(Radio Iowa) – Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne says she was shocked by President Trump’s announcement that all pandemic relief negotiations were suspended until after the election. Axne says she was on a conference call with House Democrats, being briefed about the latest round of negotiations, when the president sent his tweet.

“Deciding that it was more important for him to push something off until after the Election instead of helping the American people put food on the table, make sure that our health care providers had the PPE that they needed and get our economy back up and running,” Axne says.

Trump has since backtracked, indicating that before November 3rd he’d sign bills providing relief to businesses and sending another 12-hundred dollar stimulus check to most Americans. Republican David Young is the former third district congressman who is running against Axne this year and he blames Democrats in the House for the impasse. But Young says in addition to Trump’s latest list, the package should include money for the child care industry as well as liability protections to shield small businesses from Covid-related lawsuits.

“There’s a package that lingering and almost dead probably in Washington, D.C. because of dysfunction that could be used right now,” he says, “…to help Iowans get out of this suffering.” Young and Axne made their comments during a debate late Wednesday afternoon on W-H-O Television.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Amid surging virus case numbers in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds is evoking President Donald Trump in saying, “We can’t let COVID-19 dominate our lives.” Reynolds acknowledged Wednesday that Iowa is seeing surging numbers of coronavirus cases and record hospitalizations. But she insists the health care system can handle the increase and no further action is needed to reduce infections. Reynolds argued that she must balance safety precautions against moves to open businesses, schools and return to normal life. There were 444 people being treated for the coronavirus in hospitals as of Wednesday morning. In the past 24 hours, the state had 919 new confirmed positive cases and 15 more deaths.

VAN METER, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa coach and teacher has been charged after police say he assaulted one of a group of students trying to toilet-paper his house. Police say Joel Bartz stopped a truck carrying a group of teens near his home around 10 p.m. on Sept. 17. A criminal complaint says that when one of the students got out of the truck and approached the teacher, Bartz grabbed the student and pulled him down while punching him in the back and head. Bartz is charged with assault and criminal mischief. He is Van Meter School District middle school science teacher and coach on the high school football and basketball teams. The district says he has been placed on leave.

UNDATED (AP) — Microsoft has announced plans to build two more data centers in the Des Moines area. The Des Moines Register reports that the tech giant confirmed that its land purchases last month are for the development of more space for servers that bolster its cloud computing operations. West Des Moines Community and Economic Development Director Clyde Evans said he expects developers to break ground on the new projects next September and open the first buildings in the fall of 2022. Evans said the projects typically cost between $1-2 billion, occupy about 1.2 million-1.8 million square feet and employ 50-75 workers.

WYOMING, Iowa (AP) — A prosecutor has determined that a deputy was justified in shooting and wounding a man who fired into a home in eastern Iowa and waived a firearm at law enforcement. The Jones County Attorney’s Office said in a news release Wednesday that the determination was reached after an investigator interviewed witnesses about the Sept. 21 shooting of 51-year-old James Orval Bartram and reviewed body camera and dashcam video.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has denied the appeal of a West Des Moines woman convicted of starving her adopted daughter to death. Nicole Finn appealed her conviction for first-degree murder in the death of Natalie Finn and three counts of first-degree kidnapping involving Natalie and two other children.

Nicole Finn (File Photo)

The murder charge was merged with the kidnapping charges and she is serving three consecutive life sentences.

Nicole Finn argued the jury was improperly instructed on the meaning of the term kidnapping. Evidence in the case indicated Natalie Finn was emaciated when found and she and the other children had been locked in a room with very little food. The Appeals Court ruled substantial evidence supports the jury’s finding that the three children were “confined” within the meaning of the instruction given on kidnapping. They denied that claim and several others put forth by Nicole Finn in her appeal.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Joni Ernst says the economic stimulus plan drafted by a bipartisan group of House Democrats and Republicans could be the starting point for renewed negotiations. “I do hope that we move forward with a package, but it does have to be focused on Covid-19 relief,” Ernst says. On Tuesday, President Trump postponed negotiations until after the Election.

A few hours later, Trump announced on Twitter he’d immediately accept bills providing relief for the airline industry and small businesses as well as another round of stimulus checks to individuals. The plan from the bipartisan “Problem Solvers” Caucus in the House calls for one-and-a-half TRILLION dollars in spending. “It’s probably still a little higher than what we would want to see in the senate, but — again — it is such a great starting place,” Ernst says.

House Democrats have passed two pandemic relief packages that stalled in the Senate. Ernst says she’s opposed to provisions in those bills that would have provided more federal money to states and cities.
* “What Iowa taxpayers tell me is why should I, when I do the right thing, have to bail out another state?” Ernst says. Ernst made her comments after visiting a biodiesel plant in Mason City. Earlier Wednesday, Ernst toured Winnebago Industries facilities in Forest City.

Ernst, who is co-chair of the 12-member Senate R-V Caucus, notes R-V sales have increased during the pandemic. “People are fascinated with spending time as a family, but in a safe way and they have found that camping and RV-type activities really fill that gap where maybe they’re not able to do a traditional type of family get-away where they’re going to a hotel somewhere,” Ernst says. Winnebago managers highlighted solar and lithium battery technology that’s incorporated in the company’s R-Vs.

The Atlantic City Council acted on a number of matters during their regular meeting, Wednesday evening:

• They approved an Order to refer a proposal to vacate an obsolete Right-Of-Way (ROW) on E. 9th Street, to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Commission on Oct. 13th will review the proposal and forward its recommendation to back to the City Council. The Council will hold a public hearing and three readings of the ordinance before it becomes official.
• The Council approved an Amended City Attorney Retainer Agreement with Otto, Lorence & Wiederstein, P.L.L.C, for the services of Blake Miller, who works with a law firm out of Harlan. He replaces Audubon County Attorney Sarah Jennings, who represented Atlantic during matters that caused a conflict of interest with our City Attorney Dave Wiederstein.
• The Council held and passed the second reading of an Ordinance Vacating a City ROW between Hemlock & Sycamore Streets, south of E. 18th Street, to include “Phantom” alley.
• And, the Atlantic City Council passed, by a vote of 5-to 1, the first reading of an ordinance that amends the Code of Ordinances, with regard to “Stop Required” at the intersection of 22nd & Olive Streets. The nay vote came from Councilman Dick Casady. Councilperson Kathy Somers was absent from the proceedings.

The City’s Community Protection Committee (CPC) had unanimously recommended the current two-way stop at the intersection be expanded to four-way, and they recommend making the intersection of 32nd Street and Chestnut be converted to a three-way stop, to slow down the traffic flow in that area. During the Public Comment portion of the Atlantic City Council meeting, resident  Dale Retallic said he and most of the residents in the area of 22nd and Olive oppose the four-way stop for a number of reasons.

Among them is the speed limit, which is 35-mph. He says motorists are speeding, the City needs to hand out tickets, which will get the point across for traffic to slow down.

In other business, a Resolution adopting a policy on limiting street closures for certain events failed by a vote of 5-to-1. The CPC recommended approval of the Resolution, which says street closure request shall be granted no more than twice per year, per individual or business, and that such closures be made for “a good cause,” but Events sponsored directly by the City or through the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, would be exempt from the requirement.

A majority of the Council felt is was not in the best interests of the City to prevent bringing business and visitors to town through the use of limited street or alley closures. Councilmen Pat McCurdy and Gerald Brink expressed their opposing views….

Police Chief Dave Erickson said there have been no problems associated with the temporary closure of certain streets or alleys associated with special events. The Council agreed it would be best to continue each request on a case-by-case basis.  And finally, the Council, Wednesday, accepted the Tax Sale Certificate for 301 Maple and 101 Cedar Streets. They also approved a Change Order for the Downtown Revitalization Project.

WYOMING, Iowa (AP) — A prosecutor has determined that a deputy was justified in shooting and wounding a man who fired into a home in eastern Iowa and waived a firearm at law enforcement. The Jones County Attorney’s Office said in a news release Wednesday that the determination was reached after an investigator interviewed witnesses about the Sept. 21 shooting of 51-year-old James Orval Bartram and reviewed body camera and dashcam video.

(A-P) – Microsoft has announced plans to build two more data centers in the Des Moines area. The Des Moines Register reports that the tech giant confirmed that its land purchases last month are for the development of more space for servers that bolster its cloud computing operations.

West Des Moines Community and Economic Development Director Clyde Evans said he expects developers to break ground on the new projects next September and open the first buildings in the fall of 2022. Evans said the projects typically cost between $1-2 billion, occupy about 1.2 million-1.8 million square feet and employ 50-75 workers.

VAN METER, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa coach and teacher has been charged after police say he assaulted one of a group of students trying to toilet-paper his house. Police say Joel Bartz stopped a truck carrying a group of teens near his home around 10 p.m. on Sept. 17. A criminal complaint says that when one of the students got out of the truck and approached the teacher, Bartz grabbed the student and pulled him down while punching him in the back and head.

Bartz is charged with assault and criminal mischief. He is Van Meter School District middle school science teacher and coach on the high school football and basketball teams. The district says he has been placed on leave.

An Adair County man and his wife have started a non-profit organization as a way to fold the end of the Freedom Rock®Tour into the next chapter. In 1999 Ray “Bubba” Sorensen painted his first mural on a large 90-ton boulder east of Highway 25 and south of I-80, in Adair County. He has repainted it every year since, for the past 22 years.

Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock®. Instead, he does it as a tribute to men and women in the military both past and present. In 2008, Sorensen and his wife Maria, opened a mural and photography business in Greenfield They also created the Iowa & 50 State Freedom Rock® Tour(s) in 2013.

Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, his wife Maria & their children (Photo submitted)

Since then, the couple, along with their two young children, have been traveling the state (and country) placing a Freedom Rock® in all of Iowa’s 99 counties and six other states. With the tour getting closer to completion, Ray and Maria decided the next step would be to create the not-for-profit foundation, which will exist to continue the mission of the original Freedom Rock,® and the Freedom Rock® Tour. It will also assist in creating new murals and memorials as well.

The Foundation will help communities whose own Freedom Rocks may have rock chips or flakes, over time, or even vandalism. Maria Sorensen says “There’s already be a car crash into a Freedom Rock®. We just wanted something in place that will help these communities maintain any upkeep they may have. They supported us when we first announced the tour and now, we want to support them.”

As the Foundation grows the foundation will look to create new Veteran themed murals and memorials, assist schools/classes to work with the Sorensen’s in creating murals in their space, and fixing Veteran’s headstones and memorials. The Sorensen’s have some ambitious goals for the Freedom Rock® Foundation, including to eventually have a physical location for people to visit and for the Sorensen’s to operate out of.

The new Studio/Museum would feature artifacts from the Freedom Rock®Tour, original artworks and a place to watch them work on new pieces and projects. “We welcome anyone who wants to join us in supporting The Freedom Rock® Foundation and we look forward to growing this project,” Sorensen said.

Donations can be made online at: https://www.freedomrock.foundation. Or may be sent to:The Freedom Rock® Foundation, P.O. Box 97 Greenfield, IA 50849

HAMBURG, IA – Iowa 3rd District Democrat Representative Cindy Axne, Wednesday (today) announced a new, nearly $7.9-million dollar grant for the city of Hamburg, to fund critical infrastructure improvements aimed at protecting businesses and neighborhoods at risk of flooding along the Missouri River. The grant, which was provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), is funded through additional funding secured in last year’s federal disaster aid bill.

Her office says Rep. Axne fought to expand the disaster relief bill in order to cover flood recovery and repair projects after disastrous flooding along the Missouri River last March.  The grant was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), and is projected to support nearly 350 jobs.

To date, $603-million on federal funds have been spent in Iowa for flood recovery efforts.