WASHINGTON – Today (Monday), the Office of U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) released the following statement:

“Senator Ernst and her husband, Gail, are in the process of divorcing.  They remain committed to their children and family, and ask for respect for their privacy during this difficult time.”

The driver of a motorcycle was injured after crashing into a phone box and landing in a large thicket of trees and shrubs late Sunday morning. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of the accident at 201 Shelby County Road M-16, at 11:29-a.m. They located the driver of a crashed 2005 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, 62-year-old Ricky Lee Hansen of Harlan, in a large thicket of trees and shrubs with injuries to his head and left leg/hip area. When questioned, Hansen told deputies he had been laying in the thicket for 4 days. However, after speaking with the homeowners at the location that time-frame was believed to be inaccurate.

The residents said they left about one day prior, and damage to the communication box had not happened at that time. Evidence showed Hansen was traveling northbound on M-16, and appeared to have lost control on a curve before the cycle went into a ditch, struck the communications box, and crossed a driveway before sliding into the thicket that concealed him. It was believed that Hansen was laying at the scene for at least 12 hours but less than 24 hours.

Hansen suffered serious injuries and was taken by Shelby Rescue and Medivac Ambulance to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan where they met Life Net Helicopter that transported him to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Damage to the motorcycle was estimated at $3,000 and damage to the communications box owned by Windstream was estimated at $1,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Transamerica and several related entities have agreed to repay $97.6 million to investors who were misled as part of a settlement with regulators. The Securities and Exchange Commission says investors were misled about the quantitative models that were used to manage their investments. Transamerica didn’t admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

The SEC said the investment models used contained numerous errors and didn’t function as promised. Investors had been promised proven models developed by Aegon USA Investment Management.

Investigators say Transamerica and Aegon stopped using the faulty models after the errors were found without telling investors. The settlement money will be paid to affected investors.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Native American tribe is still planning to open a casino on the Iowa-Nebraska border despite a pending legal challenge from both states. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska announced Monday that the newly named Prairie Flower Casino will open in late October on tribal land in Carter Lake, Iowa.

The project’s first phase will include 9,500 square feet of space, 200 slot-style games and a full-service bar and snack bar. Officials from Iowa state government and Council Bluffs are suing federal officials who approved the project in hopes of stopping the casino. They say the new casino would compete with state-licensed casinos in Council Bluffs that generate millions of dollars taxes and charitable contributions.

Nebraska joined the lawsuit because Carter Lake directly borders the state. Nebraska’s constitution bans casino gambling.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Civil rights organizations in Iowa are appealing to the Iowa Legislature and Gov. Kim Reynolds to ban racial profiling after two young black men filed a lawsuit against Des Moines police for a traffic stop they say was unconstitutional.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) says 30 states have laws prohibiting racial profiling, but Iowa doesn’t. The group and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa say they plan to push next year a bill introduced this year in the Iowa Senate that would prohibit racial profiling. They’ve asked Gov. Kim Reynolds to create a racial profiling study committee, something a spokeswoman for Reynolds says is under consideration.

The police video of the July traffic stop of 23-year-old Montray Little and 21- year-old Jared Clinton has been viewed millions of times online. It shows Little being handcuffed and his car searched for no apparent reason. Their lawsuit alleges numerous civil rights violations.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Monday) announced the members of the new Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning Advisory Board. The governor established the virtual clearinghouse by Executive Order No. 1 to expand high-quality, real-world work-based learning experiences for K-12 students. This is in keeping with the Future Ready Iowa goal of 70 percent of our workforce having education or training by 2025. The clearinghouse will go live by July 1, 2019. The Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning is a joint venture of the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEA) Learning Online. In addition to facilitating K-12 school-business partnerships, the clearinghouse will assemble an inventory of established and newly created work-based learning options for K-12 students as well as for students in post-secondary education and training programs.

Iowa Education Director Ryan Wise and Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend will lead the clearinghouse advisory board, which includes representatives of business and industry, education, nonprofits, elected leaders and students. Fareway Stores, Inc. is the first business to partner with the state on the clearinghouse. Iowa already has a number of successful work-based learning options to expand upon. That includes the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council’s STEM BEST program, with 37 projects involving 39 schools or school districts and more than 360 employers with face-to-face school-business partnerships. It also includes the Statewide Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network operated by Iowa’s 15 community colleges to provide a range of options from job shadowing to internships.

The 2018 Legislature approved Gov. Reynolds’ $250,000 budget recommendation for the clearinghouse as part of the Future Ready Iowa Initiative. A list of the Advisory Board members can be found here: https://governor.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/Clearinghouse%20Board%20Members.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday) reports five arrests. 20-year old Jerred Douglas Weidner, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, and striking fixtures upon a highway, following an accident Saturday evening at 195th Street and Highway 34. Authorities say Weidner was driving a 2018 Nissan Altima that was reported to be erratic and hit a sign. Weidner continued north on 195th and was located by Deputies at 195th and Allis Road. The vehicle had damage to its windshield and roof.  Bond for Weidner was set at $3,000.

Also, arrested Saturday, was 21-year old Dylan Seth Harris, of Malvern, who was charged with OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000. And, 25-year old Joshua Blake Andersen, of Glenwood, was arrested Saturday for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Bond $1,000). Friday afternoon, 27-year old Jamiee Rina Miner, of Red Oak, was arrested for Driving While Revoked and Failure to Provide Proof of Liability (Insurance). Bond was set at $1,000.

And finally, 23-year old Brandon James Worcester, of Omaha, was arrested Sunday night for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Concealed Weapon. His bond was set at $3,000.

The father of slain Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts has thanked the Hispanic community for its support during the long search for his daughter. A Mexican farmworker suspected of being in the U.S. illegally has been charged in Tibbetts’ death. Speaking Sunday at a ceremony for his daughter, Rob Tibbetts didn’t directly address comments by President Donald Trump and others who seized upon the suspect’s citizenship to argue for changes in U.S. immigration laws.

However, The Des Moines Register reports Tibbetts said that in the weeks he was searching for his daughter, he encountered Hispanics in Brooklyn, Iowa, who were sensitive and kind. He says members of the Hispanic community have “the same values as Iowans,” and that he considers them “Iowans with better food.”

A woman was flown from the scene of a single-vehicle accident Saturday evening, in Page County. Authorities were notified of the accident that occurred about two-miles south of Coin, at around 5:40-p.m. The investigation showed that 42-year old Kimberly Ann Smith, of Shenandoah, was driving a 1997 Ford Taurus eastbound on 290th, when for unknown reasons the vehicle lost control on the gravel road and entered the south ditch. The car rolled over and came to rest on its top.

Smith said the last time she remembered was at 2:00 PM. Smith was the only occupant in the vehicle and the driver according to her. She sufferedinjuries and was taken by LifeNet Helicopter from the scene to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, for treatment of undisclosed injuries. No charges have been filed at this time. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Shenandoah Ambulance service, Coin Fire & Rescue, and LifeNet Ambulance service.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports that a search warrant executed late Sunday night by Page County Deputies at 409 Lincoln Street in Coin, resulted in the arrest of a man on drug charges. The search warrant and charges were part of an ongoing investigation into illegal substances. 44-year old Jason Ludwig Reents, of Coin, was arrested on charges of Tax payment required for possession (class D felony), Possession of drug paraphernalia (a simple misdemeanor), Manufacturing of a controlled substance (marijuana) (class D felony), Possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) (a serious misdemeanor), and Unlawful possession of prescription drug or device (a serious misdemeanor). Reents was transported to the Page County Jail where he was held on $12,300.00 bond pending appearance in front of a Magistrate Judge