Delegates at this week’s Iowa Farm Bureau policy conference passed a resolution supporting the idea of finding existing or even NEW state tax revenue to finance water quality projects. The group had previously OPPOSED the idea of raising state taxes to finance soil and water conservation initiatives. Farm Bureau president Craig Hill says the group believes a VOLUNTARY approach that provides government incentives to farmers is the best approach.

“Every farm is unique. Every farm is diverse. Every farm is different in its slope or its topography or its drainage and so we need to develop plans that are uniquely qualified for that farm and you don’t do that through regulation,” Hill says. “You do that through voluntary, incentive-based action.” This spring, Iowa lawmakers deadlocked over how to best finance a massive increase in state funding for water quality projects.

For the past few years, the state has been under pressure from the federal government to reduce the amount of farm chemical runoff, then came the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit in 2015. It amounts to a legal challenge of the voluntary approach to water conservation on Iowa farms. “The lawsuit may be a way of bullying farmers in a way,” Hill says. “We don’t think that’s the right thing. We think we all should come together. We all should partner together. We all should figure out how to accomplish out goals and solve the problem together. It doesn’t need to be through a court.”

On Monday, a coalition of groups will hold a news conference to declare support for increasing the state sales tax to pay for water conservation efforts. The Iowa Soybean Association along with environmental groups, Iowa Ducks Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy are listed on a news release as part of the coalition.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CASCADE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a baby found unresponsive in the bath this week in eastern Iowa has died. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports that 13-month-old child Torin Hartbecke died early Friday morning at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. Investigators say the baby had been left unattended in the bathtub by a parent. When the parent returned, the boy was unconscious.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death last year in Dubuque will not get new attorneys. The Telegraph Herald say a judge on Thursday rejected 27-year-old Eddie Hicks’ handwritten motion requesting he be appointed a new defense attorney to replace the public defenders assigned to his case. District Judge Thomas Bitter said there was insufficient reason for the switch.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A retired sergeant who spoke out after a handcuffed Iowa man drowned is suing three Missouri Highway Patrol officials, saying they conspired against him. The Kansas City Star reports that Randy Henry filed the lawsuit Thursday. Henry says he was told to tell a legislative committee that trooper training had been sufficient before the drowning. Henry says he refused and he was eventually transferred and demoted. He retired before the demotion took effect.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff to honor those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Branstad on Friday ordered all U.S. and Iowa flags controlled by the state to be at half-staff from sunset Friday to sunrise Monday. Although the order applies only to flags on state property, others governments, businesses and individuals are encouraged to also fly flags at half-staff.

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad today (Friday) ordered all flags in Iowa be flown at half-staff from sunset today, September 9, 2016 until sunrise, September 12, 2016, to honor those who perished in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state.  Flags will be at half-staff on the state Capitol building and on flag displays in the Capitol complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state.

Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

No serious injuries were reported during a collision early Friday afternoon, in Atlantic. Atlantic Police Officer Devin Hogue told KJAN News a line of cars was traveling south on Olive Street approaching the intersection with 7th. When a red Chevy Tahoe slowed for the traffic ahead, it was struck from behind by a blue Ford Focus. The airbag on the car deployed, causing what appeared to be only minor injuries to the female driver. The accident happened at around 1:35-p.m.

No one was initially transported to the hospital. Hogue said if the injuries required attention later, the driver would likely be transported to CCMH by private vehicle. The names of the drivers was not immediately available.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Medivac Ambulance, deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Atlantic Police assisted at the scene.

Photos by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest this (Friday) morning, of 50-year old Kristine Courtney Ryan, of Elliott. Ryan was charged with OWI 2^nd Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $2,300 bond.

On Thursday, deputies in Cass County arrested 41-year old Joseph Michael Greathouse, of Massena, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Ongoing Criminal Conduct, Theft 2^nd Degree, and Tampering with Records. Greathouse remains held in the Cass County Jail pending sentencing.

And, of Wednesday, 18-year old Ronald Edward Lee Mathers, of Davenport, was arrested in Cass County, on a charge of False Report to Law Enforcement. Mathers was taken to the Cass County Jail and remains held on a $300 bond.

(12-p.m. News)

Officials with the Guthrie County Extension service report Palmer Amaranth was confirmed in Guthrie County this (Friday) morning. Guthrie County Extension & Outreach will host a meeting on Palmer Amaranth next 7-p.m. Wednesday, September 14th at the Extension Office in Guthrie Center (212 State Street).

Topics to be covered include:

• The recent discovery of Palmer Amaranth in Guthrie County
• P-A Identification
• Plant Biology
• Current levels of infestations across Iowa
• and Management possibilities in CRP Plantings and Row Crops.

The session will be presented by ISU Field Agronomist Mike Witt.

For more information on Palmer Amaranth, go to this link: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/stopping-spread-palmer-amaranth-aggressive-competitive-weed

Deputies with the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday afternoon, arrested 31-year old Jackie Lee Marler, of Creston. Marler was taken into custody at the Union County Courthouse on a Union County warrant for violation of a no contact/protective order.  Marler was being held in the Union County Jail without bond, pending an appearance before a judge.

A task force meets for the first time today (Friday 2 PM) to study Iowa’s old and complicated alcohol laws which some say need to be revamped. Garrett Burchett (bur-CHET), of LeClaire, will represent a dozen “micro-distilleries” on the panel. Burchett runs a vodka distillery near Davenport that opened six years ago and now, his Mississippi River Distilling attracts nearly 60-thousand people a year.

“Those people come to see the mechanics of it, they come to see how it’s made, and at the end of the day, we believe they want to sit down and have a drink,” Burchett says. “We want to do that responsibly and within the laws, within those rules, no different than any other bar or restaurant but at the same time, we want that opportunity no different than breweries and wineries.”

The LeClaire distillery is growing, selling vodka, gin and whiskey to customers in 26 states and three foreign countries. Unfortunately for Burchett, Iowa code requires small distilleries to stop producing liquor once they reach a certain limit. “At some point, we will exceed that production limit,” he says. “This company will be so successful that we’ll have to close our doors to the folks of Iowa and Illinois. We’ll have to close our front door. There’s not a brewery in the state of Iowa that has a production limit. No one walked into a brewery and said, ‘Hey, no matter how successful you are, eventually, we’re going to have to put a stop to that.'”

In addition to the production limit, Burchett says another problem is the company is only allowed to sell two bottles of liquor per day to a customer and they can’t sell any by the glass. Also, free samples are limited to two ounces per person per day. The Iowa Alcohol Policy Task Force is expected to make recommendations to the next legislature. The group’s co-chairs are the directors of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division and Economic Development Authority. The other members represent Iowa’s beer, wine and liquor industries.

(Radio Iowa)

An investigation into the sexual assault and exploitation of 10 prepubescent girls has resulted in the conviction of a southern Iowa man. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a judge on Thursday sentenced 31-year old Timothy Ryan Zollman, of Van Wert, to 120-years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Zollman was earlier convicted on two counts of child pornography production, which included the videotaping of the sexual assaults.

Timothy Ryan Zollman

U-S Attorney Kevin VanderSchel said Zollman was a “Dangerous predator,” who “Was brought to justice because one of his victims, a young girl, was brave enough to report his criminal actions.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, U-S Dept. of Homeland Security, U-S Marshals Service, the Iowa DCI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Decatur, Ringgold and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices, Creston Police Dept., Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the South Dakota Dept. of Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, as part of the U-S Dept. of Justice’s “Project Safe Child” initiative.

Any person having knowledge of a child being sexually assaulted, is encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline, at 1-800-284-7821.

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

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