The Iowa DOT reports (as of 12:56-p.m.) the right lane of I-80 eastbound in Adair County is currently blocked due to an accident. The incident occurred between Exit 86: IA 25 and Exit 88: County Road P20 (near Menlo). The right lane is blocked due to a crash. http://www.511ia.org/forwarding/viewevent.asp?type=event… [Click link for current status]

Additional details are currently not available.

(Radio Iowa) – About 200 people attended a concert in Grinnell Tuesday night, to help raise money for the reward fund for Xavior Harrelson of Montezuma, who’s been missing since May 27. Joy VanLandschoot, of Brooklyn, is the organizer of Mollie’s Movement, a group that helps locate missing people. She says over five-thousand dollars was raised. “I didn’t have a specific number I was expecting, but any amount is wonderful to bring awareness for finding Xavior,” she says.

Tuesday night’s tally would raise the reward fund to more than 30-thousand for information on finding Xavior. “We haven’t heard anything,” Vanlandschoot says. “We just hope that this will get tips in…or someone will see Xavior or remember something.” A representative of the missing boy’s family read a statement during the concert, describing Xavior as helpful, kind, funny and always happy and thanking people helping in the search.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a district court decision, so a state law can go into effect that bars Planned Parenthood from getting state grants for sex education programs. The law was passed in 2019 by the Republican-led legislature, but Planned Parenthood and the A-C-L-U of Iowa filed a lawsuit and it’s been on hold as the case made its way through the courts. The law prohibits organizations that provide abortion from getting grants from two state programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy.

Governor Kim Reynolds, who signed the bill into law, says she is proud to be a pro-life governor and the ruling is a strong statement in support of the idea that taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion.

The president and C-E-O of Planned Parenthood of North Central States says for more than a decade Planned Parenthood has provided comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education for young Iowans and the ruling is a major setback for public health.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved an appointment to the County Veteran’s Affairs Commission. Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes said out of three female and two male applicants, the Commission selected Christine Short. The move also serves to Gender Balance the Commission. Short will serve a three-year term beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2024. The Board also approved the renewal of a Partnership Agreement for the employment Brigham Hoegh as Cass County Wellness Coordinator for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. Supervisor Steve Green…

The partnership includes Cass County, Cass County Ag. Extension District, Cass County Memorial Hospital, and Nishna Valley Family YMCA. Hoegh has served as the Cass County Wellness Coordinator since the position was created back in 2019. The Supervisors also approved a FY2022 lease agreement with Partnership for Progress, with regard to “Willow Heights.” The 43-bed Residential Care Facility also provides Supported Community Living, Day Program and Habilitation Services.

The agreement is essentially unchanged from previous years. Board Chair Steve Baier acknowledged the building is old, and they’re doing the best they can to keep it functional.

The Cass County Supervisors approved the Compensation schedule for FY2022 as well as the FY2022 bargaining agreement with the Cass County Secondary Roads Employees Group.

(Des Moines) – The Iowa Supreme Court, Wednesday (today), issued a decision in the case of a man who suffered injuries during an Oct. 2016 zip line incident in Pottawattamie County and had sued two entities in connection with the accident. The Supreme Court reversed a Council Bluffs District Court Summary judgment with regard to Mt. Crescent Ski Area owners Korby and Samantha Fleisher, and in light of that determination, said they to not need to address plaintiff Thomas Lukken’s other arguments concerning claims against the owners in his appeal. The High Court remanded the case for further proceedings. So, in essence, with regard to the appeal, the Court “Affirmed In Part, Reversed In Part and Remanded.”

Thomas Lukken was at the resort when he stepped-off an elevated platform and sped down a zip-line. He was injured because an employee failed to reset the zip line’s braking system after the previous rider exited. By the time the employee realized his mistake, Lukken slammed into a wooden pole at the base of the zip line, and fractured his neck. He sued the zip line’s original designer and its owner.

A Council Bluffs District Court dismissed the claims against the manufacturer, based on the fact the braking system that failed to stop Lukken had been completely replaced by a different supplier before the accident. The District Court also dismissed the claim against the owner (Mt. Crescent Ski Area), based on a liability waiver Lukken signed before the ride.

In appealing the decision, Lukken said the district court erred in: (1) finding the installation of a new zip line braking system was a superseding cause of his injuries, relieving defendant Challenge Quest from liability; (2) finding Challenge Quest owed him no duty; (3) finding there were no issues of material fact as to his negligence claim against Challenge Quest; (4) failing to address an issue of gross negligence presented in the Mt. Crescent defendants’ motion for summary judgment; (5) finding the waiver of liability signed by plaintiff was not contrary to statutory purpose and public policy; and (6) failing to view the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiff.

[UPDATED] (Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling awarding damages to the state Workers’ Compensation Commissioner former Governor Terry Branstad tried to fire. In 2019, a district court jury awarded Christopher Godfrey one-and-a-half million dollars. Godfrey argued he was pressured to resign and his pay was cut
because he is gay. Roxanne Conlin, Godfrey’s attorney, says the ruling is disappointing and surprising. “It is just not the role of the Iowa Supreme Court to reverse the findings of fact of a jury,” Conlin says.

The Supreme Court’s ruling states there is no evidence to prove Branstad is “anti-gay” or knew Godfrey was gay as he was seeking to replace him as workers’ compensation commissioner. Godfrey also alleged he was fired because of unfounded complaints from business groups about his rulings on workers’ compensation cases. The Supreme Court ruling states that was the perception, whether correct or not, and Branstad was entitled to take that perception into consideration.

Justice Christopher McDonald wrote that although Godfrey was widely known as openly gay, there is no proof Branstad was aware of Godfrey’s sexual orientation before asking him to resign and slashing his salary when Godfrey refused. The ruling overturned a $1.15-million dollar 2019 verdict in which Polk County jurors found that Branstad and his former legal counsel violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Jurors had awarded Godfrey, a Democrat who is now an official with the U.S. Department of Labor, $1.5 million in damages for emotional distress.

Branstad, a Republican who later served as U.S. ambassador to China, has argued that he sought Godfrey’s resignation because powerful business interests disagreed with rulings by Godfrey and his staff awarding benefits to injured workers. He has claimed that he acted legally in 2011 by reducing Godfrey’s salary by $40,000, to the lowest amount allowed by the Legislature for the position.

(Radio Iowa) Today (Wednesday) is the last day of June and what marks the end of the peak season for tornadoes in Iowa. National Weather Service meteorologist Kenny Podrazik says April, May and June were relatively quiet months for severe storms. In fact, it’s been a fairly quiet year. “So far, there’s only been six confirmed tornadoes in the state and that’s through the end of June,” Podrazik says. “Normally, through the end of this month, the statewide totals would typically average around 34 or 35 tornadoes.” That means Iowa has only seen about one-sixth the usual number of tornadoes by this date, not that anyone is complaining.

“I’m totally fine with being below normal for tornadoes,” Podrazik says. “We don’t like seeing people’s property getting damaged and things like that. That’s one of the things we’re okay with for right now.” Tornadoes can strike at any time of day and during any month of the year and Podrazik says it’s entirely possible we’ll see some twisters in the weeks ahead. “We’ll have a little bit of a secondary season into July and then we definitely get some storms in August,” he says. “Obviously, the derecho is still fresh in folks’ minds from last year. We’re still not out of the woods yet but the peak season, June, is typically when we have the most active severe weather.”

The derecho that tore across Iowa on August 10th of last year was the most damaging thunderstorm in United States’ history. It caused 13-billion dollars damage, most of it in the state of Iowa. Also last year, Iowa saw 28 tornadoes with no reports of injuries or deaths due to the storms.

CRESTON, Iowa – June 30, 2021 – The Iowa DOT’s Creston Construction Office reports an interchange project in Dallas County intended to improve traffic flow during peak hours at the Interstate 80/U.S. 169 interchange (exit 110) will require lane and shoulders closures and an eastbound off ramp and westbound on ramp detour beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 6, until Tuesday, November 16, weather permitting.

Work on this project includes pavement widening to add turn lanes on U.S. 169 and the on- and off ramps at the I-80/U.S. 169 interchange, pavement resurfacing, and adding traffic signals at the interchange. Ramps on the west side of the interchange may be closed for a short period of time. During these closures, marked detour routes will be in place.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday, released a backlogged report on arrests and incident spanning from June 16th through the 29th. From most recent to the earliest dates:

• On Tuesday, June 29th: 27-year-old Holly Sue Warta, of ElkHorn, NE., who was being held in the Pott. County Jail serving a short term, was presented with a warrant for Driving While License Suspended or revoked. She continues to serve her jail time; 42-year-old Ralph Randall Campbell was taken into custody at the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. He was arrested after turning himself-in.
• On Monday, June 28th: 35-year-old Rachel Suzanne McDaniel was taken into custody at around 9:05-p.m., following a traffic stop for failure to use headlights. She was arrested for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender; 38-year-old Justin M. Anthony was arrested at around 2-a.m. Monday in Council Bluffs, for OWI/1st offense and Open Container – Driver. He was pulled over after the SUV Anthony was driving was seen a church parking lot. When a Deputy pulled into the parking lot, the SUV took off at a high rate of speed and led the Deputy on a brief pursuit.
• On June 26th: 50-year-old Donald Odell, Jr.,  was arrested near Crescent, for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender; 54-year-old Steven Lee McKeighan was arrested following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs. He was charged with OWI/1st offense.
• On the 25th: A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested 28-year-old Ryan Mitchell Hainline on I-29 near Honey Creek. He was charged with OWI/2nd offense; 37-year-old Erasmus Luis Gonzalez was arrested in Council Bluffs, for being a Fugitive from Justice. He had turned himself-in to the S/O prior to be arrested; 24-year-old Brennan Joseph Carter was arrested June 25th near McClelland, on an OWI charge; 41-year-old Jeffrey S. Peters was arrested for being a Fugitive from Justice, after a Deputy observed suspicious activity at a fireworks tent on the Fareway Store lot on McKenzie Ave., in Council Bluffs.
• June 24th: 31-year-old Codey Thomas Thramer, of Red Oak, was served at the Pott. County Jail with a warrant for Failure to Pay Child Support.
• June 23rd: A 17-year-old male was arrested at his residence in Council Bluffs, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Marijuana/1st offense. He was referred to law enforcement after his mother took paraphernalia from the teen; 22-year-old Chase Zachary Stewart was arrested June 23rd following a traffic stop in the Crescent area. He was charged with OWI/1st offense.
• On June 22nd: 31-year-old Darell C. Richards was arrested at the Casey’s Store in Crescent, after a Pott. County Deputy saw a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle with a reckless driver. Richards was charged with OWI/1st offense, and cited for Failure to Provide proof of insurance, failure to have a valid driver’s license, and operating a non-registered vehicle;  38-year-old Joseph Daniel McNeal, of Council Bluffs was served with a warrant on June 22nd, for Violation of Probation. McNeal was being held in the Pott. County Jail at the time. His total bond amounts to $12,300.
• On the 21st: 42-year-old Derek Lynn Driver was arrested in Minden, following a traffic stop. Driver was charged with OWI/1st offense.
• On June 20th: 44-year-old Christopher Julius Zepeda, of St. Paul, MN., was arrested at Arrowhead Park near Neola, after he allegedly assaulted a woman. Zepeda was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault, Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order, and for being a Fugitive from Justice.
• June 19th: A Pott. County Deputy was dispatched to Walnut, with regard to a disturbance. 45-year-old Eric D. Gillpatrick and 68-year-old Michael D. Gillpatrick were arrested on charges of Assault Causing Bodily Injury or mental illness/Without intent; 22-year-old Gavin McCall Knight was arrested June 19th in Council Bluffs, for Domestic Abuse Assault 1st offense/Causing injury.
• On the 18th: A Pott. County Jail inmate, 27-year-old Dalton Luis-Marciano Rocha, of Council Bluffs, was served with warrants for Ongoing Criminal Conduct and Theft in the 2nd Degree. The Second warrant was for Criminal Trespass/1st Offense; another inmate, 21-year-old Noah Ethan Stout, of Council Bluffs, was served with a warrant for Sex Offender Registry Requirement Violation; 34-year-old Dannielle Nicole Gaudreau was arrested during a traffic stop in Council Bluffs. She was charged with Failure to Appear and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; 36-year-old Diana Lynn Seefus was arrested in Council Bluffs on June 18th, for No Valid Driver’s License and OWI/2nd offense.
• On June 17th: 27-year-old Calum Christian Stoltzfus was arrested following a traffic stop in Crescent. He was charged with OWI/1st offense; 27-year-old Jake Jacky was arrested following a traffic stop in Oakland, and charged with Driving While License Suspended or Revoked; 20-year-old Noah Donald Groves, of Council Bluffs, was served at the Pott. County Jail, with a Platte County, Nebraska warrant for being a Fugitive from Justice. Two people were arrested June 17th following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs that resulted in a pursuit. Authorities say 29-year-old Toriann M. Russ was charged with Eluding while exceeding the speed limit by more than 25mph, Open Container – Driver, Reckless Driving, Leaving the Scene of an Accident/Failure to provide aid and/or information, Carrying a weapon while intoxicated, and OWI/1st offense. A passenger in the pickup, 35-year-old Ach-Sah Rosohundra Hyche, was charged with Interference with Official Acts and Carrying a weapon/transport in a vehicle.
• And, on June 16th, a welfare check on a juvenile male resulted in the arrest of his father, 27-year-old Damion James Sadler, on a hold for another law enforcement agency.

The broadcast news at 8:11-a.m. w/Ric Hanson.

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