(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Attorney General’s Office says a six-year effort to clear a backlog of untested sexual assault evidence kits throughout the state has wrapped up. Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Stephen Bayens worked with the A-G on the project. “We thank the Attorney General’s Office for joining us in tackling this problem. And more importantly, we want to thank the victim advocates, the investigators, and the prosecutors who dedicate their lives to seeking justice for the victims of sexual assault,” Bayen says. There were more than 42-hundred unsubmitted sexual assault kits across that state, and the project used three million dollars federal grant money to test 16-hundred-six kits.

“The D-C-I Crime Lab is the only accredited forensic laboratory in the state that can process these kits. But the backlog had run so large over time that we would not process all of them,” according to Bayens. “Through this grant, we were able to work out an agreement with a private company to assist us in clearing that backlog.” Bayens says they were able to create a tracking system so victims know where their evidence is — and also improved the speed of the system to allow them to process more kits. “In 2018 the crime lab processed 439 sexual assault kits. In 2019, that number was 433. While in 2020, with the assistance of additional analysts — the lab processed one-thousand-298 sexual assault kits,” he says.

And this year they have already tested 734. The grant protocol excluded many kits from testing for several reasons, including the lack of police reports or victim information, or being too recent. Only kits collected before April 28, 2015, could be tested under the grant. Bayens says the process is now keeping new kits from sitting in evidence rooms. “Since the inception of this project with the Attorney General’s Office, the lab has seen an 87 percent increase in sexual assault kit submissions. Now, almost every law enforcement agency in the state are sending their kits to the lab,” Bayens says. Attorney General Tom Miller says with the backlog of kits cleared up — he doesn’t believe it will become a problem again. “D-P-S has very successfully addressed the ongoing kits that are coming in. So, I think this will all work very well — at least we hope so,” Miller says.

Miller says many of these sexual assault incidents took place 10 or more years ago — and in most cases, victims opted not to re-engage with law enforcement. They have thus far filed criminal charges in four cases related to the backlog kits — with two convictions.

Two women were arrested Tuesday on separate charges in Red Oak. Authorities say 51-year-old Shelby Joann Olivares, of Red Oak, was arrested for Public Intoxication. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. And, 29-year-old Brandi Jessica Harding, of Omaha, NE., was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. Her bond was also set at $300.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday morning in Atlantic, and approved the hiring of Sean Berens as Information Technology & Geographic Information Systems (IT/GIS) Director. Supervisor Steve Green….

The Board approved the appointment of Sandra Sothman from Atlantic, to fill a vacancy position on the Cass County Conservation Board for the remainder of a term ending 12/31/22. And, they passed a Resolution declaring an official intent under treasury regulation, to issue debt to reimburse the County for certain original expenditures paid in connection with specified projects. Board Chair Steve Baier explained the resolution is with regard to the communications project…

Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken presented a brief report on Secondary Roads Department activities since last week. He said crews are doing a lot of road rock spreading, for one thing, and burning some brush, among other previously backlogged projects. There are also some box culvert projects that are in the process of being finished-up.

He said they should be completed by the end of next week. And, the Board received a report on General Relief/Mental Health for the month of October, from Deb Schuler.

(Radio Iowa) – With gasoline prices in Iowa averaging more than a dollar a gallon higher than a year ago, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is calling on President Joe Biden to challenge OPEC in international court. Grassley, a Republican, says the president’s energy policies discourage domestic production, while Biden “resorted to pleading” with OPEC to ramp up production, only to be turned down. “Instead of asking OPEC to pump more,” Grassley says, “he should look at how they’re monopolizing the world price of petroleum.”

Grassley is calling on the president to support his bipartisan No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels, or NOPEC, Act, which he’s reintroduced. Grassley says Biden backed the original bill some 21 years ago when he was still a senator. “He advocated to then-President Clinton that President Clinton ought to sue OPEC for violating antitrust laws,” Grassley says. “That was through a bill that he and I agreed on at that particular time called NOPEC.”

Grassley is urging the administration to support the bill to hold the cartel accountable for its anticompetitive behavior that elevates global oil prices. He says NOPEC would provide the Department of Justice with an effective tool to ensure American consumers are “no longer beholden to artificially inflated gas prices.” “If the president’s serious about lowering gas prices, he should support strong renewable fuels volumes,” Grassley says, “and look at the real anti-trust violation of OPEC.”

According to Triple-A, gas prices in Iowa are averaging three-13 a gallon, compared to a dollar-97 a year ago. An official with the motor club in Iowa notes, prices a year ago were exceptionally low due to drastically-reduced travel levels caused by the pandemic — and lower demand brought lower prices.

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(Atlantic, Iowa) – The polls are now open in Atlantic for the Mayoral Election. The only polling place is the Cass County Community Center. Grace Garrett and Tim Teig are vying for the seat currently held by Dave Jones, who did not run for re-election. Garrett and Teig were the top two vote recipients during the Nov. 2^nd election. Since neither had 50.1% of the vote, a run-off election was declared.

Atlantic residents living in the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd Wards will use the main entrance to the Cass County Community Building on the fairgrounds. Those residents living in the 4^th and 5^th Wards will use the south entrance. The Polls close at 8:00 pm.

There are two other Iowa cities with Mayoral run-off elections today: Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids. Voters in Cedar Falls and Edgewood will decide who wins run-off elections for City Council members.

(Radio Iowa) – Non-profit agencies are having a hard time finding volunteers and the Salvation Army in Sioux City is hoping a promotion with a local business will help them. Volunteers ringing bells during the holidays will be part of the “Ringing for Bling” program. Salvation Army Captain, Karissa Zumwalt says  “A two-hour time slot gets you a chance to win one of 12 pieces of jewelry from Riddle’s Jewelry. If you do more than one time slot, you get more chances to win,” Zumwalt says. The holiday fundraiser is key to raising money for their programs throughout the year.

“We’re pretty far behind in our goal right now, so we are just trying to push as hard as we can to get volunteer groups. You know, if it’s a church group, or a school group that wants to go together — it makes it more fun — or a family that wants to go out and just spend two hours together bell ringing,” she says. Zumwalt says they are also looking to hire people who may need to earn a little extra cash during the holidays.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are encouraged to make their year-end charitable contributions on this so-called Giving Tuesday and cyclists are being steered toward the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. Mark Wyatt, the group’s executive director, says the nonprofit is asking for help from the many tens of thousands of Iowans who love to go two-wheeling under pedal power. “We want to expand our efforts to help have better bicycling in the state,” Wyatt says. “We work at the state capitol, we work with the DOT, we work in elementary schools all across the state. This opportunity helps us expand our reach.”

The coalition received pledges of 50-thousand dollars if that much is matched by the end of the year, plus, donations made today via Facebook will have all processing fees waived, so 100-percent goes directly to the nonprofit.  “If you donate to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition through Facebook, there’s no credit card charges associated with that and they have some matching funds,” Wyatt says. “Although they probably expire early in the morning, but if you donate early, your donation may be doubled.”

Lobbyists for the coalition are pushing state legislators on several fronts, including a call for much stiffer penalties for motorists who are involved in crashes with bicyclists. “We’re also working for safe passing, so motorists would be required to change lanes to pass bicycles,” Wyatt says, “and of course, we’re working on some traffic safety issues. We’re really big on requiring hands-free cell phone use while driving.”

Whether it’s five-dollars or 500, he says all contributions can help to make an impact toward better educating Iowans and to help establish safe and enjoyable bicycle recreation and transportation networks statewide.

https://www.facebook.com/iowabicyclecoalition