Popular new transportation services like Uber face new state regulations, which backers say will help protect drivers and passengers alike. Under a law that took effect January 1st, the companies will have new requirements for insurance, background checks, and zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use. Acting Iowa D-O-T director Mark Lowe says Uber and the other companies will no longer have to negotiate standards with every city or town that signs up for the service.

Lowe says, “The specific thing that this legislation did was that it made those regulations apply statewide and it really eliminated the city’s right under their home rule authority to independently regulate transportation network companies.”

The new transportation option uses a smart phone app to connect riders to a taxi-like service. Under the new law, cities can still regulate taxis but they can’t require tougher standards for drivers than the new Uber standards. Lowe says the new law spells out insurance requirements which up until now have been unclear.

“If I get in this car, I may not be covered if the car has an accident or if that car hits another motorist,” Lowe says, “or even to the protection of the driver themselves who might be unaware that although they had insurance, it wasn’t going to be available to protect them.”

The law mandates certain equipment on each vehicle and background checks for drivers, and bans discrimination against riders. Under the bill, Uber and the other companies will face the same standards in every Iowa community that adopts the service, instead of negotiating separate rules in every town.

(Radio Iowa w/thanks to Joyce Russell at Iowa Public Radio)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports one, recent arrest. As previously reported, on Sunday afternoon, 31-year old Jared Wayne Gatlin, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested by Montgomery County Deputies on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Gatlin was transferred to Mills County Deputies and was being held in the Mills Jail on $2,500 bond.

Sheriff’s officials said also, late Saturday night, a Pacific Junction man reported an incident of Attempted Burglary in the 3rd degree and Theft in the 3rd. No other details were provided.

And, one person was injured during a single-vehicle accident Monday morning, in Mills County. 23-year old Randall Dexter, of Thurman, was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, after the 1999 Chrysler he was driving went out of control on a curve. The vehicle went off the road and hit a sign before crashing through a fence and rolling onto the driver’s side. The accident happened just before 6-a.m. on 221st Street/Deacon Road.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their annual administrative meeting this (Tuesday) morning, in Atlantic. Two newly-elected members of the Board, Steve Baier of Griswold and Steve Green, of Atlantic, began their duties after having been sworn-in, earlier. The first order of business was to elect a Board Chair and Vice Chair.

Cass County Board of Supervisors (clockwise, from left to right): Steve Green; Frank Waters; Gaylord Schelling; Dale Sunderman (Auditor/Board Secretary); Mark Wedemeyer and Steve Baier.

The Supervisors unanimously re-elected Gaylord Schelling as the Board Chair, and Frank Waters as Vice-Chair, following a recommendation by Schelling. In other business, the Board approved the appointment of deputies for the Auditor and Sheriff’s Offices, the appointment of Township Clerks with current incumbents, with the exception of Brighton Township, where the current clerk asked not to be re-appointed. To fill the position, the Board appointed Tonia Larsen.

The Board made no changes in the dates and times of their regular, future meetings. The meetings will continue to be held on Wednesday’s, beginning at 8:30-a.m., with the exception being the last week of the month, when they are normally held the last business day of the month.

They also made no changes (other than changing the date) in the 2017 annual livestock construction facility resolution, commonly known as the Master Matrix.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors approved the following appointments:

Mary Anstey            Deputy Auditor

Sheri Karns            Deputy Auditor

William Ayers          Deputy Sheriff

Benjamin Bartholomew   Deputy Sheriff

Ryan Johnson           Deputy Sheriff

Corey Larsen           Deputy Sheriff

Joshua McLaren         Deputy Sheriff

Kyle Quist             Deputy Sheriff

Tyler Shiels           Deputy Sheriff

John Westering         Chief Deputy Sheriff

Joni Knudsen           Sheriff’s Assistant

Billie Taylor-McLaren  Sheriff’s Assistant

Stephanie Witzman      Civil Process Server

A township clerk and a township trustee in each of 14 townships were to be appointed.  Only the clerk in Brighton Township filed a request to not be re-appointed and one application for that position was received. Motion by Green, second by Waters to make the following appointments:

Township Name Township Trustee 4 yr term ends  Township Clerk 4 yr term ends

Bear Grove  Joe Herbert       (12/31/2020) Jeff Schuler       (12/31/2020)

Benton      Vicki Sanny       (12/31/2020) Linda L. Olsen     (12/31/2020)

Brighton    Judy Sandbothe    (12/31/2020) Tonia Larsen       (12/31/2020)

Cass        Duane Weirich     (12/31/2020) Max R. Potter      (12/31/2020)

Franklin    Ray Zellmer       (12/31/2020) Virginia Eilts     (12/31/2020)

Grant       Clifford Merk     (12/31/2020) Tom Schultes       (12/31/2020)

Grove       Robert Vernon     (12/31/2020) Shirley Jacobsen   (12/31/2020)

Lincoln     Kathryn Russell   (12/31/2020) Linda Harms        (12/31/2020)

Massena     Joy Scanlan       (12/31/2020) Joyce Bower        (12/31/2020)

Noble       Rod Sindt         (12/31/2020) Tim Steinbeck      (12/31/2020)

Pleasant    Kenneth Cousins   (12/31/2020) Luanne Steffens    (12/31/2020)

Pymosa      Glen R. Smith     (12/31/2020) Kristy Pellett     (12/31/2020)

Victoria    Duane Ortgies     (12/31/2020) Linda Edwards      (12/31/2020)

Washington  Alan Zellmer      (12/31/2020) Duane Winston      (12/31/2020)

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say traffic deaths jumped to at least 400 last year in Iowa. The Iowa Transportation Department says the figure is nearly 27 percent higher than the 316 traffic deaths recorded in 2015. It’s also the highest figure since the 411 in 2008. The department says the 2016 month with the most deaths was October, with 40.

The total of 400 could rise because the department has not added any fatal crashes that might have happened on Saturday, the last day of 2016.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Police video shows an Iowa trooper jammed the barrel of his loaded rifle into the shoulder of a suspect at the end of a police chase, leaving the man injured. The Associated Press obtained the video through an Iowa open records law request. It shows suspect Shanne Arre reacting in pain after Iowa State Patrol officer Jeremy Probasco strikes him with the weapon.

Arre admits he was on drugs when he fled from officers trying to stop him for speeding on June 21, 2015. He eventually crashed in a ditch.  Video shows officers using flashlights to search for Arre in tall grass before one spots him. Probasco directs him to put his hands “in the small of your back.” Probasco stuck the barrel of his rifle into Arre’s shoulder blade.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a Bridgewater man was arrested Christmas Day on an Adair County warrant for Harassment in the 2nd Degree. 50-year old Duane Allen Funke was being held in the Adair County Jail on $1,000 bond.

A Nebraska man was arrested on drug charges Dec. 26th on Interstate 80, in Adair County. An Iowa State Patrol Trooper stopped a pickup truck for speeding near mile marker 90 eastbound, and after approaching the vehicle, noticed an odor of marijuana coming from inside the pickup. While speaking with the driver, the Trooper noticed a pipe in the bottom center console of the vehicle. The pipe contained marijuana residue. In addition, the driver, identified as 19-year old Derek Tomas Hernandez, of Fremont, NE., acknowledged he had another pipe in a back pack on the pickup’s rear seat, along with other paraphernalia in a red tin on the front passenger seat. A razor blade with marijuana residue as well as two more glass pipes were found in the red container.

Hernandez also admitted he had some fresh pot and a grinder in hit coat pocket. The Trooper found a pill bottle with an unknown amount of a green leafy substance, which Hernandez admitted was marijuana. The grinder also contained a green leafy substance. Hernandez was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In addition, he was cited for the traffic violation. Hernandez was released the following day on his own recognizance.

And, Sheriff Vandewater reports 37-year old Christopher Lee Breece, of Bridgewater, was arrested Dec. 28th for Driving While Barred. Breece was released the following day on $2,000 bond.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers said today (Tuesday),  an arrest has been made in connection with a burglary during the early morning hours of December 27th, at the Dollar General Store on E. Glenn Miller Drive.  Page County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 19-year old Keldon Dean Stiner, of Hepburn, Saturday morning, at his home.

The arrest was made pursuant to a warrant issued for Stiner’s arrest, upon presentation of complaints/affidavits submitted to the court by the Clarinda Police Department.  Stiner was arrested without incident and is currently being held on $5,000 bond in the Page County Jail, on charges of felony burglary and aggravated misdemeanor destruction of property. No additional arrests are anticipated.

Reports concerning the incident have been forwarded to the offices of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review and consideration of formal charges being filed.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Police in Creston say three people were arrested over the holiday weekend. Taken into custody Friday night for Driving While Suspended, was 20-year old Dakota Early, of Creston. And, Saturday night, 61-year old Richard Woosley, of Creston, was arrested for Simple Assault. Early and Woosley were released from the Union County Jail on $300 bond, each. Monday evening, 25-year old Nathan Vicker, of Creston, was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. Vicker remained in the Union County Jail on $300 bond.

Creston Police said also, a resident of the 800 block of W. Adams Street reported Sunday night that someone had broken a window out of his front door. The incident happened sometime between 7:15- and 7:45-p.m., Sunday. It’s unknown if there was anything taken from the home. Damage from the incident amounted to about $100.

(7-a.m. News)

Our region of the country is securing its popularity for renewable energy projects, according to a report from the Center for Rural Affairs. Lucas Nelsen, who authored the report “Link to Rural Development and a Renewable Future,” says 41-percent of the new energy generation projects that went online last year were specifically wind energy projects.

“It’s really important, primarily because of where that generation is being built,” Nelsen says. “That generation is most often built in the Midwest and Great Plains and especially near rural areas where there’s abundant resources and a lot of space to put those projects.” While the projects bring a host of benefits to rural communities, he says barriers remain to renewable energy.

“Those benefits can range from new tax revenue, new jobs in the community, new economic activity and some guaranteed income for landowners who host those projects,” Nelsen says. “There are some roadblocks to that development and one of those roadblocks has been new transmission infrastructure to connect those projects to the grid.” Nelsen says one key to solving those transmission problems lies in proper planning.

“The best thing people can do is make sure they’re helping to improve these projects, that they’re finding out what a project might mean for their area, that they’re looking at maps at community meetings with developers and pointing out areas of concern they want the developers to avoid,” Nelsen says, “and making sure that the process runs smoothly.” Nelsen says the report shows “wind turbine technician” is the fastest growing profession in the country and the Department of Energy estimates the wind industry could support up to 380-thousand jobs by 2030. The wind industry employs some seven-thousand Iowans.

(Radio Iowa)