COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Another of the four people charged in the slaying of a man at a Council Bluffs homeless shelter has been imprisoned. Pottawattamie County District Court records say 33-year-old Brandon Hollis was sentenced Thursday to 20 years. He’d pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and willful injury after prosecutors dropped a murder charge. Hollis, 47-year-old Vance Good, 20-year-old James McCauley and 21-year-old Cody Varnes were charged after the March 21, 2018, killing of 44-year-old Lee Johnson in a bathroom at Joshua House.

Good’s been convicted of first-degree murder, and Tuesday he was sentenced to life in prison McCauley has pleaded not guilty to robbery and first-degree murder, but another plea hearing is scheduled next week for him. Varnes has pleaded not guilty to robbery, but a plea and sentencing hearing is set Jan. 24 for him. The records don’t say what charges either man will be pleading to at his hearing.

(Radio Iowa) — Due to “high demand,” there will be more than one inaugural ball to mark the start of Kim Reynolds’ first full term as governor. Tickets to an inaugural ball on Friday, January 18th sold out, so a second inaugural ball will be staged at the same time, in a building nearby in downtown Des Moines. Governor Reynolds says she and her husband, Kevin, will dash from one to the other. “So we make both of them a special and fun evening,” Reynolds says.

Crowds at both balls will see the governor in the same attire. “By trying to finish up a campaign, go into the Election, go into Christmas, try to be a good grandma for 10 grandchildren, to host Christmas and spent time with family and to babysit — because I haven’t had time to do that — we’re lucky I got a dress, let’s just say that,” Reynolds joked yesterday. The Iowa G-O-P staged an “Inaugural Fundraiser” for Reynolds in June of 2017 — a week after she took over in the middle of Terry Branstad’s sixth term as governor.

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

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A chase that began Thursday night in Omaha ended near the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, with several suspects taken into custody. According to Omaha TV station KETV, Omaha Police initiated the pursuit of a Honda Accord, after someone in the vehicle opened fire near a funeral in the vicinity of 24th and I streets. Omaha police were already patrolling in the area and located the suspect vehicle. The resulting chase continued onto northbound Interstate 29 and into Iowa on the east side of Eppley Airfield near the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

Police told the tv station three suspects attempted to run near the Honey Creek exit. They are in custody in the Pottawattamie County Jail. No names have been released at this time.

New Year resolutions are common this time of year. Some are easily broken; others are sincerely made, but hard to keep. The decision to eliminate tobacco from your life is a commitment that takes self-control and support. Iowans who have made the healthy choice to quit smoking are reminded help and support is available through Quitline Iowa. In Iowa, 16.7 percent of adults smoke. One in four Iowa adults uses tobacco in some form; cigarettes are the most used. Tobacco is the leading cause of death for Iowans, taking the lives of more than 5,100 adults each year.

Brandy Powers, Tobacco Prevention Coordinator for Southwest Iowa, says “The benefits of stopping the use of tobacco and nicotine are almost immediate,” said . “According to the American Cancer Society, within 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. Within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. Within two to three months, your circulation improves and your lung function increases. After one year of living tobacco free, the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker’s.” Even so, nicotine is an addiction and breaking that addiction can be challenging. Quitline Iowa can provide help.

Quitline Iowa pairs tobacco and nicotine users with a Quit Coach® to help them develop an individualized quitting plan and determine the best way to help them stay tobacco-free. A Quit Coach® also helps by:

• Preparing participants for their quit date
• Providing tips and support to live in a smoke-free environment
• Offering advice and information on medications that may help with withdrawal symptoms

Iowa residents can take advantage of Quitline Iowa by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), or visiting www.quitlineiowa.org to enroll. Registration specialists and Quit Coaches® are available 24 hours a day. Those looking to quit tobacco and nicotine use are recommended to speak with their doctor concerning best ways to quit in conjunction with speaking to a Quit Coaches® through Quitline Iowa. Brandy Powers serves six counties in Southwest Iowa (Adams, Fremont, Montgomery, Page, Ringgold, & Taylor counties), housed at Page County Public Health.

Creston Police arrested two persons on separate charges, Thursday. At around 1:40-p.m., 33-year old Anthony Charles Wasson, of Creston,  was arrested at residence on the charge of Domestic Assault. He was released on promise to appear in court. And, a little after 7-p.m., 57-year old Timothy Allan Sly, of Creston, was arrested for driving while suspended. He was being held at Union County Jail on a $300 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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(Radio Iowa) — Republican Senator Joni Ernst says now that there’s divided government in Washington, it’s up to President Trump and Democratic congressional leaders to find a border security solution that ends the partial government shutdown. “I would tend to agree that not all areas of our border needs a physical barrier if those are adequately patrolled by Border Patrol agents, if we have the technology to monitor those areas without having a physical barrier and can adequately respond in a timely manner to illegal border crossings,” Ernst says.

But Ernst says some areas of the border can only be secured with “a barrier of some form.” She says capturing terrorists, drug smugglers, gun runners and human traffickers along the border is a national security priority. “And by having a physical barrier in some of those places, we can shape the way the traffic is flowing, the foot traffic,” Ernst said. Ernst says she learned in the military that barriers on a battlefield funnel people into areas where they can be apprehended. Ernst told Iowa reporters on a conference call yesterday (Thursday) that she would not support a deal that ONLY funds more agents and more surveillance along the border, because a wall or fencing is necessary in some areas. The “smartest way to move,” according to Ernst, is to have Border Patrol agents and the Department of Homeland Security map things out. “I do think it needs to be a comprehensive plan that allows us to make smart choices on how we spend our dollars on the border,” Ernst says.

About 25 percent of the federal government has been shut down since December 22nd. President Trump has repeatedly said he will not agree to reopen the government until congress approves five-point-seven BILLION dollars for a border wall.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The city has spent about $10.5 million to buy 78 homes damaged by June’s flash flooding in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register reports that most of the residences are situated along Fourmile Creek in northeast Des Moines, the area hardest hit. Demolition began this week. The city used money generated from stormwater utility fees rather than relying on state or federal sources, which can slow the process. City officials have said buying the most flood-prone properties and demolishing the homes reduces the chances of more damage or resident injuries in the future.

The average purchase price of the 78 homes was more than $136,000. The city offers were up to 110 percent of the homes’ assessed values.

(Radio Iowa) — The eastern Iowa town of Clinton will grow by several thousand today (Friday) as a public visitation is held for the firefighter who was killed in the line of duty last weekend. Thirty-three-year-old Lieutenant Eric Hosette died in an explosion Saturday while fighting a fire at the A-D-M plant in Clinton. Another firefighter was critically hurt. Fire Chief Mike Brown says mourners are expected from near and far to pay their respects, adding, the outpouring of support is tremendous. “Our community really becomes an amazing place when things are bad,” Chief Brown says. “They’ve really shown that again. They’re coming in here just to hug people, just to drop off food or flowers or money and they care. They really care about these two guys and the rest of us.”

Special red lighting is now illuminating the fire station at night and many residents are displaying red lights on their homes to show support for the department. Reports say local stores have sold out of the red light bulbs. Chief Brown says it’s difficult to imagine how they proceed without Hosette, but he knows they will. “We’re going to move on and we’re going to have a big void to fill but we’re going to get stronger, eventually,” Brown says. “It’s going to take a while but everybody’s doing everything they can to move forward.” The firefighter who was injured in the blast, 23-year-old Adam Cain, remains at University Hospitals in Iowa City in critical but stable condition. The chief says he’s been told by veterans from other fire departments that this death will leave a permanent mark on the department. “It is going to be changed forever but we absolutely hope that it’s going to change for the better, make us stronger, make us care for each other more, make us train harder, make us safer, make us work harder,” Brown says. “It’s going to be positive change.”

He says the support has come not just from within the community but from across Iowa and from all over the nation. “How do you honor somebody’s memory? By doing something good,” Brown says. “We’ll continue to change for the better in his honor.”  Hosette’s public visitation is scheduled from 2 to 8 P-M today at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton. Services for the community to honor Hosette will be held at 11:30 A-M tomorrow (Saturday) at the bandshell in Riverview Park in Clinton.

A private family burial service will be held at the Rossiter Cemetery rural Charlotte (char-LOT) after the service. Hosette leaves behind a wife and young daughter. He also served as the fire chief in the Charlotte Volunteer Fire Department. Donations can be made to the family through a fund established at Clinton National Bank.