OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Police say a train struck and killed a pedestrian in Ottumwa. Officers sent to check a report about a train accident around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday found the body of 22-year-old Duane Heifort. He lived in Ottumwa. Officials have not yet reported on what actions led to Heifort’s death.

(Radio Iowa) — Another proposal to alter the state’s “bottle bill” has emerged in the Iowa Senate. For decades, legislators have debated making changes in the system that charges a deposit fee on bottles and cans of alcohol and carbonated beverages. For years, the stores that sell those beverages have objected to being the place customers go with their empties to get their nickels back. Pam Mackey-Taylor, a lobbyist for the Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club, says the group opposes major changes. “We like the convenience of the grocery stores and convenience stores and the accessibility throughout the state, including in rural communities,” she said.

But a bill that got its first hearing at the statehouse yesterday would let grocery stores and convenience stores exit the redemption business. Brad Epperly, a lobbyist for the Iowa Grocery Industry, says retailers spend a lot to process the empties. “We devote square footage. We devote people. We have to do extraordinary cleaning measures…because this is where you buy your groceries,” Epperly said. “There are convenience stores in this state that have to rent space because they have no where to put them.”

The proposal a panel of three senators reviewed would raise the fee paid to recycling or “redemption” centers from one penny to two pennies out of the five cent deposit on each can. Troy Willard owns the “Can Shed” with locations in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. He says that increase in the handling fee is badly needed. “I would say most redemption center owners also have that concern about convenience,” he said, “as far as whether there would be enough redemption centers pop up to replace retail.”

The businesses that bottle and distribute the pop and beer also say the current system is unfair, but they oppose the bill. Senator Mark Segebart, of Vail says going 40 years without making improvements to the “bottle bill” makes no sense.  “As a farmer, you have to adjust things all the time,” he said. “The rule is don’t overadjust. If you adjust 10 things on a piece of equipment, you don’t know what you did that fixed it, so this is a fairly simple bill. It’ll fix a couple of little pieces. It won’t fix everything. But guess what? I’ll be back next year.”

Segebart, gesturing with a nearly empty can of pop, told the crowd at Wednesday’s hearing there will be adjustments in his bill. And groups involved in this decades-long debate over the “bottle bill’s” fate say they’re working to develop other alternatives, too.

(Radio Iowa) — A group of family members and supporters of people with autism plans on filing a proposal with the state’s cannabis board this week calling for access to medical marijuana for severe autism patients of all ages. The state is currently considering allowing medical marijuana treatments for some children with autism, if they have self-injuring or aggressive behaviors. Mary Roberts is the mother of two adult children with severe autism and says they should have the option of cannabis treatment, regardless of their age.  “Autism is a lifelong condition and we need to have access for patients who qualify from childhood through adulthood,” Roberts says.

She says they deserve more treatment options. “My kids for over 20 years have been on cocktails of benzodiazepines and anti-psychotics and often prescribed meds simply to counteract the side effects of other medications,” Roberts explains. “And it really becomes pretty complex and potentially compromising to their well-being.”

The state Board of Medicine is reviewing public comments on the proposal for children. They’re expected to take up that plan next month. Roberts and a group of families and advocates, plans to file their proposal for adults later this week. Sales of medical marijuana grown and produced in the state began in December.

ESTHERVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Children are still doing schoolwork during snow days at a district based in the northern Iowa community of Estherville. The Des Moines Register reports that Estherville Lincoln Central students are given assignments to complete at home and then connect remotely to post completed assignments or answer teacher questions. Teachers can conduct online video chats with small groups of students.

The virtual snow days are new to the district this school year, and Superintendent Tara Paul says there were complaints from students about having to work instead of play on their day off from their classrooms.
Students in kindergarten through second grade are given assignment options that can be completed without computers in case they’re not available to all students. Students in grades three through 12 have Chromebooks provided by the school, so the snow day assignments are completed on their devices.