Iowa has received a failing grade for its laws governing disclosure of some of the campaign spending on races for governor and the legislature. The National Institute of Money in State Politics gave Iowa an “F” — and faulted the state for making it difficult for the public to figure out what’s going on. Iowa Campaign Disclosure Board director Megan Tooker says she’s offered legislation in the past to require more disclosure.

“We’ve had trouble getting any traction in that regard,” Tooker says. “…We, of course, are happy to work with any legislators that want to propose legislation to require disclosure.” Tooker is backing other legislation that would scale back some reporting requirements for campaigns, moves that will comply with court orders.

(Radio Iowa)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Groups representing rape victims and college administrators are asking a court to uphold Iowa State’s decision to kick a basketball player off the team for alleged sexual misconduct. The Victim Rights Law Center and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education say the case of former Cyclone guard Bubu Palo has national significance. Iowa State is asking the Iowa Supreme Court to reverse an August ruling that found there wasn’t evidence that Palo violated its sexual misconduct policy.

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed Monday, the national groups say the case could impact students and colleges in Iowa and across the country. They say universities must be able to use internal disciplinary hearings to enforce stricter standards of sexual misconduct than criminal law allows.

Former Iowa Lieutenant Governor Arthur Neu has died. Art Neu was Iowa’s lieutenant governor from January of 1973 ’til January of 1979. Steve Roberts was chairman of the Iowa Republican Party at the time. “He was a dedicated public servant, a very caring individual,” Roberts says. “He had a marvelous sense of humor.” Neu, who was born in Carroll, Iowa, got his undergrad and law degrees from Northwestern University. He practiced law in Carroll and served for six years in the Iowa Senate in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

In the 1980s, after his stint as lieutenant governor, Neu was elected mayor of Carroll. Neu served on a number of boards and commissions, including the Board of Regents. It’s a an “amazing” record of public service, according to Roberts. “He got elected as a Republican in Carroll County, which was also Democratic,” Roberts says. “That was also amazing.” Governor Branstad issued a written statement, offering his “deepest condolences” to Neu’s family.

Branstad said he had “the honor” of succeeding Neu as lieutenant governor after Neu decided not to seek reelection in 1978 and Branstad said Neu’s “passion for his home community of Carroll was always evident.” David Oman was serving on Governor Bob Ray’s staff in the 1970s when Neu was Iowa’s lieutenant governor. “Art Neu was a giant, politically, at all levels of government in Iowa, but more importantly he was a wonderful human being,” Oman says, “and he will be missed by a lot of people on both sides of the aisle.”

Oman notes Neu served on several state boards, including the Iowa Board of Corrections as well as the Board of Regents. “Arthur Neu had impact almost every time he said something or wrote something,” Oman says. “He was principled. He was a centrist. He cared deeply about people. He was able to work across party lines, solve problems. He cared deeply about education and the judicial system and he always did his work in a very humble, respectful way. The likes of him don’t come along all the time and he was a wonderful role model. He’ll be missed.”

Neu died this morning (Friday) at a hospital in Des Moines. He was 81.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies responded to one accident and made two arrests this week. No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle collision late Wednesday morning in Massena. Officials say a 2008 Ford F-250 owned and driven by 56-year old Rick Emmert Larsen, of Lewis, was traveling west on Highway 92, when a 2003 Chevy Impala driven by 28-year old Shelby Deann McKinley, of Wiota, attempted to pass.  As she did so, McKinley’s car clipped the left front side of Larsen’s pickup, causing $1,500 damage altogether. McKinley was cited for Unsafe Passing.

The Sheriff’s Dept. says 30-year old Travis Giles Warren, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Tuesday on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Warren was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.
And on Thursday, Jan. 1st, 43-year old Jason William Sheldahl, of Boone, was arrested in Cass County on a charge of Driving While Revoked. Sheldahl was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

In  a report released Friday morning, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said a Creston woman suffered possible, unknown injuries during a rollover accident Wednesday night. 18-year old Haley Marie Darland was transported by private vehicle to the Greater Regional Hospital in Creston, after the vehicle she was a passenger in, went out of control on a gravel road and struck a road “Curve” sign before entering a ditch and apparently rolling several times.

Authorities say the 2007 Chevy Impala was being driven by 20-year old Amy Marie Dunphy, of Creston, when it crossed a bridge as it was traveling south on Willow Avenue at around 10:30-p.m., Wednesday. The car went out of control after it left the paved portion of the roadway where it became gravel on the other side of a bridge.

Dunphy was not hurt during the crash. The car she was driving was declared a total loss. The Union County road sign sustained $100 damage. No citations were issued.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – One person has been killed and one injured in a Council Bluffs house fire.
The fire began a little after 7:15 a.m. Friday, and arriving firefighters found two people who already had escaped. Fire Chief Justin James says a disabled man was rescued from the main floor and taken to a hospital. Another person’s body was found in the basement.

The names of those involved haven’t been released. James says the fire likely started in the basement. The cause is being investigated.

The U-S Small Business Administration saw a drop in both the number and total dollar amount of loans it made to Iowa merchants during 2014. Dennis Larkin, in the S-B-A’s Cedar Rapids office, says the agency made 440 loans during the year and 155 of them were to new businesses, while the rest were to existing businesses.  “We were down about 85 loans from the year before, from 2013,” Larkin says. “We’re disappointed to see that the decrease was spread across both of our major loan program types. We saw disappointing decreases in ethnic loan breakdowns, women and veterans as well.”

The total value of the loans to Iowa businesses for the just-ended fiscal year reached 149-million dollars, compared to nearly 195-million the previous year. Larkin says the agency needs to do a better job of working with Iowa lenders to help them understand how S-B-A programs could be of value, providing access to capital for their clients. Larkin says, “We’re going to redouble our efforts with Iowa lenders to try to understand what their needs are and how their needs can fit with our programs and do a better job on our part of promoting the programs that we do have and trying to find ways to help lenders tailor our programs to the situation, to the clients, the customers that walk in the door.”

While the S-B-A saw drops in both the numbers and dollar value of the loans made in Iowa, nationwide, S-B-A loan numbers were up 12-percent and rose more than seven-percent in dollar amounts. “We’re not quite sure just what it is that we can do to help boost the SBA lending activity in Iowa,” Larkin says. “We’re determined to do that but we’re going to have to do a lot of listening and a lot of soul searching to see if we can’t find ways to turn this around, to help more small businesses in Iowa.”

Loans were made during the fiscal year in 65 of Iowa’s 99 counties. The SBA report says the loans created 1,440 jobs in Iowa and retained 2,796 jobs. Larkin says more than 95-percent of all businesses in Iowa are considered small businesses. Larkin is Acting Deputy District Director of the S-B-A in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa)

With Ric Hanson.

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MOVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a 27-year-old man who was killed in a rollover crash near Moville in northwest Iowa. He was identified as Joshua Worrell, of Sioux City.

The Iowa State Patrol says Worrell was eastbound on U.S. Highway 20 when his car left the roadway, ran into a ditch and rolled, coming to rest on its top. The patrol says the accident was reported around 10:50 a.m. Thursday but occurred sometime overnight.

The cause is being investigated.

Police in Creston report the arrest Wednesday night of a local man, on drug charges. Ely Will, of Creston, was taken into custody in the 100 block of north Pine Street by police who were assisted by the Creston P-D’s K9 Unit. Will faces charges that include Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver/Methamphetamine. Will was later released from the Union County Jail on $10,000 bond.

And, on Jan. 1st, Creston Police arrested Ryan Douglas Neal, of Orient, on a charge of Public Intoxication. Neal was later released from the jail on $300 bond.