Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report 45-year old Eric M. Wheelock was arrested Thursday night, following a traffic stop for running a stop sign, near Crescent. Wheelock was found to be in possession of marijuana (1st offense), and drug paraphernalia and charged with those offenses.

Late Thursday morning, 33-year old Joseph Brian Samuelson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on two Pott. County warrants for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order – Contempt of Court, and Violation of Probation. In addition, Samuelson and 43-year old Tema Elaine Hill, were arrested on separate charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, while Samuelson additionally charged with Driving While Barred. His bond on the latter charge was set at $2,000. Hill’s bond was on the Possession of Meth charge was set at $1,000. She was also being held in the Pott. County Jail on a “Hold” from another agency.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — A House committee has unanimously voted to jump-start the process of restoring felon voting rights for the 2020 election. In 2005, then-Governor Tom Vilsack issued an executive order that automatically restored voting rights when paroled felons complete their sentences. Governor Terry Branstad rescinded that policy in 2011. Last night, the House State Government Committee voted to add the language from Vilsack’s order to an election-related bill. Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann, the chairman of the committee, says it’s a new pathway for Iowa to stop being the only state in the country that requires released felons to get approval from the governor before they may vote.

Last year, Governor Kim Reynolds called on the legislature to permanently resolve the matter and draft a constitutional amendment that would automatically restore felon voting rights. Her fellow Republicans in the House took steps last year to do so, but the Republican-led Senate has not. This week, a Senate committee voted to set up a system that would kick in IF a constitutional amendment is approved by Iowans. It would require felons to pay the full amount of court-ordered victim restitution before they may vote. It also would forever bar felons convicted of murder, manslaughter and certain sex crimes from voting.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors have charged a woman who told authorities that she intended to shoot co-workers at the Omaha veterans hospital. U.S. District Court records say Tina Hardin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threats. The records say Hardin had been working as a hospital shuttle bus driver. The records say Hardin, who is black, said she was a victim of racism at the hospital. She also said she wanted to hurt a manager who gave her a bad appraisal.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP via The Daily Nonpareil) — A trial has been delayed for a woman charged with the shooting deaths of two men and the attempted murders of two law officers in western Iowa. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the trial of April Montello-Roberts had been scheduled to begin earlier this week. The new starting date is May 5.

The 44-year-old Shenandoah resident has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder of an officer, one count of burglary and one of robbery. She was taken into custody on August 7th following two pursuits with law enforcement. Authorities allege Montello-Roberts and 28-year-old Troy Petersen of Essex murdered Jerrot Clark on August 4th, before killing Steve Carlson on August 7th. Petersen was killed by law enforcement following a stand-off.

Montello-Roberts remains in custody on $2.2 million bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Atlantic, IA — Atlantic Medical Center, RHC (AMC) is launching a new Rapid Care service on Monday, February 24. AMC Rapid Care is walk-in care that is open seven days a week for patients of all ages. Tammy Bireline, Chief Clinic Administrator, says “We want to be here for our patients when they need care. This helps bridge that gap between when it’s not an emergency, but you need to be seen and your primary care provider is not available.”  Beginning Monday, February 24rh, AMC Rapid Care will be open Monday through Friday from 9-a.m. to 9-p.m. It will also be open on Saturday and Sunday from 10-a.m. to 6-p.m. AMC Rapid Care does not offer appointments; patients can just walk in, check in at Admissions, and then wait to be seen by the AMC Rapid Care provider. Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bireline says “AMC Rapid Care isn’t a substitute for your regular provider, and it’s also not a substitute for the Emergency Department. This service is really for those minor health issues – ear infections, coughs, minor stitches – that can’t wait.” Similarly, AMC Rapid Care providers will not address chronic conditions or take care of prescription refills because those issues are most appropriate to be discussed during an appointment with a primary care provider. It is also important to note that AMC Rapid Care providers will not prescribe narcotics.

The medical team at AMC Rapid Care includes Rebecca McCann, ARNP, Emily Nadler, PA-C, and Dr. M.A. Johnson. Dr. Johnson will also continue to work in the Emergency Department. The cost of a visit to AMC Rapid Care is the same as office fees for Atlantic Medical Center appointments; regular co-payments still apply and should be paid during the check-in process. Due to the addition of AMC Rapid Care and the extended evening hours, the previous Evening Clinic entrance will no longer be used. All patients coming to Atlantic Medical Center, whether for a scheduled appointment or AMC Rapid Care, should use the Main Entrance.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A driver has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide following a Des Moines collision in which two men died. Police say the crash occurred around 11:45 a.m. Thursday, when a southbound car struck an eastbound car that had just entered the roadway. Two men in the eastbound car died after being rushed to a hospital. Police have identified them as 26-year-old Mauricio Ruiz Quintana and 22-year-old Brayan Martinez Ruiz. The other driver has been identified as 23-year-old Alejandro Contreras.

(Radio Iowa) — Six of seven Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee have endorsed a plan to require more of the Iowans getting health care benefits through Medicaid to work or volunteer in their community. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, is chairman of the Senate Labor Committee.

“Able-bodied Iowans should work if they’re receiving public benefits,” Schultz says. The bill does have exceptions. The parents of young children and disabled Iowans would not be required to fulfill the requirement, but other adults between the ages of 18 and 64 would have to show state officials they’re working 20 hours a week. Schultz says his constituents want the state’s welfare programs to promote the Iowa work ethic.

“They want to see people work, if they can, and they also support that we are a well-off enough state and country that we can take care of the people who can’t take care of themselves,” Schultz says, “so it’s not mean-spirited what I’m hearing back home, but they are very frustrated when they know of neighbors who could get a job, but are getting public assistance benefits and kind of mocking the system.”

Lana Shope of the Iowa Community Action Association says nearly 80 percent of the working-age adults enrolled in Medicaid already have a job — but many have inconsistent work schedules. “They might be working 20 hours this week, but next week they’re only going to get 10, which is going to make them out of compliance which then jeopardizes their health care coverage through Medicaid,” she says, “not only for them, but for their children.”

The bill is now eligible for debate in the full senate.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Senate committee has advanced a bill that would require convicted felons to pay restitution before they could get their voting rights restored. If passed this year, the bill advanced Wednesday would be effective only if a separate constitutional amendment that would automatically restore felon voting rights upon completion of a sentence also passes. It’s unclear if the restitution requirement would withstand a legal challenge, though. A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled against a similar Florida requirement. Iowa is the only state with a broad revocation of voting rights for felons, requiring restoration of voting rights from the governor.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials in Iowa City have approved the construction of two 15-story residential towers near the University of Iowa campus. The City Council approved the buildings Tuesday night and granted special height bonuses that will allow the buildings to reach 15 stories. The Gazette reports the buildings are on the southern fringe of downtown and the university campus. They would house 820 units and 1,575 beds. Opponents of the project had argued it was too large and could disrupt vacancy rates across Iowa City. Construction isn’t expected to begin for more than a year.

SIGOURNEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a deer sent flying when it was hit by a car in southeast Iowa crashed through the window of a second car, killing its driver. The accident occurred a little after 7 p.m. Wednesday on Iowa Highway 92, just west of Sigourney. The Iowa State Patrol says the deer went onto the roadway from the north ditch and was struck by a westbound car. The deer was knocked into the air and then went through the windshield of an eastbound car. The dead driver was identified as 45-year-old Donald Burdick, who lived in North English.

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former Webster City Chamber of Commerce administrative assistant has been accused of stealing more than $149,000 from the organization. The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Wednesday that 40-year-old Leah Mulholland is charged with ongoing criminal conduct, theft, forgery and unauthorized use of a credit card. She was arrested Wednesday. The department says Mulholland had admitted to three chamber officials that she’d misused chamber funds. The department also says investigators discovered that Mulholland had issued 247 unauthorized checks totaling more than $149,000 from March 2015 through June 2018.