The Creston Police Department, Thursday (Today), said 22-year old Kane Allen Michael Farlow, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon. Farlow was taken into custody in the 300 block of N. Pine Street, on a Parole Violation charge. He was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:38 a.m. CST

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Within days of abandoning a plan to hire a private company to establish a statewide call center to help residents arrange coronavirus vaccine appointments Iowa officials now say they have decided not to contract with Microsoft Corp. to develop a centralized online system. The surprise move was announced by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday just 10 days after she said Microsoft was chosen and would have system set up in a few weeks. Reynolds says the state is working on alternatives for a call center and online registration. As of Wednesday Iowa was in 27th place among states with about 11% of its residents having received one or more vaccine dose

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Republican-dominated Legislature is advancing a bill that would drastically rewrite state election law in a way that critics say would favor the party. The bill discussed in a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday would cut the mail and in-person early voting period from 29 to 18 days, after Republicans whittled it down from 40 days just four years ago. It would bar counties from mailing absentee ballot applications to voters, tightly regulate how absentee ballots can be returned and potentially cut many early voting locations. The Iowa State Association of County Auditors is warning the bill would take away local decision-making, threaten severe penalties against election workers who make mistakes and increase staffing needs.

EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified a man killed and a suspect who was arrested in a stabbing at a northern Iowa pork processing plant. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a news release Wednesday that 50-year-old Wayne Smith, of Fort Dodge, was the man stabbed to death, and 26-year-old Lukouxs Brown, also of Fort Dodge, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the case. Officials say both men were employees at Prestage Foods near Eagle Grove, where the stabbing occurred early Tuesday morning. Authorities say Smith was found dead in a plant locker room. Officials say Smith and Brown knew each other, but did not have details about their relationship.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police in Davenport say a man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his mother. The Quad-City Times reports that police were called to the PR Masonry Apartments in Davenport late Tuesday afternoon to check on the welfare of a person. Arriving officers found the body of 77-year-old Dianna Rupp inside one of the units. Police have not said how she died. Police on the scene arrested Rupp’s son, 53-year-old Andrew Rupp. He was initially charged with interference of official acts and drug possession. Police say he was later charged with first-degree murder.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday, said a man was arrested on drug charges, Tuesday. Authorities say 37-year old Jason Lee Badberg, was arrested after Deputies executed a search warrant at 707 North Chestnut Street in Avoca. Badberg was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance 3^rd Offense (Marijuana).

On Monday, 31-year old Brenda Boyerman, and 28-year old Leighanna Ruth Walker, were arrested following a traffic stop near McPherson and Highway 6 in Pott. County. Boyerman was charged with Child Endangerment, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana) 1^st Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Walker was charged with Child Endangerment.

A traffic stop Sunday, in Avoca, resulted in the arrest of 60-year old Lee Jung Hoon Hansen, from Avoca. He was charged with Driving While Barred- Habitual Offender. Bond was set at $2,000.

Last Friday, 36-year old Jose Orlando Maes Jr., of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was arrested following an attempt by Council Bluffs Police to stop a vehicle at Harrah’s Casino. The driver failed to yield, resulting in a pursuit. Maes, Jr. was taken into custody for Willful Failure to Stop for Law Enforcement, and for being Fugitive from Justice. His bond was set at $6,000.

On Feb. 11th, 31-year old Matthew Mark Kurth was arrested following a traffic stop in Hancock. He was taken into custody for Driving While Barred- Habitual Offender, and on a warrant from another Iowa agency.

A public hearing was held during Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Atlantic City Council, during which there was minimal input with regard to a proposed amendment to the City’s Zoning Ordinance. The amendment would may make certain real property change from C-1 (Highway Commercial) to I-1 (light industrial), and changing the zoning maps to reflect the change. It would essentially allow Ray Armstrong to rezone his property at 1007 W. 6th Street, so as to further develop the property and use the built real estate, while remaining in compliance with zoning regulations.

Following the hearing the Council took into consideration the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission’s conclusion, that  the rezoning changes were not in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. The Commission prefers to see development occur at the location mentioned, but does not feel rezoning is the best way to see that happen. The P&Z will reconvene March 9th to fully review the relevant definitions and regulations for both C-1 and L1, to see if changes can be made to the Zoning Ordinance that reasonably accommodates development in the area, while also protecting the rights of abutting property owners.  The City Council, for its part, held the first reading of an Ordinance pertaining to the amendment, but the matter died for lack of a motion to approve.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council set their next regular meeting as the date for a Public Hearing on the FY 2022 Maximum Property Tax Dollars for Certain Levies. City Administrator John Lund says they proposed Budget for FY 2022 totals $14,638,261, or a decrease of 11.19% ($1,844,008) from the FY 2021 Revised Estimate of $16,482,269. And he said the budget will allow for work to proceed on an addition to the Atlantic Animal Shelter, along with other priority projects.

On property tax statements where no changes in assessed or taxable value have occurred, the City will show an increase of 2.59%, not the 2.87% shown on the public notice. Lund notes that “While 2.59% is the increase in dollars generated, it is not going to be reflective of the impact on the property taxes levied against individual properties.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, passed a Resolution they passed also set the date for a public hearing on a proposal to enter into a G.O. Solid Waste Management Loan Agreement and borrow money for the same, not to exceed $90,000. The City has, for the past two-years, entered into a 28-E cost sharing agreement with other cities in the County, to pay the Landfill costs, which will be paid for through the Debt Service Levy.

(Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds says it’s time for an ethanol mandate in Iowa, to boost an industry battered by the E-P-A’s resistance to the federal ethanol production mandate.

Bills introduced in the House and Senate would require Iowa gas pumps to offer at least a 10 percent ethanol blend by 2024. There’s also a requirement that all diesel fuel sold in the state include a percentage of soybean-based biodiesel.  The plan has the support of the biofuels industry and farm groups. Iowa Farm Bureau lobbyist Matt Steinfeldt testified during an online hearing.

Gas stations, truck stops and convenience stores oppose the bill. Matt McKinney, a lobbyist for Kum N Go, says expenses for retailers to comply with the mandate will be passed along to motorists.

Dave Scott, a lobbyist for the Iowa Motor Truck Association, says semis can travel hundreds of miles before refueling and the person who pays the bills rather than the state should decide what kind of fuel to buy.

Companies that operate the pipelines and terminals oppose the bill, too, and warn facilities have to spend millions to be able to handle higher blends of biodiesel. Drew Klein, state director of Americans for Prosperity, says the bill uses regulation to manipulate the market.

Brad Wilson, general manager of Western Iowa Energy in Wall Lake, suggests the governor’s plan corrects a market imbalance.

Nick Bowdish, C-E-O of Elite Octane — an ethanol plant in Atlantic, says many petroleum marketers prevent retailers from selling ethanol and biodiesel.

The bill has cleared initial review in House AND Senate subcommittees. One senator used the phrase “fast and furious” to describe the debate between supporters and opponents of the plan.

Along with the recent frigid temperatures a scam has re-surfaced. Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers said Wednesday, “Citizens are receiving telephone calls from an individual identifying as being a Mid-American Energy Customer Service Representative. The caller states the home owner or tenant’s utility bill has not been paid and disconnect is imminent unless an over the phone payment is made immediately.

THIS IS A SCAM.  Hang up immediately. Do not provide any personal or financial information to the caller.”

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is cancelling the contract for Microsoft to build a website for Iowans to schedule a Covid shot.

State public health officials say there are as many as 700 different providers giving vaccinations in Iowa that Microsoft would have had to merge into one website.

In addition to the 99 county public health departments in Iowa, pharmacies, hospitals and health clinics have been giving Covid shots. The state is scheduled to receive nearly 62-thousand first doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines next week, a 24 percent increase from this week’s allotment. State officials are encouraging providers to quickly schedule appointments based on that higher allocation.

Reynolds says there is an effort to train the operators who answer calls to 2-1-1.

In the meantime, Iowans eligible for vaccinations are encouraged to call their local Area Agency on Aging for assistance if they’re having trouble navigating online scheduling systems.

State officials are also encouraging county public health departments and pharmacies to schedule more vaccinations on weekends, when it may be more convenient for people who cannot get to a vaccination site during the week.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday (today) said there were two arrests over the past week and one injury accident. Taken into custody just before 5-a.m. Saturday during a traffic stop on I-29, was 58-year old Randolph Troy Smith, of Vero Beach, FL.  Smith was arrested for OWI/1st offense, with bond set at $1,000. And, on Feb. 11th, 38-year old Dustin Lee Harriman, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for two counts of Probation Violation. Harriman was being held on a $10,000 bond.

Thursday afternoon (Feb. 11), vehicles driven by 57-year old James Cooper, of Farragut, and 47-year old George Sievers, of Malvern, were westbound on Highway 34 at the intersection with 188th St., when Cooper became distracted by his phone going off. He took his eyes off the road just long enough to check the phone. When he looked up, he saw red lights and was unable to stop before his 2017 Chrysler hit the rear of Sievers’ 2014 Kia.

Sievers reported possible, unknown injuries, and was transported to the hospital by Glenwood Rescue.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services (BETS) a $10.1 million grant to provide law enforcement officials and first responders throughout the state with more than 4,000 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to improve cardiac arrest survival. The three-year project aims to equip every law enforcement vehicle in the state with an AED and train law enforcement professionals to deliver the best care prior to the arrival of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Additionally, the project will equip conservation officers and staff at state parks with AEDs.

Studies conducted by the American Heart Association demonstrate a dramatically higher survival rate for cardiac patients defibrillated by law enforcement, who are generally first on the scene, especially in rural areas. “On behalf of law enforcement officers and first responders across Iowa, I want to thank the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their commitment to saving lives,” said Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens. “When tragedy strikes, officers respond. This donation will put a defibrillator in up to 4,000 patrol cars and will equip officers with the ability to provide immediate and effective lifesaving efforts. There is no doubt lives will be saved and families transformed as a result of this generosity.”

During the first year of the grant, BETS will distribute LIFEPAK® CR2 defibrillators designed by Stryker to all participating law enforcement agencies for primary response vehicles. Master trainers throughout Iowa will teach and refresh CPR and AED skills, and agencies and training academies are invited to check out training devices for continued refresher training. Communication regarding the training requirements and device distribution will be sent through the ILEA contact lists and through the IDPH/BETS local public health, hospital and EMS coalitions.

The extreme time sensitivity of cardiac arrest makes it imperative that all responders within the out-of-hospital “Chain of Survival”[1] have the tools, technology, and training to maximize the chance of survival and recovery for victims of cardiac arrest. The six links in chain, according to the American Heart Association, are:

Recognition of cardiac arrest and activation of the emergency response system
Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with an emphasis on chest compressions
Rapid defibrillation
Basic and advanced emergency medical services
Advanced life support and post-cardiac arrest care
Recovery (including additional treatment, observation, rehabilitation, and psychological support)
The staff at BETS is committed to working with law enforcement agencies to assure the first three steps of the chain are maximized.