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides annual capitalization grants to states. Leveraged bonds and loan repayments expand the reach of the federal investment. More than $3 in assistance has been leveraged for Iowa water quality projects for every $1 of federal funds. More information is available at IowaSRF.com.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Manhatten, KS., was arrested at around 5-a.m. today (Wednesday) in Underwood, after authorities received a report about an armed subject. Dispatch advised a man had pulled what appeared to have been a knife, on another man outside the Subway sandwich store on Magnolia Road. While deputies were enroute, dispatch further advised the man did not actually display a knife, but had a long knife sharpener and several other knives on him. They said the subject was also intoxicated. Deputies arrested 39-year old Timothy Martin Bohl for Harassment in the 3rd Degree and Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $600.

Two juveniles were arrested following an investigation into a theft report, Tuesday evening. The Pott. County Communications Center advised a 16-year old female caller in rural Underwood reported some stole her credit card and that she did not have any suspect information. The female juveniles, ages 14 & 15, face charges of Credit Card/ATM Fraud (Under $1,500) and Theft in the 5th Degree (under $300). Their names were not released.

A man from Plattsmouth, NE., was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail, Tuesday afternoon. 49-year old Thomas Allen Light was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. His bond was set at $2,000. The sheriff’s office said also, 19-year old Jyden Shawn Trotter, turned himself-in Tuesday, on a Polk County warrant for Violation of Probation. Trotter was transported to the Polk County Jail and was being held without bond.

39-year old Rollo Andre Cook, SR., of Omaha, who was being held in the Pott. County Jail on a felony Burglary charge, was served with a warrant out of Douglas County, NE., for being a Fugitive from Justice. His bond was set at $10,000. And, 57-year old Christine Lynn Wishecoby, of Omaha, turned herself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday. She was wanted for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Wishecoby was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail, and held on a $5,000 bond.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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