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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Three bills sponsored by state Rep. Charley Thomson, who has been a vocal opponent of carbon sequestration pipelines in Iowa, advanced from House subcommittee hearings, Thursday. The bills dealt with eminent domain, permit length for a pipeline carrying liquefied carbon dioxide and the office of the consumer advocate. Each bill received unanimous approval. The legislation was part of a slew of bills introduced last week aimed at the Iowa Utilities Commission, eminent domain and the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project. Thomson said House File 239 is an attempt to “fix” some of the problems caused by the government realignment bill passed in 2023, which moved the Office of the Consumer Advocate from an independent office to a division under the attorney general’s office.
The consumer advocate, as its name implies, advocates for members of the public in utility cases, like the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project. Jess Mazour, who spoke on behalf of the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club in favor of the bill, said prior to the restructuring of the office, the consumer advocate would file notices that it had reviewed the documents submitted by Summit in its permit application, and it would request further documentation from the company. Mazour said since the restructure of the office, the consumer advocate has been “almost absent” from the process. The former consumer advocate left the office after the restructure and said it made the office subject to political persuasion. Under the new bill, the consumer advocate would be appointed by the governor, instead of the attorney general, would give regular reports to the secretary of agriculture, auditor of the state and state treasurer and head the Office of the Consumer Advocate which would once again be independent.
While much of the conversation on the bill centered on the advocate’s role in the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline permit, Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, said increased oversight from the OCA also would be helpful to protect Iowans in mobile homes from private equity firms who are “price gouging.” House File 242 would allow Iowa landowners to seek declaratory judgment, or a legally binding explanation of their rights, from a district court if their property were subject to an eminent domain claim in an application before the Iowa Utilities Commission. Opponents of the bill said it would lengthen the time and the cost of pipeline projects in the state. Proponents, including the Sierra Club Iowa chapter, landowners and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa said the bill would help to correct the “shoddy track record, regarding due process” by the IUC.
Opponents of a proposed carbon sequestration pipeline gather for a rally outside of the Iowa Capitol on Oct. 8, 2024. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
A spokesperson for Summit Carbon Solutions said in a statement the regulators in Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota have “affirmed the project’s safety, economic advantages, and importance for energy independence” with their approval of the projects. “We have signed easements with more than 1,200 Iowa landowners and have adjusted the route based on feedback from stakeholders and regulatory agencies,” the statement said. “These actions ensure the project responds to concerns, secures the future of ethanol, and opens pathways to low-carbon markets.” The Iowa Utilities Commission granted Summit Carbon Solutions the use of eminent domain for its carbon sequestration pipeline project that would run through Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. Per the permit, construction on the project may not begin until the company has secured a permit in South Dakota, which is still pending.
House File 238 also advanced unanimously and would limit permits to liquefied carbon dioxide pipelines to 25 years and prohibit the IUC from renewing those permits. Nate Hohnstein opposed the bill on behalf of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, noting that pipelines were the safest method of transportation for liquified carbon dioxide. Supporters of the bill said they wish it went further and restricted the use of eminent domain on agricultural land.
Each of the House files have matching bills introduced and assigned to subcommittees in the Senate, Senate File 229, SF 226, and SF 225.
DES MOINES, Iowa [WHO-TV]— Twenty-eight electric vehicle charging stations that were due along Iowa interstates are now halted, limiting local electric vehicle drivers options on where they can recharge their EV’s. President Trump pulled the plug on the US DOT Federal Highway Administration federal grant program which helps states expand electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. The grant had previously given Iowa $16.2 million to build 28 electric stations.
The stations would have run along Iowa Interstates 29, 25, 80, and 380, running through high traffic areas such as Altoona, Des Moines, Ames, and the “World’s Largest Truckstop” located on I-80 near Walcott. The stations were due to be placed near hotels, gas stations, and travel centers to improve accessibility.
Electric charging station for electric vehicles in a mall parking lot.
As of June 2023, the Iowa DOT estimates there are more than 12,000 electric vehicles in Iowa, with at least one in each county. There are currently 270 electric charging stations registered in Iowa. Local electric vehicle owners say that’s not enough.
(Radio Iowa) – Sitting in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace with your sweetheart might be the best option on this Valentine’s Day. National Weather Service Meteorologist Craig Cogil says another snowstorm will hit the state today (Friday). “We’re going to see winds increase quite quickly from the south by late morning into the afternoon, and that is likely to produce blowing snow, especially out in rural areas,” Cogil says. “With the winds from the south, it’s really going to impact those east-west roads with those snow crawlers going across the road, or maybe even some small drifts.” He says the winds and blowing snow are just part of the problem.
“It’s going to make travel a little hazardous all by itself. But then we’re also going to look at a brief period of moderate to possibly even heavy snow that moves quickly from southwest to northeast across Central Iowa during the afternoon hours,” he says. Cogil says we could see one to two inches of new snow which could also impact travel briefly during that time. The only good news from the storm is temperatures should lift out of the single digits. “With the south winds, we are going to see temperatures warm tomorrow. They should get up into the mid to upper 20s, maybe even some lower 30s down in southern Iowa, nothing real balmy, but certainly a little more normal than what we’re seeing now,” Cogil says. He says we could see another system move into the state Saturday with more snowfall. “Maybe two, three inches with that across the central part of the state. And then once that exits off on Saturday evening, we’re going to see a much colder air move into the state and likely remain for much of next week,” he says. Cogil says the snow contributes to the cold temperatures.
“With snow on the ground, especially, you know, during the night time, if your skies are clear and the winds are relatively light it really allows the heat to escape out, and so we really cool off colder than what you would normally get if you didn’t have that snow on the ground,” he says. “You know, it’s been the fortunate thing this winter is we haven’t seen a lot of snow on the ground, so it’s kept our temperatures relatively warm.” Cogil says it was inevitable that winter would push out the warmer weather. “It waited two and a half, or almost two and a half months to get here, but it’s here, and it’s going to let us know about it for the next week at least,” Cogil says.
Cogil says the next round of snow will likely be a little bit heavier than the light stuff we got earlier in the week. And he says we could even see it mixing in with a little bit of sleet or ice pellets.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Fire Department responded to a dispatch about a possible house fire early this (Friday) morning, at 322 Elm Street. The call went out at around 12:45-a.m. Atlantic Police arriving on the scene moments later didn’t notice any smoke, but when the fire department arrived on the scene, smoke was showing through an attic vent.
All of the occupants of the home were safely evacuated. Police shut-off the main electrical box before a crew from AMU arrived to terminate the feed to the home. Cass EMS was at the scene and placed on stand-by.
Additional information is currently unavailable.
(Radio Iowa)- The Office of Consumer Advocate would become an independent state agency again if a bill in the Iowa House becomes law. The government realignment plan Governor Reynolds proposed and signed into law two years ago put Iowa’s attorney general in charge of the office. Representative Charley Thomsen, a Republican from Charles City, says that was a mistake.
“”We’ve seen in its operation since then that it has not had the voice that it did previously,” Thomson says, “so this is an attempt to restore it to its previous vigor.” Thomson says the independence of the state consumer advocate is important for all Iowans.
The bill calls for returning to a system that has the governor nominate a consumer advocate who would be confirmed by a vote in the Iowa Senate and the advocate would have the authority to hire staff for the office. This is one of the bills a group of House Republicans have introduced in response to the Iowa Utilities Commission decision to grant a permit to Summit Carbon Solutions for its pipeline.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Bankers Association president and C-E-O Adam Gregg says the most surprising thing he’s learned in his first five months as the organization’s leader is the extent of the scams and fraud Iowa banks and their customers are dealing with. Gregg — who resigned as Iowa’s lieutenant governor in September to lead the Iowa Bankers Association — cites an Aspen Institute analysis.
“57,000 Americans are scammed every day, which is enough to fill a baseball stadium and they’re scammed of enough money to build that stadium,” Gregg says. “That’s $430 million every day from 57,000 Americans every day.” The Bankers Association has launched an anti-fraud education campaign, with a Valentine’s theme.
“We’re in the season of love and two things we’re highlighting right now: Beware of romance scams and practice safe checks,” Gregg says. “Want to make sure you heard that correctly — it’s www.practicesafechecks.com. It has really good information, like using the right type of pen when you do need to write a check.” Using a gel ink pen makes sure that if the check is stolen, the ink can’t be washed off.
One of Gregg’s friends had a check stolen from the mail, the check was washed and the thief was able to use the blank check for another purchase. Gregg says there are many other ways to pay bills, like direct deposit and, if it’s a large amount, your bank should be able to handle the transaction electronically. As for romance scams, Gregg says some are run by organizations in North Korea and China that find information about someone online, contact that person and try to convince them there’s an emotional connection.
“But then ultimately what they do is they get them to transfer funds and those funds immediately go outside the country. It becomes very difficult, if not impossible to recover those funds,” Gregg says. “…Those funds, had they just stayed in Iowa, would have been used for better purposes.” Another Bankers Association initiative encourages people to just hang up when someone calls and starts asking about personal financial information. The website is BanksNeverAskThat.com.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says it’s time to let states have more control over federal spending on U-S schools, but she does not support the immediate closure of the U-S Department of Education. “There are major inefficiencies in the Department of Education,” Hinson said, “and as the mom of two school-aged children I want to make sure that we are providing resources to states that help with that end goal of making sure our next generation is educated properly.”
Hinson says Linda McMahon, the person President Trump has nominated to be U-S Secretary of Education, is in the best position to decentralize education — giving states primary authority over the policies in public schools, as well as how federal tax dollars are spent. “I kind of agree with President Trump’s mandate to Linda McMahon, which is try to work to get it back to the states. I think that’s really important,” Hinson says. “I think states like Iowa can prove that we continue to be a leader in education and are making those key investments on behalf of our children.”
While the majority of Iowa public school funding comes from the state and from local property taxpayers in each school district, around 13 percent comes from the federal government. “As a mother to public school kids, I just want that to make sure that all children have best access to education, that we’re not seeing a ‘woke’ Department of Education, again, try to skirt rules that would protect girls in girls sports, for example,” Hinson says, “so I’m relieved to see a president finally leading in this regard.”
Hinson says the changes needed in the Department of Education won’t happen overnight and she does not support shuttering the Department of Education immediately. President Trump has called the Department of Education a big con job and says he wants to close it. McMahon appeared at a U-S Senate hearing Thursday, pledging to reorient the agency. Iowa
Governor Kim Reynolds, who attended the hearing, posted a message on social media saying, “Iowa stands ready to help the Trump Administration Make Education Great Again.” Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” effort has already laid off Department of Education employees and cancelled contracts.
(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Goldstar Museum at Camp Dodge in Johnston is hosting an event Saturday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Goldstar curator Mike Vogt says a presentation at 10:30 will discuss on the types of equipment and weapons used in the beach landing on February 19th, 1945. “What lessons had been learned, what had worn out, what had been tried and true, what was, what was quality, standard equipment that aided the Marines in their campaign on the island,” Vogt says.
Another presentation at one o’clock will feature Brent Westermeyer who discovered that an Iowa Marine was part of the famous flag raising on Mount Siribachi at Iwo Jima. “Harold Keller from Brooklyn, who was identified about ten years ago as being one of the flag raisers on the second flag raising on Iwo Jima a few days after the Marines hit the beach, he had gone sort of undiscovered, unidentified, and so he’s going to talk about some of the photographic evidence snapshots that came to light,” he says. The photo of the flag raising is one of the most famous images from World War Two.
Vogt says Keller didn’t brag about being part of the famous photograph and it wasn’t until after his death that a couple of documents were found that mention it. “One was a company newsletter where he worked in the late 1970s, he made reference to being a flag raiser. And then he’s sent a letter to a to someone back in Iowa shortly after when he was in the Marine Corps, something along the lines of you’ll probably see me in the photograph,” Vogt says. The photograph was used to raise money for the war and a book and later movie discussed the famous event.
A tank outside the Goldstar Museum. (RI photo)
Vogt says historians have debated whether or not taking Iwo Jima was needed, but by the end of the war some 21-hundred crippled Army, Air Force B-29’s had made landings on the island. “And almost 18 to 20-thousand crew members that may have been lost or had to ditch and to see all their lives to the capture of the island and its airfield that was made operational to not only launch strikes into Japan that launched fighter escorts via P-51’s to escort B-29’s to Japan for bombing raids, but also played a very important role, not only as a base for air sea rescue, but as a reserve emergency field when needed,” he says.
The Museum opens at 10 a-m Saturday and there will be reenactors showing off period uniforms and also a special exhibit. An exhibit at the Museum will feature Iowa Albert E Branch, who was killed on March 1st of 1945 during fighting on the island after participating in the taking of Mount Siribachi. The event is free an open to the public. You can enter Camp Dodge at the south side entrance and will need to show an I-D.
DES MOINES— Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Thursday) authorized a disaster proclamation for Buena Vista County, Iowa effective immediately through March 15, 2025. The USDA has confirmed a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock.
This proclamation allows state resources from Iowa Homeland Security, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and other agencies to assist with tracking and monitoring, rapid detection, containment, disposal, and disinfection. The proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.
The recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern, and it remains safe to eat poultry products. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.
(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Attorney’s Office reports Jim Varley was sworn in as the Page County Attorney by District Court Judge Richard H. Davidson, this (Thursday) morning. Varley will be acting as the interim county attorney until a new county attorney can be appointed by the Page County Board of Supervisors. The interim appointment was made after former county attorney Carl Sonksen’s resignation, which was effective yesterday (Wednesday).
Photo courtesy of the Page County Attorney’s Office