(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on an Iowa House Committee have approved 82 rules for how the House operates, but they’ve rejected a rule requiring face masks be worn during the pandemic. Representative Brian Meyers, a Democrat from Des Moines, says wearing masks inside the Capitol is common sense. “This should not be controversial. I’m not sure why this is controversial,” Meyers says. “A lot of businesses require it. A lot of state government requires it.”

Republicans on the House Rules Committee rejected a mask mandate for the Capitol, but 69-year-old Representative Cecil Dolecheck, a Republican from Mount Ayr, said he thinks face coverings are appropriate and he’ll be wearing one in the Capitol.  “It seems to be a part of contention that really shouldn’t be,” Dolecheck said. “I hope everyone during this pandemic wears a mask and does their part to mitigate the spread.”

Dolecheck is from Ringgold County, the state’s second-smallest, population wise. It currently has the highest 14-day Covid positivity rate of any county in the state and, according to the state’s coronavirus tracking website, nine residents of Ringgold County have died of Covid.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill under consideration in the Iowa House creates a new charge for driving at an “excessive” speed and causing someone else’s death. According to the State Patrol, there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of tickets issued to drivers caught going more than 100 miles an hour. Last year, 69 people died in speed-related crashes in Iowa. A lobbyist for the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association says under current law, it’s difficult to appropriately charge a speeding driver involved in a fatal crash if they weren’t intoxicated or intentionally targeting someone.

If this bill becomes law, a driver could be sentenced to a decade in prison if their vehicle was going 25 miles per hour or more above the speed limit and it directly or indirectly caused the death of someone else. A member of the Iowa Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers says excessive speed is grounds for a conviction on already existing charges of vehicular homicide or involuntary manslaughter.

The bill, which was introduced, but never passed in the 2020 Iowa legislature, has cleared a House subcommittee.

Election officials in Adair County have posted a timeline for voter registration and absentee voting deadlines, ahead of the March 2, 2021 Nodaway Valley CSD Special Election. The purpose of the Special Election is to adopt a Revenue Purpose Statement specifying the use of revenues the school district will receive from the State of Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund.

The timeline is as follows:

• February 15th – Worry-Free Postmark Date: Mailed voter registration forms which are postmarked on or before today are considered on time to be pre-registered for the Special Election even if received after pre-registration deadline.
• February 19th – Pre-registration deadline: The deadline to pre-register to vote for this election is 5 p.m. This applies to registration in person (including registration at driver’s license stations or agencies) or by mail. Voters may register online until 11:59 p.m.
• February 19th – Last day to mail absentee ballots: Deadline to request an absentee ballot to be mailed is 5 p.m.
• March 1st – Absentee ballots postmark. All absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than March 1 and received by March 8. Deadline is 12 noon on March 8.
• March 2nd – Last day to return absentee ballots to Auditor’s Office Last day to return absentee ballots to the Auditor’s office before the polls close at 8:00 p.m.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of 66-year-old Harold Arthur Hart of Red Oak on a Fremont County Warrant for Theft 4th Degree. Hart was arrested at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at 211 S. 8th Street in Red Oak. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held until transport to Fremont County.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police in Cedar Rapids have announced an arrest in the December shooting death of an 18-year-old woman at an apartment complex. Police say in a news release that 20-year-old Larenzo Laroy Burnett was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and witness tampering in the fatal shooting of Marisa Doolin. Authorities found Doolin in the apartment Dec. 22 with a gunshot wound, and she died four days later.

Police believe Burnett pointed a gun at Doolin, but that it accidentally discharged. Investigators say Burnett also warned a witness not to talk to police about the shooting. Police say Burnett was already in the Linn County Jail on unrelated charges when he was arrested Tuesday morning.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors have added five felony weapons and assault counts against a white man already charged with attempted murder for shooting into a car carrying four Black girls during a rally for President Trump in Iowa. The Polk County Attorney’s Office has filed a formal charging document against 25-year-old Michael McKinney who has been jailed since his arrest hours after the Dec. 6 shooting near the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines.

Army veteran Michael McKinney, is shown in a Dec. 6, 2020 booking photo released by the Polk County Jail in Des Moines, Iowa. McKinney is charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a 15-year-old Black girl who was arguing with supporters of the president at a Trump rally, a case authorities have not detailed to the public. (Polk County Jail via AP)

In addition to attempted murder, the document charges McKinney with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, willful injury, assault while participating in a felony, reckless use of a firearm and going armed with intent. He has said he fired in self-defense.

CHANCELLOR, S.D. (AP) — An Iowa man is behind bars in South Dakota after a pursuit that crossed state lines and reached speeds of more than 100 mph. The chase started when deputies with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa started pursuing a stolen vehicle Monday. The pursuit entered Lincoln County when the South Dakota deputies there were asked to take over. It lasted for several miles in Lincoln County with speeds reaching 110 mph, authorities said.

The pursuit ended when a Highway Patrol trooper stopped the vehicle at an intersection west of Chancellor, South Dakota.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the legislature are prioritizing a process that would override an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that Iowa women have a right to abortion. A proposed amendment to Iowa’s constitution cleared its first hurdle in the House early this (Tuesday) morning. Iowans for Life executive director Maggie DeWitte thanked G-O-P lawmakers for bringing it forward so quickly in the 2021 session.

Kim Laube, director of life ministries for Lutheran Family Service, also spoke at the statehouse hearing.

Two Republicans on a House subcommittee voted to advance the proposal to the House Judiciary Committee. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell of Ames, the only Democrat on the subcommittee, says legislators should focus on other issues.

And Wessel-Kroeschell says she felt unsafe as others in the statehouse hearing room were not wearing face masks. Jamie Burch Elliott of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa is among the dozens of Iowans who submitted written comments rather than attending the in-person hearing. She says House subcommittee hearings should be held in a virtual format that lets members of the public speak during the meeting.

Burch Eliott made her comments during an online news conference held via Zoom. The process of amending Iowa’s constitution takes years and the proposed amendment discussed today (Tuesday) stalled in the House last June. That means 2024 is the earliest the amendment could be presented to voters for ratification or rejection.

A child passenger in a car was injured Tuesday morning in Red Oak, during a collision at the intersection of N. 4th and E. Maple Streets. Red Oak Police report the nine-year old girl suffered suspected minor injuries during the crash that happened just before 7-a.m.  She was transported by Red Oak Rescue to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital. During their investigation, Officers determined 20-year old Ashlee Young, of Red Oak, was driving a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on N 4^th Street and 30-year old Cassandra McVay, of Red Oak, was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu eastbound on E Maple Street, when she failed to yield at the yield sign, and to the right-of-way to Young’s vehicle.

Young’s Jeep struck McVay’s Malibu in the right rear quarter panel. Police issued McVay a warning for Failure to Obey a Yield Sign. Damage from the collision amounted to $11,000. Both vehicles were declared a total loss.

The Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton School Board, Monday evening, agreed in-principal, to continue Sharing Agreements they have with various area districts, including the position of School Business Officer, Human Resources, Transportation Director and Superintendent. Exira-EHK Superintendent Trevor Miller…

Among the adjustments or “tweaks” to those contracts they are proposing, is to Miller’s 80/20 contract, with regard to time spent in the district and cost sharing. He’ll meet Thursday evening with the IKM-Manning Board to continue the discussions. In other business, the Exira-EHK Board set their February 15^th meeting as the date for a Public Hearing on the proposed 2021-22 School Calendar.

The Board also agree to extend the Return-to-Learn and mask mandate until their meeting March 15^th.

And, they agreed to extend FFCRA leave (COVID-19 related), which had expired Dec.31^st. It will remain in-place now until the end of the school year. And, they approved the hiring of Emily McDermott as a Long-Term substitute 2^nd Semester English Teacher, along with the resignation of Librarian Linda Petersen, who is retiring, as well as Bus Driver David Anderson, who will still act as a substitute, when needed.