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

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines airport board has decided to limit taxi service to just one company. The Des Moines Airport Authority Board unanimously approved a three-year contract Tuesday with Trans Iowa. Trans Iowa will be required to dedicate 15 cabs and 24 drivers to the airport. Ride-sharing options will still be allowed.

Airport Executive Director Kevin Foley says limiting the service to one company is the only way the airport can ensure high-quality, consistent trips. He’s said taxi operators have been violating airport rules by having too few drivers, driving damaged vehicles, charging minimum trip fees, failing to post fee lists and only accepting cash payments.

Other cab company owners say the contracted service is unfair to smaller companies trying to expand.

A bill that would give the parents of private school students state tax money to cover tuition and other expenses drew applause, groans and emotional testimony at a statehouse hearing yesterday (Tuesday). Trish Wilger, executive director of Iowa Advocates for Choice in Education, told legislators the bill will “blast the doors open” for parents who want to send their kids to a private school. “This act goes a long way to give some parents a choice who otherwise don’t have one,” she said. Critics say the proposed five-thousand dollar state grants for newly-enrolled private school students will divert scarce public resources. According to Cindy Garlock of Cedar Rapids, a retired educator, there’s “no evidence vouchers increase student performance.”

“Aren’t we here about students and what’s best for our students or are we here to shuffle public dollars off into private entities?” she asked. Kim Preston lobbies in 11 Midwest states for the Foundation for Excellence in Education. She argued competition from private schools will raise the quality of public schools.”First of all, I think all kids can learn if they’re put in the right educational environment,” she said. “…I also believe parents are best equipped to make the choices about what fits the needs of their children the best.”

Andrew Dunn, a senior at Okoboji High School in Milford, told lawmakers that unlike public schools, private schools are not accessible to all students. “Education has truly been one of the foundations for success in Iowa and our public schools are institutions we ought to take pride in,” Dunn said. “…Public schools should be fixed, not abandoned.” If the bill becomes law, the bill’s sponsor says next year about 50-million dollars of state money would be given to the parents of kindergarteners starting out at a private school and to parents who remove their child from a public district and enroll them in a private school. The bill is scheduled for debate in the House Education Committee today (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa)

The driver of a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan suffered unknown/possible injuries, following a collision in Creston Tuesday. The accident happened on Highway 34 near S. Sumner Avenue, at around 1:45-p.m.  Creston Police report the van, driven by 35-year old Ann Marie Bishop, of Cromwell, was stopped for traffic, when it was struck from behind by a 2002 Dodge Dakota Quadcab truck. The driver of the Dakota, 33-year old Ernest Kyle Sayler, of Bedford, told police he looked away for a moment, and could not stop in-time to avoid the collision. Sayler was cited for Failure to Maintain Control.

Bishop complained of pain after the impact, but was not transported to the hospital. Damage from the accident amounted to $3,500.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — The adoptive brother of a 16-year-old girl who died of malnutrition in her family home has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Court records say a hearing is scheduled Friday for 22-year-old Justin Ray. The records don’t outline the deal or how he’ll plead. Ray’s previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of child endangerment and two of willful injury.

Police say he “drop-kicked” Sabrina Ray down basement stairs sometime between April 15 and May 1, leaving her unable to walk, talk, eat or drink normally. The girl’s body was found May 12 in the Perry home she shared with her adoptive parents, who have also been charged. The girl weighed just 56 pounds.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prominent Republican women say they’re frustrated by President Donald Trump’s handling of abuse charges against men in the White House’s midst.

Trump has refused to personally voice support for the ex-wives of two former White House aides who say their husbands abused them. He tweeted over the weekend that men’s lives have been shattered by “mere” allegations.

Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia says it’s difficult being a Republican woman and having to “fight through” the administration’s muddled message to women. Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, from Red Oak, said on CNN that she’s “extremely disappointed in this situation. Abuse is never OK.”

Republicans have long struggled to attract female voters. The party is defending its House and Senate majorities in the midterm elections.

Council Bluffs Police have identified the Officer and suspect involved in an incident that took place early Tuesday morning, that resulted in the Officer being dragged by an SUV. During the course of the investigation the suspect was identified as 24-year old Cody Michael Doss, of Council Bluffs. Doss is a white male, 5-feet 10-inches tall, weighing 150-pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and a tattoo on his neck.

Cody Michael Doss

Warrants for his arrest have been issued on charges that include Assault on a Peace Officer, Eluding a Peace Officer and Interference with Official Acts. The officer, Anthony Friend, suffered a minor injury to his leg, which did not require immediate medical assistance. Officer Friend is back to full duty and is in good condition.

As of last report, authorities say Doss remains on the run, and his current location is unknown. Anyone with information on the location of Cody Michael Doss can call 911, the Criminal Investigations Division 712-328-4728 or crime stoppers 712-328-7867. Do not approach the man, as he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The incident involving Doss and Officer Friend began at around 12:08-a.m., Tuesday, when the Officer saw a man sitting in a car who was believed to have warrants. As the Officer approached the vehicle, which was parked in a convenience store parking lot in the 3000 block of Avenue G, he spoke with the male suspect (Doss) and ordered him out of the vehicle. When the suspect refused, the Officer began to open the vehicles’ door. As he did so, the suspect put the vehicle in reverse and sped backwards, trapping the Officer’s hand in the door.

The Officer was dragged about 20-to 30-feet before freeing himself. He was able to remain on his feet during the incident. The suspect took off in the black, early 2000’s model Chevy Tahoe, with Iowa license plate FEH-415.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:00 a.m. CST

COUNCIL BLUFFS/kjan — Council Bluffs Police have identified the Officer and suspect involved in an incident that took place early Tuesday morning, that resulted in the Officer being dragged by an SUV for about 30-feet.  During the course of the investigation the suspect was identified as 24-year old Cody Michael Doss, of Council Bluffs. Doss is a white male, 5-feet 10-inches tall, weighing 150-pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and a tattoo on his neck. Warrants for his arrest have been issued on charges that include Assault on a Peace Officer, Eluding a Peace Officer and Interference with Official Acts.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A jury has ordered a prominent Iowa City landlord to pay $5.6 million to the widow of a maintenance worker who fell to his death. The Johnson County jury returned the verdict against Jeffrey Clark, the manager of Apartments Downtown, Inc. The case stems from the 2014 death of 40-year-old husband and father Bronson Ganka, a handyman for the apartments company.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A man sought by the U.S. Army and others for years has been sentenced in an Iowa federal courtroom to three years in prison. Federal prosecutors say 57-year-old Daryl Grisby, of Dyersville, was sentenced Tuesday in Cedar Rapids after pleading guilty last September to aggravated identity theft and misuse of a Social Security number. He first went on the run in the 1980s after being court-martialed by the Army for assault.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials are warning the public to throw out any Fareway packaged chicken salad, because it could be contaminated with salmonella. The Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals issued a joint statement Tuesday calling for the move. The agencies say the chicken salad sold at Fareway stores was produced and packaged by a third party for the store and has been connected to multiple cases of salmonella across the state.

A retired state trooper who’s a legislator is calling for crushing the vehicles of men convicted of paying for sex and requiring law enforcement agencies to issue press releases to publicize prostitution ARRESTS. However, his bill failed to clear an initial hurdle in the House because, as written, the vehicles of ALL of those charged with prostitution would be seized — and that includes both people involved. Amy Campbell, a lobbyist for the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, says the group is against the bill because some women might be further victimized if this becomes law.

“There are cases where there are young women who have been human trafficked that are involved in prostitution and we have some big concerns about that in this bill,” Campbell says. Stephanie Fawkes Lee of the Iowa Justice Reform Coalition says the family of someone merely accused of prostitution will become victims, too. “If it was a mistake, you’re talking about a spouse and children that will be affected by this,” she says. “…We’re also concerned about the forfeiture fine, that it’s excessive, when you’re talking about vehicles, semi-trucks.”

Lisa Davis Cook is a lobbyist for the Iowa Association for Justice which represents the state’s legal community. “We do have a system of you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty and this is, right off the bat before there’s even a trial, you’re publishing the names of people and we have a real concern about people’s rights and what’s going to happen with this,” she says.

Representative Clel Baudler, a Republican from Greenfield, is the retired trooper who’s sponsoring the bill. He’s hoping to convince his colleagues to advance the bill this week. Baudler argues it’s most likely the man arrested for prostitution is the one who has a vehicle that can be seized. “I’m not putting down the woman. I’m putting down the John,” Baudler says. “You take the money away, and we won’t have as much human trafficking. That’s my opinion.”

Baudler says it’s common for law enforcement to seize a vehicle when they’re making a prostitution arrest. His bill calls for keeping that vehicle impounded and then having it crushed if the person pleads guilty or is convicted in a trial.

(Radio Iowa)

A bid to allow executions for convicted cop killers and those who kidnap, rape and murder children in Iowa has essentially been tabled for the year. Republican Brad Zaun, of Urbandale is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Zaun says he has just two days left to take action on policy bills in his committee — and death penalty legislation will NOT be on the agenda. “I’ve got a full plate and I’m trying to prioritize things and, right now, it’s not my priority,” Zaun says. “It’s my decision to do this.”

Zaun supports giving Iowa courts the option of a death sentence for those convicted of murdering a peace officer or a child who’d been kidnapped and raped. “I’m not a death penalty advocate, but in this very narrowly written bill, I would support that,” Zaun says. “…But as judiciary committee chair, I am putting the brakes on that bill.”

A more than hour-long hearing on the proposal on Monday afternoon sparked a mini-debate among a few senators. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, took issue with many of those who testified against capital punishment. “I look forward to the day when unborn babies are defended with the same volume and strenuous defense as a baby rapist…or cop killer,” Schultz said.

Democrat Tony Bisignano, of Des Moines, was in the state senate in the 1990s when a death penalty bill was soundly defeated. “It does grab us internally to say: ‘We want revenge. This makes me sick!'” Bisignano said Monday. “And then we stop and think: ‘Are we the judge?’ There is only one judge and I’ll leave it to him.”

Earlier this month, a bill that would have allowed a death sentence for first degree murder convictions stalled in the Iowa House. A death penalty supporter in the House or Senate could try to tack the issue onto another bill, but the rules for legislative debate make that a difficult, if not impossible task.

(Radio Iowa)