(Radio Iowa) – A bill Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson sponsored to target China for its trade violations has passed the House. “This bill puts American industry, manufacturing, and workers first,” Hinson said during remarks on the House floor. The bill would expand the authority of U.S. Department of Justice officials to prosecute international trade crimes, like forced labor and efforts to evade U-S tariffs. It also allows the agency to pursue civil and criminal lawsuits at the same time. “Despite the sheer volume of trade-related crime, the Department of Justice remains inadequately equipped to effectively detect, investigate, and prosecute such offenses,” Hinson said.

“While tariffs are one tool in our toolkit to level the playing field, we also must enforce our trade laws and hold China accountable for repeated violations that have a catastrophic impact on American workers and industry.” Hinson cited the example of a Chinese car manufacturer that was shipping its products to Thailand to avoid U.S. customs duties. She said the ripple effect led to layoffs at an Illinois company. “Sunsong is far from the only Chinese company taking action to exploit our trade system to bolster China’s non-market economy,,” she said, “crippling American industry and manufacturing, threatening workers’ wages and livelihoods, and enabling slave labor.”

IA (R) Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

Hinson said cracking down on China’s unfair trade practices will bring more of the supply chain back inside the United States and boost domestic manufacturing. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, has been on the House Select Committee on China and hopes to remain on the recently-created panel when the next congress convenes in 2025.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lake Restoration Program is accepting public comments on the newly released draft 2024 Lake Restoration Report and 2025 Plan, now through Dec. 18th.  The report is available for review at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Lake-Restoration. It highlights restoration projects completed around the state in State Fiscal Year 2024 and outlines plans for upcoming restoration projects.

The Lake Restoration Program works with communities and stakeholders across Iowa to improve water quality and recreational opportunities at publicly-owned lakes. Since the program’s creation in 2006, the Iowa legislature has invested more than $166 million in the lake restoration program. To date, DNR and project partners have invested in lake improvement projects at 72 lakes in 54 counties. Since 2006, 40 shallow lake/wetlands projects have also been completed, improving over 14,000 wetland acres. The program maintains a list of publicly-owned lakes and shallow lakes/wetlands prioritized for restoration.

Major projects completed in 2024 include a $2.92 million investment in Casey Lake, located within Hickory Hills Park (Black Hawk County), a $3.52 million investment at Three Mile Lake (Union County) and a $1.2 million program investment at Rock Creek Lake (Jasper County) to stabilize eroded shorelines. Major projects planned for 2025 include watershed and in-lake restoration work at Lake Keomah (Mahaska County), Diamond Lake (Poweshiek County), and McKinley Lake (Union County).

Additionally, several large-scale shallow lake/wetland restoration projects are underway, including projects at Pleasant Lake, and Lily Lake (both in Dickinson County) and East Twin Lake (Hancock County). Once again, the DNR is accepting comments through Dec. 18th. Comments may be submitted via email to michelle.balmer@dnr.iowa.gov or sent via mail to Michelle Balmer, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 6200 Park Avenue, Suite 200, Des Moines, Iowa 50321.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa anglers can buy the Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish license and tags from Dec. 15th through Jan. 7th. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says you can buy your special paddlefish license and tags on the Iowa DNR online licenses sales website at https://gooutdoorsiowa.com. A resident license sells for $25.50 and a nonresident license is $49. Anglers must also have a valid Iowa fishing license.

A limited number of paddlefish licenses are available – 950 resident, and 50 nonresident. Anglers may buy up to two tags – one between Dec. 15 and 31; and an additional tag between Jan. 1 and 7, or two tags if you didn’t buy one in December. The license, harvest tag(s), and regulations will be mailed to purchasers in mid-January. Purchasers will be asked to complete an electronic survey to help the Iowa DNR evaluate the success of the paddlefish season. Please complete the survey whether you harvested a paddlefish or not. The Iowa DNR is always working to improve the paddlefish season for anglers; any input provided is considered and is greatly appreciated.

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The Missouri and Big Sioux River paddlefish season opens Feb. 1 and runs through April 30. For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season, visit the Iowa DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish – click on Missouri River Paddlefish Season and Regulations.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department says a woman from Lenox was arrested Thursday afternoon on an assault charge. 39-year-old Amanda Lea Jackson was taken into custody at around 3:15-p.m. in the 400 block of N. Pine Street, and charged with Assault. Jackson was taken to Adams County Jail, where she was being held without bond until seen by a judge.

(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowans will head out to a Christmas tree farm this weekend, and while finding the perfect tree may seem like the hard part, just getting it home safely can be the real challenge. Brian Ortner, at Triple-A-Iowa, says a tall tree can be just as challenging to transport as furniture or large appliances. Planning ahead for the job, he says, is a big plus. “Before you head out to buy a tree, make sure you have some strong rope or ratchet straps with you, an old blanket, some gloves, and of course, the right vehicle helps, too,” Ortner says. “One with a roof rack is ideal, but if you have a pickup truck or an SUV, van or minivan, it can work just as well for you for a lot of different reasons.”

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Ortner suggests using a large tarp or a big blanket to wrap the tree up before you try to secure it to the roof of your vehicle. “The reason to wrap it is loose branches are out there, and it just helps with the transport process,” Ortner says. “Loose branches can be secured with rope or twine to help protect the tree from damage, but also the blanket or the coverings help prevent scratches to your paint and protect the car from any other damage, and prevent those loose branches from maybe flying off in the road.” Given how the branches will catch the wind one way and not the other, he says to place the tree on the roof rack or in the bed of the truck with the trunk end facing forward, and make certain it’s secure.

“You want to tie down the tree at its bottom, its center and the top using strong rope or nylon ratchet straps. If you can, avoid the nylon offered by many tree lots, bring your own straps or securing devices with you,” Ortner says. “Use fixed vehicle tie down points. If your roof rack has those loops on it, take advantage of those.” Before starting for home, give the tree a “tug test” from various angles to make sure it’s not going to fly off and cause a crash. Ortner also suggests you drive slowly and take back roads if possible, as higher speeds can create significant airflow that can damage your tree or challenge even the best tie-down methods.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Education has approved updated rules for school open enrollment to comply with changes made by the Iowa Legislature. Department of Education attorney Thomas Mayes says a fairly large change involves transportation limits.  “Prior to this last legislative session, there were limits about vehicles crossing into sending district and receiving districts sending vehicles for student transportation across boundaries unless the two boards agreed,” Mayes says. He says the change creates what he calls a “skip pattern” to allow the crossing into other districts.

“Small districts being able to send vehicles not more than two miles into contiguous districts if the receiving attendance center is closer than the child’s assigned attendance center in the resident district,” he says. The change allows districts with enrollments of two-thousand or more to send vehicles without a distance requirement if student’s residence district is less than two-thousand students and contiguous to the receiving district. It also outlines who pays for the transportation.

“The sending district shall not be responsible for paying transportation subsidies to a parent If the receiving district is providing the transportation,” Mayes says. Mayes says lawmakers reinstated the deadline for filing open enrollment requests to March for first graders and September, for incoming kindergartners. It also reinstates the exceptions for students that were previously in place if they missed the open enrollment deadline. Mayes says the open enrollment changes also align with the new law encouraging attendance.

“So if a child is truant in the receiving district that puts limitations on their ability to open enroll into a receiving district,” Mayes says. He says the rules also prevent a student who is in trouble from getting out of it by moving to another district. “If I’m suspended…by my resident district or expelled by my resident district. I cannot use open enrollment to avoid the consequences of my suspension or expulsion,” Mayes says.

Mayes presented the rules to the Board of Education during its meeting Thursday, and says their approval now triggers another public comment period before the rules will become final.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa  — Sioux City firefighters got a taste of irony while out on a call Thursday. KCAU-TV reports that a little before 5 p.m., Sioux City Fire Rescue responded to an oven fire at Firehouse Subs on Sergeant Road. When officials arrived, the fire had already been put out by an employee with a fire extinguisher, and officials stayed around airing out the building.

Officials say it’s not every day they get to respond to a fire at home base. Lt. Josh McClure told KCAU “There’s a lot of irony, and we do appreciate they they do a lot of support with some grants that they do for the fire department. So we definitely appreciate Firehouse Subs and the work they do in different communities. And yeah, it’s not very often we get to say we’re establishing firehouse command.”

The restaurant will be closed down until health inspection gives the okay. While no one was injured, McClure emphasized the importance of people knowing how to use a fire extinguisher.

(Radio Iowa) – Mental health experts say Iowa is facing a critical shortage of providers, especially during the stressful holiday season, though some patients are turning to telehealth for care. Tarrah Holliday, a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, treats up to 30 patients daily at Zion Integrated Medical Services in Atlantic. Holliday says there are only about 300 psychiatry providers statewide. “There are lengthy wait lists,” Holliday says. “Some offices you can get in within three months. Some, it takes up to six months.” As a solution, Holliday says 75-percent of her clients are turning to telehealth, and some even live three hours away.

“Many patients really prefer and feel more comfortable in their own environment,” she says, “and that has been extremely beneficial for them.” The I-S-U Extension reports Iowa is 45th in the nation for mental health care providers per capita. “Oftentimes, especially this time of the year, my colleagues and I are working extra hours and overbooking ourselves to ensure that patients get in and are able to be seen and their needs met,” Holliday says, “because this is a difficult time of year for them.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 60-percent of Iowa communities experience a shortage of mental health care. To be considered a Health Professional Shortage Area the population-to-provider ratio must be at least 30,000-to-one.