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

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TOLEDO, Iowa (AP) — A Marion teacher acquitted of not reporting that a classroom volunteer sexually abused her students is returning to work. Station KCRG reports that Marion Schools Superintendent Chris Dyer says Diane Graham will be back in a classroom Thursday at Vernon Middle School.

Graham was found not guilty Jan. 11. Prosecutors alleged that Graham was teaching at Starry Elementary in Marion when two students told her in August 2016 that they were being abused by the volunteer. Prosecutors said Graham didn’t report the abuse, allowing it to continue for two more months. Graham testified that she never saw or heard of any abuse.

The teen has been convicted of sexual abuse.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Court documents show the adoptive father of a 16-year-old girl who starved to death will enter a new plea later this month. Forty-seven-year-old Joseph Finn II already has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, child endangerment and neglect or abandonment. His former wife, Nicole Finn, was convicted Dec. 14 of murder and other crimes in the October 2016 death of Natalie Finn.
Medical examiners say Natalie Finn died from emaciation due to denial of critical care.

Polk County court records say the March 21 plea hearing was set Wednesday at the request of Finn’s lawyers. The records don’t say whether a deal with prosecutors has been reached.

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) — A federal judge has denied the state’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a 2012 law that made it illegal to get a job at a livestock farm through misrepresentation to conduct an animal cruelty undercover investigation. The ruling was filed Tuesday. A coalition of public interest groups challenging the law called the ruling a big win.

The groups say Iowa’s law violates their constitutional free speech and equal protection rights. The lawsuit names the governor and the attorney general. Eric Tabor, Iowa’s chief deputy attorney general, told The Des Moines Register that it’s early in the case’s litigation and declined to comment further.

Red Oak Police report making two arrests late Wednesday morning. 37-year old Rose Amber Lopez, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 11:16-a.m., after Red Oak Police, assisted by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies, responded to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, where Lopez was allegedly making “A loud and raucous noise,” causing hospital occupants “unreasonable distress.” She was charged with Disorderly Conduct and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where bond was set at $300.

While on that call, and at about the same time, Red Oak Police and Montgomery County Deputies could hear a male yelling. The noise lead officers and deputies to the 300 block of E. Valley Street, where 24-year old Jesse Dean Uhlmann, of Red Oak, was located, and subsequently arrested for Serious Domestic Abuse Assault. Uhlmann was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond.

Groups and individuals calling for improvements in Iowa’s mental health care system say it appears some progress may be near. On Tuesday, the Iowa House passed a comprehensive plan to improve access to mental health care services in Iowa. Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt was among advocates who were at the statehouse Wednesday to lobby SENATORS to approve that bill.

“Our goal, with the Iowa Sheriffs and Deputies Association, is for when people have a mental health crisis, it’s just as important as somebody having a heart attack or a stroke,” he said. “The people need the care and this bill will help do that.”

Mary Neubauer of Clive began “speaking out for change” after her son, Sergei, took his life in September. She says her son’s story “shows those with mental illnesses don’t have time to wait.” “It’s too late for us and for Sergei,” Neubauer said. “…We have the opportunity to save lives. I want us to do better and I am not alone.”

More than five-thousand people have signed an on-line petition that calls for urgent action to address deficiencies in Iowa’s mental health care system. Steve Baumert the president and C-E-O of Jennie Edmonson Hospital in Council Bluffs is chairman of the Iowa Hospital Association’s board of directors. He was at the statehouse yesterday (Wednesday) to deliver that message to state policymakers.”You have a chance to change lives and save lives,” he said, “and what a tremendous legacy that would be.”

Peggy Huppert of the National Alliance on Mental Illness says Iowa has reached a “tipping point.”  “Mental illness affects tens of thousands of Iowans and they’ve raised their voices in unison to say: ‘More must be done,'” Huppert said.

Preliminary discussions also continued at the statehouse yesterday (Wednesday) over a plan to improve mental health care services for children.

(Radio Iowa)

Republicans in the Iowa Senate last (Wednesday) night cast their “yes” votes for legislation that would ultimately cut state taxes by more than a billion dollars a year. The vote came after what Republican Senator Randy Feenstra described as a “lively” debate. “The one thing this talk or this discussion truly showed tonight, I mean…in black and white, it showed the difference between our politial parties,” Feenstra said.

There was a sharp exchange when Democratic Senator Herman Quirmbac asked Republican Senator Charles Schneider where the G-O-P planned to cut the state budget to make up for the tax reductions. “I think this shows a fundamental difference in approaches between your side of the aisle and mine,” Schneider said. Quirmbach interjected: “Yeah, we believe in facts and you believe in fantasy.” Schneider said: “We believe in keeping money in taxpayers’ pockets.”

Democrats like Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque cited a report indicating Iowans who earn less than 250-thousand dollars a year will get a tax cut worth about 10 dollars a week — about the price of a McDonald’s Happy Meal.  “So in exchange for that Happy Meal, Iowans are going to see increases in tuition at our universities and colleges,” Jochum said. “We may see further consolidation of rural school districts. We will have fewer state troopers.”

Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, says it was the “height of fiscal irresponsibility” to cut taxes by a billion dollars a year. “Senator Feenstra, I know you mean well, but you are about to pilot a bobsled to bankruptcy for the state of Iowa,” McCoy said.

Feenstra, the chief Republican architect of the plan, responded at the close of the debate.  “We want to carry the Olympic torch for the hard-working Iowans and inside every one of our Happy Meals, the toy will be $1000,” Feenstra said.

Last night’s debate may be the final airing for Feenstra’s plan, however. Late this (Thursday) morning, Republicans in the HOUSE will hold a hearing for a bill that would implement Governor Kim Reynolds’ tax cut plan instead.

(Radio Iowa)

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans appear set on approving more than $1 billion in annual tax cuts to the state without explaining how they plan to pay for it. GOP lawmakers in the chamber are advancing legislation that would include reducing corporate income taxes and individual income taxes. The sweeping bill also would eliminate some tax credits, rework sales tax collections and mirror parts of the federal tax system.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawmakers in the Iowa Senate have approved a bill that would ban most abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat. The Republican-controlled chamber voted 30-20 Wednesday along party lines in support of the so-called heartbeat bill. The chamber’s lone independent lawmaker also voted for the legislation. A heartbeat can be detected as early as 6 weeks of pregnancy. The legislation would only allow abortions at a later period to save a pregnant woman’s life.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has set a trial date for a lawsuit filed by a former state official who alleges he was pressured by former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to resign because of his sexual orientation. A judge on Wednesday set aside four weeks beginning Jan. 14 for the lawsuit filed by Chris Godfrey. He accuses the state of discrimination based on sexual orientation and retaliation, and of violating his constitutional due process guarantees.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a western Iowa farmer has pleaded guilty in a tax fraud case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says 64-year-old Kurt Neldeberg, of Whiting, pleaded guilty Wednesday to making a false and fraudulent tax return. Prosecutors say he failed to report more than $315,000 in farm income from 2009 through 2012 and filed false tax returns.

Members of the Atlantic Education Association, representing the Certified staff, and Atlantic Employees Association, representing the Non-Certified staff, presented their initial bargaining proposals today (Wednesday), to the Atlantic School Board. The Board, in-turn, presented it proposals, as well.

Joanne Runyon and Mike McDermott spoke on behalf of the Education Association. Runyon said they are proposing a three-percent increase on the base, including step and lane, in the amount of $1,051. The TSS (Teacher Salary Supplement) payment remains the same. The current Base pay on the Master Contract is $35,049. The increase was based in-part, on Atlantic’s base pay as compared to other schools in the Hawkeye 10 Conference. Atlantic is ranked 9th in Base dollars for 2017-18.

The Base salary determines a hiring base, according to Runyon, who said also “If we are to continue to remain competitive, one needs to take a look at that.” The Education Association also asked for increases in: the Activity Sponsor for Archery from one, to two sponsor/coaches, each of whom would be paid 2.42%, or $1,046, based on the current contract; They also requested the Middle School Student Council be increased from the current 2% to 5.5% because they are more active than in the past; the Middle School Yearbook they requested be increase from the current zero percent, to 2-percent. The person who is in charge of that has not been paid in the past, and they are going “above and beyond” the duties of her classroom time; And, Head School Cross Country – there is a requested increase from the current 8.32% to $3,616 to 10.19%.

The Atlantic Board of Directors, conversely, proposed freezing the salary schedule for 2018-19, and that each full-time employee receive a $100, one-time payment. And, that Permissives for: TSS Calulation in Salary Schedule; a Column of the schedule referencing percentages tied to BA, Step 6 (for each position), be deleted.

The Atlantic Employees Association, represented by Andrea Halterman, requested an overall 40-cent per hour increase to the base pay, and she said the Transportation staff has expressed an increase in being paid bi-weekly, rather than monthly, and the Transportation Support Staff proposed a 50-cent per hour increase per hour, for wait time pay (associated with events where they must wait in the bus or vehicle for students to return). The would mean $11.00 per hour, instead of $10.50.

For its part, the District proposed no changes to the salary schedule for 2018-19, but that each eligible employee moves a step on the salary schedule. Additional meetings are planned between the entities, but no firm date for the next session, was set.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board Wednesday night, also approved the resignation of Assistant High School Principal/Athletic Director Matt Alexander, who has accepted the Superintendent’s position for the OA-BCIG School District, effective July 1st.