Latest news with #WHO-13
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Des Moines Afghan military refugees fear for lives after apparent deportation notices
DES MOINES, Iowa – Afghan refugees living in the Des Moines metro have recently begun receiving apparent deportation notices. For many who were American allies in the War Against Terrorism, they believe the clock is ticking down to a life-or-death decision. 'Since I heard that, and I seen those notices, trust me, I cannot eat well and I cannot sleep,' Shir A. Safi told WHO-13's Katie Kaplan. For Safi, he said his relationship with American troops began as a boy when he would walk three-and-a-half miles along an Interstate to get to school in Afghanistan. 'Their tanks would come there, and Taliban would fire on them from (the) mountains, and I had to hide behind their tanks,' he said. 'They give me shelter while there was fighting going on, and they would talk to me and ask me questions. And they became my friend because it was (an) everyday thing for me.' Safi said that on the day he took his final exam, he headed to an Afghan military recruitment office and signed up to join American forces in the war against terrorism. 'I fought for 12 and a half years alongside (sic) my American friends,' he said. In 2021, when American troops withdrew from the area and the Taliban took control, he was evacuated by the U.S. Government to Iowa and settled in Des Moines. After a fellow Afghan refugee was hit by a car and killed in the metro while crossing the street, he felt compelled to help. In 2022, he founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization 'Afghan Partners in Iowa' that now helps 1,250 Afghan refugee families who are living in Iowa under a federal Temporary Protected Status (TPS) assimilate to American life. 'I said, 'They just survived the horrible war in Afghanistan, and now they are dying in the street,'' he recalled. 'So, I (sic) decided that moment that I need to save them, I need to help them.' He now helps to coordinate English language classes and lessons in how to use modern technology, something he said many Afghan people, especially women, are not familiar with. The organization also helps the refugees build a resume and find employment in an area where they might already have skills, and are taught basic lessons in how to cross the street, how to find the bus routes and where to shop for groceries. But since April 6, Safi said roughly 200 of his clients have received deportation letters via email purportedly from Homeland Security stating, 'It is time for you to leave the United States.' He believes the U.S. Government sent the letters to the emails provided by the refugees in their registration paperwork. He said the letters have left him and other Afghan-American allies living in fear. 'My big concern is they will all be tortured and they will be killed, and that- in Afghanistan, in the hands of (the) Taliban- will not be easy,' he said. The letters have come weeks after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was terminating the TPS status for Afghan refugees. The department provided a copy of a statement it first issued to the New York Times. 'Secretary Noem made the decision to terminate TPS for individuals from Afghanistan because the country's improved security situation and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country. Additionally, the termination furthers the national interest and the statutory provision that TPS is in fact designed to be temporary. Additionally, DHS records indicate that there are Afghan nationals who are TPS recipients who have been the subject of administrative investigations for fraud, public safety, and national security.' Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin: However, the U.S. Department of State, which is responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations, still has Afghanistan listed as a 'Level Four: Do Not Travel' advisory, citing, in part, due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism. While the advisory is for American citizens, the details are at odds with some of Secretary Noem's findings. The statement, attributed to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, did not differentiate between Afghan refugees and Afghan military soldiers who aided American troops during combat. WHO-13 followed up with the DHS and asked if the Secretary was going to 'make any considerations for Afghan military soldiers who aided American soldiers,' and requested a statement on the matter, but did not receive a response. Safi said he was promised protection by American forces when he helped them during combat and that he is still hoping the letters to Afghan military allies are a mistake, and that the U.S Government will step in to protect its brothers in arms. WHO-13 reached out to Congressman Zach Nunn, who is an American military Veteran who served in the Middle East. He issued a statement that said he was aware of the situation and is working to see what the 'next steps will look like.' 'Upon learning of DHS actions, our team took immediate action including contacting both DHS and refugee advocate groups to get clarity and ensure transparency for people affected. As a combat veteran who led efforts saving hundreds of Americans and allies left behind by Biden's disastrous abandonment of Afghanistan, this is personal to me. We are working to confirm how many individuals in our communities received these notices, and to see what next steps will look like.' Rep. Zach Nunn WHO-13 also reached out to Governor Kim Reynolds' office for comment, but did not hear back. If you are interested in helping Afghan refugees in Iowa, you can donate your time and/or skills, or make a financial contribution through their website. If you would like to voice an opnion about Afghan military refugees who fear they may be deported, you are encouraged to write to your local Congressional representative. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Guthrie County residents push back against carbon pipeline plan
GUTHRIE COUNTY, Iowa – Emotions are running high in one Central Iowa county over the recent presence of carbon pipeline land surveyors. Members of the Guthrie County community are banding together and said they will do all they can to prevent the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project from passing through their properties. 'We go all the way to where you can see there would be a fence line down there,' said Angie Crowder, pointing out her property line near Guthrie Center. 'It's been in the family forever.' Crowder's front porch looks out over their generational property. She and her husband, Ken, have become increasingly unsettled over seeing land surveyors wearing orange vests walking across their field in recent days. The route for the proposed pipeline project would cut right through their property. Something they said has them worried about the project's construction, its impact on property values, and safety risks. 'This is supposed to be our forever home, and I don't know that I can say that, that this is going to be our forever home,' she told WHO-13. Summit Carbon Solutions states on its website that it has reached agreements with more than 2,700 landowners encompassing nearly 4,500 parcels of land. However, the Crowders are not alone in Guthrie County in their concerns. The recent presence of pipeline land surveyors has put numerous landowners there on edge. When a WHO-13 crew showed up to interview Crowder at her home on Tuesday afternoon, they were surprised to find more than two dozen locals had turned out wearing anti-pipeline garb to support her. 'There is no amount of money that is ever going to make me sign anything that they put in front of me unless it's by force,' said Darlene Partlow. Partlow lives in nearby Adair County, but said her land crosses into Guthrie. She and her son, as well as a collective of other neighbors, said they have been helping to keep tabs on the surveyors and their locations from day to day. 'They seem to think that because they sent them, they have permission, and they do not,' she said. Partlow said the surveyors accessed her property after being asked not to. However, pipeline land surveyors are within their rights to access private property while conducting their surveys under Iowa Code 354.4A. The code states, in part, that a land surveyor may enter private land to 'locate boundaries, rights-of-way, and easements, to determine geodetic positions, and to make surveys and maps.' Surveyors are not allowed to enter buildings or other structures located on the land. They must be licensed under chapter 542B, or working under the direct supervision of a licensed land surveyor. The code states that their vehicles must be marked on the exterior by a legible sign listing the name, address, and telephone number of the land surveyor or the firm that employed the land surveyor. Surveyors should announce and identify themselves and their intentions before accessing private property and provide written notice to the landowner or tenant at least seven days before. Some Guthrie County residents alleged that some of these stipulations were not followed. WHO-13 emailed a list of follow-up questions to Summit Carbon Solutions early Friday morning, but has not yet heard back. 354.4aDownload An Iowa Supreme Court ruling over a Hardin County case in late 2024 also helped to pave the way for pipeline survey crews. Earlier in the week, a spokesperson for Summit Carbon Solutions confirmed that they have numerous surveyors working in the field and that the crews are in the process of conducting multiple types of surveys. A spokesperson provided the following statement on Tuesday: 'Our contracted surveyors are expected to remain respectful and professional at all times. For boundary surveys, our teams operate within the public road right-of-way. For civil surveys, they follow the proposed pipeline route. These surveys are essential to responsibly design and engineer a pipeline—ensuring accuracy, safety, and minimal impact. We follow the same legal framework that applies to all utilities in Iowa, as outlined in Iowa Code 354.4A, and have gone above the regulatory requirement by notifying landowners via certified mail.' Sabrina Ahmed Zenor, Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Communications for Summit Carbon Solutions However, Guthrie County residents are not letting go of their land without a fight. 'We're exhausting every effort that we can,' said Candice Salvin. WHO-13 cameras were rolling on Wednesday morning as a small group of Guthrie County residents joined landowners from several other impacted counties at the state Capitol to take their concerns to Governor Kim Reynolds. Governor Reynolds was not available, and the group provided their contact information and was told a meeting would be set up. On Thursday, a new Guthrie County ordinance went into effect. Survey Permit Ordinance 25-38 established permit requirements for surveying certain parcels of land in the county. Signed_Survey-Permit-Ordinance-25-38_Approved-4.8.25Download WHO-13 also reached out to the Governor's office to see if a meeting between the Governor and Guthrie County landowners had been scheduled, but did not hear back. The landowners said they had not heard from the Governor's Office after their visit. On its website, Summit Carbon Solutions states it is 'committed to driving job growth across the Midwest, decarbonizing industrial processes and providing a substantial boost to the ethanol and agricultural industries,' which are critical to the U.S. economy. It includes a 'Get the Facts' page and 'Landowner FAQs' section, as well as other information regarding the proposed pipeline plan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Some Warren County residents concerned over skyrocketing property evaluations
WARREN COUNTY, Iowa – One Warren County homeowner has a lot of questions after her home was recently reassessed at nearly $325,000 higher than it was assessed last year. 'Of course, property values go up every year and we are very well aware of that,' said Jessi Johnson. 'We have all of our tax documentations from previous years and it goes up incrementally. The house went up, of course, but just our property, not including the home, went up to $36,000 an acre.' Johnson lives on roughly six and a half acres out in the country and said she and her husband got a 'rude awakening' in late February after they learned their home's value jumped from $536,000 in 2024 to more than $860,000 in 2025 for no obvious reason. 'We haven't done anything in 10 years now,' she said. 'We have not built anything on our property. We have not planted a whole bunch of trees. We have done really nothing. We haven't gotten a new roof. We have not done anything that is significant in the last 10 years.' First responder cancer coverage bill advances through Iowa Senate subcommittee Public records confirmed the rapid rise in Johnson's home value. And she is not the only person affected. A neighbor told WHO-13's Katie Kaplan that they saw an exponential increase for just a small portion of their driveway. Johnson said she is worried about how this will impact her property taxes and those residents who might not be able to afford an increase. However, Supervisor Aaron DeKock, the chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, said there is a 'big difference' in total tax bills and an assessment. He said the state has capped property taxes and that how much a homeowner will have to pay will depend on local levies. Supervisor DeKock also said that the state requires a home assessment to be within 5 percent of comparable comps and that homeowners have a right to dispute the valuation. That is something Johnson said she and her husband are looking into, with an appointment already booked with the Warren County Assessor's Office. Johnson said she and her husband did not find any comps that matched their evaluation for a residentially-zoned property. The assessment was part of a 10-year reevaluation project by Vanguard Appraisals, Inc., out of Cedar Rapids, which was hired by the county. No tax on tips and overtime wages pushed for by Iowa House Democrats According to Raymond Armel, the President of the Iowa State Association of Assessors, the revaluation project is conducted to bring home values in line with the current market place, which does not necessarily occur naturally. Below is his explanation of the process: 'In addition to every two years being a revaluation year where all property is subject to values being re-established based on market trends, it is not uncommon for an assessment jurisdiction to have a revaluation project contracted to bring values in line with the current market. These revaluation projects are often held every 10-12 years but can also occur over shorter or longer periods. A revaluation project such as this resets values to current market levels. Over a long period of time, not all property adjusts to market trends at the same rate and as such, the result in inequity and inconsistency with the market. Vanguard Appraisals Incorporated is an Iowa-based company providing these services to Iowa Assessors as well as throughout the Midwest. Iowa law requires assessors to revalue all property every two years. January 1, 2025 is such a year and is also known as an equalization year. If the Assessor does not perform this function, the Iowa Department of Revenue has the authority to equalize these values in the fall of 2025 retroactive to the January 1, 2025 assessment date. The assessor must also comply with a statistical guideline with these values. The median sale ratio for a given class of property must fall within a range of 95-105%. If the values are not compliant, the Iowa Department of Revenue can again exercise its authority to equalize the values in an aggregate manner so that the median sale ratio is at 100%. The Assessor, by acting on their own and by utilizing revaluation services, is able to adjust values independently of each other, by market areas, towns, neighborhoods, ages, sizes, conditions, styles, etc. What also must be remembered is that the assessed values, after the assessment limitation/roll back, exemptions and credits, are utilized to simply spread the tax askings of the various taxing bodies. The January 1, 2025 assessment will not be used for this purpose until the fiscal year payable July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.' Raymond Armel, President of the Iowa State Association of Assessors There is a Board of Supervisors meeting scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, where several residents plan to speak up about their concerns. Anyone in Warren County who has concerns over their recent property valuation should contact the Warren County Assessor's Office at 515-690-9170 or assessor@ April begins with showers to storms 'Have you ever seen Chris Street play?': McCollum aims to create defensive identity at Iowa Some Warren County residents concerned over skyrocketing property evaluations First responder cancer coverage bill advances through Iowa Senate subcommittee No tax on tips and overtime wages pushed for by Iowa House Democrats Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
High speed chase through Des Moines ends with suspect in custody
DES MOINES, Iowa— Police say a high-speed chase through the streets of Des Moines on Friday ended with a suspect wanted on a felony warrant in custody. 'I saw a lot of lights behind me on Fleur, so I took it on the right side,' said Tito Hunter. 'And zoom past me- I would say at least 15 vehicles.' Those vehicles were made up of Des Moines Police and Iowa State Patrol Troopers who were in pursuit of a Blue Chevrolet Avalanche with a white male behind the wheel. Hunter was on his way home from work and shared video he took of the incident with WHO-13. He said he believed it may have started after a traffic stop around 3:30 Friday afternoon. The suspect allegedly refused to surrender and raced his speeding pick-up across the city from MLK Jr. Parkway, past the airport, and eventually off the road in Warren County. 'I was in my living room and I felt the whole house shake,' Grant Sodders told reporter Katie Kaplan. 'I thought it was a semi speeding.' Sodders shared his own video of what appeared to be the same vehicle as it sped by his home on Bell Avenue. At least three police cruisers trailed quickly behind. He estimated the vehicle was traveling at least 50 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone and said the Spring Break holiday was the only reason Bell Avenue was not more crowded with traffic. 'Usually, the school busses are running around that time too, but thankfully, Des Moines has been out of school for Spring Break,' Sodders said. 'So, while he was tearing down that street, you know, no one else was in any more danger.' A third video taken by Brian Green showed the Chevy cross into oncoming lanes with officers not far behind. 'Oh my Gosh! I have never seen that happen in real life before,' he can be heard yelling in the background. Green, who works for The Tree Service, LLC, told WHO-13 he was heading to a job site when he noticed the truck speeding toward him. It was just a few yards away when it crossed the median behind his own truck. The chase eventually extended into Warren County where the suspect allegedly ran off the road near the Echo Valley Golf Course. The extent of damage to the course was not immediately known. Police said they were working with the business on determining a damage estimate. WHO-13 reached out to the course for a statement but has not yet heard back. The suspect was eventually taken into custody around 4:30p.m. east of Norwalk. His identity was not immediately released, but the man had a felony warrant out for his arrest and police were still working on the case reports late into Friday night, according to Sgt. Paul Parizek. The agency expected to have more information available Saturday morning. While it was a shocking experience to encounter the pursuit, Hunter said he was impressed by the police response. 'I appreciate how they reacted. That gave you reassurance for, you know, how your local police will be responding when you need them,' he said. 'I hope he's not going to get out anytime soon.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Madison County Treasurer charged with alleged property tax fraud
MADISON COUNTY, Iowa – Additional criminal charges have been brought against embattled Madison County Treasurer Amanda DeVos, according to the Madison County Sheriff's Office. 'These charges are separate from earlier charges filed in relation to vehicle registrations and stem from an investigation into DeVos' own property taxes that were owed for 2023/2024,' said Sheriff Jason Barnes in a written statement. Court records show DeVos, 37, had been free from jail after posting a $5,000 surety bond when the new charges were handed down. She had initially been arrested on January 31 for alleged felonious misconduct in office, tampering with records, fraudulent practice in the third degree, and third-degree theft. In that case, a criminal complaint states MCSO investigators had been tipped off in late November that DeVos may have used her access as county treasurer to alter government records to make it look like she paid $758 for her vehicle registration plates when she had not. On Thursday, Sheriff Barnes said similar charges were filed in connection to an entirely different criminal scenario allegedly involving her property taxes. Court records on the new charges had not been filed in the state's online record system as of late Thursday night, but the Sheriff said they included additional counts of felonious misconduct in office and tampering with records, as well as fraudulent practice in the second degree and second-degree theft. According to court documents, DeVos is a married mother of two. Property tax records show she and her husband purchased their home in Winterset's Copper Fox Estates in 2018 for $375,000. The taxes owed for that property for July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, were $5,830.00, according to a county tax bill that also boasts DeVos' official Treasurer letterhead (below). DeVos-TaxBillDownload Sheriff Barnes told WHO-13 last week that he had nearly wrapped up his report on the investigation surrounding DeVos' alleged misconduct in office and that he had expected more charges to come. Madison County Attorney Stephen Swanson said he recused himself from the case due to a conflict of interest. Therefore, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird's office took over. Her office did not respond to WHO-13's inquiry regarding it. State Auditor Rob Sand previously acknowledged 'multiple issues in Madison County,' and said in a statement that he had been working with local officials on a response. Due to Chapter 11.42 of the Code of Iowa, his office cannot provide further information surrounding an audit until a formal report is issued. DeVos has not been charged in connection to the apparent mishandling of county funds, which appears to have plagued nearly every municipality and school district in Madison County. WHO-13 confirmed the City of Winterset received more than $250,000 in funds due for other municipalities and discovered that late property tax payments to the Winterset Community School District forced it to withdraw funds from investment opportunities to cover payroll multiple times. Other local governments and organizations that have confirmed to WHO-13 they had an issue with either late payments, over payments, double payments, erroneous deposits and/or communication with the treasurer's office include the following: -The Community of Earlham -The City of Macksburg -The City of Patterson -The City of St. Charles -The City of Truro -Earlham Community Schools -The Interstate 35 Community School District This is a developing story. More information may be added after the criminal complaint for the nost recent charges are filed online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
