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KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is calling on the legislature to pass a law requiring the collection of D-N-A from adults arrested for felonies or aggravated misdemeanors. “No family should have to wait years for answers about what happened to their loved one and no criminal should ever get away with murder, rape or other violent crime,” Bird said. “We need to give law enforcement the tools they need to investigate and to bring violent criminals to justice.”
All 50 states require D-N-A testing of adults CONVICTED of felonies. Over 30 states have also passed D-N-A collection requirements from those ARRESTED for violent crimes. They’re all named “Katie’s Law,” for a 22-year-old woman who was brutally attacked and murdered in New Mexico. Suzana Martinez, the former governor of New Mexico, joined Bird at a statehouse news conference yesterday (Tuesday).
“DNA…is the 21st century fingerprint,” Martinez said. “…Upon arrest, when we take your fingerprints, we should be taking the DNA as well.” Martinez was the district attorney who tried the case against the man who killed Katie Sepich — once the D-N-A he submitted following a CONVICTION for a different crime matched the D-N-A material found under Katie Sepich’s fingernails.
Martinez says by requiring D-N-A collection at the time of an arrest, Katie’s Law turns every booking station into a doorway to justice for a cold case. “It brings a level of scientific certainty to our justice system that gut feelings and that line-ups just don’t do,” Martinez said. “Katie Sepich’s death was a tragedy, but the three-year’s delay in identifying her killer was a failure of the system.”
Bird’s also proposing a bill that would let children and adults who are victims of sex crimes get a lifetime no-contact order. “One particularly troubling case that I will never forget where…a woman with children of her own ran into the person who sexually assaulted her as a child in a grocery store and didn’t realize the no-contact order didn’t exist anymore because she didn’t realize she had to extend it,” Bird said.
Under current law, criminal no-contact orders usually last a year. Bird also wants to change confidentiality rules and let a crime victim’s counselor notify law enforcement if they believe there’s an immediate risk of harm to their client or someone connected to their client. Mary Ingham is Executive Director of Crisis Intervention Services, which serves crime victims in 15 north central Iowa counties. “This is about fairness, this is about balance and it’s about time,” Ingham said. “For decades, defendants have had pages of rights guaranteed by law. Victims deserve the same commitment.”
Bird’s also seeking a tougher felony charge against some accused of threatening an Iowa judge or their family.
(Radio Iowa) – A legislative panel is examining how to expand access to Iowans who need intensive, recovery-oriented mental health services outside of a hospital setting. Representative Gary Mohr of Bettendorf is chairman of the temporary committee, which met yesterday (Tuesday).
“Many of you are going to think as a result of today we’re going to come out with a grandiose, multi-million dollar plan. Don’t plan on it. Some of you expect us to come out with virtually nothing and maybe one of two recommendations. Don’t count on it,” Mohr said. “We’re going to get as far as we can moving this issue forward.”
Mohr and other lawmakers heard testimony about the lack of “subacute” mental health care services — and learned there are only 30 slots available in Iowa today for adults who need those services after hospitalization for a mental health crisis. Mary Neubauer of Clive told lawmakers her adopted son Sergei was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and P-T-S-D after abuse he suffered as a child in Russia.
Neubauer says after Sergei attempted suicide and was hospitalized a decade ago, she and her husband found the kind of programs he needed next in Arizona and California because there were none in Iowa. After Sergei committed suicide in 2017, Neubauer has been an advocate for action in Iowa. “We’re Iowans. We’re Midwesterners. We pride ourselves of how we take care of each other,” Neubauer said, “and we haven’t been doing the best job of that in terms of mental health care here in Iowa.”
Neubauer says there’s growing demand, world-wide, for high-quality, comprehensive mental health recovery services and there’s a chance for Iowa to position itself as a go-to place for that kind of care.
Officials from two key agencies suggest there are some regulatory changes that might improve the business model for these intensive, sometimes months-long treatment programs. They said some insurance companies limit coverage for these services to just 10 days — because of a reference in state law that could be changed — and there are professional requirements for employees that make it hard to fill all staff slots.
Dubuque, Iowa – On January 4, 2026, the Dubuque Police Department (DPD) requested assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) with an officer-involved shooting.
On January 4th, 2026, at approximately 12:52 AM, a uniformed DPD officer on routine patrol observed a physical fight in front of Odd Fellows Bar. As the officer came to a stop and exited his vehicle, the officer witnessed Jaiondrick Lovely, 28, shoot Cory Wilson Jr., 29. The officer then fired his weapon at Lovely, who then ran into the bar. Officers immediately provided Wilson Jr. medical treatment, and he was later transported to MercyOne hospital in Dubuque. Officers searched the bar, located Lovely suffering from a gunshot wound, and provided him medical treatment. Lovely was subsequently transported to Unity Point Finley Hospital. Both Lovely and Wilson Jr. were later pronounced deceased.
The involved DPD officer was uninjured and will remain on critical incident leave in accordance with DPD policy pending a review by the Office of the Iowa Attorney General, and the Dubuque County Attorney’s Office.
Agencies involved in the response to this incident included DPD, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and DCI.
As part of DPD’s standard protocol, DCI was requested to investigate the officer-involved shooting. Once the investigation is complete, findings will be forwarded to the Dubuque County Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Iowa Attorney General for review.
DPD Investigators are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading to the shooting of Wilson Jr.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY, Iowa – A teen from eastern Iowa died during a collision Tuesday morning between a semi and passenger vehicle. The crash in Black Hawk County happened at around 7:43-a.m. at the intersection of S. Canfield Road and Independence Avenue, south of Dunkerton, when a Chevy Impala traveling east on Independence Avenue pulled-out in front of a semi tractor-trailer that was traveling southbound on Canfield Road.
Following the collision, both vehicles came to rest in the southeast ditch of the intersection, according to the Iowa State Patrol’s crash report. The driver of the car – 15-year-old Ciara Crisman, of Waterloo – was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semi – 35-year-old Travis Rink, of Clarion – was not injured.
The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Dept., Dunkerton Police, fire and ambulance, and Jesup Fire Dept.
(Red Oak, IA) – A head-on crash Monday afternoon in Montgomery County resulted in two people being sent to a hospital The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the collision happened at around 4:20-p.m. in the 2500 block of Highway 48, about six-miles south of Red Oak.
Authorities say a Chevy SUV driven by Debra Lafollette, of Red Oak, was traveling northbound on the highway, when a when a Ford SUV driven by Sean Belgrave, of Shenandoah, for reasons unknown, crossed the center line of the highway before colliding with Lafollette’s vehicle.
Both drivers suffered from serious injuries and were transported to the hospital by Red Oak Rescue. Both vehicles were totaled in the crash. Sheriff’s officials say no citations have been issued at this time, as the investigation is ongoing.
Red Oak Police, Red Oak Fire and Rescue and the Montgomery County Communications Center assisted with the incident.
(Radio Iowa) – Facing a budget deficit of more than 12-million dollars, Cedar Rapids school leaders are considering drastic cost-saving measures after voters rejected a proposed bond issue. Options include lowering the number of consulting contracts, reducing professional travel, and cutting staff. Chad Schumacher, the district’s director of operations, says the biggest savings would come from consolidating schools and separating fifth and sixth grades from the others.
“This model — the 5, 6, 7, 8 model, the intermediate model — allows us to reduce the largest amount of buildings with the least amount of ask for financial help from our community, if that makes sense,” Schumacher says. “We would not need to go out to bond to be able to do this model.” Other grades would be broken up differently. Kindergarten through fourth grade students would be in their own schools, followed by fifth and sixth, then seventh and eighth.
Stephanie Van Hemert is the principal at Grant Elementary School. Van Hemert says, “It is a new and different thing, but also this could take something that is hard and give us an opportunity to try some new things that we can be excited about.”
The board did not take any action on the recommendations but will consider them soon after it receives more community feedback. If adopted, the proposals could save over 10 million dollars. The district’s 117-million-dollar bond failed last November.
(Radio Iowa) – A man from the small northeast Iowa town of La Motte has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for having an unregistered rifle and sending threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend.
Court documents indicate 34-year-old Steven Michael Conroy sent the threatening texts in July of last year after a child support hearing. Conroy sent his ex-girlfriend a photo of himself with a gun and wrote that he intended to pay the child support in lead. Conroy also sent a text questioning the quality of the bullet-proof vest worn by a person he described as her bodyguard police officer.
During a search of Conroy’s home two days later, officers found several guns, including the unregistered short-barreled rifle that had a homemade silencer attached to it.
(Washington, D.C., January 6, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has announced a new slate of presidential appointments to key positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Among those named was Starlyn Perdue, who was appointed State Executive Director for Farm Service Agency in Iowa.
Starlyn Perdue serves as State Executive Director for Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Iowa. A lifelong resident of southwest Iowa, Starlyn and her husband raise their sons on their family’s Century Farm. With a background in economic development, agricultural advocacy, and program administration, Starlyn is committed to strengthening Iowa’s rural economy through workforce training and business development. She remains deeply rooted in Iowa’s agricultural community and is a strong advocate for policies that support farmers and strengthen America’s rural economy.
Ag Secretary Rollins said in a news release: “Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA is building a powerhouse team of Presidential Appointees deeply committed to uplifting rural America and putting Farmers First. With strong experience in agriculture, public service, and national security, this team will protect family farms, expand opportunities, and proudly implement America First policies. I look forward to working together to deliver real results for the American people, particularly the farmers, ranchers, and producers who feed and fuel our nation.”
Others appointed by Sec. Rollins include:
Read more, here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/402d41f
(Des Moines, IA) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, today (Tuesday), said nearly $350,000 in 50 percent cost-share grants were recently awarded to 105 Iowa rural fire departments to help their efforts to protect Iowan’s and their property from wildfires. The grants offer valuable funding assistance for wildfire suppression, personal protective and communications equipment. Requests were received from 180 fire departments totaling over $565,000 in requests, showing a great need across rural Iowa. Since 2021, more than 500 grants have been awarded resulting in an investment of more than $1,612,000 in wildland fire preparedness throughout the state.
In this area, the following fire departments will receive 2025 Volunteer Fire Assistance grants:
These grants are made possible through Iowa DNR Forestry, in cooperation with US Forest Service – State and Private Forestry. Jason Walker, fire supervisor with DNR Forestry, reminds all fire departments of the importance of submitting Wildland Fire Reports whenever they respond to a wildland fire or provide assistance to a prescribed or controlled wildland fire.
Departments returning these reports receive priority points when the Fire Assistance grant applications are scored. These wildland fire reports are compiled locally and nationally and are reported to Congress.
(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held a Special Meeting Tuesday morning, in Atlantic. During their session, the Board rescinded a motion set during their meeting on January 2nd, which pertained to Medical Examiner (M/E) fees, and passed a Resolution setting 2026 Medical Examiner fees. Board Chair Steve Baier:
Supervisor Steve Green said the numbers came together after checking around the state for similar rates, and given the decline in the number of ME’s and ME Investigators.
The Board then discussed an Executive Assistant to the Board position. Once again, here’s Board Chair Steve Baier….
The successful applicant would take some the of load off of County Auditor Kathy Somers, who also serves as the Board Secretary and administrator for the Board. Supervisor Steve Green…
If there are no applicants with the preferred skill set, the position will not be filled. The Board approved moving forward with advertising for the position. The Cass County Supervisors’ next, Regular meeting, takes place at 9-a.m., on January 20th.
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