(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa legislature have voted to force every Iowa school district to hold all classes in-person, 100 percent of the time. Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, says 15 public school districts and one private school aren’t doing that today. “Parents are upset. Parents want their kids back in class,” Zaun says. “They recognize that their kids are falling behind.”

The bill now goes to Governor Reynolds, who has said she wants it to be the first bill she wants to sign into law this year. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says school boards made hard decisions during the pandemic to have students attend every other day or shift all classes online. “This bill is nothing more than Governor Reynolds settling a political score with large urban school districts that disagreed with her,” Bolkcom said.

Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, says legislators should have ensured teachers and school staff were vaccinated for Covid first. “We all want the kids back in the school as soon as we can do that safely,” Quirmbach said, “and it’s not just the kid’s safety we need to protect. It’s the teachers and staff as well.” Representative Phil Thompson, a Republican from Jefferson, was the bill’s floor manager in the House. “Classrooms provide much, much more than quality academic curriculum, although that is a major factor in proposing this bill,” Thompson said. “In-person learning provides social support, mental health support, nutritious meals and many other benefits parents weigh in choosing the education method that works best for their children.”

Legislators of both parties expect the governor to sign the bill into law today (Friday). Once that happens, Iowa schools that aren’t holding all classes in-person will have until February 15th to make the change. Districts could choose to also offer virtual classes in addition to face-to-face instruction.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A 38-year-old Sioux City man who was impaired and texting on his cellphone before he hit a bicyclist who later died has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Edy Guevara was sentenced after pleading guilty Tuesday to vehicular homicide and operating while intoxicated. Prosecutors said Guevara hit 64-year-old Charles Fluharty on his bicycle in June 2019. Fluharty, who was dragged about 66 feet, died a week later. Guevara also must pay $150,000 in restitution to Fluharty’s estate. Court documents say Guevara told investigators he was texting on his phone when he hit Fluharty.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A 23-year-old Missouri woman has been sentenced to five to 20 years in prison for her role in a stabbing death in Nebraska. Krystal Martin, of Hawk Point, Missouri, was sentenced Thursday after pleading no contest to being an accessory in the June 26, 2018, death of Brent Quigley during a robbery at his home in Bellevue. Martin and her boyfriend, Raymond Davis, of Des Moines, Iowa, fled to Chicago before being arrested in Troy, Missouri. Davis will be sentenced next month after he was found guilty of first-degree murder and two other counts in Quigley’s death. Three other people also were charged in the case.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A announcement of a second positive case of coronavirus at the Iowa Capitol on Thursday again raised the issue of safety in the building. Iowa House Chief Clerk Meghan Nelson says a person associated with the House tested positive on Wednesday. It is the second positive coronavirus test in the building since lawmakers convened more than two weeks ago. Democrats have complained daily that Republican leaders refuse to initiate a mask mandate in the building. House Speaker Pat Grassley says leaders have done what is needed to ensure a safe work environment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials say an Iowa prisoner serving a life sentence for the January 2003 shooting death of his wife has died after contracting COVID-19. The Iowa Department of Corrections says in a news release that 89-year-old Harold Duncan died Tuesday from complications from the virus and other pre-existing medical conditions. The department says Duncan was in a hospice room at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville at the time his death. Duncan was 72 when he was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting and killing his wife, 62-year-old Karen “Kay” Duncan. Authorities said Duncan then turned the gun on himself in an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests. On Thursday (Jan. 28), 55-year old Claude Marvin Minard, of Rogers, AR, was arrested at the Mills County Jail, for being a Fugitive from Justice. He remains held without bond. And, 33-year old Terry Eugene Lunsford, JR., of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Eluding. His bond was set at $26,000.

Wednesday night, 52-year old Shannon Gene Cooper, of St. Joseph, MO., was arrested on I-29 in Mills County, for Driving While Revoked. Bond was set at $1,000. And, Wednesday afternoon, 32-year old Jessica Lynn Pedrin, of Audubon, was arrested in Webster County on a Mills County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Prostitution (stemming from an incident in December). Her bond was set at $12,000.

On Sunday, 40-year old Daniel Lee Walling II, of Omaha, was arrested in Mills County on a warrant for Violation of Probation, with bond set at $5,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A announcement of a second positive case of coronavirus at the Iowa Capitol on Thursday again raised the issue of safety in the building. Iowa House Chief Clerk Meghan Nelson says a person associated with the House tested positive on Wednesday. It is the second positive coronavirus test in the building since lawmakers convened more than two weeks ago.

Democrats have complained daily that Republican leaders refuse to initiate a mask mandate in the building. House Speaker Pat Grassley says leaders have done what is needed to ensure a safe work environment.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A 23-year-old Missouri woman has been sentenced to five to 20 years in prison for her role in a stabbing death in Nebraska. Krystal Martin, of Hawk Point, Missouri, was sentenced Thursday after pleading no contest to being an accessory in the June 26, 2018, death of Brent Quigley during a robbery at his home in Bellevue.

Martin and her boyfriend, Raymond Davis, of Des Moines, Iowa, fled to Chicago before being arrested in Troy, Missouri. Davis will be sentenced next month after he was found guilty of first-degree murder and two other counts in Quigley’s death. Three other people also were charged in the case.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A 38-year-old Sioux City man who was impaired and texting on his cellphone before he hit a bicyclist who later died has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Edy Guevara was sentenced after pleading guilty Tuesday to vehicular homicide and operating while intoxicated. Prosecutors said Guevara hit 64-year-old Charles Fluharty on his bicycle in June 2019.

Fluharty, who was dragged about 66 feet, died a week later. Guevara also must pay $150,000 in restitution to Fluharty’s estate. Court documents say Guevara told investigators he was texting on his phone when he hit Fluharty.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa legislature are one step away from putting a proposed gun rights amendment on Iowa’s 2022 ballot. Twenty-nine Senate Republicans have voted to present the proposed constitutional amendment to Iowa voters next year. Senator Dan Dawson, a Republican from Council Bluffs, says the part of the amendment that says any gun-related laws challenged in court should be subject to strict scrutiny is important.

Senator Zach Wahls, a Democrat from Coralville, says just three other states have constitutional amendments that go as far as this one.

Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, suggests gun laws that limit kids’ access to guns or that require permits for concealed weapons may be struck down if the amendment passes.

Republican Senator Brad Zahn of Urbandale has this response.

Zaun says the amendment’s needed because it will create a high legal standard to protect gun rights. G-O-P leaders plan to bring this proposed amendment up for a vote in the Iowa House tonight (Thursday). That’s the final step in a multi-year legislative process to get the proposed amendment eligible for a statewide vote in 2022.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors for Iowa say a Cedar Rapids doctor has agreed to pay a $100,000 settlement over allegations that he prescribed opioids to patients who had no legitimate medical need for the drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says an investigation by the Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration found that Dr. Paul Lottes had violated the Controlled Substances Act. Prosecutors say that from August 2017 to April 2019, Lottes wrote prescriptions for the powerful painkillers to two patients in violation of the act.

(12-p.m. News) The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests over the past week.

On Saturday, 41-year-old Zachary James Watkins, of Atlantic, was arrested for Interference with official acts.

On Jan. 21^st, 36-year old Ty Daniel Jordan, of Exira, was arrested by Cass County deputies, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Assault.

And, on January 19th, Cass County deputies arrested 35-year old Robert Benjamin Waite, of Audubon, on a Cass County Sheriff’s warrant for Simple Assault.

All three men were later released on their Own Recognizance.

(Radio Iowa) – Legislators are considering creation of a Cold Case Task Force in the Iowa Department of Public Safety to investigate more than 400 unsolved murders. Representative Marti Anderson of Des Moines was director of the state’s Crime Victim Assistance program for 22 years. “I have know a lot of people who live with a cold case of a parent or child, or a sister or brother, a friend, uncle and this task force will be very helpful to them,” Anderson said.

Anderson said also “I had an employee whose father was found down by Indianola and they have never solved the case and that was 20 years ago and she still is tortured by it.” Representative Jon Thorup, a state trooper from Knoxville, says the plan calls for hiring two agents to investigate murders as well as missing person cases where the person is presumed dead. “When get to the time frame of appropriations, we need to make sure that these positions are funded,” he said, “otherwise that will be basically robbing Peter to pay Paul, by taking probably taking two agents from the Major Crimes unit.”

The bill cleared the House Public Safety Committee this (Thursday) morning. It’s now eligible for debate in the full House.