(Radio Iowa) – Aside from the common sparrows, blue jays and cardinals, experts say there are 429 species of birds in Iowa. If you’d like to attract more of them to your back yard this spring, conservation biologist Ryan Brady suggests making your feeder more attractive to your feathered friends. Brady says the best bird seed you can put out is black sunflower seeds.  “It’s fairly inexpensive, it works for a lot of different species and it has a high fat content,” Brady says, “so it’s good for the birds.”

Brady says you should also be sure to plant some cover for the birds that’s close to the feeder so they can hide from predators.  “Shrubbery that’s going to have a lot of thick branches, provide some cover from the elements,” Brady says. “Evergreens or conifers are excellent, so maybe plant a spruce or a fir.” If it’s impractical to place a shrub near your bird feeder, consider creating other cover nearby, like a brush pile.  “Maybe branches or other clippings that you have cut around your yard to spruce things up, instead of discarding them, make a pile of them off in the corner of your yard or property, maybe near the feeding station,” Brady says.

Iowans who have a traditional birdbath might consider adding a dripper, mister or bubbler to create motion in the water. Birds can see and hear that motion from a great distance and many curious species will fly in to investigate.

(Radio Iowa) – This is National Donate Life Month and Iowans are being reminded to check the organ donor box when they first get or renew their drivers licenses. Registered Nurse Deb Thielan, at Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says this month is designed to educate people about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donations. “There are 565 Iowans on the list needing organs at this time,” Thielan says. “Every 10 minutes, a new person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list.”

From that national waiting list, there are 20 deaths every day. Thielan also notes, some 74-hundred lives are saved across the country every year through what are called “living donations.” “It’s an alternative type of donation for individuals waiting for an organ transplant from a deceased donor,” Thielan says. “It takes place when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ for transplantation to another person. That’s something to think about. It usually involves a single kidney, part of a liver, a lobe of a lung.”

She encourages everyone to sign up to be donors. “Don’t rule yourself out based on your age or what your current medical conditions may be,” Thielan says. “At the time of death, a medical assessment is completed and they will review all of the past medical history, factors that led up to the death, and they are the ones who will determine eligibility.”

The Iowa Donor Network partners with more than 120 hospitals and hundreds of E-M-S, medical examiners, hospice, and long-term care facilities to maximize the number of lives saved through organ and tissue donation.

iowadonornetwork.org

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled against a 74-year-old Audubon man who was convicted of 3rd Degree Sexual Abuse of a female child. In their decision filed today (Friday), the High Court denied a judgement appeal and sentence for John Charles Donahue, who contended the district court erred by prohibiting his trial counsel from cross-examining the complaining witness about another allegation of abuse made by the witness. Donahue also claimed the district court submitted an erroneous jury instruction, and the verdict was not supported by sufficient evidence. When the court of appeals decision was affirmed, Donahue asked the State Supreme Court to review the case.

Donahue’s first trial ended with a hung jury and a mistrial. According to court records, Prosecutors in Iowa alleged Donahue committed third-degree sexual abuse against a person referred to in documents as “T.G.”   The incidents took place from July 31, 2014 through August 26, 2016, in Audubon County. After reviewing the case, the SUPCO concluded the district court did not abuse its discretion when it prohibited Donahue from questioning the victim about an incident in Carroll, and that the district court was not in error, when it submitted certain instructions to a jury. The Justices said also, “Based upon our review of the record, we conclude there is sufficient evidence to support Donahue’s conviction of sexual abuse in the third degree. As a result, we see no basis to disturb [his] conviction.”

The news at 8:07-a.m., w/Ric Hanson.

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The latest area/state news at 7:05-a.m., with News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – The two prisoners charged in the murders of a nurse and guard at the Anamosa State Prison were both formerly held in the Woodbury County Jail. Twenty-eight-year-old Michael Dutcher, of Sioux City, and 39-year-old Thomas Woodard of Union, Nebraska are each charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and second-degree kidnapping in the Tuesday killings. Woodbury County Chief Deputy Tony Wingert remembers issues, Dutcher. “He was a problem inmate. With Dutcher, his actions made us more heightened, we would have extra officers escort him. He is in our computer numerous times while incarcerated for incidents — for acting out, for fighting for disobeying rules, for just being anti-social,” according to Wingert. “He was somebody we knew we had to be extra cautious around, because of what he was going to do.”

Wingert says the deaths at the Anamosa prison are a grim reminder that jail staff deal with dangerous inmates every day. “It’s a tragedy, it just shows how fast something can happen. No matter if you think you are doing everything right — something can change in the blink of an eye,” Wingert says. “And unfortunately with a tragedy like this, it does make our staff take a step back and go ‘alright I’ve got to up my game even higher.”

The D-C-I says Dutcher and Woodard struck and killed registered nurse Lorena Schulte and correctional officer Robert McFarland with a hammer when they tried to stop them from escaping. Dutcher and Woodard served time in Woodbury County on several robbery and theft charges. Wingert says Dutcher was in the Woodbury County Jail after a bank robbery in Holstein where he had a gun. And another gun was stolen.

Dutcher was taken to Anamosa in May of 2015 to serve a 50-year sentence for first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, and other charges. Woodard arrived at Anamosa in 2017 for a 25-year sentence for first-degree robbery and burglary. Both now face life in prison if convicted of the murders.

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowa insurance companies might start selling private flood insurance policies to cover homes if a bill that’s won House approval becomes law. Representative Gary Mohr, of Bettendorf, says these private policies could become a viable alternative to federal flood insurance. “Seldom do we get a chance in a single bill to help jump start a new, private sector marketplace product in Iowa,” Mohr says. “…With Iowa being a leader in the insurance industry, we see this as a potentially big, new, national private sector marketplace in the residential flood insurance market.”

An eligible insurance company must have a state certificate to do business in Iowa and a company would be required to file rates for its flood insurance policies with Iowa’s insurance commissioner. Representative Jon Jacobsen of Council Bluffs says this could be an important business opportunity. “Literally not a day goes by without questions from constituents on the flooding,” Jacobsen says. “Flood insurance has been a big issue for them.”

Representative Steven Hansen says because of federal flood insurance program rules, his constituents along Prairie Creek in Sioux City face significant hardships. “Hopefully this will give another alternative for some of those people who either are getting priced out of that market, couldn’t get a mortgage on their house because of it or any other number of problems with the flood insurance program.”

The bill, as written, would only allow private flood insurance policies to cover a primary residence. A non-profit group called First Street Foundation evaluates flood risks. It estimates nearly 300-thousand homes and businesses are at substantial risk of flooding between now and 2050. FEMA is scheduled to announce new rates for the National Flood Insurance Program on April 1st.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has approved changes in how schools may use state funding for the Teacher Leadership and Compensation program. Republican Representative Holly Brink of Oskaloosa says not every Iowa teacher wants to be in a leadership role. “Just like students learn differently, teachers may feel that they educate and lead differently,” Brink said, “so we should continue to support them.” Former Governor Terry Branstad led the charge to send schools state grants specifically to boost pay for teachers who coach or mentor other teachers.

If the bill becomes law, Brink says school districts could use any money left-over in other ways. “Education is a priority. We’ve spent a lot of time this year talking about that already,” Brink says. “We need to continue to evaluate the process and the systems to ensure that we are doing the best we can.” Representative Mary Mascher of Iowa City and many other House Democrats objected.

“We have one of the best mentoring programs for new teachers in the country,” Mascher says. “…To take funding away from that makes no sense at all.” Some Democrats raised objections about other parts of the bill. The legislation would get rid of the requirement that students must wait 90 school days when transferring to another school before they may play varsity sports.

Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville, suggests there’ll be a summer draft for prospective high school athletes if the waiting period is reduced to 90 calendar days. “This bill is a launching for high school trading cards,” Jacoby says. “…Interestingly enough, the bill also has a provision to be retroactive. Is this a carve out for specific players — sorry, for specific students?” The bill would double the Iowa tuition and textbook tax credit for parents of K-through-12 students attending accredited public and private schools. Five Democrats, including the House Democratic Leader, joined Republicans in voting yes on the bill.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The rural jail that has long been the largest detention facility for immigrants facing deportation in Iowa plans to stop housing long-term detainees without additional federal funding or other changes. The Hardin County Jail has informed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that it plans to end its current contract, citing a declining detainee population and new standards that have dramatically increased costs for medical care and suicide prevention. Negotiations between the federal agency and the jail are ongoing, and administrator Nick Whitmore says no changes are expected to happen imminently.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa public health data shows the state’s positivity rate, hospitalizations and COVID-19 patients in intensive care are all trending upward. Some health experts feared spring weather and the belief that the coronavirus pandemic is waning would lead people to let down their guard, driving up virus activity. Iowa reported 641 new confirmed positive cases and six additional deaths on Thursday, increasing the death toll to 5,689. Hospitalizations rose to 207 after they had declined to under 200 in late February. The state has delivered 1.37 million doses and more than 877,000 people have received at least one dose. Still, just 16.8% of the state’s total population has been fully vaccinated.

CAMBRIDGE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol says a man in a stolen Maserati led officers on a chase through four counties while reaching speeds up to 150 mph. Patrol Lt. Nathan Ludwig says the pursuit began about 6 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 35 near the Ankeny exit when a trooper clocked the car going 97 mph. Ludwig says the driver, 43-year-old John Burgoyne of Des Moines, rented the vehicle and didn’t return it. Several law enforcement officers chased the vehicle for more than two hours through Polk, Marshall, Jasper, and Story counties. The car was eventually found parked on a vacant farm property near Cambridge and Burgoyne was arrested.

CAMBRIDGE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol says a man in a stolen Maserati led officers on a chase through four counties while reaching speeds up to 150 mph. Patrol Lt. Nathan Ludwig says the pursuit began about 6 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 35 near the Ankeny exit when a trooper clocked the car going 97 mph. Ludwig says the driver, 43-year-old John Burgoyne of Des Moines, rented the vehicle and didn’t return it.

Several law enforcement officers chased the vehicle for more than two hours through Polk, Marshall, Jasper, and Story counties. The car was eventually found parked on a vacant farm property near Cambridge and Burgoyne was arrested.