Red Oak Police early this (Wednesday) morning, arrested a man on drug charges following  a traffic stop at the intersection of N. 5th and E. Corning Streets. 34-year old Samuel Jacob Whiteaker, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 2:25-a.m. on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 2nd offense, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Pills, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Driving While Suspended. Whiteaker was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held a $2,000 cash bond.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley was at the White House last (Tuesday) night to watch President Trump reveal his choice for the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Grassley says nominee 49-year-old Neil Gorsuch has a reputation as a “fair and consistent” federal circuit court judge. “A judge that is principled, a mainstream conservative,” Grassley says, “supremely qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.”

Gorsuch is a graduate of Harvard Law School and former President Obama was a classmate. Grassley is chairman of the Senate Committee that will hold a hearing on Gorsuch’s nomination. “He’s considered by other judges to be a very clear, concise writer of opinions, so we’re going to have to go through every one of those,” Grassley says, “and he’s going to have to answer a lot of questions.”

Grassley points to Gorsuch’s remarks last (Tuesday) night, indicating he’d interpret the law rather than make law as a justice. “Some people might call him a constitutionalist, a person that’s going to apply the law fairly,” Grassley says.

Key Democrats in the Senate immediately questioned whether Gorsuch would be an “independent” voice and accused him of a “demonstrated hostility toward women’s rights.” Grassley says those objections weren’t raised in 2006, when Gorsuch was nominated to be a circuit judge.   “He was unanimously confirmed by a voice vote.”

Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Republican Joni Ernst, issued a written statement last (Tuesday) night. Ernst says Gorch is “well-respected” and “eminently-qualified.” A coalition of progressive groups that go by the name “Why Courts Matter Iowa” say Gorsuch would be Wall Street’s “best friend” and a “threat” to women’s rights and L-G-B-T rights.

(Radio Iowa)

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of Republican lawmakers has approved a bill that would pass up federal dollars in order to remove state funding Planned Parenthood, and the measure is expected to advance in the new GOP-controlled Legislature. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-5 Tuesday afternoon in support of the legislation, and it now heads to Senate for a full floor vote.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man is admitting he lied during the investigation of the 1985 killing of his estranged wife’s lover, as part of a plea agreement that drops a murder charge. Anthony Burtch entered a guilty plea to obstructing prosecution, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors will dismiss a first-degree murder charge the death of 22-year-old Lance DeWoody, who was found shot to death on the University of Iowa’s Oakdale campus in 1985. The agreement will give Burtch credit for six months of time served.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University says a postdoctoral researcher from Iran has returned to campus after he was temporarily blocked following President Donald Trump’s immigration restrictions. The university says a visiting scholar from Iran who was expected to start this week has decided not to come to Ames. Meanwhile, a graduate student from Iran who was turned away at an airport in Stockholm on Saturday was again rejected from a flight at a different airport.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — Police in Keokuk say they have arrested a man after finding a person dead in a house near Keokuk’s riverside. Police say officers were called around 9:45 a.m. Monday to the house regarding a death. Inside, officers found a body and determined the death was suspicious. Later in the afternoon, police arrested 23-year-old Devan Joseph Williams, of Keokuk, and charged him with first-degree murder. The victim’s name has not been released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of Republican lawmakers has approved a bill that would pass up federal dollars in order to remove state funding for Planned Parenthood. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-5 Tuesday in support of the legislation, and it now heads to the Senate for a full floor vote. The bill has strong support in the Republican-majority Senate and House.

The bill proposes Iowa give up millions in federal Medicaid money in order to fund its own state-run program that distributes funding for family planning services. The bill excludes money for organizations that provide abortions, though no family planning dollars are now spent on abortions.

Republicans say the bill would redistribute money to rural health clinics that offer family planning services. Democrats contend it would hurt access to quality health care.

CLARINDA, Iowa (AP) — A dog is being credited with saved a Clarinda family from a house fire. Clarinda Fire Chief Roger Williams tells the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil that firefighters were called just before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday to the home in southwest Iowa.

Williams says the family dog awoke a 17-year-old girl, who was then able to get her mother and a man out of the house. Williams says there were no smoke alarms in the rented house. The teen was treated at a health center for smoke inhalation. No one else was injured.

Williams says the fire started in a living room couch, but the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University says a postdoctoral researcher from Iran has returned to campus after he was temporarily blocked following President Donald Trump’s new restrictions on immigration. The university said Tuesday that a visiting scholar from Iran who was expected to start this week has decided not to come to Ames at this time.

Meanwhile, a graduate student from Iran who was turned away at an airport in Stockholm on Saturday was again rejected from a flight at a different airport. The student is now consulting with immigration attorneys to determine whether he should make further attempts to get to the U.S.

The university says it hasn’t received any more reports of students or employees impacted by Trump’s temporary ban on immigration from seven countries.

The Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program today (Tuesday) released its 2016 Annual Report highlighting progress made on construction and design projects over the last year, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office.

Iowa DOT District 4 Engineer Scott Schram said “The program was very busy over the last year completing the railroad relocation project and building structures for the east system interchange. The annual report provides a high-level overview of all of the work and design engineering that occurred in 2016 to provide the public with a summary of how Iowa DOT is working to deliver this important highway improvement project.”

To view the annual report featuring information about completed and active projects, public outreach, program status, statistics for work completed in 2016, and 2017 key projects, visit http://councilbluffsinterstate.iowadot.gov/2016annualreport/. To request a hard copy of the report, or for general information regarding the program, contact the Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program office by phone at 712-216-3339 or email info@CouncilBluffsInterstate.com.

The Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing interstates 29, 80, and 480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. This comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect.

The Audubon Police Department reports the arrest on Monday of 20-year old Kira Spring Eng, of Irwin, on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. Eng was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held pending an appearance before a magistrate.

And on Saturday, 27 year old Carl Joseph Musser, of Hamlin, was arrested in Audubon for Driving Under Suspension.  Musser was transported to the Audubon County Jail and later released on promise to appear in court.

GLENWOOD, Iowa (AP) – A pickup driver has been charged in the traffic death last summer of a Florida man who was participating in a cross-Iowa bicycle ride. Mills County Attorney Naeda Elliott said in a news release Tuesday that 34-year old Robb Philippus, of Glenwood, committed a misdemeanor traffic violation.

The Iowa State Patrol says 72-year-old Wayne Ezell, of Jacksonville, Florida, and his bicycle were hit from behind by Philippus’ truck while heading west July 24, 2016 on U.S. Highway 34. The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa set out from Glenwood that morning.

Investigators found no evidence that Philippus was under the influence of alcohol or any drugs that day. Investigators say Philippus stopped immediately and rendered aid to Ezell.

A charge of “Actions Against Bicyclists” means Philippus could face up to 30 days in jail and a fine between $65-to $625.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests. On Sunday, 55-year old Albino Sanchez, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. And, on Saturday, 26-year old Cory David Cleveland, of Glenwood, was arrested for Trespassing. Cleveland’s bond was set at $300, while the bond for Sanchez was set at $1,000.