(Radio Iowa) – Students at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City are working to restore a large western Iowa prairie to its original ecosystem. Students cut down black locust trees from the Sioux City Prairie. Professor David Hoferer says the trees can cause prairie grass to die and subsequently force out species that nest in the land. Hoferer says the project is a part of a growing movement to “re-wild” Iowa.

“It takes all of us working together to want to do something better for the future,” Hoferer says. “And if we all come together and work better for the future, then this little effort here will help to keep the Sioux City prairie thriving.” The 150-acre property, located next to the university, is one of the nation’s largest urban prairies. Student Zach Allen, a junior at Briar Cliff, led a group of 20 students to cut down the black locust trees, which aren’t native to Iowa. Allen says he wants to see more efforts across the state to preserve natural habitats.

Allen says, “Instead of just looking at the current benefits they can get, year over year, to start looking into the further into the future and make sure that the ecosystems in our environment is going to be sustainable for those future generations.” He says he was inspired to action by what he learned in the classroom. Prairie used to cover around 80 percent of Iowa. Now, it’s down to less than one percent.

(Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – For the first time in 44 years, lawmakers have voted to make changes in Iowa’s popular “Bottle Bill.”  “I’m glad this is happening. It’s time.” That’s Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig, one of 30 Republicans who voted to accept House adjustments and send the bill to the governor. The legislation would let grocery stores stop accepting empty bottles and cans and paying deposits. Redemption centers would see their per container handling fee increased to three cents. Wholesale distributors of beer and pop would be able to keep the money from un-redeemed containers.

“We’ve been working on this thing for years and this year we started with recognizing what the people of Iowa want,” Schultz says. “…They don’t want the deposit increased. They don’t want that tax on the can to go from a nickel to a dime. They want that left alone. This does that. They want more locations to redeem.” Schultz says more redemption centers will open once the per container handling fee is being tripled. There are only five dozen redemption centers in Iowa today. Senator Claire Celsi, a Democrat from Des Moines, says letting grocery stores and other retailers opt out of accepting empties means many Iowans will have nowhere to get their deposits back.

“It’s less convenient for consumers,” Celsi says. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the bill will be a massive windfall to wholesalers who’ll continue to keep those un-redeemed deposits. “Iowa consumers will pay for these cans and bottles and they’ll never see the money again,” Bolkcom said. “What a sweet deal to our beverage distributors and there’s no accounting for it here.” And Bolkcom objects to the tax credit for beer distributors that’s included in the bill. The 15 “no” votes in the Senate came from Democrats.

The plan got bipartisan support in the Iowa House last month and now goes to the governor. Last month Governor Reynolds told reporters she was solely focused on rounding up votes for her private school scholarships and had not been negotiating with legislators on Bottle Bill changes.

(Radio Iowa) – The Grundy Center man found guilty of shooting and killing an Iowa State Patrol Trooper will be sentenced in June. A Jury took around two-and-half hours of deliberation earlier this month before finding 42-year-old Michael Lang guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Patrol Sergeant Jim Smith last April in Grundy Center.

Lang was also found guilty of attempted murder, and assault on a peace officer in connection with the standoff. He will be sentenced to life in prison on June 27th.

(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