Radio Iowa
EAGLE GROVE — The federal trial of a Wright County man accused of child pornography scheduled to get underway today has been delayed.
30-year-old Jason Marvets of Eagle Grove was charged in US District Court with sexual exploitation of a child, enticement of a minor, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, two counts of possession of child pornography, extortion, and destruction of evidence.
CHARLES CITY — A Floyd County jury has convicted a Charles City man accused of stealing money from gaming machines.
40-year-old Daniel Connerley was arrested after two search warrants were executed in July of last year, one in Colwell and the other in Charles City.
The Floyd County Sheriff’s Department says items recovered during the searches were linked to at least seven separate burglaries. Connerley is also accused of stealing money from gaming machines in establishments in Charles City, Colwell and Floyd.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Administrators say a swastika was carved into an elevator on campus at Drake University in Des Moines and a racist message left outside an African-American student’s dorm room in a cowardly attack.
The message was left on a whiteboard on the door of a first-year student over the weekend.
In an email to students Sunday, Drake University President Marty Martin called the content of the message “the most offensive of racial epithets” and the vandalism “cowardly.” He says the markings and message have been removed.
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal program that funds health coverage for more than 83,000 Iowa children will run out of money at the end of the month, but there’s reason to be hopeful. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee reached agreement on a plan to protect the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which covers children whose parents earn slightly too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but a resolution has not been reached in the House.
MASON CITY — About 150 pints of blood donated by Iowans is helping people who were injured in the recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida to recover, but more donors are urgently needed to support hospitals in Iowa.
Danielle West, spokeswoman for LifeServe, says they’ve already forwarded south all the pints they can spare. “We’ve sent some to Florida and some to Texas so far to help them either prepare for the hurricanes or as part of their recovery efforts,” West says. “Our summer supply wasn’t great here locally so we’re also in need. We want to cover our local hospitals first before we send anything more out nationwide.”
CLEAR LAKE — The Clear Lake City Council at their meeting tonight will hold the first of three readings of an ordinance that would ban smoking in the city’s parks.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended to the council that they approve the prohibition of all tobacco and nicotine products, as well as e-cigarettes and vaping devices in an effort to protect visitors, especially children, from unhealthy behavior and exposure to second-hand smoke.
Clear Lake Mayor Nelson Crabb says the council will discuss this thoroughly at tonight’s meeting.
DES MOINES — A hearing is scheduled for this morning on a request by environmental advocates to toughen the state’s rules on the placement of large-scale livestock lots. Members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement say the Department of Natural Resources is urging the Environmental Protection Commission to deny the petition.
I-C-C-I organizer Erica Blair says the D-N-R is flat-out rejecting their request.
JOHNSTON — A top state administrator is considering a change that would have state employees conduct the screening for prospective foster parents rather than out-source that work.
Iowa Department of Human Services director Jerry Foxhoven says it’s one of the ideas he’s heard from the employees in his agency.
“One of the things those case workers are telling me: ‘What if we didn’t contract that out? What if we took that money and hired more case workers and let us do that work that we traditionally do?’” Foxhoven says. “That’s some of the things we want to look at.”
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state agency is collecting data to better understand whether the Iowa Legislature’s move to cut funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers is resulting in less access to reproductive health care.
Iowa Department of Human Services officials have told lawmakers the agency has been compiling data on its state-run family planning program since it took effect in July.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Sexual assault cases move ahead slowly in Iowa because of a testing backlog at the state crime lab.
405 sexual assault cases were waiting for DNA testing at the state crime lab at the end of August. That’s up from the end of 2014 when 265 cases awaited processing.
The delays mean that victims of sexual assault in Iowa may have to wait months for testing before an arrest can be made.
DES MOINES — The state unemployment rate edged up to 3.3% in August after sitting at 3.2% the last two months.
Iowa Workforce Development spokesman Cory Kelly says the state saw it’s fourth straight increase in non-farm employment even though the unemployment rate went up.
And he says Iowa’s labor force participation rate staid steady at 68.4%, which is ninth in the U.S.
DES MOINES — Nearly 600 Iowa evangelical Christians rose with enthusiastic ovations when their president was praised Saturday night during the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s fall fundraiser in Des Moines.
Steve Scheffler, the organization’s president, said since he’s not an elected official, he could speak frankly about the “unhinged…socialist, borderline Marxist” Democrats who he said “are doing everything in their power to destroy America.”
“And also, I have to tell you, I know that he makes mistakes, but I am an enthusiastic, passionate supporter of our great president, President Donald J. Trump,” Scheffler said and the crowd rose to applaud and cheer.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate may wrap up debate early this week on a massive bill that outlines next year’s spending plan for the Pentagon.
Republican Senator Joni Ernst says congress has an “obligation” to stop “hollowing out” the U.S. military. “Inaction, obstruction or partial commitments are not options,” Ernst said Thursday. Four-hundred amendments have been offered on the bill and many deal with policy issues, like whether transgender troops will be allowed to serve in the military.
DES MOINES — The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is cautiously optimistic that China’s ethanol goals will positively impact producers in the U.S.
The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission and energy administration recently announced a plan to extend the use of biofuels throughout the country by 2020. RFA president Bob Dinneen calls the move a step in the right direction, but says some important questions need to be answered.
MASON CITY — The City Council in Mason City this afternoon approved setting public hearings for a development agreement with the company that wants to construct a hotel as part of the city’s River City Renaissance project, as well as for an agreement between the city and the Mason City Foundation for a new Meredith Willson museum and the remodeling of the existing Music Man Square into a convention center.
The council set October 17th as the public hearing date on the Gatehouse Mason City LLC proposal to construct the hotel in the southeastern part of the main parking lot of Southbridge Mall and attach it via skywalk to Music Man Square.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa farmland values have increased this year, reversing several years of declines, but industry experts say the change likely isn’t a signal that the agricultural economy is improving.
Steve Bruere is president of Peoples Co., a farm management and brokerage firm. He says that a lack of farms on the market has driven up the value.
The Realtors Land Institute’s Iowa chapter says farmland values climbed nearly 3 percent to almost $6,700 an acre for the year ending in September.
GARNER — The County Attorney in Hancock County is announcing his resignation.
David Solheim has issued a letter about his decision, which he says is due to family reasons. Solheim states that he is moving with his wife back home to Nebraska to be closer to his family, adding that it was an incredibly difficult decision to make.
DES MOINES — A new report shows the drought zone in Iowa has greatly expanded.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 70 percent of Iowa is abnormally dry or in some form of drought. A week ago, the report indicated about half of Iowa in those conditions. The area of extreme drought has expanded as well. All or parts of seven counties in south central and southeast Iowa are now in extreme drought.
In our listening area, the eastern parts of Mitchell, Floyd, and Butler counties as well as the southwestern half of Wright County are in the “abnormally dry” category.
WASHINGTON — Republican Senator Joni Ernst is renewing her push to cap the amount of money the federal government spends on former presidents. Ernst went on Fox News this week to talk about her proposal.
“Our former presidents have book deals, they have speaking engagements and they are paid quite liberally in those areas,” Ernst said.
Ernst would not cut the pensions each living president is paid, but Ernst proposes a $200,000 limit on how much the federal government pays for other expenses, like office space and staff.
SHELDON — The Democrat who lost to Republican Congressman Steve King in 2016 is buying $22,ooo worth of advertising in the fourth congressional district. Kim Weaver of Sheldon has formed a political action committee called “PAC for POWER.”
“Progressives Organizing to Win Every Race,” Weaver said of the acronym, “and so this race we’re solely focusing on beating Steve King.”
Weaver raised nearly $150,000 for a rematch with King, but ended her campaign earlier this summer after published reports about her work as a psychic. Weaver’s PAC purchased $22,000 worth of half-page ads in “small town newspapers” throughout the fourth congressional district.
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