(Radio Iowa) – A bill advancing in the Iowa Senate would eliminate the state’s inheritance tax, a move that’s being backed by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. Cora Fox, the association’s government relations director, says the inheritance tax has long been a burden for many Iowans, particularly farmers and ranchers.

Fox says her group is encouraged by the bill’s progress in the Senate.

In addition to impacting farmers and ranchers, Fox says Iowans not involved with agriculture are also adversely affected by the tax.

The bill unanimously passed a subcommittee and will advance to the full Senate Ways and Means Committee. Chairman Dan Dawson, a Republican from Council Bluffs, says he expects elimination of the inheritance tax to be incorporated into a larger tax policy bill that will be taken up later this session.

Atlantic, IA — Cass County Public Health is beginning to receive a limited supply of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for Tier 1 of Phase 1B, which includes people who are 65 and older, first responders, PK-12 school personnel and childcare workers. CCPH Director Beth Olsen said Friday (today), “We received 100 doses today, and very surprisingly, we received notice that we may be expecting 300 more doses next week. While that’s a very welcome surprise, and we’re prepared to use them quickly, it certainly doesn’t meet the full demand. Many Cass County residents are age 65 and older, and we have a list of more than 2,000 people who are signed up and want to receive the vaccine.”

It is anticipated vaccine allocations will be limited and continue to come in small batches through the next several months. Olsen says “We ask for everyone to be patient as we move through this process together. Please know if you have signed up already there is nothing more you need to do, and we will call and set up an appointment when we have a vaccine available.”

The initial 400 doses will be given to people eligible in either Phase 1A or Tier 1 of Phase 1B, all in accordance with guidelines set forth by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Cass County Public Health anticipates that weekly allocations will become more regular in the coming months, and encourages all residents to stay tuned to updates through local news sources and on Cass County Health System’s website and social media pages.

Until vaccine is widely available to all, it is crucial that Iowans continue to practice the mitigation measures that can slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

• Wearing a mask or face covering
• Practice social distancing with those outside your household
• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water
• Stay home if you feel sick

For information and updates related to COVID-19, visit https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus/Vaccine and follow IDPH on Facebook (@IowaDepartmentofPublicHealth) and Twitter (@IAPublicHealth).

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors in the case of a slain University of Iowa student are calling defense attorneys’ subpoenaing of the victim’s bank records a “fishing expedition.” The Gazette reports that defense attorneys for Cristhian Bahena Rivera have subpoenaed Mollie Tibbetts’ bank records. Prosecutors with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office have filed a motion objecting. Rivera is charged with first-degree murder in Tibbetts’ July 2018 stabbing death. Officials say Rivera stalked Tibbetts while she was running in Brooklyn, Iowa, and stabbed her to death when she rejected his advances. Rivera’s trial is set to begin May 17.

(Update/Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed into law a requirement that Iowa’s K-through-12 schools hold all classes in-person by February 15th.

Fifteen public school districts and a private school are currently offering classes virtually or a hybrid model, with students in classrooms every other day.

Earlier this month, Reynolds called on legislators to pass a bill requiring full-time in-person instruction in Iowa schools. Republican lawmakers approved the bill yesterday (Thursday) and the governor signed it today (Friday).

Schools may continue to offer online classes to students, but it is not required. Holding classes in-person on each school day is. Democrats who voted against the bill say forcing face-to-face instruction for all students will difficult for large schools without space for social distancing. Reynolds says the state has face shields, hand sanitizer and other pandemic essentials on hand, ready to ship to school administrators who ask for supplies.

Reynolds made brief remarks in the statehouse rotunda late this (Friday) morning, then signed the bill into law in front of a small crowd of supporters.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s 15 community colleges continue to see a drop off in enrollment from its peak. Alison Jepsen of the Department of Education’s Division of Community Colleges says there were some 127-thousand people enrolled in the schools in the last academic year. “This is a decline of one-point-three percent from the previous year and this follows a national trend, as enrollment most recently peaked during the onset of the Great Recession, and has decreased an average of two-point-two percent since 2012,” Jepsen says.

She says high school kids who are taking community college classes are now a big part of the enrollment. “Joint enrollment of high school students increased two-point-four percent in academic year 19-20 — to a record high of 51-thousand-800 students,” according to Jepsen. “This demographic accounted for 40-point-eight percent of total enrollment, and 25-point-six percent of total credits.” The community colleges offer certificates and two-year degrees in a variety of fields. “The majority were in agriculture, automotive technology and repair, business, health sciences, information technology, engineering technology and manufacturing,” she says.

Jepsen says a record 69-thousand-614 students were enrolled in on-line credit courses. That is an 11 percent increase from the previous year. On-line noncredit enrollment increased 15-point-five percent to 14-thousand-123 students. You can see the full report on the Department of Education website at: https://educateiowa.gov/documents/iowa-state-board-education/2021/01/2021-01-28-condition-community-colleges

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped trespassing charges against an activist who secretly recorded Iowa’s largest pork producer using heat to kill hundreds of pigs last year as the pandemic devastated the industry. Matt Johnson, an activist with the group Direct Action Everywhere, had been scheduled to stand trial Monday in Grundy County, Iowa, on two counts of trespassing at Iowa Select Farms properties.

County prosecutors dismissed the charges Thursday at the request of Iowa Select, whose personnel had been subpoenaed to testify. A company spokeswoman says it “cannot be distracted by individuals who choose to break the law and grandstand.” Johnson is an Iowa native who now lives in Berkeley, California. He says the company is “desperate to conceal their abhorrent and criminal conduct.”

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two men and a woman were arrested on numerous charges Thursday evening, following the pursuit of a Nebraska plated vehicle during a traffic stop in the 29,000 block of Highway 34. The incident began at around 6:30-p.m.  When a Mills County Deputy attempted the traffic stop, the vehicle failed to stop and attempted to flee at speeds in excess of 100 mph. In the attempt to flee, the vehicle became stuck on a minimum maintenance road. Two of the three suspects inside the vehicle took off on foot, while the third was arrested at the vehicle.

Mills County pursuit suspects (Photo courtesy Mills County S/O)

The Fremont County K9 “Danken” arrived on the scene and began tracking the other two suspects. After a brief track, Danken and his partner located a female suspect, 24-year-old Jessica Hale, who was identified as the driver of the vehicle. She was hiding in a brush pile. K9 Danken, along with his handler and three back-up deputies began tracking after the second suspect and tracked him for nearly two-miles in below freezing temperatures.

Montgomery County EMA drone ready to be deployed (Montgomery County EMA Facebook page photo)

The Montgomery County EMA was able to use a drone to watch the suspect run into a nearby farm building, where perimeter deputies were able to take the suspect into custody. The suspect vehicle had illegal narcotics inside, and was confirmed stolen from Omaha. The suspects, Hale, 37-year old Richard McIntyre, and 35-year old Brandon Woodruff, all of Omaha, were booked into the Mills County Jail on multiple felony charges. In addition, Hale and Woodruff had outstanding warrants out of Douglas County, NE.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office was assisted during the incident, by the Mills and Fremont County K9 Units, Fremont and Montgomery Sheriff’s Departments, Montgomery County EMA, and Malvern Fire/Rescue. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office also sends a special “Thank you” to an anonymous Mills County resident who helped, by transporting the K9 team during the search efforts.

(Radio Iowa) – The governor is asking legislators to boost the D-O-T’s budget for road salt by one-point-three MILLION dollars, for NEXT winter. Lee Wilkinson is finance director for the Iowa Department of Transportation. “The last three years our salt usage has increased and that’s primarily due to the severity of the winters,” Wilkinson says.

In each of the past three winters, the D-O-T used about 214-thousand tons of rock salt, on average. The cost of rock salt increased 11 percent over that time frame, adding to the D-O-T’s dilemma. The governor is also asking legislators to ensure the agency can more quickly replace the blades on the D-O-T’s snow plows. Wilkinson says replacing the blades reduces wear and tear on the trucks, as well as on road surfaces. “Next to salt, they may be the most critical item that we buy to support winter operation,” Wilkinson says.

Wilkinson says blades haven’t been replaced as often as recommended, because managers currently search for unspent money elsewhere in the D-O-T budget for the purchases. The governor is suggesting legislators set aside at least 629-thousand dollars to buy new blades for D-O-T snow plows this summer.