CORYDON, Iowa (AP) — Wildlife biologists have confirmed a deer killed by a hunter in south-central Iowa suffered from chronic wasting disease, marking the first confirmation in a wild deer hunted outside of northeast Iowa. The disease attacks the brains of deer and elk and is always fatal. No human cases have ever been recorded. The deer was killed Dec. 5 in Wayne County.

Iowa wildlife biologist Terry Hainfield says the confirmation of the disease was disappointing, but not surprising. He says officials are “increasing number of CWD positive deer in northeast Iowa and from our neighboring states.” The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says it is waiting for test results from deer recently hunted in Allamakee and Clayton counties.

The fatal disease first appeared in a wild deer herd in Iowa in 2013.

The American Red Cross is recruiting volunteers for a host of positions across Iowa. Matthew Thieschafer, a volunteer services specialist for the agency, says they have great opportunities for people who want to help others in their hometowns or abroad. “We are looking for volunteers to fill a wide variety of roles,” Thieschafer says. “Those include people to respond to disasters both large and small. They include tornadoes, floods, home fires.”

If disaster response isn’t appealing, the Red Cross could use a hand with its community outreach efforts. “We install smoke alarms for individuals,” Thieschafer says. “We also have pillow case projects where we work with schools and work on educating students how to be prepared in case of emergency.” Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and commit to one year of service.  “Other roles include those that coordinate behind the scenes,” he says. “We also have individuals who dispatch to report to those house fires. They do that from their home and coordinate those responses. We also have individuals that work with mental health and medical expertise.”

The agency’s training is provided at no cost to the volunteers. Learn more at redcross.org.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Karla James in Omaha)

VINTON, Iowa (AP) — A fire has gutted four downtown buildings in the small eastern Iowa city of Vinton. The Des Moines Register reports that the fire started Thursday night in the Michael and Dowd furniture store and spread to Clingman Pharmacy, Fischer Law Firm and the Benton County Title Company. The fire burned through much of the night, with firefighters battling the blaze while temperatures hovered in the teens and heavy snow fell. No injuries had been reported by this (Friday) morning.

Vinton’s volunteer fire department received help from the fire departments of several surrounding communities. Vinton is a city of about 5,300 located about 100 miles northeast of Des Moines.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate have voted for a plan that cuts nearly 32 million from the current year’s state budget. It is about 20 million dollars less than their earlier proposal. Senator Charles Schneider is a Republican from West Des Moines. “We’re trying to make these adjustments in a fiscally responsible way,” Schneider said. “First, we’re prioritizing where we’re making these adjustments.” The bill still calls for carving millions out of the budgets for the state’s prisons, courts and community colleges. It cuts funding for the three state universities by about 14-and-a-half million. “This is what thousands of Iowa families had to do during The Great Recession when a lot of them faced salary reductions or a loss of income, they had to take a look at their own spending and make adjustments,” Schneider said. “That’s the approach that we believe is the right approach and what we’re proposing today.”

Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, would have preferred deeper cuts to state universities. He accuses the board that governs the schools of being “addicted” to erecting new campus buildings that rival the “Taj Mahal.” “See, the Board of Regents doesn’t understand the concept of tightening belts,” Zaun said. Democrats in the Senate called the G-O-P’s bill reckless and misguided. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says Iowans are suffering through “G-O-P budget whiplash.”  “We don’t have a spending problem. We have a priorities and a management problem,” Bolkcom said. “…Iowa Republicans, unfortunately, are falling far short.”

Senator Rich Taylor, a Democrat from Mount Pleasant, is a retired correctional officer. He says the three-and-a-half million to the state’s prison system will make an already dangerous situation worse. “The only thing they have left to cut is staff,” Taylor said. “There is no more room for cutting the Department of Corrections.”  This debate about cutting the current year’s state budget will continue next week. The House must debate its own plan to reduce state spending to ensure the budget stays in the black.

(Radio Iowa)

Two separate proposals to expand gun owners’ rights in Iowa advanced through initial review in the Iowa Senate on Thursday. One calls for adding an amendment to the state’s constitution that calls on courts to “strictly scrutinize” any future gun regulations. The other calls for doing away with the requirement that Iowans get a government permit to carry a concealed weapon. Supporters call it “constitutional carry.” Richard Rogers is with the Iowa Firearms Coalition. “Certainly all human beings have the desire, the need and the right to defend themselves, their families and their communities. Their ability to do so effectively is often dependent on having tools — arms — available for that purpose,” Rogers said. “In the past, those tools may have been a stick, a blade or a bow. In the modern era the most effective tool for this purpose is typically a defensive firearm.”

Supporters of the move say if the government has the power to issue gun permits, it might some day use that power to take those guns away. Reverend Wendy Abrahamson, the rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Grinnell, says Second Amendment rights are assured by the constitution. “As a law-abiding citizen of the United States, I don’t fear my government…and I trust that my right to own a weapon is not under attack.” And Abrahamson described the gun permit process as a “minimal” step. “The right to own a gun is not something that comes simply from being alive or simply from being an Iowan,” she said. “Like other rights, it has responsibilities.”

Last year, the Republican-led legislature passed a sweeping gun rights package. This year’s gun-related proposals have the backing of key lawmakers who worked on last year’s bill.

(Radio Iowa)

ALL the Republicans in the legislature agree on giving a one percent boost in general state support to Iowa’s public schools. However, action on that is held up as Republicans in the House and Senate debate how to address another issue — excessive transportation costs in geographically large school districts. HOUSE Republicans like Representative Cecil Dolecheck, of Mount Ayr, promise to revisit that school transportation issue next week. “The average is around $370 per student,” Dolecheck said. “We have some school districts that have transportation costs as high as $1000 per student. What the House proposal does, rather than give a blanket amount to school districts for every student, our proposal starts to address those with the highest transportation costs and buy them down.”

HOUSE Republicans are offering about 10 million dollars to cover busing costs for one year. SENATE Republicans have been pushing for a permanent fix, one that would go equally to all schools. Most Democrats in the HOUSE voted yesterday (Thursday) to support THAT plan. Representative Sharon Steckman is a Democrat from Mason City. “When someone tells me they’re going to do something over and over, pretty soon I just quit believing them,” Steckman said. “For eight years we’ve been working on the transportation inequity and the per pupil funding inequity — eight years — and now that we actually have something, we’re hearing, ‘Oh, reject this. We’ve got something better.'”

This busing issue along with a final vote on how much state money to give public schools next year are still on the legislature’s “to do” list for next week.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police, Thursday afternoon, arrested 31-year old Erin Jean Larson, of Red Oak. Larson was taken into custody in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street at around 3:15-p.m., for Violation of a No Contact/Protection Order. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Republican-led legislative panel has approved a bill that would ban most abortions in Iowa once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill would make it a felony for doctors to perform abortions after detecting a fetal heartbeat, which occurs as early as at six weeks of pregnancy. If the measure becomes law, it likely would be appealed by opponents who would argue it violates U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has pleaded guilty after being arrested last fall when officer found her young children were being left unsupervised in a filthy, feces-covered home. The Des Moines Register reports 26-year-old Destinee Kristine Miller pleaded guilty Thursday to neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. Prosecutors dropped child endangerment charges in exchange for the guilty plea. Police arrested Miller in October after her children aged 4, 2 and 1 were found outside their home.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — A dog handler accused of leaving four dogs inside a hot vehicle last year, killing three, has pleaded guilty to three counts of confining animals. The Ottumwa Courier reports that in exchange for Craig Eugene’s recent plea, a fourth count was dismissed. Eugene was fined $300. Police say the dogs were found in Eugene’s car July 8 outside the American Kennel Club All Breeds Dog Show in Ottumwa when the high temperature outside was 89 degrees.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors say a central Iowa man charged in the death of his 2-month-old daughter killed the baby by placing pillows on her face. The Des Moines Register reports that 29-year-old Calvin Curtis White, of Nevada, has been charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death after his daughter was found not breathing Jan. 29 and later died. White remains in the Story County Jail on a $1 million bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man charged in a fatal stabbing has pleaded not guilty and been released after posting a bond. The Sioux City Journal reports 44-year-old Jeremy Lillich pleaded not guilty and posted a $2,000 bond late Wednesday. He’s scheduled to appear at a court hearing March 16.

Lillich was arrested earlier Wednesday after being paroled from prison following a drug conviction. A Woodbury County grand jury in November indicted Lillich on one count of involuntary manslaughter in the June 3 stabbing death of 21-year-old James R.D. Purcell, of Sioux City.

Although Lillich was serving a prison sentence on the drug conviction, Corrections Department records show he would have been either on work release or parole when the stabbing occurred.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to sell health insurance policies compliant with the federal Affordable Care Act in Iowa next year. The company announced Thursday plans to offer polices as long as there aren’t any significant changes to the 2010 law also known as Obamacare.

Wellmark, the state’s largest health insurer, announced last April it would stop selling ACA plans because of high costs, an uncertain future and the loss of $90 million over three years. It insured 21,400 individuals.

On Thursday the company said it believes the individual market can be functional again. Minnesota-based Medica is the only company selling ACA-compliant polices statewide this year. About 72,000 Iowans buy health insurance on the individual market.