DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa lawmaker is challenging the accusations of a woman who filed an ethics complaint alleging he touched her inappropriately in 2015. Sen. Nate Boulton filed a response Monday to the Iowa Senate Committee on Ethics complaint, saying parts of the woman’s story “do not ring true.”

The woman, Des Moines attorney Sharon Wegner, filed a complaint Nov. 17 alleging Boulton repeatedly put his hand on her buttocks at a bar in November 2015. Boulton, who was elected in November 2016, argues ethics rules don’t apply because he hadn’t taken office. And he contends the alleged actions didn’t violate Senate sexual harassment rules because they’re not tied to behavior in the workplace.

He also provided a signed statement from a fellow lawyer indicating the woman portrayed herself as having a romantic interest in Boulton that he didn’t return. The accusations contributed to Boulton dropping his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor before the June primary. He has refused to resign from the Senate.

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a fatal hunting accident in south-central Iowa.
Marion County deputies and Iowa Natural Resources Department officials responded to a report of the shooting around 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Robert’s Creek Park on the north side of Lake Red Rock.
Officials say 23-year-old Blake E. Schroder, of Leighton, was fatally struck by a round apparently fired by a member of his hunting party.

An investigation is continuing, and an autopsy at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner is pending.

(Radio Iowa) — A statewide association that provides technical assistance to Iowa cities, counties and businesses is backing an idea that could address the state’s housing shortage and provide prisoners who’ll be paroled some marketable job skills. The Iowa Association of Councils of Governments is offering to create a non-profit called Homes for Iowa to operate the Rural Homes Initiative. Rick Hunsaker, executive director of Region Seven of the Iowa Council of Governments, says the initiative would be modeled after a successful program in a neighboring state.

“What they do in South Dakota, have been doing for 20 years, is having prisoners construct stick-built houses that are then transported anywhere in the state of South Dakota and it is for workforce housing, essentially low- and moderate-income housing,” he says, “new houses that can be placed anywhere.” Hunsaker and others who are urging legislators to try the same program here suggest it could be called the Rural Housing Initiative. They envision having prisoners at the Newton Correctional facility build homes that would then be shipped to areas in need of affordable housing.

Advocates for this initiative are asking legislators to commit about four-million state tax dollars to cover start-up costs. “It requires a new fence to be built. It requires the site work to be done and the platforms and pylons to be constructed and installed so that we can build houses on that. It requires us to have a large warehouse so that we’re able to bulk-buy supplies,” Hunsaker says. “…It requires the trucks which are specialized, that they have jacks that can lower them down, get underneath the houses and bring them out.”

Advocates on this program envision paying the prisoners for their work, most of which would be used to cover fines, restitution, court costs and room and board. According to Hunsaker, it will also cut back on crime. Inmates involved in South Dakota’s home construction program have a 35 percent lower rate of committing another crime compared to the general prison population.

Hunsaker is among those hoping to build a coalition of groups to lobby legislators to authorize this program. The idea won initial committee approval in the state senate this past year, but did not wind up in the legislature’s final budget plan.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has again denied Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request for disaster assistance to flood victims in four Iowa counties. Reynolds announced Monday that FEMA had denied her appeal of the agency’s earlier denial of help to victims in Buchanan, Dickinson, Polk and Winnebago counties. The request followed severe storms and flooding from June 6 to July 2. FEMA notified the governor in August that the impact wasn’t severe enough to merit individual assistance.

President Donald Trump declared the four counties presidential disaster areas, making them available for other assistance. Reynolds also issued a disaster proclamation for the counties and has worked to provide more than $2.8 million in aid. Last week, FEMA denied individual disaster aid to victims of July tornadoes that hit Marshall and Polk counties.

(Updated 12/11) — Atlantic Fire and Medivac Ambulance were called to the scene of a residential fire Monday afternoon. A call about smoke coming from the attic at 709 Cedar Street was called-in at around 1:30-p.m. A young female and her grandmother were able to escape the home as crews were arriving. Smoke was visible from the northwest corner of the home as fire crews worked to get to the source of the flames and ventilate the structure.

Ric Hanson (photos)

Fire Chief Mark McNees said the residents smelled smoke earlier in the day, but were not able to determine where it was coming from. Crews remained on the scene until about 3:25-p.m. The cause remains under investigation as of today (Tuesday, 12/11).

Atlantic Police, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies and Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon assisted at the scene.

Officials with the City of Atlantic have announced Chestnut Street between 7th and 8th Street will be blocked-off Tuesday through Thursday, of this week. Work being done in the area will limit access to the 1st Whitney Bank at 7th and Chestnut, to traffic from the north, only.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A woman accused of stealing narcotic pain pills while working for a Council Bluffs assisted living facility has taken a plea deal. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 31-year-old Mandi Newsom was given two years of probation and fined $1,000 Friday. She also was granted a deferred judgment. That means Newsom’s conviction in the case can be removed from court records if she fulfills her probation terms.

She pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge, and prosecutors dropped two related charges in return. Her trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 15. Newsom was accused of stealing nearly 1,900 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills from January 2017 to August 2017 while working at Bethany Heights Assisted Living.