DES MOINES – While the Federal Aviation Administration is reducing flights across the country starting today due to the government shutdown, no airport in Iowa is directly on the list. However, KCCI-TV reports direct flights to those facilities could still be impacted. Chief Operations Officers Clinton Torp of the Des Moines International Airport says there is no clear guidance on which flights will be impacted yet, and that the airports scheduled for reduction still fly direct to smaller airports across the country. The reductions are starting at 4% today in order to relieve some pressure on Air Traffic Controllers.

DES MOINES – The former owner of Steer N Stein is filing a lawsuit against the Iowa State Fair after accusations he wasn’t paying employees. WHO-13 reports Michael Krantz is suing the fair’s organizers and the Blue Ribbon Bar and Eatery, the establishment that replaced his. Krantz claims the new restaurant defamed him with employee t-shirts that referred to the alleged issues related to employee pay. He’s suing the Iowa State Fair, its board, and the Blue Ribbon Foundation over breach of contract, conversion of property, and defamation.

BAXTER – State Auditor Rob Sand today released a report on a special investigation into the financial records of the City of Baxter, which shows the potential loss of over $90,000. The special investigation dealt with the city’s financial records from July 1, 2021, through February 29, 2024, and was requested by City officials who had concerns regarding certain financial transactions processed by former employees, Former Police Chief William Daggett, Former City Clerk Katie Wilson, and Former EMS Coordinator Randi Gliem.