Red Oak Police reports 42-year old Marshall Larry Adams, of Stanton, was arrested at around 10:30-p.m., Wednesday. Adams was taken into custody in the 500 block of Prairie Avenue, for vandalism of a trash can. His cash bond was set at $300. And, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year old Benjamin Parra-Moreno, of Lenox, was arrested with the assistance of Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies at around 12:11-a.m. today (Thursday), on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Failure to Appear in court, on an original charge of OWI. Parra-Moreno was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $3,000 cash only bond.

There’s going to be another chance for those who want to get into Iowa’s new medical marijuana business. Iowa Department of Public Health deputy director Sarah Reisetter says the law allows two licenses to manufacture — there were nine companies that showed interest the first time around — but only one followed through.”We did follow up with some of them after the fact to find out and see why they decided not to apply,” Reisetter says. “During the course of some of those conversations and based on contacts that we’ve received consistently since that happened, we are pretty confident that there is still interest in another manufacturing license in Iowa, so we decided to proceed.”

The sole license to produce medical marijuana products was awarded to MedPharm Iowa in November. Reisetter says things happened pretty quickly after the law was passed and that was part of the reason some of the companies didn’t follow through.
She says there was a very short time frame to get applications together in the fall and she says that’s what they heard from a lot of the applicants.

There are still a little more than 300 people who have gotten the cards needed to buy the cannibas oil products. Reisetter isn’t concerned that might keep another company from wanting to jump into the business. Reisetter says one of the things she learned from potential applicants who had experience in other states is that they are betting on the program expanding. She says MedPharm officials have said that as well.

She says while the patient pool is small right now they do anticipate it growing as the program gets underway and the products are available. Reisetter says if a second company is selected — they would face the same timeline as MedPharm. “MedPharm was licensed December 1st of 2017 and they have until December 1st of 2018 so our second manufacturer will also have a year to get up and running,” Reisetter explains.

The new license is expected to be awarded July 1st, and that would put the deadline for the second manufacturer to be running on July 1st of 2019. She says that company can begin making products as soon as it has the plant built and met all the requirements.”It will be in their best interest to get things up and running as quickly as possible I think in terms of a competitive marketplace,” Reisetter says.

MedPharm has the advantage of the being the first to produce products for the five state-licensed dispensaries. Reisetter says the state understands the jump start MedPharm has right now on a new production company. “One of those things that we do have in those regulations for dispensaries is that dispensaries in our state are going to be required to make available products from both manufacturers,” according to Reisetter. “So we did adopt a regulation to try to account for that a little bit.”

Businesses have until May 16th to notify the state of their intent to apply for a medical marijuana license. Formal applications will be due by May 31st.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Authorities say a Wyoming man has been ordered to pay $373,000 in restitution and penalties for allegations that he convinced two Iowa residents to invest in his company and then used the money to pay his personal credit card bill. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the Iowa Insurance Division in August ordered Bruce Hauptman to pay the restitution.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man who mailed at least 45 pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona to Iowa has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say 38-year-old Anthony Robert McCarron, of Dubuque, was sentenced Wednesday in Cedar Rapids to 190 months in prison. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine near a school and money laundering.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans in control of the Iowa House have announced their proposal to cut state taxes, but it’s unclear if it has support in the GOP-majority Senate. House leaders released a plan Wednesday that they say would cut state tax revenue by $1.3 billion over five years. It would keep a contested deduction on federal income taxes known as federal deductibility.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Camanche woman has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for carrying out insurance fraud involving a fire that destroyed her boyfriend’s vacant house. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say 42-year-old Beth Galloway was sentenced in Cedar Rapids’ federal court. She was also ordered to make $152,875 in restitution. Galloway was convicted last month by a jury of mail fraud, using fire to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Investigators in Pottawattamie County, Wednesday, filed criminal charges on a man who is alleged to have enter a home on Coldwater Avenue in rural Honey Creek, early Monday morning. A resident saw an unknown male with long hair and dressed in a black hoodie inside their home. While police were investigating the scene, another report came in about a similar incident in a different jurisdiction. The same subject was believed to be involved in both incidents. A man was arrested, and later identified as 49-year old John A. Pehanich, of Council Bluffs.

John Pehanich

Pehanich was charged with Burglary in the 2nd Degree and two counts of Burglary in the 3rd Degree. He was arrested Monday in Fremont County, on charges connected with the theft of a semi from Omaha. The vehicle was later recovered in Thurman.  Evidence located by both Pottawattamie and Fremont County investigators, along with assistance from the public led to the charges being filed.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans in control of the Iowa House have announced their proposal to cut state taxes, but it’s unclear if it has support in the GOP-majority Senate. House leaders released a plan Wednesday that they say would cut state tax revenue by $1.3 billion over five years. It would keep a contested deduction on federal income taxes known as federal deductibility.

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, a Clear Lake Republican, says the House plan “tweaks” a tax bill proposed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, who suggests cutting $1.7 billion in tax revenue over six years. Senate Republicans passed a bill earlier this session that would eventually cut $1 billion in taxes annually.

Upmeyer says their plan is a “wonderful first start,” an indication she anticipates changes. Tax-writing committees in both chambers are scheduled Thursday to review possibly competing versions of the bill.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man who mailed at least 45 pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona to Iowa has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say 38-year-old Anthony Robert McCarron, of Dubuque, was sentenced Wednesday in Cedar Rapids to 190 months in prison. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine near a school and money laundering.

Prosecutors say McCarron was living in Phoenix when he shipping packages of “ice” meth in 2016 and 2017 to another man in Dubuque. The Dubuque man paid for the meth by shipping packages of cash to McCarron. Prosecutors say the two used aliases when shipping the drugs and money.

The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday night, approved the hiring of Fort Madison (IA) Activities Director Andrew Mitchell, as Assistant High School Principal and Activities Director for the Atlantic School District.

Andrew Mitchell

Superintendent Steve Barber made the recommendation for the Board to approve Mitchell to succeed Matt Alexander, who has accepted a position as Superintendent of the OA-BCIG School District.
Barber said Mitchell has been the A.D. at Ft. Madison, for the past five-years.

Prior to that, he served as the Principal for a school district in Illinois, and an Assistant Principal and A.D. for two other districts. Barber said Mitchell “Impressed the interview team with his authenticity and passion for kids’ positive relationships. His experience with the finance and management of activities in a 3A/4A school, benefits Atlantic in the transition, as we look for great individuals to lead at the high school and our activity program.”

Barber said Mitchell will be working closely with Matt Alexander during the transition phase. The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday night, also approved the resignations of Andrea Reilly, TLC Model Teacher, Paul Iekel, Achievement Center 6-12 Teacher, and Lisa Munsey, 8th Grade Math Teacher/Track Coach, 7th Grade Volleyball Coach, MS/SE TLC Supporting Instructional Coach.

Steve Barber recommended, and the Board approved, the hiring of Hillary Zimmerline as Math Teacher. She has four-years experience in that subject, serving in a neighboring district. They also approved Molly O’Hare as Assistant Softball Coach this Summer. And, the Atlantic School Board approved the 2018-19 School Calendar as proposed, along with the 2018-19 Certified Budget.

And, a Public Hearing will be held May 9th at 5:30-p.m., with regard to an amendment to the 2017-18 budget. The amendment is necessary, due to some discrepancies between what different governmental agencies have on file for the Certified Budget.