(Radio Iowa) — Advocates, Tuesday, asked state legislators to pass a law requiring hospitals to give clear instructions to caregivers at home when Alzheimer’s patients are discharged. “I am here wearing purple on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association.” That’s Becky Orr Montgomery, daughter of the late Johnny Orr — the former Iowa State basketball coach. “I’m involved in this because my mother had it. Her grandfather had it. All of her cousins died of it,” Orr Montgomery says. “My mother had it for 15 years.”

Romie Orr was 72 years old when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  “I included my children in caring for my mother so that they would understand how I want to be treated because I’m pretty sure I’m getting it,” she says, with a laugh. “You never know. My didn’t have it, so I might have gotten that side, but planning, nonetheless, for the future.” The Alzheimer’s Association is also asking legislators to set aside a million dollars to help low-income Iowans make modifications to their homes, so Alzheimer’s patients can avoid more expensive nursing home care as long as possible. Sandra Robertson of Des Moines is among the crowd lobbying legislators. Her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 48. “My brother, Jay Allen, is a singer/songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, and he wrote a song called ‘Blank Stares’ for our mother,” she says. “This last year he toured across the U.S., singing that song at different events and has brought just a huge awareness to what people are dealing with.”

Three weeks ago, Robertson’s mother was transferred to a care facility because the family could no longer care for her at home. “It’s stressful at times, but we’re adjusting o.k. and we’re very thankful for the opportunity to be here today and be the voice for my dad and for my mother,” Robertson says. There are about 64-thousand Iowa Alzheimer’s patients in Iowa today.

POLK CITY, Iowa (AP) — A city administrator in central Iowa has been accused of domestic abuse. Polk County court records say 65-year-old Gary Mahannah is charged with domestic abuse assault, first offense. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him. Mahannah is scheduled for a pretrial conference on March 5.

Mahannah is city administrator for Polk City. A criminal complaint says an officer was sent around 5:45 a.m. Monday to Mahannah’s Polk City home. The officer says in the complaint that Mahannah acknowledged slapping his wife twice during a physical confrontation in their garage after they argued about destruction of something his children had given him. The officer also says Mahannah’s wife was upset, crying and appeared intoxicated.

(Radio Iowa) — The state’s Workforce Development agency is proposing a six-month delay in paying the first week of unemployment benefits. Unions are sharply critical of the move, but the plan got initial approval from Republicans on a House subcommittee yesterday (Tuesday). Republican Representative Phil Thompson of Jefferson is a contractor. “I think there are valid concerns on both sides and I just want to see the conversation continue,” Thompson said.

Workforce Development proposes that the first week of jobless benefits be paid only after an employee uses up his or her yearly allowance of up to 26 weeks of unemployment. Three-quarters of Iowans who file for unemployment never reach that 26-week limit, so they would never get that first week of benefits. John Lowrey, an apprentice with the Carpenters Union Local 106 in Altoona, says he lives paycheck-to-paycheck and wouldn’t be able to pay child support if his first week of unemployment benefits is never be paid. “I wish I did have $50,000 in the bank, but I don’t and that’s important to me, that one week,” Lowrey said. “…Through no fault of my own, I’m at the mercy of so many other people…I couldn’t get in to do my job because guess what? The electricians didn’t get their job done or my employer didn’t get the right materials.”

Critics say some construction firms use Iowa’s unemployment system as a “wage subsidy”– workers claim a week of unemployment benefits while they’re off the job-site, undergoing training. Repreentative Gary Worthan, a Republican from Storm Lake, says that’s a problem.  “When we’ve got an industry that you say is $106 million in the red as far as their contributions to the unemployment fund, that means every other employer in the state outside of the construction trades has to make up that $106 million,” Worthan said.

Representative Kirsten Running-Marquardt, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says the bill sends the wrong message.  “We are trying to attract talent to the state of Iowa. We are trying to keep talent in the state of Iowa,” Running-Marquardt said. “…We should not penalize Iowans who are just working hard every day to put food on their table.” The State of Iowa issued about 360 million dollars worth of unemployment checks last year. About half of that was paid to employees who were out of work for one to four weeks.

Red Oak Police report four people were arrested Tuesday. At around 10:20-p.m., 29-year old Mildred Helenora Douglas, of Red Oak, was arrested for Public Intoxication/3rd or subsequent offense, assault on a peace officer, and interference with official acts. She was taken into custody after authorities received a report of a possibly intoxicated female stumbling in the street, in the 100 block of E. Valley Street, in Red Oak. When Officers approached her, Douglas refused to comply with their orders, and attempted to run. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on a $2,000 bond. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in handling the incident.

At around 5:50-p.m. Tuesday, Red Oak Police arrested 24-year old Katie Renee Wright, and 27-year old Shelby Marie Williams, both of Red Oak, after Officers were called to the 600 block of E. Prospect Street, for a reported physical assault in progress. Both women were placed under arrest for Simple Assault. They were transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on $300 bond, each. And, at around 5:10-p.m., Tuesday, 35-year old Ryan Atom Dalton, of Red Oak, was arrested following a reported disturbance in the 300 block of 1st Avenue. He was charged with Breach of Peace and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. Dalton was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

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

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a Mason City man who was shot by a railroad officer has been released from the hospital two months after the shooting. The Globe Gazette reports that 30-year-old Nathan Lee Olson was released Friday from MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center. State investigators say Union Pacific Special Agent Louis Miner stopped Olson for trespassing on UP property on Nov. 29 and shot Olson during an altercation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A University of Iowa student from China who was expelled for serial academic misconduct has been reinstated after the school failed to use his written confessions against him in court. A judge says her order that reinstated business student Pengzhen Yin now appears unjust given that he admitted to plagiarizing the paper in question. But she says Iowa failed to provide Yin’s email confessions during his appeals and she wasn’t aware of them before ruling.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris is planning a tour of the nation’s four early-voting states in the first full month of her presidential campaign. Harris’ schedule announced Tuesday includes two days each in South Carolina, New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada, states where support will be key to building momentum in a crowded 2020 Democratic field. The first-term senator from California says specifics will be released later.