(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Corrections says a large-scale investigation has turned up evidence of the synthetic drug K-2 at the prison in Clarinda. Information from the Department of Corrections spokesman says staff at the Clarinda facility began noticing last week a sudden increase in the number of inmates experiencing symptoms consistent with those that have consumed a narcotic.

Prison leadership requested a large-scale search and dogs from six Iowa prisons searched for illegal narcotics and narcotic-laced materials. Approximately 60 inmates have been found to be involved in consumption, possession, or the introduction of K-2. The spokesman says the prison has known of an increase nationwide in substances coming into prisons through the mail.

The evidence at Clarinda is being processed and the department says it will try to adjust the mail system for inmates to allow those in the prison to still receive mail in a safe and secure fashion. Any decisions on charges against the prisoners will be made after the evidence is processed and the investigation is complete.

A man from Stuart faces a charge of first-degree harassment associated with a profane message he left in Governor Reynolds’ voicemail on Jan. 5^th. In his message, 48-year-old Harvey Hunter, Jr., who was  upset over the Governor’s handling of the COVID-19 restrictions, said Reynolds should be “hung for treason.” Hunter has defended his comments as being free speech, while expressing opposition to COVID-19 restrictions. The message was left on a governor’s office phone line set up to gather input over whether Reynolds should continue the partial statewide mask mandate.

Hunter called the GOP governor a dictator and said “every single one of you need to be hung for treason for pushing this COVID scam,” according to a criminal complaint filed in Polk County. Growing more intense, Hunter called Reynolds two derogatory names for women and said “you need to be put in front of a firing squad,” the complaint said. Hunter last month turned himself in to face the charge, an aggravated misdemeanor that carries up to two years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney recently filed a motion to take the governor’s deposition in the case. Trial is scheduled for June.

A charging document filed this month said that Hunter’s comments amounted to the most serious form of harassment under Iowa law because they included a “threat to commit a forcible felony” against the governor. In phone interviews Wednesday and Thursday, Hunter denied that he was threatening to kill the governor. Instead, he said she and other government officials who imposed COVID-19 restrictions that he believed were violations of freedom should be put on trial for treason and punished if convicted.

(Radio Iowa) – A Fort Dodge teen is charged in connection with a February shooting, while facing felony charges after running from police while carrying a gun on Wednesday. Fort Dodge police were able to take 18-year-old T’vyon S. Gully into custody after a foot pursuit. Police say Gully had a gun when he ran from them. Officers were able to get Gully to drop the gun without incident. Gully faces charges from the February shooting in which a 21-year-old man was injured, and he faces new charges that stem from Wednesday’s incident.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s now a mobile app for the College Savings Iowa program. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald’s office oversees the plan that allows you to sock away money for your kid’s education. “It’s called READY-SAVE -5-2-9, all one long word there. And you can go right to either Apple or Google Pay to download it, it’s free. Anytime you have your phone with you, you can call it right up. You can make a deposit or check your balances, you can do it right there,” Fitzgerald says.

Fitzgerald says it also makes it easier for others to contribute to your child’s fund. He says aunts, uncles, family and friends who may want to contribute a few dollars for the child’s birthday or other events can do so — as can owners or anybody who wants to contribute. Fitzgerald encourages parents to start a College Savings Iowa account as soon as they have kids, as he says even small amounts contributed each year will grow. “And of course, the more you can save, the easier it’s going to be, because colleges keep getting more expensive all the time,” according to Fitzgerald.

There is another benefit for parents as well. “Iowans can put three-thousand-474 dollars into one child’s account and deduct that much from your Iowa income tax — Iowa, not federal — and it’ll grow tax free,” Fitzgerald says. You can then deduct the money to pay qualifying college expenses once your kid is ready.

To find out more about how to start an account and the benefits and guidelines — call 888-672-9116 or visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, today (Thursday), announced that a federal search warrant was executed this morning, at a home on the 100 block of Ehrig Avenue in Treynor. The search at this residence was an official law enforcement action involving agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are unaware of any safety risk to the public.

Authorities say this is an ongoing investigation and no other information will be released at this time.

(Radio Iowa) – A new state policy bans family, friends and third parties from sending books to inmates in Iowa’s prisons, and it’s raising civil rights concerns among loved ones and advocates. Veronica Fowler, spokeswoman for the A-C-L-U of Iowa, says limiting inmates’ access only to books they buy themselves from state-approved vendors undermines their rights to freedom of expression. “The freedom to read is so closely linked to the freedom of thought and the freedom to learn,” Fowler says, “and no matter what your position is in our society, we should not be limiting that, within reason.”

For people serving time, books have long been a means of education and connection, a way to understand themselves and the outside world. James Tager is the research director at PEN America, a literature and human rights advocacy group. “All of this is fundamental to the human experience, which is to say it’s fundamental to human dignity,” Tager says. “That’s what we’re talking about when we’re talking about access to literature. And that’s what is affected by this provision that seems to dramatically restrict access to literature for incarcerated Iowans.”

The new policy also appears to cut off access to nonprofits which are dedicated to sending books to inmates. Loved ones say the change will result in significant cost increases that for some will be prohibitive. The Department of Corrections says the policy is needed due to an increase in contraband entering the prisons with books. Similar bans in other states have prompted legal challenges and public outcry.

(reporting by Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – For the second time this year, the Iowa Senate has voted to remove the time limit for filing criminal charges against people accused of sexually abusing children. Under current law, victims of child sex abuse have until their 33rd birthday to file criminal charges. Senate President Jake Chapman, a Republican from Adel, says criminals should always be held accountable. “Whether it’s five days from the time of their crime or 50 years from the date of the crime, someone who has committed sexual abuse against a minor should not get a free pass simply because within an arbitrary deadline,” Chapman said.

Chapman says legislators need to act now. “There’s a group of Iowans who have not received the protection they deserve,” Chapman said, “and while we are too late for many Iowans, it’s never too late to do the right thing.” Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, has been trying for years to get rid of THIS time limitation on CRIMINAL charges as well as the one that forbids child sex abuse victims from filing civil lawsuits seeking damages once they’ve reached their 33rd birthday. “The line in the sand is based on someone’s birthday,” Petersen says, “…the line drawn on justice.”

Senators unanimously voted to attach the legislation on criminal charges for child sex abuse to a different bill after their original bill on the subject failed to pass the House. It’s now up to the House to decide whether this proposal becomes law in 2021.

(Des Moines) – The Iowa Department of Public Health, Thursday (Today), reported there were 543 additional positive COVID-19 cases, for a pandemic total of 394,001, and one additional death, for a statewide total of 5,931 since the start of the pandemic. Deaths at long-term care facilities in Iowa account for 2,313 of the total number of deaths statewide.

Iowa’s positivity rate data show the 14-day average is 4.0%, and the 7-day average is 3.9%. Virus hospitalization data from the past 24-hours show: 184 hospitalized; 37 persons were admitted; 44 patients are in ICU (an increase of 7 from Wed.), and 25 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western/southwest Iowa): 17 COVID patients are hospitalized; 10 are in an ICU; three people were admitted with symptoms of the virus, and there are now four people on a ventilator.

Vaccinations administered as of Thursday total more than 2.28-million, and more than one-million persons have had their vaccination series completed.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

Cass, 1,450 cases; {+3}; 54 deaths
Adair, 980; {+2}; 32
Adams, 346 {+1}; 4
Audubon, 518 {+2}; 9
Guthrie, 1,280 {+4}; 29
Harrison County, 1,912; {+0}; 73
Madison County, 1,708; {+4; 19
Mills County, 1,772; {+1}; 21
Montgomery, 1,099;{+2}; 37
Pottawattamie County, 12,030; {+15}; 164
Shelby County, 1,355 {+2}; 37
Union County, 1,324; {+3}; 32

The Griswold School Board is expected to decide in the coming days, who will succeed Billy Hiatt as Middle School/High School Principal. The Board met Wednesday night and interviewed in separate closed sessions, three finalists out of 18 who had applied for the job. Hiatt had earlier announced his resignation from the post. The finalists each spent an hour with each group made up of School Board members, Administrators, and Community members.

In other business, the Griswold School Board, Wednesday, agreed to continue with the current face mask policy, which calls for masks/face coverings to be worn during school hours while in the school building, and during times when students are being transported by district vehicles.

The Board encourages the public to wear face coverings when they are in school buildings, during times that coverings would otherwise not be required.