The latest area/state news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Des Moines) – Governor Kim Reynolds today (Friday) signed a proclamation convening a special legislative session on Thursday, October 28, 2021. The purpose of the special session will be to consider and enact a plan of legislative and congressional redistricting in accordance with the framework set forth in chapter 42 of the Iowa Code.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (RI Photo)

A copy of the proclamation can be found here. 

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State University Extension Service is getting reports of a pest that’s damaging hay fields, pastures and even some lawns. Gentry Sorenson, an I-S-U Extension field agronomist based in northwest Iowa, says it’s a caterpillar known as the fall armyworm. “The fall armyworm basically blew up as a moth from Florida and the Gulf Coast area through the hurricane winds,” he says. “The armyworm that we’re seeing is the rice strain and that strain of fall armyworm particularly feeds on alfalfa and forage grasses.” The fall armyworm can grow to be up to an inch and a half long.

Sorenson says farmers can use an insecticide if the bugs are causing a lot of damage.  “The best times to scout for fall armyworm are early mornings or late in the evenings,” he says, “mainly because the fall armyworm is more of a noctural pest and they come out at night and do a lot of feeding at night or when it’s cooler.”

Army worm in a field. (Photo by Rebecca Vittetoe.)

Sorenson says some parts of southern Iowa have been hit hard by fall armyworm infestations that drifted here due to winds from Hurricane Ida, but even farmers in northwest Iowa are starting to see the pest in their fields. The bugs flourish in warm climates, according to Sorenson.

“So once we see the hard freeze, it will essentially wipe out the fall armyworm population,” he says. The rice strain of the fall armyworm is found primarily in the southeast United States and cannot survive the mild winter in Alabama according to that state’s Extension Service. The bug is known to feed on crops like rye, wheat and oats as well as rice and various grasses.

(Radio Iowa) – There were more than 210-million dollars bet on sports in Iowa in September. Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilko says “September handle numbers were the highest to date. That goes back to when sports betting was legalized,” Ohorilko says. The 2021 September betting increased by more than 138-million dollars compared to September of 2020. Ohorilko says the January law change allowing players to sign up for online sports betting without going to a casino, and the return to a normal schedule of games following the pandemic were a couple of factors.

“If people remember last year — September of 2020 — there were a number of leagues that were just kind of finding their way — the PAC-10, Big-12 — it was just a situation where there weren’t as many opportunities,” he says. There was not an Iowa-Iowa State football game in 2020, and this year’s version featured two top ten teams. Ohorilko says that undoubtedly had an impact. “We don’t have game-specific data — but just anecdotally what you hear from operators is that when the local teams are doing well — it drives additional handle to the books,” according to Ohorilko. “And so it’s more the casual fan base that would like to make a friendly wager and do it legally — they will come out.”

Ohorilko says the massive jump in sports betting from August to September shows the impact of college and N-F-L football. “In August we had a handle of 108 million. And then to see that handle jump to 210, which is what we saw in September, that was a significant increase,” he says. The sports betting pace could keep up this month as the baseball playoffs add to the full football schedule. “We see the more serious or more regular player betting baseball throughout the year. But when we get into the playoffs — again that will drive just more interest and more casual fans. We will see some more activity in the baseball markets, and that will help the overall markets,” Ohorilko says.

More than 204-point-seven million dollars were paid to bettors in September out of the more than 201-million bet. The state will receive around five-point-seven million dollars in net receipts from sports gambling for September.

(Radio Iowa) – A federal district court judge has granted a preliminary injunction that lets Iowa school district mask mandates remain in place. Governor Reynolds is appealing the ruling to a three-judge panel on a federal appeals court based in St. Louis. A state law that took effect just before the last school year ended prohibits schools from requiring that students, staff and visitors wear masks on school grounds.

A group of disability rights advocates, including parents of some Iowa students, filed a lawsuit arguing the law discriminates against students who’re at greater risk of contracting Covid. Last month, a federal judge based in Iowa issued a temporary order that has blocked the state from enforcing the ban on school mask mandates, and this new order extends that.

In his ruling, Judge Robert Pratt cited the potential for irreparable harm to some children if masking requirements are forbidden in schools. In a written statement, Governor Kim Reynolds said she’ll never stop fighting for the rights of parents to decide what is best for their children and to uphold state laws — including the one that bars schools from having mask mandates.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Officials with the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Friday (today), said that on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, 43-year-old Myron Lee Brandon, of Pacific Junction, was found guilty in federal court of two counts of kidnapping and two counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The verdict came after a three-day trial. Sentencing has been set for March 2, 2022 in Council Bluffs.

According to evidence presented at trial, on June 21, 2003, Brandon was in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, and offered a ride to two teenage girls. One female was fifteen years old and the other fourteen. The girls were expecting to be transported to a location in Omaha, but Brandon drove to a location near Pacific Junction, Iowa. On a rural road outside Pacific Junction, Brandon brandished a knife before sexually assaulting both victims and used a cigarette to burn each of them on the breast area. The victims escaped from Brandon and managed to walk to Interstate 29 where they were picked up by a motorist and taken to safety.

Law enforcement began an investigation on June 22, 2003, that included a medical exam and collection of evidence from each victim. After an extensive investigation failed to identify a suspect, the evidence that had been collected was stored until a suspect was identified.

In 2015, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office created the Sex Assault Kit Initiative, a program that submits old case evidence to a laboratory to determine if DNA evidence is present to help identify suspects. In July of 2018, the sexual assault kits collected from the victims were placed in this program. In February of 2020, Brandon was identified as a suspect, and further DNA evidence collected from Brandon confirmed he was the person who sexually assaulted the victims.

It was the first jury trial in the State of Iowa using DNA evidence processed by the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. The first conviction in a Sexual Assault Kit Initiative case occurred in 2019 in Dallas County, Iowa.  Acting U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Omaha Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

Police in Red Oak have arrested a man for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Authorities say 44-year-old Clyde Everett Zeigler, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 10-a.m. in the 1300 block of N. Miller Avenue. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Public Health released new COVID-19 data today (Friday), that shows a decline in positive tests and hospitalizations. The health department reported 8,966 new positive tests over the last seven days, down from 9,198 from the last report on Wednesday. The statewide positivity rate remains at 9.5%. Those under 18 make up the majority of positive tests, at 23%. However, that age group represents only 3% of those hospitalized with COVID-19.

IDPH reports virus hospitalizations are also in decline. There are 573 hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa, down from 626 from the last report on Wednesday. Of those hospitalized with the virus, 76.5% are not vaccinated, while 84.1% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. There have been 3,514,279 vaccine doses administered in Iowa, with 66.5% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated, and 68.9% of those 12 and older with at least one dose.

The number of Iowa long-term care facilities reporting outbreaks remains at 31. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports new COVID-19 data each Monday, Wednesday and Friday

(Radio Iowa) – Firefighters are working a fire at a grain elevator fire at the Ag Partners facility in Albert City. Initial reports indicate that the fire is believed to be electrical in nature in the outside conveyers. There is no dust or grain involved and the flames are not in any of the bins. Multiple fire departments have responded to the scene.

Radio Iowa via KCIM

(Radio Iowa) – If you filed for an extension time to file your 2020 taxes, you now have one week to get it done. I-R-S spokesman Christopher Miller says the deadline is next Friday. (October 15th) “In Iowa, around 109-thousand people asked for an extension of time to file their federal taxes for 2020. So, those folks should remember that the deadline is nearing,” Miller says.  He says there are a variety of reasons why people seek an extension. “These are generally folks who may’ve been waiting on additional paperwork or records to file their taxes. Perhaps they didn’t have all their receipts or records from their bank that they needed,” according to Miller. “But hopefully, an extra six months gave them the time that they needed to be able to file a complete and accurate tax return now.”

Miller says the free filing option can still be used if you filed for an extension. “For anyone making less than 72-thousand dollars a year — free file lets you file online using brand name tax software. And it’s easy, it’s fast, it’s safe and secure. So that’s a great option if you still need to file by October 15th.”

Miller says families that aren’t normally required to file a tax return can get advance payments of the Child Tax Credit by filing now. If a family has not yet filed a tax return for 2019 or 2020 they can still get advance payments of the credit for the remaining months of this year by filling out a simple tax return through the IRS Free File program. Or they can go to IRS.gov and use the Non-filer sign up which will then redirect them to fill out a simplified tax return through the Free File program. If a family does not update their info but still qualifies for the Child Tax Credit, they will get that credit when they file a 2021 tax return.