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Keokuk County Emergency Management Coordinator Arrested for Theft

Posted on by Sam Parsons

SIGOURNEY, IA — On December 13, 2022, the Keokuk County Emergency Management Coordinator Larry Gene Smith (66) was arrested for Theft in the 2nd Degree a Class D Felony based on an investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The Office of the State Auditor conducted an audit of the Keokuk County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) on February 10, 2021.  During the audit it was determined Larry Smith, Emergency Management Coordinator, was authorized by the Keokuk County Emergency Management Commission (EMC) to purchase a 2018 Chevy Silverado for the EMA.  On September 5, 2018, Larry Smith traded in the agency’s 2006 Ford F-350, diesel truck for $800 to a Fleet Dealership.  On September 5, 2018, Larry Smith purchased the 2006 Ford F-350 from the Fleet Dealership for his personal use and ownership for $800. The vehicle was estimated to be valued at $6,600 to $14,400 based on NADA and Kelly Blue Book estimates.  The State Auditor’s Office stated because the trade-in amount received for the vehicle was less than its value, the EMA incurred additional costs.  As part of their investigation the State Auditor’s Office released its audit findings to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, the Keokuk County Attorney’s Office, the Keokuk County Sheriff’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation.  Due to the potential conflict of interest, Keokuk County Attorney Amber Thompson referred the case to the Washington County Attorney’s Office and to the Division of Criminal Investigation for additional investigation.

On December 14, 2022, Larry Smith submitted a letter of resignation from his position as the Keokuk County Emergency Management Coordinator.

Although criminal charges have been filed, this continues to be an ongoing criminal investigation conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

No further information will be released at this time.

Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Photo: Larry Gene Smith

Health officials revise tool to track severe obesity in kids

Posted on by Sam Parsons

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials have updated a tool to track rising cases of severe obesity among children who were previously off the charts. Expanded growth charts released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now include a body mass index of 60 — up from previous charts that stopped at a BMI of 37. They also expanded additional measures to map severe obesity, which affects an estimated 4.5 million children and teens in the U.S. Rates of severe obesity among kids have nearly quadrupled in recent decades. The CDC charts are the most widely used tool in the U.S. to track growth and development in kids.

Panel predicts dip in Iowa tax revenue

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

Members of a key state panel say a recession would likely have a limited impact on Iowa’s economy. They’re predicting state tax receipts will decline by 1.9% in 2023 due to cuts in the top income tax rate for individuals and corporations as well as the end of state taxation of retirement income.

Kraig Paulsen is director of state agencies that oversee state tax collections and the state budget. He’s chairman of the Revenue Estimating Conference, which met late this morning.

“I continue to be optimistic that any downturn will be weathered and, at least in Iowa, it will be relatively shallow and short in length,” Paulsen said. “Overall, the state is in an incredibly strong financial position and is well situated to manage whatever future circumstances dictate.”

Paulsen and the other two members of the Revenue Estimating Conference predict the state will collect more than $10 billion in taxes during the current fiscal year, which ends June 30th. Jennifer Acton, a senior analyst with the Legislative Services Agency, is the new member of the Revenue Estimating Conference.

“Inflation appears to be slowing and, in addition, no key Iowa economic indicators are suggesting a downturn in the economy at this time,” said Jennifer Acton, a senior analyst with the Legislative Services Agency, who is the new member of the Revenue Estimating Conference.

Action pointed to the October increase in the Iowa Leading Indicators Index. It includes things like diesel fuel consumption, unemployment claims and data on hours worked in Iowa manufacturing plants.

“This would not suggest an economy on the verge of a downturn in the near future,” she said.

Acton, though, did say it’s an “especially difficult time” to predict the future.

“Inflation appears to be slowing While there are no telltale signs of a future recession, many economists indicate that the 2023 economy may have a difficult time,” Acton said. “Despite households being squeezed by high inflation and high interest rates, many economists indicate there are signs that inflation may be moderating.”

Senator Janet Petersen, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee in the Iowa Senate, said Iowa’s labor market continue to lag behind neighboring states and the panel’s “no-growth revenue estimate is yet another warning about Iowa’s economy.”

Visit Pella Receives $10k Grant to Update Website

Posted on by Sam Parsons

PELLA, IA — Visit Pella announced that they have received a $10,000 grant from Travel Iowa to update their website.

According to a news release, the primary goal during the redesign process will be to create a more valuable, user-centric, responsive resource across all platforms and devices. Specifically, they want to “focus on making it easier for our guests and visitors to learn and locate valuable information about Pella and the experience they can have while visiting Pella, either on their desktop or mobile devices.”

Jessi Vos, Chair of Visit Pella, spoke about the impact that this grant will have on Visit Pella and their marketing outreach: “I’m very excited about the opportunity to expand and improve our website, giving visitors the best possible experience when looking into visiting Pella and attending the many events and attractions here. Thank you to Ann for her hard work on the grant, and a huge thank you to Travel Iowa for making this much-needed upgrade possible!”

“The new website will be built for easy usage, a homepage designed to include dynamic featured spots and featured listings, which will include attractions, restaurants, lodging, the arts, events, and recent Visit Pella social media posts,” stated Ann Frost, Executive Director. “We are thrilled to partner with Neapolitan Labs, an award-winning website design company.”

Stay updated with the progress of the redesign by following their Facebook page.

Ottumwa Citizens Police Academy Registration Opens

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OTTUMWA, IA — The Ottumwa Police Department will be holding their Annual Citizens Police Academy in February and March of 2023.   The Academy gives citizens an opportunity to learn first-hand about local law enforcement.   The curriculum covers patrol operations, crime investigation, use of force, animal control, drug investigation, and more.  The 2023 Academy will meet every Monday at 6 PM beginning Monday, February 3, with the final session on Monday, March 23.

Registration is now open for the 2023 Citizens Police Academy.  Application forms are available online at cityofottumwa.com or at the Police Chief’s Office at the Ottumwa Police Department.  All completed applications must be turned in to the Police Chief’s Office or email to opd@ottumwa.us by Friday, January 10 before 3:00 PM.  The program is available free of charge.   Class size is limited.  Participants are accepted pending a basic criminal background check.  Persons with questions about the Academy can contact Ottumwa Police Chief Chad Farrington at 683-0629.

Osky GBB Knocks Off Burlington; Boys Fall to Washington

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa girls basketball team hosted Burlington last night while the boys hit the road to face Washington in Tuesday night basketball which saw the Indians claim one victory.

The girls started well against Burlington, jumping out to a 13-6 advantage in the 1st quarter before the Grayhounds rallied back and closed the quarter on a 7-0 run to enter the 2nd quarter tied at 13-13. The 2nd quarter, however, was when the tide shifted dramatically toward the Indians. Led by Presley Blommers (21 points, 7 steals) and Dasia Foster (20 points, 15 rebounds), the Indians dominated both ends of the floor in the quarter to the tune of a 20-3 run. On the final play of the half, Burlington’s star freshman, Mylee Stiefel, went down with a right leg injury and was forced to miss the rest of the game.

In lieu of the Stiefel injury, the Indians took their 33-16 lead at halftime and sat on it the rest of the way. The Indians didn’t let the Grayhounds cut the deficit to less than 15 points at any time and walked away with a 63-40 win to improve their record to 3-2.

The boys, on the road at Washington, started strong with a 32-21 lead at halftime, but quickly saw that lead melt away in the 3rd quarter when Washington’s defense completely stymied Osky’s offense. Osky was held off the scoreboard for the entirety of the quarter, while the Demons put up 15 points to take a 36-32 lead entering the fourth quarter, and further distanced themselves from the Indians 18-11 in the fourth to finish the job and get the win 54-43. Osky fell to 0-4 on the season.

On Friday, Oskaloosa has a girls and boys doubleheader at home against DCG. You can hear that broadcast on KBOE with girls coverage beginning at 6pm.

Girls stats

Boys stats

Lawmakers announce ‘framework’ on bill to keep gov’t open

Posted on by Sam Parsons

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers leading the negotiations on a bill to fund the federal government for the current fiscal year say they’ve reached agreement on a “framework” that should allow them to complete work on the bill over the next week and avoid a government shutdown. Congress faces a midnight Friday deadline to pass a spending bill to prevent a partial government shutdown. The two chambers are expected this week to pass a short-term measure to keep the government running until Dec. 23, which should give negotiators time to complete work on the full-year spending bill.

Wreaths Across America to honor Iowa veterans

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Pat Powers (Radio Iowa)

Volunteers will be laying wreaths on hundreds of veterans’ graves in cemeteries across Iowa this Saturday as part of the national event called Wreaths Across America.

Luanne Jackson, Hamilton County’s Veteran Affairs director, is coordinating efforts in her area. “It’s a national wreath day of laying wreaths and honoring those who have given their lives during service or since they served,” Jackson says, “so it’s honoring all our veterans.”

Organizers say it’s an event which aims to help ensure the people who served our country will never be forgotten. Jackson says they began last year with the South Marion Cemetery in Stratford and have added several more area graveyards this year.

“We started with Lawn Hill and Presbyterian Church in Kamrar,” Jackson says. “We have added to that the Community Church of Kamrar Cemetery and Liberty Center Cemetery.” Among the other Iowa communities taking part on Saturday, volunteers in Urbandale will place more than 100 wreaths on veterans’ graves at McDivitt Grove Cemetery.

Volunteers will also lay wreaths at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, at the Iowa Veterans Home and Cemetery in Marshalltown, and in Iowa Falls. The Iowa cemeteries join more than 3,100 nationwide in the project.

Vermeer Announces Plans to Expand to Des Moines

Posted on by Sam Parsons

PELLA — Vermeer Corporation has announced their plans to open a new manufacturing operation in Des Moines, Iowa. Utilizing existing manufacturing facilities located just off the Interstate 80/35/235 Northeast mixmaster, Vermeer is hiring 60 – 80 people with the goal to begin manufacturing critical parts in February 2023.

Headquartered in Pella, Iowa, the family-owned and -operated company is celebrating 75 years of business this year. “Our headquarters and the vast majority of our manufacturing footprint is on land my grandfather, and company founder Gary Vermeer, used to farm. It’s where we started. It’s our home. And we will continue to invest in our team and our facilities there. However, as demand for Vermeer equipment continues, we continue to explore and grow our ability to produce more,” said Jason Andringa, President and CEO and third generation family member.

Vermeer’s iconic yellow equipment can be seen on jobsites around the world as customers feed and fuel their communities with forage products, manage natural resources by equipping recycling, forestry and tree care industries, and help connect people to the necessities of life by installing critical infrastructure such water, gas and fiber. “As the need for Vermeer equipment continues due to events like natural disaster clean-up efforts or government investments in infrastructure, it is clear that Vermeer is in the middle of important work that isn’t slowing any time soon,” continued Andringa.

The new manufacturing operation will focus on building critical components that Vermeer equipment uses when it digs into the ground to install infrastructure. By having a team solely focused on these aftermarket parts, Pella operations can focus on whole good production.

“We’re excited to expand to the Des Moines market. Jason and I lived in both Pella and Des Moines during different points growing up. As our family and business strive to be a top employer in the region, we are committed to best-in-class manufacturing, for both our team members and our customers. Building a team in Des Moines provides a great opportunity for those in the area,” said Mindi Vanden Bosch, vice president of operations and third generation family member.

Positions are available now as hiring has already begun for this location. Two walk-in hiring events will be held:

Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

DMACC Ankeny Campus

Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

DMACC Southridge Campus

Or go to vermeer.com/careers to learn more and apply.

Marion County Board of Supervisors Discusses FY24 Budget, Pleasantville Adkins Development Project

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Marion County Board of Supervisors met yesterday and had a discussion about the proposed Adkins development in the city of Pleasantville. The project is still in the planning phase, but board chair Mark Raymie said that while the development agreement will be similar overall to the county’s current projects in Prairie Ridge and the Knoxville VA property, it will likely have one key difference in the distribution of TIF dollars.

Raymie said that he would be presenting a formal agreement to the board at a later date once the details become more clear.

The board also had a preliminary discussion on the county’s budget for FY24 and where the numbers stack up for employee salaries and health insurance. They agreed to revisit the topic during their final meeting of the year on December 27 with more concrete numbers.

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