Shelby County Treasurer Carolyn Blum reports “The Shelby County Courthouse is tentatively scheduled to begin implementing Phase 2 of the Courthouse Reopening Plan on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. The courthouse will be returning to a “new normal” with semi-regular operations.” Blum says as a reminder, “The Governor’s current proclamation has extended all motor vehicle, driver’s license and property tax deadlines to June 25, 2020.”

She added that, “Throughout this difficult time, we have found that scheduling appointments with our customers has been welcomed and appreciated. Therefore, transactions that require in-person visits, will continue to be processed by appointment only for the Shelby County Treasurer’s Office. This will allow staff to designate a time period for: 1) higher risk individuals to receive courthouse access appointments; 2) prioritize those who have expired transactions; 3) continue increased department cleaning of frequently touched surfaces to prevent and reduce transmission of the virus.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa legislature has voted to move the age for buying tobacco products to 21. Representative Rob Bacon, a Republican from Slater, says this puts Iowa law in line with the recent federal change. “Iowa law enforcement officers, local law enforcement officers cannot enforce federal law,” Bacon says. “This will allow our officers to go in and if the retailer is attempting to sell (to someone between the ages of 18 and 21), they could lose their license.”

If the state doesn’t make this change, Bacon says more than three-million dollars in federal funds for state-run substance abuse programs would be withheld. Some lawmakers objected to raising the legal age for buying cigarettes and other products with nicotine from 18 to 21 — arguing 18 year olds are adults and should be able to buy any legal product they wish. Representative Marti Anderson, a Democrat from Des Moines, says she supports the move because of health concerns. “If we can help not have kids smoke or vape from the ages of 18 to 21, we can save some lives,” she said.

Surveys suggest at least five percent of the state’s smokers are between the ages of 18 and 21. An even greater share of those who use electronic cigarettes for “vaping” are in that age group. The bill passed the Iowa Senate in early March. It passed the Iowa House last (Thursday) night and lawmakers expect Governor Reynolds to approve it.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County, Wednesday, arrested 26-year old Jacob William Nielsen. Nielsen was taken into custody at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, on a Page County warrant for Willful Injury.

Jacob William Nielsen (Page County S/O photo)

The charge stems from an incident when Nielsen was an inmate at the Clarinda Correctional Facility. Nielsen was transported to the Page County Jail and was being held on a $10,000 cash-only bond, while awaiting further court proceedings.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Department reports three people were arrested recently. Thursday afternoon, 52-year old Michael Raven Smith, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Smith was being held in the Mills County Jail on a  $300 bond. Thursday night, 21-year old Clarissa Rose Gleason, of Glenwood, was arrested for being an Accessory after the fact. She too, was being held on a $300 bond.

And, on June 8th, 37-year old Misty Bea Patterson, of Omaha, was arrested at the Douglas County, NE., Jail, on a Mills County warrant for two counts Violation of Probation. Her bond at the Mills County Jail was set at $20,000.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say an Afton man reported Thursday night, that sometime in the past 24 hours, someone took his 2011 Legend trailer. The single-axle trailer is silver in color with a tilt ramp and tool box in the front. The loss was estimated at $3,000.

Sheriff’s Officials in Pottawattamie County, today (Friday) report a Pott. County man was arrested Thursday night, following a personal injury accident. Authorities say a Deputy assigned to the Road Patrol Division was dispatched at around 10:43-p.m. to 38910 Pioneer Trail, near Macedonia, following a report of an accident involving a 1980 Suzuki and a 1982 Kawasaki. An investigation resulted in the arrest of 38-year old Jacob Lee Roberson, of Macedonia, for Leaving the Scene of an accident resulting in serious injury, and OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $2,000.

And, at around 3:36-a.m. today (Friday), 32-year old Phillip Jerome Moore, II, of Kearney, NE., was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following an investigation into a personal injury accident at Old Lincoln Highway and Mystic Lane. Bond was set at $1,000.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, secured major wins to protect U.S. troops in the annual defense bill – the Fiscal Year 21 National Defense Authorization Act – that passed out of the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.

“As a former company commander in Kuwait and Iraq, I understand just how important it is for all servicemembers to be equipped for the battlefield,” said Senator Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the United States Senate. “From ensuring female troops have body armor that fits to helping stop sexual assault within military ranks; and from funding effective treatments for traumatic brain injury to getting our troops the hazard pay they deserve for fighting on the front lines of COVID-19, this annual defense bill includes a number of my efforts to ensure our military men and women are protected as they defend our nation and way of life.”

Earlier this week, Ernst outlined her priorities for the bill, including her proposals to improve protection, safety, and treatment for the men and women of our Armed Forces. Senator Ernst’s provisions to protect the troops is intended to:

• Develop and field proper-fitting body armor for female soldiers
• Work to stop sexual assault in the military before it happens and lower the barriers for reporting by victims, including the Coast Guard
• Make the military courts handling sexual assault and other cases more efficient and accountable
• Fund proven and effective medical treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Provide hazard pay for National Guard troops on the front lines to fight COVID-19
• Improve survivability and safety for military combat vehicles

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s colleges and universities are plotting courses for the fall semester in this pandemic era, with shifting schedules and a host of new rules. While programs like Zoom helped deliver classes to remote students this spring, at least one Iowa school is turning to a different technology for fall. Tim Laurent, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Mount Mercy University, explains their newest acquisition: “The Meeting Owl allows a 360-degree picture. It also allows a 360-degree microphone and speakers,” Laurent says. “The owl can be in the middle of a classroom and the students who are remote can actually see everything as if they are there.”

The Cedar Rapids institution has purchased 65 of the devices, one for every classroom, along with T-V monitors and stands. The 12-inch-tall Meeting Owl actually resembles an owl, with eyes and a beak. Laurent says they will enable Mount Mercy to offer in-person and blended/hybrid classes, as well as the ability to pivot to fully remote, if necessary. “We’ve been using that in some programs in our MBA program for a year and that is giving us great flexibility,” Laurent says. “We’re saying to faculty, ‘Hey, be flexible as you might not have as much space in the classroom,’ and this is our way of making it work.”

According to Laurent, the university’s hybrid model should allow for flexible instruction, as some students will attend class on one day while others take part virtually.  “Not only our local students but the national response from students is, ‘We want face-to-face,’ and so as we are putting our classes — our hybrid — together, it has face-to-face,” Laurent says. “They should be pretty quick to adapt to the remote learning as well. That’s what all the students had to do this last spring.”

Mount Mercy administrators decided not to shift fall dates, but instead will have classrooms mapped out to keep everyone distanced, while faculty, staff and the 18-hundred students will need to wear cloth face masks, face shields or both.

(More info. at mtmercy.edu/safe-return)