Keokuk Radio News Blog

KEOKUK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

THE KEOKUK CITY COUNCIL HAS TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ITS AGENDA FOR TONIGHT’S MEETING. THE FIRST PERTAINS TO THE A PORTION OF THE TIMEA (TIME-YA) STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WHILE THE OTHER CONCERNS THE SOAP CREEK SANITARY SEWER PROJECT. THE AWARDING OF THE CONTRACTS FOR BOTH PROJECTS WILL FOLLOW THE HEARINGS. OTHER ITEMS ON TONIGHT’S AGENDA INCLUDE THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, THREE UNBUDGETED EXPENDITURES, A NUMBER OF ALCOHOL SALES APPLICATIONS, AN APPOINTMENT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION AND THREE APPOINTMENTS TO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION. TONIGHT’S MEETING IS PRECEEDED BY A WORKSHOP SESSION AT SIX-P-M, THEN THE REGULAR MEETING WILL CONVENE AT 7:30-P-M IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND.

LOCAL STEELWORKERS TO VOTE

A LOCAL STEELWORKERS’ UNION WILL BE HOLDING A CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTE ON FRIDAY. ACCORDING TO A MEDIA RELEASE, THE NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE OF UNITED STEEL WORKERS LOCAL 444 HAS SCHEDULED A RATIFICATION VOTE FOR ONE O’CLOCK FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN KEOKUK’S GRAND THEATER. MEMBERS SCHEDULED TO WORK WILL BE EXCUSED FROM THE VOTE. LOCAL 444 REPRESENTS WORKERS AT HENNIGES [HEN’-IH-GUESS] AUTOMOTIVE.

CROP DUSTER INJURED IN CRASH OF PLANE (FROM THE A-P)

WASHINGTON COUNTY AUTHORITIES SAY A 39-YEAR-OLD MOUNT PLEASANT MAN WAS INJURED WHNE THE CROP DUSTER HE WAS PILOTING CRASH-LANDED IN A FARM FIELD NORTH OF AINSWORTH. THE CRASH OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER NOON WEDNESDAY, AND WHEN EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARRIVED, THEY DISCOVERED THE PILOT, 39-YEAR-OLD JOHN KOEHN NEWTON, WAS OUT OF THE WRECKAGE. NEWTON WAS TAKEN TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS BY AMBULANCE. A CONDITION REPORT WASN’T AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE PLANE WAS LOADED WITH NITROGEN FOR CROP DUSTING, AND FUEL WAS REPORTEDLY LEAKING FROM THE PLANE. A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS CREW WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE SIX MILES NORTH OF AINSWORTH FOR CLEAN-UP.

KEOKUK POLICE STEP JULY FOURTH WEEKEND

THE KEOKUK POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL JOIN NEARLY 250 CITY, COUNTY AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WILL PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIAL TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM – STEP FOR SHORT – OVER THE INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND. THE GOAL OF STEP IS TO REDUCE TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND INCREASE DRIVER AWARENESS OF SAFETY ISSUES DURING THE BUSY HOLIDAY WEEKEND. LAST YEAR, IOWA ROADWAY SAW FIVE TRAFFIC FATALITIES OVER THE INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND. STEP COORDINATOR RANDY HUNEFELD SAYS THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE STILL HAVE THE ATTITUDE THAT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO THEM, BUT FATAL CRASHES DO HAPPEN EVERY DAY. HUNEFELD ADDED THAT TOO MAN PEOPLE IN IOWA ARE DYING BECAUSE THEY DON’T BUCKLE UP, SPEED AND DRIVE DISTRACTED OR INTOXICATED. IOWA LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ASK EVERY IOWAN WHO GETS BEHIND THE WHEEL THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND TO BUCKLE UP AND DRIVE RESPONSIBLY. STEP IS FUNDED THROUGH THE GOVERNOR’S TRAFFIC SAFETY BUREAU AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION TO ENABLE MORE OFFICERS TO PATROL THE STATE’S ROADWAY DURING TIMES OF INCREASED ROADWAY TRAVEL.

600 NEW IOWA JOBS FROM DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR HAS GRANTED IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OVER $11.6 MILLION TO CREATE OVER SIX HUNDRED TEMPORARY JOBS. THE JOBS ARE FOR ELIGIBLE DISPLACED WORKERS TO CONTINUE THE CLEAN-UP AND RECOVERY EFFORTS AT ALREADY-ESTABLISHED WORKSITES IN THE AFTERMATH OF SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING IN 2008. THE FUNDS WILL ALSO BE USED TO ADDRESS ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DISCOVERED DURING PRIOR CLEAN-UP AND RECOVERY EFFORTS. THE GRANT IS IN ADDITION TO OVER 17-MILLION DOLLARS ALREADY AWARDED TO IOWA LAST MONTH TO CREATE 600 TEMPORARY JOBS FOR THE CLEAN-UP AND RECOVERY PROJECT.

TAXPAYER INTEREST GROUP DECRIES IOWA DEFICIT

WITH THE STATE OF IOWA BUDGET COMING UP 161-MILLION DOLLARS SHORT, AN IOWA TAXPAYER INTEREST GROUP IS CRYING FOUL. ED FAILOR JUNIOR IS PRESIDENT OF IOWANS FOR TAX RELIEF SAYS THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS FISCAL YEAR’S BUDGET AFFECTED, BUT THE DEFICIT COULD SNOWBALL INTO A BILLION-DOLLAR SPENDING GAP IN JUST TWO YEARS. FAILOR WARNED LEGISLATORS NOT TO THINK OF IMPOSING SUPPLEMENTAL TAXES TO BALANCE THE BOOKS WITHOUT CONSIDERING MASSIVE BUDGET CUTS FIRST. JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, GOVERNOR CHET CULVER INDICATED HE WAS UNSURE OF WHAT EXACTLY WAS NEEDED TO CLOSE THE GAP CAUSED BY A DROP IN STATE TAX REVENUES. FAILOR PLACES THE BLAME FOR THE PROBLEM SQUARELY ON THE GOVERNOR’S SHOULDER, CITING HIS SIGNING OF THE LARGEST BUDGET IN STATE HISTORY AT A TIME OF ECONOMIC RECESSION. FAILOR SAYS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO EITHER RAISING TAXES OR CUTTING SPENDING, THE CHOICE SHOULD BE CLEAR – CUTTING SPENDING.