Jack Hatch, the Democratic candidate for governor, says Republican Governor Terry Branstad’s latest policy proposal is nothing more than following through on a new federal law. This is Branstad’s pitch on the plan, from a speech the governor made Tuesday: “This is the third item that we have brought up as a new proposal in this campaign and we’re calling it a ‘Center for Human Capital Enrichment,'” Branstad said. “This will be a public-private partnership…This would bring together all stakeholders to identify demand, skills gaps and training needs.”

Hatch says it’s not a new proposal. It’s part of a federal law that the state will be required to implement next year. “There’s no creativity there. You could be Jack Hatch, Terry Branstad or anybody else. That is what the law required,” Hatch says. “…Does he have any ideas of his own?” Branstad insists it’s unique. “This is an Iowa approach that focuses on the success we’ve had, but is designed to make sure that it’s coordinated,” Branstad says, “and that (the state Departments of) Education, Economic Development and Workforce Development are working together.” Hatch says Branstad is merely copying the requirements of the “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014” that President Obama signed in July.

“What he did was what any governor would have to do,” Hatch says. “He just accelerated it and embraced it as his own initiative.” Hatch says it’s ironic Branstad is embracing a proposal signed into law by President Obama since Branstad has identified the federal government as the biggest obstacle to Iowa’s economy. The new federal law, which Iowa Senator Tom Harkin helped craft, requires state workforce development agencies to coordinate with economic development and education initiatives to help businesses find the skilled workers they need. The bill passed congress with bipartisan support.

(Radio Iowa)

A new Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-PEE-ack) University Poll finds Republican Governor Terry Branstad leading Democratic challenger Jack Hatch by 23 points. Branstad’s campaign issued a written statement saying this shows Iowans “resoundingly” want Branstad reelected to a sixth term. Hatch told a crowd in Des Moines early this morning that 66 years ago to the day Harry Truman — who was trailing badly in the polls — brought his “whistle stop” tour to Iowa.

“And if you know anything about the history, it’s Dexter, Iowa, and (Truman’s) presentation to over 100,000 Iowa (and) Midwestern farmers that caught the attention of the media and the public and Harry S. Truman was on his way to capture the heart and soul of Iowa and America,” Hatch said, “and, on the day of the election — of course, was elected president of the United States.” Hatch says Truman was able to “ignite” the countryside with his “plain talk.”

“No one thought he could win,” Hatch said. “The polls said he was a dead duck, but he campaigned throughout the heartland and talked to business people, Iowans, citizens and gave a presentation and a vision of what he wanted this country to be. We will do the same thing.” Branstad scoffs.

“He’s no Harry Truman, but the truth of the matter is the people of Iowa can judge my record and my vision of the future and his record,” Branstad says. “I’ve been to every county. There’s a lot of Iowa he’s never even seen.” Truman won 28 states in 1948, including Iowa, and secured 303 votes in the Electoral College. On this day in 1948, Truman went to the National Plowing Match that was being held in Dexter, where he delivered a campaign speech, railing against what he called a “do-nothing” Republican congress that had “stuck a pitchfork in the farmer’s back.”

The Quinnipiac Univerity Poll released today (Thursday) found Governor Branstad had the support of 60 percent of those surveyed, compared to the 37 percent who said they’ll vote for Hatch. Pollsters found 44 percent of the likely voters surveyed don’t know enough about Hatch to form an opinion about him. The poll’s assistant director says with seven weeks until Election Day, Hatch has a “long, long ways to go” and it would be “one of the largest turnarounds in American political history” if Hatch were to win.

(Radio Iowa)

A pursuit in Audubon County Tuesday afternoon resulted in the arrest of a Shelby County man. Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson reports authorities tried to stop a vehicle driven by 18-year old Lucas Alan Schwery, of Harlan, at around 4-p.m. Tuesday, near Eagle Avenue and Littlefield Drive.

Schwery allegedly tried to elude the officer by going in excess of 90-miles per hour. The pursuit finally ended in Elk Horn with Schwery being taken into custody and charged with Eluding. He appeared before the magistrate and was released, with a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 6th.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports also, 18-year old Jeremy Robert Albert, of Kimballton, was arrested Monday afternoon on an Audubon County warrant charging him with Public Intoxication, Providing False Information to Law Enforcement, and Interference with Official Acts. The charges stem from an investigation into an incident that took place Aug. 10th on Main Street in Kimballton. Albert was brought to the Audubon County Jail and posted bond prior to being released. He’s set to appear in court next Monday morning.

And, as we mentioned in an earlier report, on Wednesday (Sept. 17th), 18-year old Matthew Henry Paulsen, of Adair, was arrested by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding Audubon County warrant stemming from an investigation into a theft that took place Sept. 4th at a residence in Exira. Paulsen was charged with Theft in the 5th degree and Forgery. He was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later released. A preliminary hearing in his case is set for Oct. 6th.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County said Thursday (today), deputies arrested a Villisca man just before 9-a.m.  52-year old Jon Willbert Oltmans, of Villisca, was taken into custody in Villisca, on a Page County warrant for Contempt of Court/Illegal resistance to a court order.

Oltmans was brought to the Montgomery/Page County line and turned over to Page County deputies. He was being held at the jail in Clarinda on $300 cash bond.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston report the arrest Wednesday morning of an Adair County man. 49-year old Paul B. Pals, of Orient, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a warrant out of Union County for OWI/1st offense. Pals was later released from the jail on $1,000 bond.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Iowa farmers are preparing to roll out their combines for harvest season but they may be hitting the fields in a few weeks with mixed emotions. A new report from the U-S Department of Agriculture projects a four-point-three bushel-per-acre increase in the corn yield nationwide. The U-S-D-A’s chief economist Joe Glauber says that much corn means only one thing. “No question, looking at lower prices as a result,” Glauber says.

Corn prices have been falling all summer and the latest projection shows another 21-percent decrease in prices in the next marketing year for corn. Soybean prices are also expected to drop 23-percent. Iowa is the nation’s top producer of both corn and soybeans so those statistics will hit especially hard here. “The question is, where does all this look once you’ve netted out the cost of production,” Glauber says. “I think the real factor there looming has been the high cash rents. We know cash rents have gone up over the last few years. In some areas, they’ve begun to come down a little bit and we’d expect with lower returns, certainly, that those will come down.”

However, what was paid for cash rent this year is what will go into the production formulas. A U-S-D-A report out last week found the average price to rent Iowa farmland has gone up slightly this year, averaging 260-dollars per acre for corn and soybean ground. That’s about five-dollars an acre higher than last year. Glauber says it may be a challenge to find places to put all of the bumper crop.
“Pressure on storage capacity is going to put pressure on transportation,” he says. “There are already problems in the transportation service, particularly in the Northern Plains, where we’ve seen bases widening, long delays.”

Glauber says the good news is — there is a market for all that corn about to be harvested as ethanol production and exports remain very strong. Iowa is the nation’s top ethanol producer.

(Radio Iowa)

Hospitals around the state are projecting a slight increase in birth rates. Nurse Deborah Tell at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines says the economy is finally stable enough for people to have children.  “You know I do think it has increased, especially here at our hospital. You know I look at the national statistics that have said the last few years the birth rates went down, but now they are coming back up again,” Tell says. Tell says the weather in the winter months at the start of the year can sometimes have an impact on the birthrate.

“We can look back and see when there was maybe a major storm and schools were closed and businesses were closed — or if it’s extra cold and people don’t go out as much,” Tell says. The eighth and ninth months of the year, August and September, are known for having some of the highest birth rates of the year.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrat Bruce Braley is focusing on policy in his bid to win Iowa’s U.S. Senate contest and his recent television ads have featured others talking about the four-term congressman’s record. Braley’s Republican opponent Joni Ernst has built her campaign around telling voters her story as a down-home farm girl and military veteran. A poll of likely Iowa voters released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University showed Ernst leading Braley 50 percent to 44 percent. The poll — which had a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points — was the first recent survey to show Ernst with such a lead.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad issued a disaster emergency proclamation yesterday regarding four Iowa counties in response to recent severe weather. The proclamation covers Adair, Guthrie, Ringgold, and Warren counties following severe weather and heavy rains on September 9th.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport alderman has defended his right to carry a concealed weapon into City Hall. Alderman Bill Edmond told the Quad-City Times on Tuesday that he carries his weapon for personal protection.

OELWEIN, Iowa (AP) — The former mayor of a northeast Iowa city pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges alleging he sexually abused two girls. Court records show 36-year-old Jason Manus entered the plea to five counts of second-degree sexual abuse. The former mayor of Oelwein was scheduled to go on trial October 8th.