CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Incumbent Republican Rep. Rod Blum and his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Abby Finkenauer, are downplaying their own political scandals in the weeks leading to the Nov. 6 election for Iowa’s 1st District House seat.

The Courier reports that the two defended their records Friday in the first of two planned debates. Finkenauer responded to questions about failing to note her change of employment in 2015 when she became the director of a nonprofit organization that advocates equal pay, family leave and other working-family issues. She said she reported the employment to the Iowa House “the second I found there was a new … requirement.”

Blum downplayed his failure to disclose founding a Dubuque company that promises it can help businesses bury negative information below the first page of internet search results. Blum faces a U.S. House Ethics Committee inquiry for his actions involving Tin Moon Corp.

(DES MOINES) –The United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Planning recently gave notice to the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) and Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) that the State has been awarded a $200,000 planning grant to help develop policy and programs aimed at addressing reentry and employment readiness for adults being released from Iowa’s prisons. The application was submitted by the Iowa DOC as the primary grantee; IWD was a partner in the submission, and will be a major collaborator in the implementation.

The planning grant will allow for department staff to collaborate with agencies to focus on examination of statewide, multi-agency policies that could be improved to benefit individuals exiting the prison system. The planning will focus on a target population classified as “moderate risk” to “high risk” as identified by DOC risk measurement instruments. These efforts are part of the broader mission of the DOC.

DOC Director Jerry Bartruff said, “I’m really excited for our team to get to work on this new project. We know there is a need to refine some of the policies as well as some practices across our agencies so that we’re preparing incarcerated individuals for success when they return to their community. For every person that we help succeed in reentry- that’s one step closer to our department’s goal of creating opportunities for safer communities.”

Partnering with the DOC in this project, IWD Director Beth Townsend said her agency will play an important role in the success of any policy or practice reforms that need to occur to improve the rate of successful community reentry for the formerly incarcerated. Townsend said “We know that individuals who are gainfully employed as they re-enter the workforce are much less likely to recidivate. We also know that the second largest pool of available workers is comprised of individuals who have been incarcerated. As such, making sure that we are doing everything we can to ensure these Iowans are prepared to contribute meaningfully to Iowa’s workforce is an imperative. This planning grant will help us better align our resources, so we can make that happen more readily.”

The Iowa Reentry and Employment Training Project will run from October 2018 through October 2019, with a final report being submitted to the US DOJ BJP upon completion.

The Atlantic Fireman’s Parade will take place next Saturday, Oct. 13^th, in downtown Atlantic. The event caps-off Fire Prevention Week, which begins Sunday, and concludes next Saturday (Oct. 7th – 13th). Captain Tom Cappel with the Atlantic Volunteer Fire Department, says they began planning for next Saturday’s parade last year, with the idea of tying it in with Atlantic’s 150^th Anniversary, and the A-F-D’s 150^th Anniversary. Cappel says there’s trophies won by the department and other memorabilia on display at the fire station, and you’re more than welcome to come out and take a look at the history of your Atlantic Fire Dept.

Cappel says this Sunday (Oct. 7^th), a breakfast for the public will take place at the Atlantic Fire Station.

(It will be held from 7-a.m. until 1-p.m. For your free-will donation, the meal includes pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, juice and milk or coffee.)

The money that’s raised goes back toward Fire Prevention, including fire truck rides for the kids, and outreach efforts.

(Cappel says part of that effort is reminding people that now is a good time to change your batteries in your smoke detectors and make sure they are working properly. It’s also a good time to check your carbon monoxide detectors.)

The Parade next Saturday, features many new attractions, including a team of Clydesdale Horses.

A Wells Fargo hitch will also be in attendance by the Chamber Office. Other attractions include performances by: bagpipers; The Atlantic High School and Middle School Band; The Isiserettes (Eye-siss’er-etts) Drill Team from Des Moines; three other drill and drum corps. Line-up for the parade starts at 4-p.m. Saturday at 2^nd and Sunnyside Streets, with the parade getting underway at 6-p.m. A Midwest Med-Air helicopter will land near the City Park at around 5-p.m., as part of the festivities.

Other activities scheduled for next Saturday include a Fireman’s Dance from 8-p.m. Until Midnight, at the 4-H Building at the Cass County Fairgrounds. The event is open to the public, and food will be available.

Two robberies at bars early Friday morning in the Guthrie County town of Jamaica are under investigation, and the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in identifying the suspect. In their social media posts, the Sheriff’s Office, Friday, said the burglaries happened sometime between 2:30- and 3:15-a.m. Friday, at “Tojo’s Bar and Grill,” and the “Just One More” bar. Security footage shows the suspect is a male wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, black gloves, and eyeglasses. Video footage of the suspect is available on the Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/guthriecountyso/videos/268701667185094/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARCbkpaAv8fG0cXaCcvfwK8d3z-idnhfMNHGgxjHKmoaK0bCy-6yXuEtsg0XkWo894-jLiwsv0qQuLJo

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact Chief Deputy Jeremy Bennett at 641-747-2214.