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Farm Service Agency looking to fill dozens of positions

Posted on by Rick Watts

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Dozens of Farm Service Agency offices across Iowa are seeking new employees.

Matt Russell, the Iowa FSA director, says they’re hiring for a host of positions in dozens of Iowa communities. “One of the things this administration is really committed to is filling these positions all across rural America in U.S.D.A,” Russell says. “We’re in a hiring time at FSA, and I’d also say at NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), which shares our office spaces in the counties, and Rural Development, which is only about eight counties in the state. They’re also hiring.”

There are 97 FSA offices statewide, nearly one in every county, and Russell says the need is great for new workers. There was a big hiring push in 1985 after the new farm and conservation bills, and many of those people are now retiring.

“We’re now at a similar time where we’re having to ramp up what U.S.D.A. does because American farmers are needed on the front lines, for fuel, for food, for conservation and ecosystem services,” Russell says, “and that’s part of what we’re seeing as well.” It’s a challenging time to be in agriculture, he says, because while commodities prices are at near-record high levels, so are input prices.

“There’s a lot of money coming in and a lot of money going out,” Russell says. “This year should be a pretty good year for income for farmers — if they had their inputs purchased ahead of time. Going forward, interest rates, input prices that could be challenging, but the expectation is that the prices are going to continue to be pretty strong as well because the demand is high.”

He says the U.S.D.A. plays a big role in helping to manage all of those ups and downs. Learn more about the job opportunities at your county’s nearest Farm Service Agency office or visit: www.usajobs.gov.

(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)

Governor signs bill creating new penalties for elder abuse, exploitation

Posted on by Rick Watts

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RADIO IOWA – Elder abuse will be defined as a crime in Iowa when a new law takes effect July 1st. Governor Reynolds has approved a bill that creates new criminal penalties for emotional abuse and neglect of Iowans who are 60 or older.

“The safety and well being of older Iowans is so very important,” Reynolds said, “and this bill ensures that there will be consequences for those who target and harm them.”

The bill establishes a new criminal charge of financial exploitation of an older individual.  “Abuse doesn’t always mean physicial. It can also mean financial crimes,” Reynolds said, “and this bill also establishes criminal penalties for those that target individuals for that purpose.”

The governor held a bill signing ceremony at a senior living center in Williamsburg and signed a proclamation to commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

These changes in state law have been a top priority for AARP for several years and the bill passed the House and Senate this year unanimously. Sixty-seven-year-old Roseanne Gates, an AARP volunteer, has lobbied for the bill since 2019.

“Sheriffs and police departments and that really weren’t able to do anything much before. They would receive a lot of complaints,” Gates said, “but now they have an official law.”

Gates had signed up to travel to nursing homes and other places around the state to educate older Iowans about elder abuse, but the COVID pandemic halted those plans. She’s now ready to make those trips, armed with the details in this new law to crack down on elder abuse.

“My grandmother was a victim of it, in a care facility, actually,” Gates said. “I have friends who’ve experienced it.”

Gates said sadly online scammers who’ve targeted her friends are hard to track down. Gates drove more than 200 miles from her home in Crystal Lake to Williamsburg to witness today’s bill signing.

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, as many as two million Americans above the age of 65 have been abused.

Biden tells oil refiners: Produce more gas, fewer profits

Posted on by Rick Watts

By JOSH BOAK

The Associated Press – President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on U.S. oil refiners to produce more gasoline and diesel, saying their profits have tripled during a time of war between Russia and Ukraine as Americans struggle with record high prices at the pump.

“The crunch that families are facing deserves immediate action,” Biden wrote in the draft of a letter to oil refiners obtained by The Associated Press. “Your companies need to work with my Administration to bring forward concrete, near-term solutions that address the crisis.”

Gas prices nationwide are averaging roughly $5 a gallon, an economic burden for many Americans and a political threat for the president’s fellow Democrats going into the midterm elections. Broader inflation began to rise last year as the U.S. economy recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, but it accelerated in recent months as energy and food prices climbed after Russia invaded Ukraine in February and disrupted global commodity markets.

The government reported on Friday that consumer prices had jumped 8.6% from a year ago, the worst increase in more than 40 years.

The draft letter notes that gas prices were averaging $4.25 a gallon when oil was last near the current price of $120 a barrel in March. That 75-cent difference in average gas prices in a matter of just a few months reflects both a shortage of refinery capacity and profits that “are currently at their highest levels ever recorded,” the letter states.

As Biden sees it, refineries are capitalizing on the uncertainties caused by “a time of war.” His message that corporate greed is contributing to higher prices has been controversial among many economists, yet the claim may have some resonance with voters.

Some liberal lawmakers have proposed cracking down on corporate profits amid the higher inflation. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, in March proposed a 95% tax on profits in excess of companies’ pre-pandemic averages.

The president has harshly criticized what he views as profiteering amid a global crisis that could potentially push Europe and other parts of the world into a recession, saying after a speech Friday that ExxonMobil “made more money than God this year.” ExxonMobil responded by saying it has already informed the administration of its planned investments to increase oil production and refining capacity.

“There is no question that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin is principally responsible for the intense financial pain the American people and their families are bearing,” Biden’s draft letter says. “But amid a war that has raised gasoline prices more than $1.70 per gallon, historically high refinery profit margins are worsening that pain.”

The letter says the administration is ready to “use all reasonable and appropriate Federal Government tools and emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term, and to ensure that every region of this country is appropriately supplied.” It notes that Biden has already released oil from the U.S. strategic reserve and increased ethanol blending standards, though neither action put a lasting downward pressure on prices.

The president is sending the letter to Marathon Petroleum, Valero Energy, ExxonMobil, Phillips 66, Chevron, BP and Shell.

He also has directed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to convene an emergency meeting and consult with the National Petroleum Council, a federal advisory group that is drawn from the energy sector.

Biden is asking each company to explain to Granholm any drop in refining capacity since 2020, when the pandemic began. He also wants the companies to provide “any concrete ideas that would address the immediate inventory, price, and refining capacity issues in the coming months — including transportation measures to get refined product to market.”

There may be limits on how much more capacity can be added. The U.S. Energy Information Administration on Friday released estimates that “refinery utilization will reach a monthly average level of 96% twice this summer, near the upper limits of what refiners can consistently maintain.”

The draft letter notes that roughly 3 million barrels a day of refining capacity around the world have gone offline since the pandemic began. In the U.S., refining capacity fell by more than 800,000 barrels a day in 2020.

Senator Ernst says U.S. military must find new suppliers of rare minerals

Posted on by Rick Watts

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Republican Senator Joni Ernst is calling on the Pentagon to find new suppliers and stockpiling critical minerals, like cobalt and lithium “which are used to product engines, night vision equipment and other modern military technologies,” Ernst says. “For instance, the Air Force’s premier fighter jet, the F22, is made with layers of titanium alloy, much of which is sourced from Russia and China.”

Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is joining with a Democrat from West Virginia to sponsor legislation that would update the list of critical minerals in the National Defense Stockpile. Ernst says the U.S. must find new sources rather than rely on mining in places like China.

“If we opened up our own mining and resourcing here in the United States it would alleviate part of the problem,” Ernst says. “Those minerals that we don’t have here domestically, then we do have partners and allies that we can rely on around the globe.”

Africa and Australia are the site of mining operations that yield the types of critical minerals needed, according to Ernst. She cites a 2019 report that found China provides 82 percent of the world supply of tungsten which is used to strengthen other metals.

“Bottom line, we can’t allow China and Afghanistan and others to control the minerals that we need for our national defense,” Ernst says.

A Chinese company is currently negotiating with the Taliban to tap into one of the world’s largest reserves of copper and security analysts expect China to seek
access to Afghanistan’s untapped reserves of uranium, iron ore and other minerals,

Lt. Governor Gregg visits Albia

Posted on by Rick Watts

Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg was in Albia Tuesday (6/14).  He visited the Perry Building, which has received a State Downtown Housing Grant.  The developer plans to convert the second floor into four apartments.  Gregg says he likes having additional housing in Iowa’s rural areas.

“There’s a huge need for housing in rural Iowa.  I’m told it’s also true here in Albia.   So to have four new units coming on board is a really big deal….and hopefully accommodate the workforce and folks who want to move into town.”

The Downtown Housing Grant Albia received is $208,000.

Excessive Heat Warning for Keokuk County

Posted on by Rick Watts

An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect until 8pm Wednesday (6/15) for Keokuk County.  The National Weather Service is predicting that this afternoon’s heat index will range from 100 to 110.  This extreme heat plus high humidity will increase the possibility of heat-related illnesses, especially if you’re working outside.  The best advice is to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air conditioned area. If you’re working outside, take frequent breaks in the shade.  Also, young children and pets should not be left unsupervised in a car under any circumstances.  Temperatures in the rest of the No Coast Network listening area will still be in the 90s Wednesday and there’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms starting late in the afternoon. Once again, an Excessive Heat Warning is in effect until 8pm Wednesday for Keokuk County and areas to the east.

Biden to visit ‘pariah’ Saudi Arabia and Israel next month

Posted on by Rick Watts

By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden confirmed on Tuesday that he will visit Saudi Arabia next month for talks with leaders of the kingdom, a dramatic reordering of his stance on the kingdom that he pledged to make a “pariah” as a Democratic candidate for the White House.

With the visit at the tail end of a July 13-16 Middle East trip that includes stops in Israel and the West Bank, Biden is edging off his adversarial stance against on the Saudis’ human rights record. He’s looking to reset the relationship at a time when the U.S. could use help from the oil-rich kingdom to alleviate soaring prices at the pump for motorists at home and around the globe.

The stop in Saudi Arabia will include talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the defacto leader of the kingdom. U.S. intelligence officials have determined Prince Mohammed likely ordered the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In a brief exchange with reporters ahead of departing to Philadelphia on Tuesday for a labor convention, Biden bristled when asked about his upcoming visit to Jeddah and noted that his team had laid out in a statement “everything I’m doing in the Middle East.”

Human rights advocates and some Democratic allies cautioned Biden about visiting the kingdom, saying such a visit without first getting human rights commitments would send a message to Saudi leaders that there are no consequences for egregious rights violations. The Saudis have been accused of using mass arrests, executions and violence to squelch dissent.

But at a time of skyrocketing prices at the gas pump, growing worries about Iran’s nuclear program and perpetual concern that China is expanding its global footprint, Biden and his national security team have determined that freezing out the Saudis, particularly the crown prince, is simply not in the U.S. interest.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the No. 2 Senate Democrat, told CNN that Biden “has a tough job dealing with gasoline prices and trying to find ways to find new sources and supplies to bring down inflation in the energy sector.”

But Durbin said he had “mixed feelings” about the visit, calling the Saudi’s human rights record “an outrage.”

John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said on CNN that the administration respects the differences of opinion about the president’s decision. He stressed “that Saudi Arabia is a key partner in the region on things like counterterrorism, on the war in Yemen, on energy production.”

The Saudi Embassy in Washington said Biden would meet with both King Salman and Prince Mohammed and described the visit as coming at the king’s invitation “to strengthen the historical bilateral relations and the distinguished strategic partnership between” the two countries.

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia looks forward to welcoming President Biden and defining the next chapters of our partnership,” the Saudi Embassy said in a statement. “At a time of global challenges related to the global economy, health, climate and international conflict, the partnership between our two countries is as critical as ever to the promotion of peace, prosperity and stability around the world.”

The White House announced the trip after Saudi Arabia this month helped nudge OPEC+ to ramp up oil production by 648,000 barrels per day in July and August, and the kingdom agreed to extend a United Nations-mediated cease-fire in its seven-year war with Yemen. Biden called the Saudi cease-fire decision “courageous.” Prince Mohammed, who is commonly referred to by his initials, MBS, played a “critical role” in brokering an extension of the cease-fire, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement said King Salman invited Biden to visit the kingdom during a gathering in the port city of Jeddah of the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — as well as Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.

She suggested that Biden will raise human right concerns with Saudi officials bud did not directly answer whether the president would speak to Prince Mohammed about the Khashoggi killing.

“It’s important to also emphasize that while we recalibrate relationships, we are not looking to rupture relationships,” Jean-Pierre said. “But human human rights issues, human rights conversations (are) something that the president brings up with many leaders and plans to do so.”

Biden’s first stop during the Middle East swing will be in Israel for a long-planned visit with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem. He will then meet with Palestinian Authority leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank. Biden will cap the whirlwind trip with the visit to Jeddah.

The trip to Israel comes at a fraught time for Bennett’s fragile coalition, as he tries to avert another election and the potential return to power of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as Iran’s nuclear program continues advancing.

Biden while in Israel will take part in a virtual meeting of “I2-U2” leaders, an economic forum established late last year that includes Israel, India, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S.

The president’s time in Israel also coincides with the Maccabiah Games, a sporting competition that brings together thousands of Jewish and Israeli athletes from around the globe. Biden, who visited Israel for the first time as a young senator nearly 50 years ago, is also expected to meet with athletes taking part in the games.

Israeli officials in their engagement with the Biden administration have pressed their point of view that U.S. relations with Arab capitals, including Riyadh, are critical to Israel’s security and overall stability in the region. The visit could also provide an opportunity to kick off talks for what the administration sees as a longer-term project of normalizing Israeli-Saudi relations.

Facing questions earlier this month about a potential visit to Saudi Arabia, Biden stressed that the relationship had multiple facets that impact U.S. and Middle East security.

“Look, I’m not going to change my view on human rights,” Biden said. “But as president of the United States, my job is to bring peace if I can, peace if I can. And that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

—

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Philadelphia contributed reporting.

Oskaloosa School Board meets Tuesday

Posted on by Rick Watts

The Oskaloosa School Board has a busy agenda for Tuesday’s (6/14) regular monthly meeting.  At 5:00, the Board will have a work session to review the end of the year building reports.  Then at the regular meeting at 6, there will be a public hearing on setting up what’s called a flexibility fund….with $100,000 transferred from the school district’s professional  development fund to the flexibility fund.  The Board will also vote on salary increases for administrators and directors, and there will be a vote on repairs for the exterior of George Daily Auditorium.  Tuesday’s Oskaloosa School Board meeting starts at 6 at the George Daily Auditorium Board Room.

DOT taking input on proposed electric vehicle charging network

Posted on by Rick Watts

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The Iowa Department of Transportation is taking public input on the plan to develop a network of electric vehicle charging stations across the state.

The DOT’s Stuart Anderson says the state will get around 50 million federal dollars over five years for what’s called the program called the National Electric Vehicle infrastructure program. “Part of the requirements to use that funding is that each state develop an infrastructure deployment plan. And that plan was intended to look at where the corridors are in the state that are a priority for installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” Anderson says.

The state can only use the funds in areas that are designated as alternative fuel corridors. “That would include our major interstates, so it’s all of Interstate 80, all of Interstate 35, Interstate 29, and also Interstate 380, those are designated quarters right now,” Anderson says. “And so the law requires that a charging infrastructure be built out on those corridors to minimum levels of service, which generally means charging infrastructure, at least every 50 miles.” He says once that system is fully built out, then the funds can be used to expand charging infrastructure elsewhere across the state.

Anderson says the charging stations will require a relatively significant amount of electricity. “That means there needs to be lots of coordination with utilities across the state. So, we’ve already begun having meetings with some of the utilities, and that will continue over the next several weeks and month or two, to get their input as well in that end of this process,” he says.

Some businesses have already installed electric vehicle charging stations, and Anderson says the chargers can be anywhere that meets the guidelines. “Funding can only be used on charging infrastructure that’s within one mile of those interstate corridors. So that’ll be a constraint to locations,” according to Anderson. “In addition, it needs to be what we call DC fast charging or level three.”
Level three is the fastest method of charging, and level one is the slowest.

Anderson encourages anyone with comments on the proposal to let them know. He says the comments will have the most impact if they are given before June 24th. “We’ve established a website for this program,” he says. “And there’s a link to that survey on that website. In addition, people can sign up for a distribution list to get more information in the future.   The website is www.iowadot.gov/iowaevplan.” Anderson says they will continue to accept comments after June 24th, but will start working on the proposal.

The plan is due August 1st, and then it has to be reviewed and approved at the federal level. Anderson says they expect federal approval will be done by September 30th — and then they can start the process to identify the locations and a process for procuring them. He says every state has money from the federal government for this type of plan — and that means there is demand for the equipment — so it could take one year or more to get everything installed.

Iowa manufacturing exec urging congress to pass international affairs budget

Posted on by Rick Watts

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The senior director of international development for a manufacturing company based in Pella is in Washington, D.C. this week, urging members of congress to fully fund the U.S. international affairs budget.

Daryl Bouwkamp has worked at Vermeer for 30 years. He says having diplomatic and humanitarian missions around the globe benefits trade. “Having a U.S. projected, rules-based, stable global environment, which the U.S. really needs to lead, is incredibly important to us as a state,” he says.

Bouwkamp is participating in a forum sponsored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. The group estimates nearly 20% of the jobs in Iowa are tied to international trade. China has stepped up its spending to secure trading partnerships with countries around the globe. Bouwkamp says the U.S. needs to maintain its spending on international aid to ensure companies like Vermeer can access global mark

“Being there as the U.S. in times of need for other countires and being at the table, negotiating and helping write the rules, enforce the rules so that we have stability and reduce corruption,” Bouwkamp says.

About 1% of the federal budget is spent on international affairs. Bouwkamp’s message to Iowa’s congressional delegation is that American diplomacy must be maintained.  “It is the best money spent,” Bouwkamp says. “If you don’t spend it here, you’re just going to have to purchase more bullets.”

This is the seventh Global Impact Forum Bouwkamp has attended — although the last two were held virtually due to the pandemic. He says faith leaders and non-profit groups are represented at the event as well as 500 businesses and hundreds of both current and retired members of the military and U.S. diplomatic corps.

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