TOLEDO, Iowa (KCRG) – Tama and Toledo city councils, police chiefs and residents met Thursday night to discuss a possible merger of the two cities’ police departments. Under the proposal, every officer would work for the city of Toledo. The new department would run out of Toledo’s current station but patrol both communities. Toledo Police Chief Dan Quigley said the department would look at hiring an additional two to three officers. Tama and Toledo have run separate police departments for decades. Quigley said combining them has been discussed for years, and tighter city budgets are pushing the conversation forward now. Last year, the two departments handled about 5,200 calls for service between them. Quigley said officers already regularly cross city lines to help each other. The two departments currently cost roughly $1.8 million combined. City leaders say merging could save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The merger remains a proposal. If approved, it would last five years, but either department could withdraw at any time. Quigley said the transition could take a few months. The two city councils will continue discussions before a vote.
MONTICELLO, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said Canada “needs us worse than we need them” as he wrapped up his 46th annual 99-county statewide tour with stops in Jones and Linn Counties Friday. The senator shared his thoughts on tariffs between the U.S. and Canada – calling them a “temporary wedge.” Senator Grassley also pointed to the president’s plan to increase imports of foreign beef and drive down prices for consumers, which farmers across the country have said would undercut their business. He said he wants to push the new Farm Bill out of committee in the next few weeks once Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, returns. The Farm Bill might also result in year-round E15 gasoline approval – a move that could open up markets further for Iowa farmers.
SOLON, Iowa (KCRG) – The University of Iowa Sailing Club will get one more year at its longtime boathouse at Lake MacBride, after the university reversed a decision to end its lease. A year ago, the university told the club it needed to leave the MacBride Nature Recreation Area by July 31, citing millions of dollars in maintenance and safety costs at the property. But this summer, the same month the lease was set to end, the university offered the club an extension. The extension comes with a catch. The club will have to pay $500 a month to stay, up from the $200 it paid before. For now, the club continues sailing at Lake MacBride, with plans set for an eventual move to the North Arm. The university is ending its overall lease of the recreation area once it expires in 2029. Affected programs also include School of the Wild and Lifetime Leisure Skills classes.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — President Donald Trump plans to allow small ranchers and farmers to process their own meat, one of his latest moves as the administration aims to lower beef prices at the grocery store. Iowa farmers say they do not know how the plan will affect the state’s cattle industry, and experts say it is unclear what it means for meat packing safety. Farmers can already process their own meat, but they cannot sell it to restaurants, businesses or other consumers unless it is processed in a state or federally inspected facility. The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association said there are not enough details in the announcement to comment and that the organization is working to learn more. Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman said farmers are confused and are looking for real relief in the meat packing industry. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on social media that a big announcement will come Monday. She said the announcement will include removing red tape on meat processing for farmers and expanding access for ranchers to sell their meat across state lines. Rollins will be in Iowa Tuesday for the Farm Progress Show.