(Atlantic, IA) – During a regular meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors in Atlantic, Tuesday morning, the Board received presentations from Darren Welsh, with the auditing firm of Gronewold Bell, Khynn & Company, pertaining to the Annual (2024) Cass County Audit report a copy of which can be found here: https://www.auditor.iowa.gov/reports/file/83032.pdf The Board encouraged Welsh to try and get more recent/timely data, when available.

Cass County BOS mtg via Zoom on 1-20-26

They also received an Annual Report (FY2025) from West Central Community Action Executive Director Wendy Mueller, and a Monthly report from Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Executive Director Jotham Arber. In her report, Wendy Mueller broke down the data with regard to their services to the County. Here are the demographics…

WCCA Exec. Director Wendy Mueller (from Cass Co BOS Zoom session)

She also mentioned West Central is not asking for any change in funding over last year’s budgeted amount, and, that despite initial efforts to chop funding for Head Start operations around the country during the DOGE sweep, Head Start is actually getting slightly more funding from the government than they were expecting.

Head Start promotes school readiness in ages three-to five in low income families.

The bottom line, according to Mueller was that West Central Community Action delivered over $1.4-million in services to the residents of Cass County.

Jotham Arbor said most of what his department employees are currently doing, consists of water/well testing.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors passed resolutions appointing Krista Young as Commissioner of the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (SIRHA), representing Cass County, and Supervisor Bernard Pettinger as County Representative to the Golden Hills Resouce-Conservation and Development Board (RC&D), for the term ending 12/31/2026.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republican Leader Mike Klimesh is proposing a bill to let Summit Carbon redraw its proposed pipeline route to avoid land owned by people who will not sign voluntary easements. He’s introducing another bill that would tax the liquid carbon flowing through the pipeline, too. “I’d like to get this done as soon as possible. We have a lot of other important work to do this year and this is very important…and that’s why we’re introducing it early on in the session,” Klimesh said. “I don’t want this to be an issue that lingers. I want us to come to consensus with the House, find a path forward, open up access to different markets for Iowa farmers who are desperately looking for relief right now and put this behind us in a meaningful way that benefits all landowners.”

Klimesh predicts corn prices could go up by as much as a dollar per bushel if the pipeline is built and the carbon is used to extract oil in Wyoming. “230 miles of pipeline was built through Kansas and Colorado to bring jet fuel to the Denver International Airport and that whole pipeline project was built without using eminent domain once,” Klimesh said, “and that’s because those states have policies similar to the one I’m proposing in Iowa.” Key House Republicans have criticized the idea, saying it would still let Summit Carbon use eminent domain authority to seize some land along the pipeline route. House Republicans have introduce legislation that would block Summit Carbon from using eminent domain.

The tax Klimesh proposes would be a fee for each metric ton of carbon that flows through a pipeline in Iowa. “States that have natural resources, underground resources, place a severance tax on that and typically it’s by the barrell,” Klimesh said, “so Wyoming for example places a severance tax on every barrel of oil they draw from the ground and that severance tax has allowed those states to go to zero income tax.” Klimesh says that’s the goal of his proposal, too.

(Griswold, IA) – The Griswold School Board held their regular monthly meeting Monday, Jan. 19th. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the Board accepted two early retirement requests.

Peggy Hansen’s early retirement request, Henrichs said, is contingent upon whether or not the district decides to go with a four-day school week.

Dave Henrich said by rule of law, schools can’t issue new contracts to teachers until March 15th. He said the stipulation setting a deadline of March 28th to decide on the length of the school week, was acceptable to Mrs. Hansen and the Board. In other business, the Griswold School Board received the FY25 Audit Report, as presented by District Business Manager Dan Rold.

The Audit Report did mention – as a negative – what’s called a “Segregation of Duties,” which is often mentioned in audit reports for schools, city and county governmental bodies.

Superintendent Henrichs said also, the Griswold School Board approved allowing new bus drivers to opt-out of what’s called “STOP” Training for the rest of the school year.

And, the Board agreed to set January 26th at 6-p.m., as the date & time for a Work Session to continue discussions with regard to a four-day school week. They also set March 23rd as date for the the first of two required public hearings on the Budget. That’s also the same date as their regular meeting. The second hearing on the budget will be held April regular Board meeting on the 20th of April.

(Corning, IA) – The Adams County Roads Department reports a bridge on Adair-Adams Street (Colony 1) closed due to deficiencies, until further notice. The closure is in effect as of 8-a.m. today (1/20).

(Guthrie Center, IA) – A joint, monthly meeting of the Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center School District Boards of Education will take place beginning 7-p.m. Wed., Jan. 21st, at the AC/GC High School Media Center, in Guthrie Center. Separately, the Adair-Casey Board will act on a Contract Recommendation for Rebecca Diemer – JH Track Coach, while the Guthrie Center Board will act on the Resignations of:

• Patti Halbur – HS SPED Teacher
• Randi Lehman – Secretary, and,

Contract Recommendations for:

• Jay Rhoten – Asst. Track
• Clark Latcham -Asst. Track
• Jacob Lacey – Head Boys & Girls Track.

The Adair-Casey School Board will act on approving a Series 2013 Bond Transfer Resolution, in order to transfer a remaining (small) amount of accrued revenue from Debt Service Fund 40 to the SAVE Capital Projects Fund 33. The transfer will zero-out the Debt Service Fund. The Guthrie Center Board will act on a Nutrition Fund Transfer to the General Fund, and a Winter Consortium Agreement with the Winterset Community School District, in order to accommodate an IEP change of placement for a student, transporting them to the Heart Therapeutic Program located within the Winterset CSD. They will also act on approving the consolidation of bank accounts in order to manage the district’s funds through the school’s accounting system, and into one account with a sweep account at the Guthrie County State Bank. The GC Board is also expected to discuss and possibly act on an update for High School Gym audio, including a subwoofer add-on, with the upgrade funded through the PPEL  fund.

Both district’s Boards of Education will discuss Whole Grade Sharing, with regard to invoices, and act on approving an SBRC Modified Allowable Growth request for At-Risk/Dropout Prevention. They are then expected to act on approving a Whole Grade Sharing Agreement with changes as follows:

• Each district will bill the other district at a cost of $7,600/student for Junior High students, & $8,400/student for High School students.
• The district who holds the contract for the teacher/coach working in the shared district, will bill the other district for teacher/coach salary and benefits.
• Special Education expenses will be billed to the resident district at cost (no change).
• Each district will maintain their own Activities Fund, without sharing revenue and expenses.
• Each district will continue to track transportation mileage and split expenses based on enrollment percentages (no change).
• PPEL purchases that contribute to the WGS programming will be tracked and owned by the purchasing district.
• A one-year agreement, with the ability to change, of needed and agreed upon.

(Radio Iowa) – A study finds one of Iowa’s largest and most in-demand workforces has seen a meager increase in its average pay over the past decade and a half. Di Findley, executive director of Iowa CareGivers, says direct care workers perform duties that are essential and critical in nature, but their take-home pay continues to be paltry. “Wages have gone up some for direct care workers,” Findley says, “but when you factor in inflation, cost of living and so forth, their real wage growth has only been $2.62 over a 15-year period of time.” The consequences are being felt statewide, Findley says, as employers struggle to fill vacancies, people with disabilities can’t find or keep caregivers, and family caregivers are forced to leave the workforce because backup care is unavailable.

“It’s so important because there are shortages,” Findley says. “The wage is the number-one reason they leave the field and better wages is the number-one reason why they would return to the field.” It’s difficult to place an exact number on Iowa’s direct care workforce, though Findley says it ranges between 45- and 60-thousand.”Direct care workers are certified nurse aides, home care aides, rehab aids, direct support professionals — they have about 30 different titles,” she says, “and they work in settings that range from the homes, to nursing homes, assisted living, hospitals, group homes.”

In addition to low wages, Findley says the future is uncertain for the vital direct care workforce due to other factors like limited access to affordable health insurance and benefits, as well as burnout from chronic understaffing. “The bottom line is,” Findley says, “if the direct care workforce is not there, then people go without services and the care and support that they need.”

On the web at https://www.iowacaregivers.org/

(Radio Iowa) – The State Board of Education has approved plans for three new charter schools across the state, including two located for public school systems. Sumner-Fredericksburg in northeast Iowa plans to open a charter high school next fall focused on work-based learning. Superintendent Ryan Cunningham says students would explore careers through five-week internships with local businesses. “We think that this is a way to support people coming back to small towns. As students go through this process, they learn about what’s in their community and whether they come back to that small town or another place they know more what are in the rural communities of Iowa,” Cunningham says.

The Board of Education also approved a request from the independent Horizon Science Academy to open a charter school in Cedar Rapids next fall that would start with kindergarten through fifth grade and add grades over time. Chris Murphy oversees Horizon schools in Iowa and says classwork focuses on science and technology.  “To start with elementary, we really do focus on developing the love for science, the love for inquiry, and really developing that interest in thinking and asking questions and being very collaborative with one another,” he says.

The Council Bluffs school district was approved to open a STEM-focused charter school in the fall of 2027

(Black Hawk County, IA) – A collision Monday afternoon between a pickup truck and an SUV in northeast Iowa, left both drivers and a passenger in the SUV dead. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened at around 4:05-p.m. on southbound Interstate 380 east of Gilbertville.

The Patrol says the pickup, driven by 63-year-old Thomas Sidler, of Robertsdale, Alabama, was traveling north on I-380 when the vehicle crossed the median and collided head-on with a southbound Toyota RAV4 driven by 68-year-old Judy Fisher, of Cedar Rapids. Both vehicles came to rest off the traveled portion of the southbound lanes.

Both drivers, and a passenger in the SUV, 45-year-old Jessica Fisher, of Cedar Rapids, were pronounced deceased at the scene. All were wearing their seat belts. The crash remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.

The Patrol was assisted in its investigation by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Gilbertville Police and Fire Departments, Waterloo Fire and Evandale EMS.

(Radio Iowa) – House Speaker Pat Grassley says House Republicans are planning to release their plan for changing Iowa’s residential property tax system this week.  “I think it’s very positive that we’re getting bills out early,” Grassley said. As you may recall, Senate Republicans and Governor Kim Reynolds released their plans last week. Reynolds says it’s way too early to predict what property tax changes might get majority support in the legislature.

“It is just tough to do and that’s why it’s not been done,” Reynolds says, “but I do believe there is a genuine interest between the legislature and the governor’s office to get something done.” The governor is proposing that property tax revenue grow no more than two percent each year, along with a property tax freeze for Iowans above the age of 64 who live in a home valued under 350-thousand dollars.

Senate Republicans propose eliminating property taxes for Iowans above the age 60 who no longer have a mortgage and own their homes — along with increasing the state’s homestead tax credit to 50 percent of a home’s value for everyone else. It includes a four percent limit on residential property tax growth. Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh predicts lawmakers will find consensus on the property tax issue this year.

“But if the goal is to really build in long-lasting property tax relief for Iowans, the Senate proposal’s going to be the one that’s going to lead the charge on it,” Klimesh said. Grassley says the House G-O-P’s approach will be easy for taxpayers to understand, but he’s not offering specifics on how it may be different from the other two proposals. “Regardless of what the details are and what they all look like, I think they’re all trying to get to the same goal,” Grassley said, “which is certainty for the taxpayer.”

Grassley made his comments during an appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.