SPM News

041119 504 A proposal approved by the Iowa House of Representatives would direct a state agency to investigate whether prescription drug industry middlemen are overcharging Iowa’s Medicaid program. Democratic Representative John Forbes, a pharmacist from Urbandale, says an initial review indicates this might be a problem in Iowa. He says Ohio found these pharmacy benefit managers, or P-B-Ms, overcharged their Medicaid program by more than 200-million dollars. 0411forbes1: 15 “There is a need for

041119 432 A spring snowstorm that pummeled Colorado and Wyoming before sweeping into the Plains is now moving into Great Lakes states, where it's already setting records. Winter storm warnings are posted for northern Wisconsin and Michigan, which could see heavy snow, strong winds, sleet, and freezing rain. A Weather service meteorologist says as much as 25 inches of snow has been reported in northeastern South Dakota, and it will continue to snow into Friday. Iowa and Nebraska transportation

041119 404 Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts isn't happy with a tentative proposal that seeks to reduce property taxes by imposing other taxes. Ricketts criticized the measure Thursday in a news conference with Nebraska realtors and home builders, who oppose parts of the bill that could raise documentary stamp taxes on real estate. Ricketts says he opposes any effort to shift a tax burden from one group to another. He previously joined forces with grocers to oppose provisions that would impose a tax

A blizzard has knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of people in the Northern Plains as a powerful storm system sweeps across the central U.S. 14,000 people and businesses are without power in Minnesota and the same number in South Dakota. Another 8,500 are in the dark in Iowa. the main culprit of Thursday's outages is snow and ice accumulating on power lines, combined with strong winds. Blizzard conditions in the region are expected to linger into early Friday. Lindstrom says crews are

Another major storm is headed towards the Midwest and may impact Siouxland starting Wednesday afternoon and evening. This winter storm is expected to deliver the most snow to Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota. Up to two feet of snow in some spots. The National Weather Service predicts the northwestern part of Iowa will stay warm enough to miss out on some of the heavier snow. Since snowpack has already melted in the region flooding shouldn’t be as severe or widespread as last month. FEMA

A Yankton man is facing criminal charges after a fight inside a Yankton pizza restaurant turned deadly over the weekend. Twenty-two year old Jameson Mitchell is accused of shooting and killing Lucas Smith in an alley Saturday after the two were thrown out of Mojo's Pizza and Spirits because of a fight. Police say the Mitchell approached Smith with a gun shortly after they were kicked out of the restaurant, shot him several times and ran from the scene. Police pinged the suspect's phone to find

040819 532 Drivers with unpaid traffic camera tickets say the state of Iowa does not have the right to seize part of their tax refunds to collect the money. Attorney Jim Larew argued in a petition filed last week that the Department of Administrative Services doesn't have the legal authority to collect unpaid tickets issued by traffic cameras. He says, under a recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling, vehicle owners are not liable for traffic camera citations until municipalities prove them in District

040819 5:04 A storm that could bring blizzard conditions to the Midwest is expected to swell creeks and rivers in South Dakota, but not to the levels they rose last month. The National Weather Service says the winter storm could drop as much as 1 ½ feet of snow on parts of the state later this week. Hydrologist Mike Gillispie says the snow as it melts will push up rivers and creeks that are receding after heavy flooding. But he says most areas on the Big Sioux River will see only minor to

040809 432 Missouri River flooding in 2011 prompted senators from the states along its banks to form a working group on how to reduce the likelihood of such disasters. In the wake of yet another catastrophic flood, Sen. Joni Ernst is looking to get the band back together. The Iowa Republican has specifically called on lawmakers to review how the Army Corps of Engineers protects the safety and property of those who live along the river. Ernst is a member of the Environment and Public Works

A center is open in Woodbury County to help people impacted by recent flooding or groundwater issues. The Multi Agency Resource Center opened over the weekend at The Security Institute on the campus of Western Iowa Tech Community College. It will be available this week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. The center was organized by Woodbury County Emergency Management and Community Organizations Active in Disasters. Some of the agencies taking part are the Salvation Army, American Red