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Creighton study finds Iowa with flood "economic hangover"

August 1, 2008 By

Iowa businesses are suffering from an "economic hangover" due to the floods, according to one expert. The monthly survey of supply managers and business leaders across Iowa by Creighton University finds the state has yet to see the expected rebuilding boost, according to Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

Goss says: "The economy is still suffering to some degree from the floods of June. We’re still seeing some business slow-downs, some business closures that have yet to be remedied. I expect that to correct itself in the months ahead."

The checks from various charitable and governmental agencies are helping Iowans to rebuild their lives — from buying new couches to new cars and new homes — but Goss says it’s not really registering yet.

"The region that we’re surveying, which includes Iowa, is showing growth only every so slightly above growth neutral," Goss says. "We’re seeing job losses for the states, including Iowa, six months of job losses out of the last seven so the overall report was fairly negative."

He says the July losses in Iowa were, for the most part, weather-related and there will be a bounce-back.

Goss says he expects Iowa’s numbers to improve in the coming months as people continue to rebuild after the floods. In addition, he says farm income is still very healthy, export markets are strong for Iowa and production in the biofuels industry is gearing up and helping the state and regional economies.

As gasoline prices have dropped 20 to 40-cents a gallon in recent weeks, Goss says it’s an encouraging move but they’ll need to drop a significant amount more before much of an impact is seen in the Iowa economy.

 

Filed Under: Business, Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With:

Sales tax holiday runs through Saturday

August 1, 2008 By

The state sales tax holiday began this morning (Friday) and runs through Saturday. Renee Mulvey, of the Iowa Department of Revenue says you can buy qualifying shoes and clothing tax free as long as each item costs under 100 dollars.

Mulvey says if a business is open and sells the items, they must participate in the sales tax holiday. She says there is some confusion as some states allow cities that don’t want to participate to opt out, but Mulvey says that’s not the case with Iowa.

Mulvey says any business or individual with questions about the holiday can find answers on-line.

Mulvey says they a lot of information, including lists of taxable and exempt clothing, and information on coupons and laying away clothing on the Department’s website .

This is the ninth annual sales tax holiday. 

Filed Under: Business Tagged With:

Two Western Iowa towns hold celebrations Saturday

August 1, 2008 By

Anita sign. Two small towns in western Iowa will hold celebrations Saturday that are sure to benefit local livestock producers.

Anita’s annual “Whaletown Celebration” includes a fireman’s steak fry. Tim Ronfeldt, a volunteer firefighter in Anita , says nobody goes home hungry.

“We order about 1,200 pounds of choice ribeye,” Ronfeldt says, “and we usually serve 1,000 to 1,300 steaks the night of our celebration.” Other activities Saturday in Anita include a Triathalon, parade, games and a live rock band.

As motorists enter the town of Anita, they’re greeted by a sign depicting a bear holding up a whale. The sign reads, “Anita, a whale of a town.”

Also Saturday, just a few miles north of Anita, residents of Audubon will be celebrating the 58th annual Operation T-Bone Days. The food will include hundreds of steak sandwiches and hamburgers. Local farmer Dale Sloth will serve as grand marshal of the Operation T-bone Parade at 1 p.m.

The 82-year-old Sloth says the celebration dates back to 1951, when local producers first gathered to send 43 train cars of cattle to market Chicago. Sloth says the annual trek to Chicago continued until 1967. After that, area producers would sent the cattle to a packing house in Oakland, Iowa or Omaha, Nebraska. Saturday’s events in Audubon will also include a chili cookoff, water fights, live music and fireworks.

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:

Bar owners get their day in court over smoking ban

August 1, 2008 By

Bill Duncan, owner of the "Two of a Kind" bar in Fort Madison at podium. Two groups of Iowa bar and restaurant owners had their first day in court today as a judge listened to legal arguments about the state’s 32-day-old ban on smoking in most public places.

The judge says he’ll rule as soon as possible on the first request from bar owners — that enforcement of the smoking ban be suspended until the entire case is settled.

The lawyer for bar owners called the law "bizarre" and "strange" and he raised several objections based on constitutional grounds. A lawyer for the state said the legislature had the authority to look out for the public’s health by banning smoking. Three bar owners took the stand to air their complaints about the law, mostly about its economic impact.

Iowa Bar Owners Coalition president Brian Froehlich, owner of Froh’s Pub and Grub in Wilton, was first to testify. "Did I get a little heated? Yea, I did, but you know what? I’ve been on this fight since January and it’s personal," Froehlich told reporters afterward.

Amanda Albrecht owns Hoss’s Saloon in Fairbank and she testified that her profits dropped at least 80 percent since the smoking ban went into effect. Albrecht put the bar up for sale last Sunday and she’ll probably close for good on Monday. "I’ve owned it for almost 10 years," she said in an interview. "Over the years I’ve been able to watch children that I knew, you know, that become drinking age and, you know, they have their 21st birthday there, you know, and stuff like that and I’m not going to be able to see that (any) more."

Jonathan Van Roekel, president of Clinton’s Organized Bar and Restaurant Owners, operates two bars in Clinton. He was the primary speaker at the bar owners’ news conference after the hearing concluded. "Today is one day in the fight to give back freedom to Iowans. We are looking forward to the judge’s ruling and we hope it is prompt. Iowa citizens should be free to choose where they want to eat, where they want to drink and where they want to spend money," he said. "No one should be forced to eat, drink or do business in a building that is nonsmoking."

Joe Sturgis, owner of the "Rusty Nail" in Davenport, told reporters many Iowa bar owners are committing acts of "civil disobedience" and allowing smoking in their establishments. "I’d say 80 percent of them are still allowing people to smoke in their bars because if they don’t, they won’t have anybody in there," Sturgis said.

Bill Duncan, owner of the "Two of a Kind" bar in Fort Madison, called the smoking ban a disgrace. "We’re not here crying to you because we want to whine," Duncan told reporters. "We’re here fighting for our livelihood, our financial survival."

The lawyers representing the state who argued in favor of the ban declined to be interviewed. Assistant Attorney General Jeff Thompson told the judge the "vast majority" of the 82,000 Iowa businesses affected by the smoking ban are complying with the law, and he argued it would be disruptive to suspend the law a little more than month after it went into effect.

 

AUDIO: Bar owners news conference 15:00 MP3

Filed Under: Business, Environment & Conservation, Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Four charged in murder of Des Moines man

August 1, 2008 By

Four young men were arrested early this morning and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Des Moines man last Saturday. Police say 46-year-old Dean Jay Davis died near his home Saturday morning from stab wounds.

An anonymous tip led officers to arrest four men, all from Des Moines, between 2:00 and 4:30 this morning. Nineteen-year-old Ryan Higgins, 19 year-old Roberto Rodriguez, 18-year-old Zachary Kern and 21-year- old Brian Lee are all charged with first-degree murder and being held without bond.

A spokesperson for Des Moines police declined to discuss a possible motive, but said the suspects and victim knew each other.

AUDIO: Radio Iowa’s Pat Curtis reports on DM murder arrests. :36 MP3

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Hearing underway on state smoking ban

August 1, 2008 By

A judge is hearing the arguments of bar owners who hope to get rid of the new state law which bans smoking in bars and restaurants. The first witness was Brian Froehlich of Wilton, the president of the Iowa Bar Owners Coalition.

Froehlich told the judge Iowa bar owners are suffering financially because of the smoking ban. He also complained that bar owners have been turned into "policemen," as they required by law to tell patrons that they are not to smoke.

Froehlich admitted to the state prosecutor, who cross examined him, that he has decided not to enforce the law. The bar owners are asking the judge today to suspend the law until their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the smoking ban is finally decided. 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Health & Medicine Tagged With:

Little Brown Church celebrates thousands of marriages

August 1, 2008 By

Little Brown Church A small northeast Iowa church is holding a big celebration this weekend. It’s the 56th annual Marriage Reunion at the Little Brown Church in the Vale.

Church spokeswoman Rachel Jones says they’re expecting hundreds of couples to come back to Nashua for the event.

She says they usually have about 300-to-400 people come back each year for the reunion. There are about 250 weddings being performed each year with a total of 72,000 weddings since the church opened in 1855.

Jones says visitors from all points on the globe have traveled to Nashua to get married.

She says they’ve had people from Germany, Japan and Australia come to the church to be married. Jones says they’re adding something new to this year’s celebration — a talent competition during Saturday night’s pastor’s reception.

She says if you think you can perform the “Little Brown Church in the Vale” hymn, whether it’s singing or playing it, call the church and set aside a time during the competition. For more information on the marriage reunion, you can look on the church’s website or give them a call at (641) 435-2027.

Filed Under: Human Interest
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