(Radio Iowa) — Republican Senator Joni Ernst says she’s still hopeful a group of negotiators can agree on a new Farm Bill, but she says that may not happen until after next month’s election. Ernst is the only Iowan on the congressional committee trying to come up with a compromise. The 2014 Farm Bill expired September 30th. Congress is supposed to revisit federal food and ag policy issues every five years and vote to reauthorize the Farm Bill.

“If it is possible to bring the House and the Senate together, get to a consensus, do that after the midterm election, maybe we would be able to get the Farm Bill reauthorized by the end of the year,” Ernst said. “If that does not happen, then we would be looking at some sort of extension.” Voting to keep the the 2014 Farm Bill policies in place for another year is an option. Congress has used temporary extensions in the past when negotiations over a new Farm Bill have faltered.

“I would much rather have the Farm Bill reauthorized than go through these short-term extensions,” Ernst says. A few federal programs have been impacted since the Farm Bill expired five days ago. “However, SNAP and crop insurance, they are still good to go,” Ernst says. “No worries there, those remain in place.” SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also referred to as food stamps.

Having the so-called “lame duck” congress approve the next Farm Bill in November or December — after the election — is not unprecedented. The 1970 and 1990 Farm Bills were passed in the weeks after the mid-term elections in those years. The 2014 Farm Bill was actually supposed to be passed in 2013, but it took congress 21 months to come up with a final deal that could pass both the House and Senate.

(Radio Iowa) — An Iowan buried overseas as an unknown soldier for over 70 years is coming home. Army Private Donald Brown of Thompson was killed in World War II on July 28, 1944. Iowa National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Michael Wunn says research found Brown, who was 24 at the time of his death, was buried at an American Military Cemetery in France.

Army Pvt. Donald Brown

“With modern science, through DNA analysis, positive identification of the previously unknown remains of Private Brown were identified and are being brought home to his family here in Iowa for burial,” Wunn said. The ceremony will take place tomorrow (Saturday) at 3 p.m. at the Thompson Cemetery in Brown’s hometown, located in north-central Iowa’s Winnebago County. Some of his relatives plan to be there.

“Of course, his parents are gone, and his siblings are gone, but there will be a number of nieces and nephews who will be coming back for his service. Many of them have military service of their own they’ve provided to our country over the years,” Wunn said. Brown left for overseas duty in March of 1944. He was killed just four months later when his M-4 Sherman tank was destroyed near Cambernon, France.

“My understanding of it is that he was in a tank that was hit by enemy fire and he was one of the only ones in that tank who was killed,” Wunn said. “Some of the other crew members were able to get out. Unfortunately, because the tank was burning and the rapid pace of the advance, they were not able to recover his remains at the time of his death.” This is the third case this year that the Iowa National Guard has supported in which a previously unknown soldier was identified and brought back to the state for burial.

“I think it’s important to remember there’s ongoing work that continues in Europe and the Pacific to try to identify the unknown remains that we have of those missing from those conflicts – particularly World War II, Korea, and Vietnam,” Wunn said. “That work doesn’t stop, it continues, and it’s really important we bring everybody home that we’re able.”

Brown’s military awards and honors include the Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. Tomorrow’s interment ceremony is open to the public.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

WAUKON, Iowa (AP) — A northeast Iowa man convicted of fatally shooting his stepfather at the home they shared has been sentenced to up to 50 years in prison. The Courier reports that 32-year-old John Quanrude was sentenced Monday in Allamakee County District Court. He was convicted last month of second-degree murder in the April death of 60-year-old Dean Russell. Quanrude will spend at least 35 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has dealt a blow to the defense for an Iowa youth basketball coach charged with secretly recording his teenage players undressing. Judge C.J. Williams ruled Thursday that the seizure of a USB device from former Iowa Barnstormers coach Greg Stephen didn’t violate his privacy rights. The ruling means prosecutors can use videos found on the device against Stephen, who is charged with transporting and possessing child pornography and sexually exploiting minors

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Fred Hubbell will meet in the Des Moines area for their first debate. The candidates for governor will debate at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ankeny campus of Des Moines Area Community College. The debate is being organized by KCCI-TV and The Des Moines Register. It will be aired live on KCCI. The campaigns also have agreed to debates Oct. 17 in Sioux City and Oct. 21 in Davenport.

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — A group that studies paranormal activity wants to examine the former Winnebago County jail, but officials worry that allowing the visit could create liability problems. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports two men from a group based in Forest City asked the Winnebago County Board if they could spend the night in the former jail.

A man was arrested on a Sexual Abuse charge Thursday afternoon, in Montgomery County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 19-year-old Wyatt D. Baldwin, of Villisca, was arrested following an investigation into a reported incident of Sexual Abuse. Baldwin was taken into custody at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and booked-in without incident. He faces a Class-C felony charge of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree. Baldwin was being held without bond in the jail, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently approved more than $3.9 million in grants to assist 50 agencies with homelessness assistance initiatives during the 2019 calendar year. The funding is made available through the federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program and the state Shelter Assistance Fund (SAF).

The Iowa Finance Authority conducted a combined competition for the two programs and applications were scored in several categories, including project design, experience and capacity, community partnerships, performance, budget and grants management.

In the KJAN listening area:

• the Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center in Dallas County received a $104,059 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG).
• Heartland Family Services in Pottawattamie County received an ESG amounting to $178,224, and New Visions Homeless Services in Pott. County received a Shelter Assistance Fund (SAF) grant in the amount of $111,500.

The primary purpose of the Emergency Solutions Grant program is to help Iowans and their families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. Examples of eligible services include rental and other emergency financial assistance, emergency shelter, case management and supportive services. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and by the Iowa Finance Authority in Iowa. Twenty-seven agencies were awarded a total of more than $2.47 million in Emergency Solutions Grant Program funds.

The Shelter Assistance Fund program provides assistance to help with the costs of operations of homeless and domestic violence shelters, essential services for the homeless and evaluation and reporting services. Thirty-one agencies were awarded a total of more than $1.47 million in Shelter Assistance Fund grants.

Officials with the Cass County Republican Party report their headquarters in downtown Atlantic will be opening tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 5th). The headquarters is located at 422 Chestnut Street.

Hours may vary, but with the help of volunteer staffers, they will try to be open from 9-a.m. to 5-p.m. weekdays, and 9-a.m. to 2-p.m. on Saturdays. Barn and yard signs for all candidates will be available for supporters to pick up.

Volunteers are requested to help staff during operating hours. Please direct all questions and phone calls to David Wiederstein at 712-249-8417.

(Radio Iowa) — The days are getting shorter — farmers are in the field — and deer are in the rut. The Iowa D-N-R’s Tyler Harms says that makes it more important for you to be on the lookout while driving the roadways. “It’s a combination of events that are happening right now with the harvest and also with general deer biology that are causing deer to move around a little more this time of year than they do other times. So, it’s really important for drivers to know that and to take measures to avoid hitting deer,” Harms says.

Deer are most active at that start and end of the day and Harms says be especially aware if you are driving then. “We recommend that first and foremost that folks don’t veer for deer as they say. That tends to cause more issues,” according to Harms. He says if you veer you are more likely to go into the ditch and suffer more severe injuries than if you hit the deer. Harms says know when you are in areas where deer may be moving — like wooded areas or along fields.

“Looking for eye shine in the road ditches and in the areas adjacent to the roads can be a really effective practice for spotting deer ahead. And just minimizing our distractions and slowing down our speed a little bit during those dawn and dusk periods,” Harms says. An annual report on car/deer accidents showed Iowa had fallen from fourth to fifth last year. Harms says efforts to control the deer population have helped.

“From 2006 to 2013 we really reduced the deer population in response to a number different factors, but mostly to try and get the population at a level that satisfies a number of different stakeholders,” He says “And those stakeholders include those who are on the roadway, but also hunters that are utilizing that resource for recreation.” Harm says the deer population has held steady for the last several years.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says the drama surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court shows partisan warfare in congress has hit “almost rock bottom.” “This started downhill very quickly, on about July the 10th,” Grassley said this afternoon. “…You can look back 87 days and you can see that everything but whether he’s qualified to serve has been brought up.”

Grassley, who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he promised a “fair and thorough process” for reviewing Kavanaugh’s nomination and Grassley says there is “no hint of misconduct” in the updated F-B-I background investigation he and other senators just reviewed. “But what I’ve been dealing with since July the 10th…the downhill slope, is really dealing with a ‘Demolition Derby,'” Grassley said. “They just about destroyed a good person to be on the Supreme Court.”

Grassley suggested it’s time to turn the page. “I would like to have the future mending things, so we can do things in a collegial way that the United States Senate ought to do and, particularly, when it comes to Supreme Court nominations,” Grassley says. Grassley and other key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee spoke this (Thursday) afternoon during a news conference in Washington, D.C. and Grassley ended with this message to reporters.

“Now I would never use the words ‘fake news.’ I consider you folks policemen for our democratic system of government, but I want to show you where some of you had bias. I’ve had demonstrators in my office for two weeks now, both for Kavanaugh and against Kavanaugh. One time the people that were for Kavanaugh wanted to be interviewed and they said, ‘We’re only interested in interviewing people against Kavanaugh,'” Grassley said, his voice rising. “Now that’s a bias that none of you should be proud of.” The Senate is scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination Saturday.

“Hopefully we’re 48 hours away from having a new person on the Supreme Court,” Grassley said. Iowans who oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination have been delivering postcards to Grassley’s office in Des Moines this (Thursday) afternoon, urging Grassley to vote no on Kavanaugh. Grassley has said he will vote yes.

(Radio Iowa) — A north central Iowa truck stop that started as Interstate 35 was being built through Iowa will end its operations this month. The owner of the “Boondocks” Bob Welch and his wife Min told their 28 employees of the decision to close. “Opened the fifth of June of ’73 when the interstate ended here for several years,” Welch says. “I’m in my 46th year.” The truck stop in Hamilton County hosts a restaurant, a motel,and a convenience store. Welch and his wife are both in their 80’s and he says it takes a lot of hours to keep it going.

“Time that I think I’d better slow down somewhere,” Welch says., “I worked seven days a week for 44 years until I hurt myself in a bad fall near my wind generator two years ago. Tore the tendon out of my left leg and cracked three vertebrae. And I finally decided to take Sundays off.” The Boondocks served as a place for locals and those traveling the interstate to stop refresh and get something to eat. And for years it’s location has been a haven for motorists and truck drivers stranded in times when winter storms closed the highway.

“One time we had over 600 people in here for two days and two nights,” Welch says. Welch says there are lots of stories from those adventures through the years. He says his family helped him know what to do. “It was a heartbreaking decision to make — however we have been at it a long, long time — and our children are not interested in coming into the business. All three of them have encouraged us to do this, so we finally made the decision to close it,” Welch explains.

Welch thanks the hundreds of local people and hundreds of others who were just passing through who supported the Boondocks through the years. “It’s been a wonderful group of people and the local people — we’ve had a very, very good relationship with many of them.” Welch says. The Boondocks will shut down on October 20th and Welch says they will hold an auction to sell off the property.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has dealt a blow to the defense for an Iowa youth basketball coach charged with secretly recording his teenage players undressing. Judge C.J. Williams ruled Thursday that the seizure of a USB device from former Iowa Barnstormers coach Greg Stephen didn’t violate his privacy rights.

The ruling means prosecutors can use videos found on the device against Stephen, who is charged with transporting and possessing child pornography and sexually exploiting minors. Stephen allegedly recorded players disrobing during trips to tournaments.

Stephen’s former brother-in-law, Vaughn Ellison, discovered the device in a bathroom when he was remodeling Stephen’s Monticello home. He later gave it to police.
Stephen’s attorneys argued Ellison was acting a government agent when he took the device, and that police violated Stephen’s rights by holding it for two days before obtaining a warrant.

Williams rejected those arguments. Both sides are discussing a possible plea agreement.