Atlantic Police say one-person was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital following a collision that happened at around 2:07-p.m. Friday, at the intersection of 5th and Locust Streets. Authorities say it appears an eastbound Dodge Durango (SUV) collided with a southbound passenger car, after the car pulled out into the intersection.

The airbags on the car deployed, causing unknown/possible injuries to the female driver. She was taken by Medivac Ambulance to CCMH. A male passenger in the car escaped injury. The driver of the SUV was checked by medics at the scene but did not require transport.

The names of the drivers were not immediately released.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, says there is no doubt she will seek a second term in 2020. Ernst says, “I am running again, so to anyone who would like to step up and enter into that race, I say bring it on.” Ernst became the first woman elected to Congress from Iowa in 2014 when she defeated then Congressman Bruce Braley for the Senate seat left open by the retirement of Tom Harkin.

“I love Iowa, I love the people of Iowa,” Ernst says, “we have of course I believe the best people in the nation — and I am very proud to represent them. So, I am very excited about the opportunities coming up in 2020.” Ernst says she will join her fellow Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and support President Donald Trump in 2020. “He is our sitting president and I do believe his policies are working for the United States. We have seen significant growth in our economy — and if you ask folks out there what is the number one issue — most Iowans’ typically state that it is the economy,” according to Ernst.

Trump is likely to face a challenge within the Republican Party, and Ernst says she would agree with Grassley and not campaign with them if they come to Iowa. “We have seen an incredibly accessible president to the likes that I did not see from the former administration,” Ernst says. “So I think that we have a solid path forward with President Trump. I think his policies, if you focus on those policies, a lot of Iowans support those. So, I wouldn’t welcome any other contenders.”

Ernst was elected last month as vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference. She now ranks sixth on the leadership roster for Senate Republicans. She’s the first woman to be elected to Senate G-O-P leadership since 2010. Senator Grassley’s term ends in 2022. He says he is undecided about seeking another six-year term, as he would be 89.  Ernst made her comments in a conference call with reporters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Roxann Ryan said Friday she’s informed Gov. Kim Reynolds that she will be leaving her job next month. Ryan told employees in an email that she’ll step down Jan. 2 after leading the department for four years. She says she’s proud of progress that’s been made in the department, which includes the Iowa State Patrol, the Division of Criminal Investigation and other public safety units.

Colonel Jeff Ritzman, Chief of the Iowa State Patrol, also announced his retirement, effective January 2, 2019, after 36 years of service in the Iowa State Patrol.   Col Ritzman served as the 16th Colonel of the Iowa State Patrol. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa (B.A., 1993) and Drake University (M.P.A. 2008).  The Colonel began his career with the Iowa State Patrol in 1982 and has served as a Trooper, a Sergeant, and a District Commander.  He also served as Basic Academy Camp Commander; in the Professional Standards Bureau; in the Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center; and as Executive Officer.

Ritzman said “It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the men and women of the Iowa State Patrol as their Colonel. In my eyes, there is no finer group of Troopers or people.“

A woman from northwest Iowa and a man from northeast Iowa were killed during a collision Friday afternoon in northwest Iowa’s Pocahontas County. The Iowa State Patrol reports, the crash occurred west of Plover at the intersection of Highway 4 and County Road 15.

The report says 24-year old Kyle Lee Briggs, of Denver, IA, was driving 2003 Ford Taurus eastbound on C-15 and failed to stop before crossing Highway 4. His car was struck by a southbound 2007 International semi-tractor trailer driven by 21-year old Ryan Larson, of Armstrong. The crash happened at around 3:25-p.m

Briggs died at the scene. One of his passengers, 48-year old Kristine Price, of Rolfe, was transported to Pocahontas Community Hospital, where she died from her injuries. Also injured in the collision was 47-year old John Price and 19-year old Elyjah Aden, both of Rolfe. John Price, who was not wearing a seat belt, was transported to the Palo Alto County Hospital, in Emmetsburg, while and Aden was flown by Life Flight helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center.

The Iowa Department of Transportation, along with Pocahontas and Laurens ambulances, assisted at the scene.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place this past week. On Wednesday, 26-year old Ian Richard Alexander MacVenn, of College Springs, was arrested for Driving under suspension. And, on December 2nd, 42-year old Jason Charles Allison, of Coin, was arrested in Coin, for  Domestic Abuse assault..

(Radio Iowa) — A girl who’d been missing for nearly two months has been found in Mason City and a young man is charged in connection with her disappearance. According to Mason City Police, officers responded Thursday night to a report of witnesses possibly seeing 15-year-old Tala Schaal enter an apartment building. She was located inside one of the apartments minutes later.

Eighteen-year-old Devyn Belseth was arrested for harboring a runaway against the wishes of a parent or guardian, an aggravated misdemeanor. Police say the case remains under investigation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A political appointee who works for three Iowa government agencies blasted an ethics law Friday that requires him and others with multiple state jobs to disclose them on a specific form. Employment Appeal Board member James Strohman called the law “kind of a dumb thing” in an interview, saying no one knows about the requirement, it’s not enforced and it gives the public little information. “It’s a goofy rule,” he said.

Strohman earns $84,000 on the full-time board, which Gov. Terry Branstad appointed him to in 2014. Strohman also has a halftime lecturer appointment at Iowa State University, where he teaches two online courses per semester and earned $42,000 last year. In addition, he teaches two or three courses each semester through Des Moines Area Community College, either online or at its campuses, earning an additional $15,000 per year, on average.

Under a 2006 law, state employees “shall not receive compensation simultaneously” from multiple agencies unless they file the disclosure with the ethics board within 20 days of accepting their secondary employment. The goal was to bring scrutiny to employees with multiple publicly-funded jobs to make sure they had no conflicts of interest and could perform both.

The law was passed after a lawyer with the Iowa Workforce Development agency was found to be working extensively as a contract public defender, including on days when she used sick leave. Dozens of notices have been filed over the last 12 years. They’re supposed to be posted on the ethics board’s website , but the agency has stopped doing so for a year due to its long-running technical inability to update the site.

Strohman recently filled out the form for the first time, under protest, in response to an inquiry from ethics board director Megan Tooker. Strohman said he had been unaware of the requirement and doesn’t believe it applies to his situation. He argued that his teaching jobs Iowa State and DMACC shouldn’t be covered by the law, even though administrative rules make clear that they are.

He told Tooker that he was filling out the form only “in the interest of complying with a perceived requirement, however misconstrued it may be.” He’s not expected to face consequences for his earlier noncompliance. Strohman said he puts in a full-time workload and is proud of his service at the board, which rules on appeals of unemployment benefits decisions, OSHA violations and other matters.
The obscure agency was in the news last year after one of its other members, Kim Schmett, and his wife were criticized for side work in which they lobbied on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government. Lawmakers this year barred state officials from outside jobs that require registering as a foreign agent.
Strohman said that he’s only missed one of 910 daily board meetings and does most of his teaching at nights and weekends. When he teaches during the day, he said he takes vacation that he’s accrued from his decades in state service. “I turn on my computer at night and on weekends and grade papers and have discussions with students. It’s not hard to do,” he said. “I’ve been doing it 12 years. I have it down. I enjoy it.”

Strohman said that when Branstad appointed him, the governor only asked that he stop writing about politics for an independent newspaper in Des Moines. Months before his appointment, Strohman had written a glowing piece about Branstad’s historic political career. Strohman said he’s no different than others who work two or three jobs to make ends meet. “That’s just an economic reality for a lot of Iowans,” he said.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s top public safety official says she’s informed Gov. Kim Reynolds that she will be leaving her job next month. Department of Public Safety Commissioner Roxann Ryan told employees in an email Friday that she’ll step down Jan. 2 after leading the department for four years.

She says she’s proud of progress that’s been made in the department, which includes the Iowa State Patrol, the Division of Criminal Investigation and other public safety units. The move comes as Reynolds is making some personnel changes after winning a full four-year term in office in last month’s election.

Before then-Gov. Terry Branstad promoted her to commissioner, Ryan worked as an attorney and an intelligence analyst for the department. A replacement for Ryan wasn’t immediately named.