(Radio Iowa) – Three years ago, Republicans in the Iowa House drafted a bill that would have given Iowa parents five-thousand dollar state grants to cover the costs of private school tuition and fees for their kids. House Speaker Pat Grassley says that’s one of many ideas G-O-P lawmakers may consider during the 2021 legislative session. “Parental choice needs to be the focus of whatever we’re doing when it comes to education reform,” Grassley says. “…Everything is on the table from House Republians’ perspective as we go into session.”

Critics say so-called “voucher” plans divert tax dollars to private institutions and undermine public schools. Grassley says several different pieces of education-related legislation are under consideration. “From the governor saying that we’d like to see more kids in school. You know there are a lot of parents who don’t even feel like they’re being listened to right now, that don’t even have the option of sending their kid if they wanted to,” Grassley says. “I think our focus is going to be on parental choice, with everything on the table as we go into session, so the conversations around education won’t be just about funding. I think it’s going to be about overall reforms.”

Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says it is very important that parents have the option of having their children attend school in person. “I think the education conversation will be the most important conversation that we’re going to have this entire session,” Whitver says. “…We understand some people, some parents, some students don’t feel comfortable being in the classroom and that option is there for those people, but for a large majority of Iowans, they want their kids in the classroom as much as possible.”

Whitver says getting students back in the classroom full time next semester will help them catch up academically. House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard of Charles City says public schools contribute to the economy and deserve more support, not less. “It’s where the rubber meets the road for many Iowans in terms of getting their education and sometimes basic needs for people,” he says, “whether it’s a nutrition program that the school runs or other services that are coming through the schools.”

Prichard says Democrats are strong supporters of public education and diverting tax dollars to private schools would do more harm than good.

Red Oak Police report the arrest at around 12:45-a.m. today (Wednesday), of 36-year old Chandra Christine Baggett, from Red Oak. She was taken into custody for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense and was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in the arrest.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:25 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Crews have started vaccinating people in Iowa’s nursing homes, bringing hope that families will soon be able to visit the isolated residents, although it could take weeks to complete the vaccination drive. The government has contracts with three pharmacy companies to vaccinate nursing home residents and staff. They began Monday. Iowa Health Care Association CEO Brent Willett says Iowa has about 31,000 residents and 37,000 staff members in 445 nursing homes and 258 assisted living facilities. He says vaccinations are the most significant development for nursing facility residents who have been largely isolated from their families during the pandemic.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge who has warned against political corruption is ridiculing President Donald Trump’s pardons, including those issued to former Republican members of Congress and campaign operatives. Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt of the Southern District of Iowa says, “It’s not surprising that a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals.” In a bit of humor, the judge says that “to get a pardon, one has to be either a Republican, a convicted child murderer or a turkey.” Pratt was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

ZEARING, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man accused of killing his wife will go to trial in June. WHO-TV reports that 70-year-old Gary Pillman was previously declared incompetent to stand trial, but that ruling was reversed after psychiatric treatment. Pillman has pleaded not guilty. Betty Pillman was found dead outside the couple’s home in Zearing in November 2019. She had been stabbed. Court documents say Gary Pillman went to a neighbor and admitted to the killing, saying he also tried to kill himself. The bench trial is scheduled for June 2.

LAKE PARK, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released some additional details about the suspicious death of a 25-year-old woman last week in a small lake community in northwestern Iowa. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said Monday that Angel Bastman was found dead in her home in Lake Park on Dec. 22. Her death is being treated as a homicide. Four days after Bastman’s body was discovered, police located a vehicle she had rented and tried to stop it, but the driver fled. The 23-year-old driver of that vehicle was arrested for fleeing police after the vehicle crashed. Authorities are still investigating Bastman’s death.

[COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA, December 29, 2020] –Snow Emergencies have been put in place in Pottawattamie County and several cities within the county. With the amount of snow that has fallen during this storm system, Pottawattamie County and several cities have implemented snow emergency declarations to expedite the removal of snow from streets, highways, and rural road systems.

“During these instances where Snow Emergencies are declared, it is important for us all to work together to ensure the safety of our community as well as our public works and roads personnel,” said Michell Bose, Emergency Management Specialist with the Emergency Management Agency. Those jurisdictions declaring snow emergencies and valid times include:

For updated information on current weather information visit the Emergency Management website at https://pcema-ia.org, Facebook, and Twitter feeds. Please visit your local city or the county websites and social media platforms for specific emergency snow route and restriction information

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge who has warned against political corruption is ridiculing President Trump’s pardons, including those issued to former Republican members of Congress and campaign operatives. Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt of the Southern District of Iowa says, “It’s not surprising that a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals.” In a bit of humor, the judge says that “to get a pardon, one has to be either a Republican, a convicted child murderer or a turkey.”

Pratt was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports an Atlantic woman was arrested Dec. 17th on drug and alcohol charges. 55-year-old Lisa Jean Eggers was arrested for Possession of Marijuana 3rd/Subsequent offense; OWI/1st Offense; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Eggers was being held in the Cass County Jail on $10,300 bond.

On Dec. 21st, 53-year-old Kevin Lance Drew, of Massena, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Webster County. Drew was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released when Webster County recalled the warrant. The following day (Dec. 22nd), Cass County Deputies arrested 66-year-old Randall Dean Bates, of Griswold, for OWI/1st Offense. Bates was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

And, this past Sunday (December 27), at around 9:52-a.m., Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a single-vehicle accident on Highway 148, north of Keystone Road. A 2000 Chevy Tahoe driven by 22-year-old Heather Ashley East, of Prescott, was southbound on Highway 148 when the woman lost control of the SUV on the icy roadway. The vehicle entered the west ditch. No injuries were reported; no citations were issued. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $3,500.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board has approved a grant for a new center at the University of Iowa. Economic Development Authority spokesperson, Kannen Kappleman, says the grant is around two-point-nine million dollars for the Iowa Wastewater and Waste-to-Energy Research Program Innovation Center. “The University will receive the funding over the course of five years for the instrumentation and equipment needed to build the facility, which will support critical fee-for-service analyses unavailable in Iowa to support local wastewater and waste-to-energy stakeholders,” Kappleman says.

She says the money comes from the I-E-D-A’s strategic infrastructure program. “The strategic infrastructure program supports projects that develop commonly utilized assets with the goal of providing a competitive advantage to one or more private sector entities. Or that create necessary physical infrastructure in the state,” according to Kappleman. She says this facility will provide a lot of valuable information to Iowa communities. “Wastewater maintenance and the facilitation of that is critical need…not only from an agricultural perspective, but also from the standpoint of manufacturing,” Kappleman says.

She says the facility will help bring innovative solutions to market for addressing Iowa’s wastewater treatment challenges.