(Radio Iowa) – Seven states have passed laws in 2021 that restrict transgender athletes from participating in girls sports activities in schools. House Speaker Pat Grassley says many House Republicans have an interest in passing similar legislation here, but he says the key is ensuring what’s passed could be enforced by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association. “We shouldn’t just pass something so we can go home and say: ‘We passed something.’ If we’re going to pass policy, it has to be a policy that they can implement,” Grassley says. “…We’re trying to come up with a way that gives the clarity that’s needed because, ultimately, they’re the ones that are going to have to make sure who’s participating in what.”

Grassley says while there’s no bill ready on day one of the 2022 legislative session, that doesn’t mean one won’t emerge before the end of the 2022 legislative session. “I spend about four days a week of mine in a gymnasium, watching my two daughters play a lot of extracurricular activities,” Grassley says. “This is an issue that I hear a lot about.” Grassley says he’s also hearing from school board members who’re asking for a statewide policy on books in schools that some parents complain have pornographic content. Grassley says ensuring parents get input in their child’s education is a huge topic nationally right now.

“A bill that goes in and says: ‘You’re going to ban X, Y, Z book’ — a very hard piece of policy to craft, obviously,” Grassley says, “but the conversation itself will continue.” House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights, says these types of conversations are not helpful in addressing Iowa’s workforce shortage. “In the last session, Iowa had the most LGBTQ bills of any state in the country introduced and none passed. Even the introduction of those bills sends a hateful message to people who are looking to live here or stay here after they graduate from college,” Konfrst says. “We need to be doing things to make Iowa more inclusive, not less.”

The 2022 Iowa legislative session starts on Monday, January 10th.

(Radio Iowa) – A district court judge has dismissed a request by the state to throw out a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by the former spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Health. Former department spokesperson Polly Carver-Kimm sued Governor Kim Reynolds and administrators in the Health Department last year, alleging she was forced to leave her job for providing open records information to the media. The lawsuit says requests that Carver-Kimm had previously replied to were required to go through the governor’s office once the pandemic started.

As first reported by the Des Moines Register, the judge ruled Carver-Kimm in her job had “the specific obligation to fulfill open record requests,” and dismissed the claim by the Assistant Attorney General defending Reynolds that state open records law is not “a well-recognized public policy.”

(Webster City, Iowa) – A rear-end collision in north-central Iowa’s Hamilton County, Monday evening, claimed the life of a man from South Dakota. The Iowa State Patrol reports a semi tractor-trailer, driven by a 24-year-old man from Hyattsville, MD, and a2013 Toyota Avalon driven by 61-year-old Rodney Earl Hutt, of Sioux Falls, SD, were both westbound on Highway 20 at around 6:50-p.m., Monday, when the car struck the semi’s trailer and became lodged underneath it. Hutt – who wore a seat belt -died at the scene. The driver of the semi was not hurt.

The accident remains under investigation.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says state conservation officers have charged three men with multiple hunting violations in Des Moines County from two separate investigations for illegal activity that allegedly occurred this fall. An anonymous call to State Conservation Officer Paul Kay in October began an investigation into the alleged unlawful taking of a mature white-tailed deer that lead officers to discover additional deer and a turkey were also allegedly illegally taken, as well as, multiple violations for hunting over bait and a felon in possession of a firearm. The individual faces the possible loss of hunting privileges as well as the loss of the firearm used to take the deer and turkey.

The second case grew from an investigation into suspicious activity in northern Des Moines County in November that lead state conservation officers to a machine shed where they discovered three mature white-tailed deer along with several antlerless deer that were allegedly illegally harvested. Officers identified two individuals who were charged with hunting over bait, using firearms and crossbows in archery season and multiple deer tagging violations. Both individuals face the possible loss of hunting privileges as well as the loss of the firearms, bows and crossbow used to take the deer.

Potential fines and civil damages from these cases could exceed $100,000. All individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty.

(Radio Iowa) – One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to quit smoking, and a survey finds 70-percent of Iowa smokers want to quit, while 50-percent will try to quit in 2022. There are mixed messages circulating about how vaping can help smokers to kick the habit, messages that are blatantly false, according to Erika Sward, spokeswoman for the American Lung Association. “We know that smokers are confused,” Sward says. “Smokers want to end their addiction and not be held hostage by nicotine and tobacco products.” The U-S Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit, she says, and the Lung Association is urging smokers to step away from all tobacco and nicotine products, and not switch to vaping.

“The Lung Association believes that every smoker can quit, and can quit for good,” Sward says. “We know that it’s hard, but if smokers want to talk to their doctors or call 800-LUNG USA or call 800-QUIT NOW, they can work with someone who is an expert at helping people end their addictions for good.” Surveys find about 16-percent of Iowa adults smoke cigarettes and more than 5-percent use e-cigarettes. As for Iowa teens, about 4.4-percent smoke cigarettes while 22-percent of Iowa 11th graders use e-cigarettes. Breaking the addiction can be very difficult and the advice of a professional may be key.

Sward says, “Every person takes a slightly different approach to how they can be most successful at quitting, and that’s why it’s important to work with someone with that experience, including the American Lung Association, to find the exact way they can be most successful in improving their health.” The Iowa Department of Public Health reported nearly 50 cases of serious illness related to vaping during 2019.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A man from Nebraska was sentenced last week in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to serve 10-years in prison. According to court records, 40-year-old Earl Jonell Jackson, of Omaha, NE was sentenced on charges that include Transportation and Sex Trafficking of a Child. His prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release. Jackson pleaded guilty to the charge on August 5, 2021.

On September 8, 2020, the mother of the minor victim reported her daughter missing to the Council Bluffs Police Department. Law enforcement began their investigation and based on phone number information, they were able to locate numerous ads for prostitution posted by Jackson on skipthegames.com, an online website where ads are posted for prostitution purposes. Prostitution ads of the minor victim were posted in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area, specifically in the Council Bluffs area in August and September of 2020.

Law enforcement further found on September 5, 2020, Jackson and the minor victim drove from Omaha to Chicago. Jackson supplied the minor victim with drugs and posted prostitution ads on skipthegames.com in the Chicago and Highland Park, IL area numerous times in September of 2020. The minor victim was located in Chicago, Illinois.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Glenwood Police Department reports one arrest took place, Monday. Officials say 24-year-old Brian Muhia, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports two arrests over the past week. On the 23rd, 51-year-old Ronald Lynn Becker, of Carroll, was arrested on I-80 near Adair, following a traffic stop for speeding. Becker was traveling on White Pole Road at 71 mph in a 55 zone. When the vehicle turned onto I-80 at Exit 75, the deputy lost sight of the vehicle but thanks to a tip from another motorist, he learned the suspect vehicle – which was allegedly traveling at 100 mph by then, had gotten off I-80 at Exit 78.

The vehicle was found in the parking lot of the Chuckwagon Restaurant in Adair. A check of the license plate revealed the vehicle was registered to a woman who was protected from Ronald Becker by court order. The man and women had earlier entered the restaurant together. Becker was arrested on warrants out of Guthrie County, and for Violation of a No Contact Order – Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd offense. The woman with him thought the Protection Order may have been dropped, but a case check revealed it was still in effect and does not expire. Becker was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $300 cash-only bond.

And, on Dec. 22nd, 49-year-old Eddie Dwayne Goodman, whose last known address was in California, was arrested on charges that include Assault with Injury on a law enforcement officer, Interference with Official Acts resulting in bodily injury, and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. The charges stem from an incident that began with a call for assistance from a State Trooper with regard to a man attempting to jump from a moving vehicle on I-80. An investigation revealed Goodman was being transported by his family from California to Indiana, so he could detox from alcohol and drugs. During the trip he began having issues with the family members in the vehicle, and attempted to jump out of the vehicle.

While the incident was under investigation, Goodman head-butted a Deputy’s patrol car, and defecated in the back seat before he was brought out and placed on the ground, where he head-butted the Deputy. Goodman was transported to the Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield to be checked for injuries. The Deputy estimated it would cost in excess of $750 to have his vehicle professionally decontaminated and the dent fixed. The Deputy complained of continued pain from the head-butt.

Goodman was released Dec. 23rd on a Own Recognizance.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A public hearing is set for 9-a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30th in Atlantic, with regard to the proposed Supervisor Districts redistricting plan based on the 2020 Census. The hearing takes place during a regular weekly meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors. Following the hearing, the Board will act on a temporary Redistricting Commission recommendation for a Supervisor District, and Election Precinct Plan. (The PDF links below are the ‘proposed’ maps.  These are NOT the final and are not yet approved)

Atlantic Wards 2021 Supervisor Districts 2021

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors will act on approving a Class-C Beer Permit for Hansen Valley Oil (rural Atlantic), and on approving a Resolution adopting the Cass County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. They are also expected to act on a Resolution Authorizing the County to Enter into Settlement Agreements with McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Janssen Pharmaceuitca, Inc., with regard to the Terms of the Iowa Opioid Allocation Memorandum of Understanding, and Authorize Entry Into that Memorandum of Understanding.

And, the Board is expected to approve the Cass County Master Matrix Scoring and Recommendation for A-to-Z Feeders’ proposed cattle confinement barn, prior to hearing a monthly report from Cass County Mental Health/General Relief Coordinator Deb Schuler.

More area & state News from Ric Hanson.

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