(Radio Iowa) – Without debate, the Iowa Senate has voted to block development of new casinos. This is how Senator Roby Smith of Davenport explained the plan. “It caps the number of licenses at the current amount of 19, which is in effect for the next two years,” Smith says.

The moratorium was attached to a bill that must be reviewed by the House. If the governor approves, Linn County’s application for a casino license would be blocked. State gambling regulators began developing a timeline for reviewing new casino applications after Linn County voters approved a gambling referendum last November. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has rejected two previous applications for state licensed casino in Cedar Rapids.

In March, Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell and developers said they had come up with a plan that’s bigger and more spectacular than Linn County’s previous applications. Iowa gambling regulators cited concerns that a Cedar Rapids casino would lure customers away from nearby casinos in Waterloo and Riverside in denying previous plans in 2014 and 2017.

(Radio Iowa) – Three men have pleaded guilty in an internet car selling scheme. The three admitted to replacing the odometers in cars so they showed lower mileage and the cars sold for more money. Fifty-year-old Jerret Schreiber of Parkersburg pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to six months in prison and six months home confinement –and ordered to repay nearly 91-thousand dollars in restitution.

Thirty-three-year-old David Stangeland of Cedar Falls was sentenced to one-month in prison fore pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit odometer fraud. He was ordered to pay 85-thousand dollars in restitution. Thirty-six-year-old Dustin Arends of New Hartford received three years’ probation after pleading guilty to odometer tampering. He was ordered to repay 23-thousand-200 dollars in restitution.

A traffic stop this (Monday) morning near Elliott on Highway 71, in Montgomery County, resulted in the arrest of a man from Polk County. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 27-year-old Martin Frazier, of Des Moines, was taken into custody for Driving While Suspended. His bond was set at $491.25.

The Glenwood Police Department reports the following arrests from over the past week:

There were five arrests take took place on May 20th…

• Timothy Jennings, 29, of Glenwood, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance 3rd degree and possession of drug paraphernalia, total bond set at $2,300 cash or surety (posted bond);
• Kevin Petersen, 40, of Glenwood, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, bond set at $300 cash or surety (OR’d);
• Patrick Amburn, 46, of Glenwood, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, bond set at $1000 cash or surety;
• Anton Pedersen, 42, of Glenwood, was arrested for 2 counts of possession of a controlled substance, Gathering and possession of drug paraphernalia, total bond set at $7300 cash or surety;
• Peggy Kaderka, 61, of Glenwood, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, bond set at $1000 cash or surety

On May 21st, 46-year-old Veronica George, of Glenwood, was arrested for Gathering, 2 counts of possession of a controlled substance 2nd degree, unlawful possession of prescription drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia, total bond set at $9300 cash or surety.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports there were five arrests last week. Two people were arrested on separate charges Friday afternoon:

• 27-year-old Hunter Davis Vanwyk, of Sioux City, was arrested at around 3:10-p.m. Friday, on an Adair County Felony warrant for Failure to Appear on charges of: Going Armed with Intent, Harassment in the 1st Degree (2 counts, Child Endangerment, and Domestic Abuse Assault w/injury or mental illness – 1st offense. Vanwyk was being held in the Adair County Jail on $10,000 bond; And, at around 6-p.m. Friday, 29-year-old Lee Cesario Griffith, of Adel, was arrested in Stuart for OWI/1st offense, and Reckless Driving. He was later released on $1,000 bond.

Last Wednesday (May 18), 44-year-old Jereamy Lee Rice, of Stuart, was arrested in Greenfield, on Adair County warrants for Failure to Appear on the original charges of Driving While Barred, and Harassment in the 2nd Degree. Rice was released the next day on a $6,000 bond. On May 17th, 40-year-old Candie Jean Kingery, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police for Assault w/Bodily Injury, after allegedly punching her mother in the face, pulling her hair and pushing her to the ground. Kingery was released the following morning on her Own Recognizance.

And, on May 16th, 28-year-old Cameron James Stark, of Stuart, was arrested by a DOT Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer, for Driving Under Suspension. Stark was released that same day on his own recognizance.

(Updated 11:15-a.m./Radio Iowa) – The state legislature has returned to Des Moines to vote on bills that outline state spending, but the governor’s plan to provide state scholarships to private school students is NOT on the list. House Speaker Pat Grassley spoke to reporters this (Monday) morning. “When it comes to the school choice bill that the governor proposed, it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to put the votes together in the House this year to pass that,” Grassley says. “Obviously, we want to continue to work with the governor to get something achieved, that’s been a big priority of hers, moving towards next session and we’ll work on that in the off-season.”

At the end of March, Republicans in the Senate approved 55-hundred state scholarships to send 10-thousand K-through-12 students to private schools, but a group of House Republicans objected to the idea, saying it would divert state money from rural areas since 42 counties do not have a private school. Legislators are in private meetings this (Monday) morning. Grassley says some details are still being worked out in the eight-point-two BILLION dollar plan for the state budgeting year that begins July 1st. “Not everything is resolved or drafted at this point, but we’re getting good momentum and I think we’ll be able to wrap up fairly quickly this week,” Grassley told reporters.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver is offering a bit of optimism about making final budget decisions in the next few days. “We’re hoping to have a very productive week and hopefully we can wrap up session,” Whitver says.

Republicans hold firm majorities in the House and Senate. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has not yet commented on the decision to table her private school scholarship plan, but she has begun endorsing Republican candidates for the Iowa House who support the proposal. That includes a Republican who’s running against an assistant G-O-P leader in the Iowa House.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office, on Friday, arrested a man at the Omaha Correctional Center (OCC). Officials say 37-year-old Seth William Rogers was arrested on two Page County Warrants for Violation of Probation. Rogers was transported to the Page County Jail and held on $20,300 bond, pending further court proceedings.

Rogers

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests occurred on the 20th of May, and there were two accidents on that same date. Authorities say 46-year-old Patrick Lee Amburn, of Glenwood, was arrested on a warrant for Assault w/intent to inflict serious injury. Amburn was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. And, 34-year-old Myles Dustin Longcor, of Henderson, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $300.

No injuries were reported following an accident Friday morning in Mills County. Officials say 21-year-old Lathon Sutton, of Glenwood, was traveling west on Eastman Road at around 9:18-a.m., Friday, and claims another vehicle was coming in his direction, in the middle of the road. Sutton swerved and lost control of his 2006 Pontiac. The vehicle came to rest in the south damage. Damage was estimated at $2,000.

The second accident happened at around 2-p.m. Friday, at the Interstate 29/Highway 34 on ramp west. The Sheriff’s Office says a 2015 Mercedes-Benz driven by 57-year-old Matthew Newkirk, of Chesterfield, VA., was traveling southbound on I-29 near mile marker 35, when a 1998 Peterbilt semi driven by 69-year-old Larry Oberhauser, of Lake Anders, SD, attempted to merge into the car’s lane. In doing so, the vehicles made contact. No injuries were reported.

(Radio Iowa) – Authorities say one person is in custody after hitting three pedestrians on a biking and walking path that connects Iowa and Illinois. Police in Bettendorf and Moline say an SUV drove onto the new bike/pedestrian trail that’s attached to the Interstate 74 bridge in the Quad Cities early Sunday. One of the three people who were hit has died while the other two were reportedly hospitalized in life-threatening condition. No names were released.

The driver is facing a list of charges including reckless homicide and aggravated DUI causing death. The I-74 bridge fully opened to traffic in December while the path was dedicated just last week.

(Bedford, Iowa) – The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office reports today (5/23), the arrest on May 10th, of 27-year-old Jesus Alvarez-Diaz, from Council Bluffs. Alverez-Diaz was arrested in the 100 block of south Walnut Street in Lenox, on charges that include: Going armed with intent; 1st Degree harassment; Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon; Assault; disorderly conduct; public intoxication, and interference with official acts. Alvarez is being held in the Taylor County Jail on $10,300 bond.