REPUBLICAN SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE KRAIG PAULSEN SAID LAST WEEK TOO MANY SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE TOO CONCERNED WITH INVESTIGATING THE WRONG DOINGS OF THE BRANSTAD ADMINISTRATION THAN FOCUSING ON THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO COMPLETE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR MARY JO WILHELM OF CRESCO SAYS THAT’S AN INTERESTING COMMENT
WILHELM
BRANSTAD IS UNDER FIRE OVER SECRET SETTLEMENTS PAID TO FORMER GOVERNMENT WORKERS WHO WERE LET GO AFTER BRANSTAD BECAME GOVERNOR AGAIN THREE YEARS AGO.
VICTORIA DANIELS OF THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE IS OFFERING THIS FRIENDLY REMINDER…..STATE TAXES ARE DUE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. SHE SAYS THE NUMBER OF STATE RETURNS, ALREADY PROCESSED IS ABOUT FIVE PERCENT HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR, AND AVERAGE REFUNDS ARE ABOUT ELEVEN PERCENT HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
DANIELS
DANIELS REMINDS THOSE WHO HAVEN’T FILED YET, TO CHECK THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE’S WEBSITE FOR SOME FREE OR LOW-COST “E-FILING” OPTIONS.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO EXPRESS FRUSTRATION OVER THE LACK OF A FUEL TAX INCREASE AT THE STATEHOUSE. WINNESHIEK COUNTY SUPERVISORS CHAIR JOHN LOGSDON WAS ASKED IF THE COUNTY HAS DONE ALL THEY CAN TO INCREASE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING.
LOGSDON
LOGSDON SAYS 26 COUNTIES IN THE STATE HAVE BONDED FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STATE, TOTALLING 163 MILLION DOLLARS.
DECORAH POLICE HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN DRUG RELATED INVESTIGATIONS DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 2014. POLICE SAY IN THAT TIME, 14 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH NARCOTIC MISDEMEANORS, 10 HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH NARCOTIC FELONIES, 20 NEW CASES WERE OPENED, SIX SEARCH WARRANTS SERVED, WITH ONE OF THEM METH LAB RELATED. POLICE SAY DURING THOSE INVESTIGATIONS, THEY CONFISCASTED APPROXIMATELY 1.15 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA, EIGHT GRAMS OF METH, 10 DOSAGE UNITS OF L-S-D, 4 DOSAGE UNITS OF ECSTASY AND 120 DOSAGE UNITS INVOLVED IN PHARAMACEUTICALS. POLICE SAY THEY SEIZED ONE METH LAB DURING THOSE THREE MONTHS.
THE DECORAH HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC DEPARTMENT HAD ANOTHER BANNER DAY AT THE ANNUAL STATE SOLO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL HELD IN CRESCO THIS PAST SATURDAY. 63 SOLOISTS AND 75 ENSEMBLES EARNED DIVISION ONE SUPERIOR RATINGS AT THE EVENT. EIGHT OF THE 11 BEST OF CENTER AWARDS WENT TO D-H-S MUSICIANS. THE EVENT FEATURED BAND, ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR STUDENTS.
THREE PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN A TWO VEHICLE ACCIDENT MONDAY MORNING. THE IOWA STATE PATROL SAYS SHORTLY AFTER-30, A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY 18 YEAR OLD TRENT TWEETEN OF DECORAH ENTERED THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY A-14 AND HIGHWAY 52 AND STRUCK A VEHICLE DRIVEN 40 YEAR OLD JENNIFER SEIGENTHALER OF WAUKON. BOTH DRIVERS AND A PASSENGER IN THE TWEETEN VEHICLE, 18 YEAR OLD JADA BRUNSVOLD, WERE ALL TAKEN TO WINNESHIEK MEDICAL CENTER. TWEETEN WAS CHARGED WITH FAILURE TO OBEY A STOP SIGN.
THE SOUTH WINNESHIEK AND TURKEY VALLEY SCHOOL BOARDS WILL MEET IN A JOINT SESSION. CHRIS HOOVER, WHO HAS BEEN SUPERINTENDENT OF BOTH DISTRICTS FOR FOUR YEARS, IS LEAVING TO TAKE OVER THE MAQUOKETA SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE BOARD WILL DISCUSSED THE SHARED SUPERINTENDENT POSITION BEGINNING AT SIX TONIGHT IN THE ELEMENTARY LIBRARY AT TURKEY VALLEY.
kdecnews 