(Radio Iowa) — A manufacturer of compostable packaging is moving its operations from California to Iowa. Jon Kallen, spokesperson for Chamness Biodegradables, says Iowa’s “business climate” is the main factor in the company’s decision to relocate from Camarillo, to Ankeny. “This company uses a lot of energy to make the products and we’re paying about 21-cents a kilowatt hour for electricity in Southern California. We’ll probably pay around six-to-seven-cents a kilowatt hour in Ankeny,” Kallen told Radio Iowa.

Gary Chamness, the owner of the company, is a native of Blairsburg in northern Iowa’s Hamilton County. Kallen expects the new facility in Ankeny will eventually employ 36 people. “The jobs are going to be in research and development, sales, production, and custom fabrication because for a lot of these materials you have to make molds,” Kallen said.  Chamness Biodegradables makes serve-ware and bakeware, and according to Kallen, the company’s customized packaging division is booming. “We make a myriad of packaging items for clients, including six-pack beer ring holders, test tube holders for laboratories, we make packaging for a national pizza home delivery company, and we provide all the packaging for a company that delivers home meals,” Kallen said.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board, on Friday, awarded Chamness with $140,000 in direct financial assistance and tax benefits. Chamness plans to lease a 27,500 square foot building in Ankeny.

(RADIO IOWA) — A report by the American Gaming Association finds the impact of the 19 state-licensed casinos is bigger than previously estimates. Iowa Gaming Association president, Wes Ehrecke (Air-uh-key) says the A-G-A report looked at the job and dollar impact of the casinos. “The ripple affect with the support that they have for a lot of the small businesses, the non-profits and more — they estimated that job support at about 15-thousand-660. And total economic impact of two-point-five BILLION dollars,”Ehrecke says.  He says his organization had estimated the impact on the state at one billion dollars. The A-S-A report shows the impact of casinos was found to be widespread. “Just the support not only in charitable contributions — but often times the volunteer efforts of casino employees — as well as just the presence of having so many sponsorships and other ways that they support the community,”Ehrecke says.

Ehrecke says the casino industry has come a long way in the state. “It was difficult to imagine by anyone 27 years ago when the first riverboat casinos in the country opened up on April 1st 1991. Today now we have 19 commercial casinos that are by design and encouragement by our regulators to be premiere entertainment destinations,” Ehrecke says.  He says the amenities that go along with the casinos are part of the big impact they have on communities. “Most have some form of dinning and lodging and in some cases, golf courses, bowling alleys, spas and other entertainment entities that really make these worthwhile attractions,” according to Ehrecke. “Plus the meeting space, the concert venues that make it a really the cornerstone of any community in any region.”

Ehrecke says the casinos also take the concern of those who might develop a gambling problem very seriously. He says the gaming industry has always been at the forefront of responsible gaming and he says for the gaming industry the number of problem gamblers has held around one-percent. Ehrecke says they fund and encourage those with a problem to call the gambling addiction help line.

The A-G-A survey looked across the gambling facilities in Iowa, with a special focus on the impact of the casinos in Dubuque and Council Bluffs. The study was released as a part of its “getting to know gambling” campaign.

Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest of two women over the weekend. A little after 11-p.m. Sunday, Red Oak Police arrested 47-year old Ann Kristine Harding, of Red Oak, on a warrant out of Lancaster County, NE., for Theft/shoplifting. During her arrest, Harding provided false information to officers, resulting in a charge for the same offense. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond for the local charge, and No Bond on the Nebraska warrant. And, at around 7:20-p.m. Saturday, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 53-year old Jodie Bobbett Gibson, of Plattsmouth, NE. Gibson was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop near G Avenue and Highway 34, west of Red Oak. Her bond was set at $1,000.

(Updated 6:19-a.m.) Anita Rescue and Wiota 1st Responders were called to the scene of a semi tractor-trailer rollover accident early this morning on Interstate 80, in Cass County. According to dispatch reports, the semi was in the north ditch on its side near Exit 64, westbound. Two people were said to have suffered serious injuries. One was flown from the scene by Midwest Med-Air, another was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital before being flown to a hospital in Des Moines by Mercy helicopter. The accident was reported at around 4:45-a.m. No other details are currently available.

Midwest Med-Air (photo by Mike Kennon, Cass County Emergency Management Agency)

Photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass County EMA (Click to enlarge)

(RADIO IOWA) — President Trump is scheduled to visit Iowa this Thursday. Congressman Rod Blum, of Dubuque tweeted about the visit, saying Trump would participate in a round table” discussion in Blum’s hometown of Dubuque. Abby Finkenaur, the Democrat who’s challenging the congressman’s bid for a third term, says Blum “has a responsibility” to make it clear how much Trump’s “Twitter trade war” is damaging farmers’ finances. Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann downplays the idea Republicans are abandoning the president.

“The Republican Party of Iowa stands with President Donald Trump. We’re proud of you, Mr. President,” Kaufmann said. “There! We’ve got that out of the way.”  Kaufmann made his comments Friday evening to about 400 Republicans gathered in a Des Moines for a party fundraiser. “Do we agree 100 percent of the time? No. No one does. Are we proud of him? Absolutely. Is he better than the left-wing nuts that they’d like to replace him with? Always!” Kaufmann yelled into the microphone, the volume of his voice so loud it drew chuckles from the crowd.

The top Republican in the Iowa legislature also addressed the party activists and donors. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake touted the agenda Republicans in the House, Senate and governor’s office pursued the past two years. “If you care about lower taxes, gun rights, protecting life, election integrity or responsible budgets, you had a good two years,” Upmeyer said. “…But here’s the thing: we’re only halfway there. The Democrats are running to reverse every single bit of this.”

Upmeyer says a G-O-P priority for 2019 will be passing a resolution so Iowans may vote on a constitutional amendment on gun rights. “Our constitution is one of the very few in the nation that doesn’t enshrine your right to bear arms today,” Upmeyer said. “…So that’s what I mean — we’re only halfway there.”

Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says Republicans decided to “think big” rather than make small changes that didn’t “ruffle feathers.” “We can continue down the path that we’re heading,” Whitver said, “or we can go back to the way of Chet Culver and Democrats in control.”

Whitver told his fellow Republicans 2018 is the “most important election in at least a generation.”

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:33 a.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker says Iowa’s successful strengthening of a ban on texting while driving could be a model for legislation after years of unsuccessful legislative efforts to crack down on distracted driving. State Sen. Merv Riepe says Iowa shows how enforcement can be increased. The Iowa State Patrol says citations for texting while driving have increased sixfold in the past year since Iowa lawmakers allowed officers to begin pulling over drivers for texting.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Open government advocates are alarmed by public officials’ increasing use of digital tools that can make text and email messages. The executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition says technologies such as private messaging apps undermine state open government laws. But some governors and state lawmakers say public employees should be free to communicate on private cellphones and social media platforms without triggering open records requirements.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State football team showed up in storm-ravaged Marshalltown to help residents clean up two days after a destructive tornado swept through the city. The Marshalltown Times-Republican reports that the entire Cyclones roster was on hand Saturday. Players did everything from clearing tree limbs and debris, raking yards, moving remnants of houses, rooftops and garages, and removing furniture from damaged homes and businesses.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Workplace safety officials are investigating the fatal injury of a man at a manufacturing plant in north-central Iowa’s Fort Dodge. The Messenger reports that the man died after being hit by and pinned under a steel beam Thursday evening. Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Deborah Babb says the beam was being erected as part of a construction project at CJ Bio American in Fort Dodge when the accident happened. Babb declined to release the victim’s name.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors will hold a regular meeting Monday at City Hall, beginning at 5:15-p.m. On the agenda is the introduction of Ron Flory as Park Foreman, and updates on: The Schildberg Development Project, including West Shelter and East Playground; The Nishna Park, and with regard to the Sunnyside Park entrance sign.

Parks & Rec Director Seth Staashelm will provide reports on Summer Programs, the Sunnyside Pool, Campground and the August 18th Doggie Dip, slated to take place from 1-until 4-p.m. on that date.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The growing popularity of digital tools that can make text and email messages vanish may be welcome to Americans seeking to guard their privacy, but open government advocates fear they are being misused by public officials. Some are using them to conduct business in secret and evade transparency laws.

Whether communications on those platforms should be part of the public record is a growing but unsettled debate in states across the country. Daniel Bevarly, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, tells The Associated Press that technologies such as private messaging apps undermine state open government laws.

But some governors and state lawmakers argue that public employees should be free to communicate on private, non-governmental cellphones and social media platforms without triggering open records requirements.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker says Iowa’s strengthening of a ban on texting while driving could be a model for legislation after years of unsuccessful legislative efforts to crack down on distracted driving.

State Sen. Merv Riepe, an Omaha area Republican, says Iowa shows how enforcement can be increased. The Iowa State Patrol says citations for texting while driving have increased sixfold in the past year since Iowa lawmakers allowed officers to begin pulling over drivers for texting.

Nebraska is one of four states that ban texting but require a second traffic violation for an officer to stop a motorist. Iowa legislators strengthened a ban on texting in 2017 in a bipartisan bill that extended the ban on using smartphones while driving to include social media and games. Iowa lets drivers use phones for navigation.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State football team showed up in storm-ravaged Marshalltown to help residents clean up two days after a destructive tornado swept through the city. The entire Cyclones roster traveled from Ames to Marshalltown, making quick work out of a number of tasks on Saturday before catching a breather at a local schoolyard, The Marshalltown Times-Republican reported.

Players did everything from clearing tree limbs and debris, raking yards, moving remnants of houses, rooftops and garages, and removing furniture from damaged homes and businesses.

“I don’t have words for it, you know what I mean?” said redshirt freshman offensive lineman Colin Newell. “You just put yourself in that position for a second and you’re like, ‘wow.’ “We had some guys come up here (Friday) and help out, and they said we’ve got to get more guys up here and do what we can to help out. We’ve got a lot of people with us, so we can bring a lot of manpower with us and get out here and help these people out.”

One of the group’s first undertakings of the day was to help a family move its car out of the driveway and a truck out from under a garage that fallenon it. A tearful owner offered hugs to any Cyclone football player who crossed her path — and some pledged their fandom to Iowa State, even if only for a day. “Just doing it for the community makes it all worth it, too, just helping out Iowa and Marshalltown get back to where they were at,” said redshirt freshman offensive lineman Alex Kleinow.

Both Newell and Kleinow have dealt indirectly with flood damage to their own hometowns, but that was nothing compared with what Marshalltown experienced during the tornado. “This is really eye-opening,” Kleinow said.