A South Dakota ethics board has moved to hire an outside attorney as it considers a pair of ethics complaints against Gov. Kristi Noem. The complaints were sparked from allegations the Republican governor interfered in a state agency to aid her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license and misused state airplanes.
The retired judges who sit on the Government Accountability Board decided any legal advice shouldn’t come from the lawyer who usually advises the board because she works under the state’s attorney general.
Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg initiated the complaints. The board’s decision Monday was a procedural move as it approaches a key juncture for the complaints.
Child care providers would be allowed to collect additional money from some low-income families if they agree to it under a bill sent to the governor’s desk today.
The additional money could help make up the difference between what the government pays for child care assistance and the price charged to families that don’t get assistance.
Democratic senators voted against the bill. They say families that have low enough income to qualify for child care assistance can’t afford to pay more. Democrats also urged the Republican majority to provide more assistance to families instead.
A poll commissioned by GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen again shows the top three candidates in a dead heat out of a field of nine.
Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and hog producer, polling at 24%, Conklin CEO Charles W. Herbster at 23%, and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom at 20%. Twenty-four percent of surveyed voters were undecided and 7% supported former State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau.
Nebraskans will elect their next governor in November 2022. The winner of the Republican primary on May 10th will face the winner of the Democratic primary. State Senator Carol Blood of Bellevue is expected to easily beat Roy Harris of Linwood. Also on the ballot, is Libertarian candidate and Omaha-area teacher Scott Zimmerman.
During a rally in Nebraska on Sunday, former President Donald Trump defended Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster. Trump dismissed recent sexual misconduct allegations against Herbster. Seven women, including Republican State Senator Julie Slama, accuse Herbster of groping them at political events or beauty pageants.
The Sioux City Police Department issued a warning surrounding fake postage stamps. Local authorities received a report of counterfeit stamps being delivered to a person who did not order them. The stamps came from China. The United States Postal Service reports an increase in counterfeit stamps, especially for sale at discounted prices online.
The Monona County Sheriff’s Office is also reporting more scam calls. They involve calls from local numbers claiming to be utility company employees, who demand immediate payments.
A racehorse with an Iowa connection is one of the top contenders in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Mo Donegal is owned by Iowa-based Donegal Racing.
Des Moines attorney Jerry Crawford is the group’s managing partner.
He says it’s the fourth time Donegal has had a horse in the Derby. And he believes this is the best chance they’ve had to win.
All 20 horses are trying to do something they haven’t ever tried to do before, which is go a mile and a quarter. We think our horse is at least one of the horses bred to do that.
Crawford says Mo Donegal is known for his closing speed and ran from last to first in the race that confirmed his spot at Churchill Downs. No horse with Iowa owners has ever won the Kentucky Derby. The 148th running of the Derby will take place on Saturday. Mo Donegal will be in lane one with current odds of 10-to-1.
The greyhounds are racing again in Dubuque, Iowa, but after a shortened season ends in May, there will be only three tracks left in the country. Later this year, that number will dwindle to only two, both in West Virginia. It’s been a long slide for greyhound racing, which reached its peak in the 1980s when there were more than 50 tracks scattered across 19 states. Since then, increased concerns about how the dogs are treated along with an explosion of gambling options have nearly killed the sport.
The Iowa Beef Industry Council on Monday announced the winner of the annual Iowa’s Best Burger Contest.
KCCI Television in Des Moines reports, this year’s winner is the smashburger from the Flying Elbow, from Marshalltown. It’s a professional wrestling-themed alternative sports bar.
The Smashburger features a blend of chuck, brisket and short rib, which is fresh, never frozen and sourced from Midwest cattle.
A couple of top 10 burgers can be found in the region. They are Cattleman’s Steakhose in Sac City and Victoria Station in Harlan.