A suspect in the shooting of a Red Oak man early Saturday morning has been apprehended. According to officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, 31-year old Rafael Bautista was arrested by Red Oak Police at around 9-a.m. Saturday. Bautista has a self-inflicted gunshot wound and is currently being treated at the Creighton University Medical Center. Once released from the hospital, he was be transported to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with attempted murder, willful injury and going armed with intent, in connection with the shooting of 36-year old Clyde Everett Zeigler. Bautista’s cash bond was set at $50,000

Officials say at approximately 12:15 A.M. Saturday (May 31st), the Red Oak Police Department and the Red Oak Fire and Rescue received a call of a shooting at 407 4th Avenue in Red Oak. Upon the arrival, officers determined that a subject identified as Zeigler had been shot multiple times.  Zeigler was flown by air ambulance to an Omaha hospital and remains in critical condition.

The incident continues to be investigated by the Red Oak Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.

A man who has served in the Air Force, worked in the Pentagon, has been involved in the business industry, and currently serves as a college professor – along with being a radio talk show host – is hoping all that experience will translate into a seat the U.S. Senate.

Sam Clovis

64-year old Sam Clovis, an Iowa Republican candidate for the U-S Senate seat being left vacant by the retirement of Tom Harkin, is a Constitutional conservative and Professor at Morningside College in Sioux City. He’s one of five Republicans who hope to win the June 3rd Primary and square off against Democrat Bruce Braley, a congressman from Waterloo.

In a debate televised this past Thursday, Clovis described himself as the only candidate with national security experience, and he touted his current role as an economics professor. He said in an interview with KJAN News, the recent debate was an eye opener for many people and gave a boost to his campaign.

Clovis has campaigned on three main issues: Tax reform, a balanced budget amendment and the elimination of baseline budgeting. Clovis is a 25-year veteran of the Air Force. His brother is also a veteran. He says he’s upset about a report that described chronic wait times at the Phoenix VA hospital and found that about 1,700 veterans in need of care were “at risk of being lost or forgotten.” He the Affordable Care Act, (ACA) or “Obamacare” is part of the problem.

Clovis said the VA issue hits home for himself and his brother, and he would like to see a “Fundamental reform” of the VA, the current level of service of which he says is “Really a microcosm and a view into the future of what we’re probably going to expect under the Affordable Care Act.” Clovis said the ACA is the hot topic he hears about from Iowans, along with related discussion about how to “Fix this Obamacare thing.”

Clovis says as much as he’d like for Obamacare to be repealed, it likely won’t happen when the next Congress is in session. He says the door remains open however for reform of the current system. He says they should take a concentrated effort at repealing portions of the health care bill, not the whole thing.

With regard to the VA scandal, the VA and independent investigators with the Office of Inspector General are still in the process of uncovering problems at dozens of other VA facilities around the country while some lawmakers are calling for criminal probes. On Friday, Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shenseki resigned from his post. Before the news came out about Shinseki’s resignation, Clovis said he hoped the man wouldn’t quit. He wanted him instead, to “Stay and stew in his own juices.”  He says Shenseki is not as closely compelled to respond to congressional criticism by retiring.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Authorities in Red Oak report the arrest on Friday afternoon of a local woman wanted on an active warrant. Officers with the Red Oak Police Department with assistance from deputies with the  Montgomery County Sheriff’s office, arrested 27-year-old Megan Reynolds, of Red Oak.

Reynolds, who was taken into custody at 1401 Eastern Avenue, was wanted for allegedly violating the terms of her probation. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $10,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has signed a bill into law that will end greyhound dog racing in Council Bluffs by 2016. Branstad’s office said the governor signed the bill Friday along with more than a dozen other bills.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have recovered a body from the Des Moines River. The Des Moines Fire Department says the body was recovered yesterday afternoon after a woman spotted it south of the Center Street Dam. A water emergency team used a boat to recover the body. Des Moines police later identified the body as 24-year old Sachin Rayappa of Des Moines. He had been reported missing Tuesday.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa man has pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the theft of farm and construction equipment. The Sioux City Journal reports Michael Block of Sibley entered his written plea Thursday in Osceola County District Court. He faces seven counts of first-degree theft, 10 counts of second-degree theft and one count each of third- and fourth-degree theft.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Mark Calcavecchia and Wes Short Junior shot 6-under 66 on Friday to share the first-round lead in the Champions Tour’s Principal Charity Classic. Calcavecchia, third last year at the Wakonda Club, had three straight birdies on the back nine for his best start of the season. Short birdied the 18th hole to join Calcavecchia atop the leaderboard.

Authorities in southwest Iowa are on the lookout for a man suspected in a shooting incident early this (Saturday) morning, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 34-year-old Raphael Baptista is suspected of shooting 36-year old Clyde Ziegler several times. The incident happened at 407 4th Street at around 12:15-a.m.  Ziegler was flown by medical helicopter to an Omaha hospital, where he was reported to be in critical condition.

Baptista is described as being a Hispanic male, about 5-feet 8-inches tall, weighing 170-to-180 pounds. he has black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion. Authorities say it appears he suffered a gunshot wound to his left hand. Area hospitals have been put on alert to notify authorities of anyone coming in with suspicious wounds, especially to their hand or hands. Baptista is considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his location should contact Red Oak Police at 712-623-6500, or call 9-1-1.

Multiple law enforcement converged on Red Oak during a search for the suspect, including deputies from Cass County, an aircraft from the Omaha Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol. The Red Oak K-9 unit was also deployed in an attempt to locate Baptista.

At around 2-a.m., Montgomery County Emergency Management issued a Code Red Alert to residents at the request of Red Oak Police, urging residents to remain in their homes as a possibly armed suspect was at large. Red Oak Police gave the all clear to any immediate threat in or around the Red Oak area just before 5-a.m.