Following-up on his announcement in late January that he intended to run in the June 5th Primary on the Republican ticket, Atlantic resident John. P. Hartkopf, Thursday, filed his completed nomination papers with the Cass County Auditor’s Office.

Hartkopf is officially running for the County Board of Supervisors in District 3. The seat became available when current District 3 Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer announced in January, that he would not be running for re-election.

Two other candidates have already filed for the same seat. Hartkopf faces a challenge during the Primary from fellow Republicans Linda Templeman, and Dana Halder.

A man and woman from Stanton were arrested at around 8:45-a.m. today (Thursday), following a domestic disturbance at a residence on Center Street, in Stanton. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 52-year old Brian K. Hytrek was arrested for Domestic Assault/2nd offense.  32-year old Jennifer N. Rains was also taken into custody. She was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault. Both were taken into custody without incident, after an investigation determined Hytrek and Rains had allegedly assaulted each other.

They were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held until making an initial appearance before a magistrate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A jury has awarded $2 million in damages to a former Iowa correctional officer who faced retaliation after complaining she was sexually harassed by inmates. The Polk County jury made the award Wednesday for lost earnings and emotional distress to Kristine Sink, a former officer at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison.

The jury ruled that Sink was the victim of retaliation for bringing an earlier lawsuit, which exposed how inmates at the maximum-security prison were allowed to watch graphic films and masturbate in front of her. Jurors sided with the state and awarded her no damages in 2014.

On Wednesday, jurors found that Sink’s superiors retaliated against Sink days after the 2014 verdict by putting her on leave, investigating her and forcing her to return to direct inmate supervision.

AVOCA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say they’ve have charged a western Iowa man whose son took some of his father’s marijuana to school. Court records say the fourth-grader found a small bag of pot Feb. 23 on the floor of his dad’s bedroom in Avoca, took it to school that day and gave it to school officials. They contacted law enforcement.

The records say 30-year-old James Mills is charged with child endangerment and possession of marijuana. His attorney, Amanda Heims (heyms), said today (Thursday) that Mills will plead not guilty.
The records say Mills told investigators that his son did the right thing but that he was annoyed because the boy got into Mills’ safe to get the marijuana.

Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County said today (Thursday), that a man was arrested on a felony kidnapping and other charges this (Thursday) morning. An investigation determined Michael Mackenzie Taylor allegedly committed Kidnapping in the 1st Degree – a Class A Felony, Sexual Abuse 3rd Degree, Assault with Intent to Inflict Serious Injury, False Imprisonment, Harassment 1st Degree, Interference with Official Acts, and Obstruction of Emergency Communications. He was arrested at around 9-a.m. at Lake Panorama, near the scene of a disturbance that had been reported a little after 12-a.m. today (Thursday). Taylor was brought to the Guthrie County Jail, where his cash-only bond was set at $1-million (One-million dollars).

Michael M. Taylor (Photo courtesy Guthrie County S/O)

The incident resulting in his arrest happened when Deputies from the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office were called to a residence at Lake Panorama for a domestic disturbance.  Upon arrival, deputies located a female party who was the alleged victim of the domestic disturbance.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in this matter by Lake Panorama Security, Panora Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa Department of Transportation-Motor Vehicle Enforcement.

Iowans getting their insurance policies through the “ObamaCare” marketplace would have a new, cheaper option under a bill the Iowa Senate approved last (Wednesday) night. The bill would allow the Iowa Farm Bureau to sell “health benefit plans” offered by Wellmark that aren’t subject to the same coverage requirements as traditional insurance, making the premiums less expensive. Senator Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says the bill will help Iowans who can no longer afford to buy an individual insurance policy. “This seems to be a good test model for us to try,” Feenstra says.

If the bill becomes law, independent insurance agents around the state would be able to sell these cheaper “health benefit plans,” but the plans would only be available to Farm Bureau members. “If there is success, maybe next year we can look at other organizations that Iowa citizens trust and then we can create, maybe, other plans as we move forward,” Feenstra says.  Senator Julian Garrett, a Republican from Indianola, says this option would solve a “big problem” for self-employed Iowans, including farmers. “There are thousands of people in that category and so I can’t overemphasize how big a deal this is for those people,” Garrett said. “This is just a lifesaver.”

Nine Democrats in the Senate voted against the bill. Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, was one of them. “The funny thing about health insurance is you don’t need it until you do,” McCoy said. “None of us know when the next heart attack’s going to come, when the next stroke’s going to come or when we’re going to be diagnosed with leukemia.” Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says these are “buyer beware policies” that may lead to FINANCIAL shock when people discover their plan won’t the cover the costs of things like cancer drugs.”There are people ready to buy those policies,” Bolkcom said, “but I thing we should just be clear about that.”

Other Democrats argued Medica, the only company left selling individual insurance policies in Iowa, would be financially harmed as it loses customers who buy the Farm Bureau/Wellmark plansForty of the 50 state senators voted FOR the bill. Similar legislation is pending in the Iowa House.

(Radio Iowa)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A union representing University of Iowa nurses is appealing to the state Supreme Court in an effort to secure a bargaining agreement made before lawmakers limited union bargaining powers. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that Service Employees International Union represents 3,500 workers at UI Hospitals and Clinics. It’s appealing a district judge’s ruling that the university’s Board of Regents doesn’t have to honor an employment agreement presented to the union early last year.

The December ruling says the contract wasn’t binding since the board didn’t vote to ratify the agreement. The union ratified the contract days before state legislators limited the bargaining power of public-sector labor unions. Union negotiator Jim Jacobson says lawmakers have rigged the system against workers. A board spokesperson declined to comment on the litigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Court records say a central Iowa man accused of killing his mother, father and sister intends to change his plea. The records say lawyers for 21-year-old Chase Nicholson had requested a plea hearing, which has been scheduled for April 30 in Polk County District Court.

The records don’t say how he’ll plead and to what charges. He’s already pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the April 6 shooting deaths of 58-year-old Mark Nicholson; 56-year-old Charla Nicholson and 24-year-old Tawni Nicholson.

Authorities say Nicholson used a shotgun that was recovered at the family home in Bondurant, where the bodies were found April 6.
Chase Nicholson surrendered April 7 in Neosho, Missouri. Police there have said Nicholson told an officer that he had killed three people the night before.

WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — An attorney fired by the Iowa Association of School Boards for writing a partisan newspaper column defending Gov. Kim Reynolds has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. Anna Bergman, a Republican running for the Iowa House, is suing the association and executive director Lisa Bartusek, claiming her free speech rights were violated. The 26-year-old was the association’s director of policy and legal services until last month, when she wrote a column for the Des Moines Register headlined, “Iowans are not buying Democrats’ hyperbole.” She suggested that Iowa is “in great shape” and defended Reynolds against criticism of her record on education. A disclaimer in the print version noted Bergman’s views “do not necessarily reflect those of” the association.

The association dismissed Bergman, saying her statements conflicted with its duty to remain nonpartisan. Bergman’s lawsuit claims other association employees made pro-Democratic and anti-Trump statements on social media without consequence.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a man from Arispe, reported on March 5th, that sometime over the past week, his house was entered and several electronic items were stolen. They include: 2 electric guitars; PS2 and PS3 games, a Toshiba 65” TV, and cash. The loss was estimated at $3,300.