The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two separate arrests for Driving Under Suspension. At around 12:15-a.m. today (Tuesday), 48-year old Scott Len Lowery, of Des Moines, was arrested for DUS with 5 withdrawals in effect, following a traffic stop at the intersection of Highways 34 and 71, north of Villisca.

And, at around 7:15-p.m. Monday, 34-year old Brent Lee Wagaman, of Red Oak, was arrested at the intersection of Highway 34 and 4th Street in Red Oak, for Driving Under Suspension with 14 withdrawals in effect.

Both men were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $435 bond, each.

The first quarter income report from John Deere and Company released Friday showed a drop in net income — but it also held a positive message for the ag industry. Sales were up two percent and spokesman Ken Golden says there are signs of continued improvement.

“U-S farm income is expected to increase slightly in 2017, that’s always good news for people who sell to farmers,” Golden says. “In construction and forestry it’s the overall economy and G-D-P growth, housing starts and several other areas that really are indicators for our construction and forestry business.” Deere predicts sales will increase four per cent this year.

“In recent years we’ve been talking about decreases it seems like every quarter. So, this is beginning to give us indications we are near the bottom of the agricultural market and are beginning to swing in the right direction,” according to Golden. Deere in fact had predicted last fall that sales would drop one percent this year, before revising it to the projection of the four percent increase.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A panel of House lawmakers has approved a bill that would prevent Iowa judicial courts from applying foreign law to state cases. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa says the bill mirrors anti-Sharia legislation passed in other states, though Sharia law is not directly referenced in the bill. The GOP-led House Judiciary Subcommittee agreed Monday to support the bill. It now heads to a full committee.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s largest state employees union has filed a lawsuit challenging a new law that eliminates most collective bargaining rights for public workers. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Iowa Council 61 filed the lawsuit Monday in Polk County District Court. It seeks an order halting immediate enforcement of the changes. The lawsuit argues that the law violates language in the Iowa Constitution that ensures equality to citizens.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has defended allowing a lobbyist to attend a private bill signing of the state’s new collective bargaining law. Branstad told reporters Monday that Drew Klein of Americans for Prosperity witnessed the Friday signing because the lobbyist asked. Members of the press inquired about the event and were told it was private. Branstad defended the media’s exclusion from the signing by saying he’s accessible through events like weekly press conferences.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say five people have been wounded in a shooting that involved two Ames police officers. Police say the officers fired back at people who had fired from a car into a crowd early Sunday morning. Three people in the crowd were taken to hospitals, and police say two wounded suspects and two other men were found at a Fort Dodge hospital and arrested.

The Red Oak Police Department conducted a search warrant in the 1000 block of East Corning Street in Red Oak on Monday and recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia. 32-year-old Robert B. Harris of Red Oak was already in custody on theft charges and will now face drug charges.

Officers seized numerous items of drug paraphernalia, pipes, bongs, scales, and baggies. They also found approximately .88 grams of suspected Methamphetamine. Officers also recovered stolen property that belonged to the Hardware Hank Store in Red Oak.

Harris was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (a serious misdemeanor) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (a simple misdemeanor).  He is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 cash bond.

The Enhance Iowa Board, on February 8th, heard a presentation from Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Seth Staashelm, with regard to the City’s application for funds to complete a phase of the Schildberg Recreation Area (SRA) improvements. Staashelm told the Parks and Rec Board Monday evening, that overall, the meeting went well, but there are some additional funds that need to be raised before the Enhance Iowa Board scores the application on March 8th, which is date of the next meeting Staashelm must attend to update their Board.

He said he had 10-minutes to make his presentation for consideration, along with eight other project presenters, and he received a lot of positive feedback. The application did show a “fundraising gap” amounting to approximately $29,000. Staashelm said the City can use funds from the Parks Capital Improvement 2020 Program, from the County and Connect-A-Dock, who is helping with the ADA accessible fishing pier, Cass County Community Foundation, Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs. While some of those are “Pending” funds, Seth says he hopes to get more committed letters of support before the March 8th meeting. He also hopes to use Trust and Agency Funds.

The Parks and Rec Department is seeking $175,000 from Enhance Iowa for the SRA improvements. In other business, Staashelm said has a special deal for persons wanting to attend an Iowa Wild American Hockey League (AHL) game on March 18th, “Atlantic Parks and Recreation Night” at Wells Fargo Arena, in Des Moines. The $22 price per person of the tickets includes the game against the Milwaukee Admirals, followed by a Gaelic Storm Concert and Saint Patrick’s Day hat giveaway. 22 tickets are available by calling Staashelm at 712-243-3542 by no later than March 3rd.

And, Staashelm said Monday that the ice skating rink is closed at Sunnyside Park, due to the obvious change in the weather. The roads in Sunnyside Park are now open again, and the Tennis court nets are up. The Basketball Court should be available for use by Tuesday night, but the restrooms will remain closed until there’s no more chance of frost or freezing temps in the forecast.

A Sioux City woman has confirmed that her son was one of five people wounded in a drive-by shooting early Sunday in Ames. Officers were sent to the scene around 1:30 a.m. Sunday on reports that two groups were fighting as bars closed in the area. As police officers separated the groups, shots were fired from a stopped car into the crowd. Police say two officers fired into the car, which sped away. Three bystanders in the crowd were taken to hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Kathy Heaton of Sioux City has confirmed that one of those three victims is her son, Kyle Heaton, who is a student at Iowa State University, and that he sustained a gunshot wound to his leg. Heaton’s mother says her son has been treated and released from an Ames hospital and that the wound was not serious. Commander Geoff Huff of the Ames Police says the two wounded suspects and two other men were found at a Fort Dodge hospital. All four of those men, who are from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were arrested.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Police Department released details Monday on multiple arrests this month.

On February 2nd Officers arrested 41-year-old Michelle Gifford of Atlantic for OWI 1st Offense. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On February 8th Officers arrested 56-year-old Rhonda Hafner of Griswold for OWI 1st Offense. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On February 9th Officers arrested 26-year-old Devin Register of Atlantic on Cass County Warrants for two counts of Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Injury. He was booked into the Cass County Jail. Register was arrested again on Sunday, February 19th for Criminal Mischief 4th Degree. He was again taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On February 12th Officers arrested 29-year-old Taylor Andersen of Atlantic for Domestic Abuse Assault Impeding Air Flow. He was taken into custody and booked in the the Cass County Jail.

Atlantic Police also report three separate arrests on Friday, February 17th. 24-year-old Michael Riley of Atlantic was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault Impeding Air Flow. She was taken into custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail. 27-year-old Cameron Misner was arrested Friday for Public Intoxication. He was booked into the Cass County Jail. Also Friday Officers arrested 50-year-old Richard Lewis of Atlantic for Simple Assault.  He was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

A photo featuring a lobbyist shaking Governor Terry Branstad’s hand last Friday has sparked outrage among opponents of the bill Branstad signed moments before the picture was taken. Branstad’s signature on the bill immediately reduced negotiating rights for government workers. AFSCME Council 61 president Danny Homan leads a union representing 40-thousand govenrment workers in Iowa and he says it was “disgusting” to see Branstad and the lobbyist for Americans for Prosperity smiling in that photo.

“That said volumes to me as to who was behind and pulling the strings for the passage of this law,” Homan says. Americans for Prosperity was founded and financed by Oklahoma billionaires known as the Koch (pronounced “Coke”) Brothers. Drew Klein, the state director for Americans for Prosperity, posted the picture on his Twitter account and wrote that he was honored to witness the bill signing. Branstad signed the bill in a PRIVATE ceremony and Klein was the only lobbyist in the room.

“I really don’t even know him, so it’s not that big a deal as far as I’m concerned,” Branstad says. The governor says he poses for lots of pictures with people he doesn’t know. “I try to be very accommodating with people and so there were some people that wanted a picture with me and so I accommodated that,” Branstad says. “That’s not a big deal as far as I’m concerned. I do that for people all the time.” After Klein posted his photo with Branstad online, State Senator Jeff Danielson tweeted that Klein was a “super PAC punk.” Klein responded during a Sunday appearance on W-H-O Television’s “Insiders” program.

“As a state director, I do an awful lot of fundraising for somebody that supposedly was handed a suitcase of cash from the Koch brothers and told to implement some agenda,” Klein said. Klein says the bill Branstad signed is “truly historic” and he rejects the charge Democrats made, that Klein had a major hand in writing the legislation. “They’ve certainly give me some new career aspirations that I may one day be as effective as they believe I am,” Klein said. Klein is a Newton native and a Drake University graduate. He lives in Des Moines and has been working in politics since 2008.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A panel of House lawmakers has approved a bill that would prevent Iowa judicial courts from applying foreign law to state cases. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa says the bill mirrors anti-Sharia legislation passed in other states, though Sharia law is not directly referenced in the bill.

The GOP-led House Judiciary Subcommittee agreed Monday to support the bill. It now heads to a full committee. Rep. Ralph Watts, an Adel Republican and the bill’s lead sponsor, says the legislation is aimed at ensuring new cultures in America assimilate under the U.S. Constitution. Watts says he’s unaware of any cases where Iowa courts have considered foreign law.

The Iowa Catholic Conference is also registered against the bill. The group says the measure could void agreements referencing Catholic law.

Governor Terry Branstad does not expect to approve changes in the pension systems for government workers in Iowa before he resigns and heads to China to serve as U.S. Ambassador. “It’s not something that could be done that quickly,” Branstad sys. “…I think it would make sense to have a long-range study that would look at moving a defined contribution as opposed to a defined benefit system as a lot of companies have already done.”

The phrase “defined benefit” is another way to say a pension. The 401-K programs in the private sector use the “defined contributions” of workers who save for their own retirement, sometimes with a matching contribution from their employer. Branstad has long been an advocate of changing IPERS, the state pension system for 335-thousand current, former and retired workers, for NEW workers entering government employment are no longer promised a pension, but have 401-K style accounts.

“If you’re going to do that, it’s a long-term commitment and I think you need to look at maybe even a hybrid system over the period of adjustment,” Branstad says. “A number of states and communities are looking at that.”

This weekend, the governor’s former budget director who now heads a taxpayers group said she hopes legislators are “teeing up a look” at pension reform.

(Radio Iowa)