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Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, 1/22/18

News

January 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CST

SHENANDOAH, Iowa (KJAN) – One person died and a teen was injured Sunday afternoon, during a single-vehicle accident in Shenandoah. The Iowa State Patrol says the driver of a 2005 Honda Element, 24-year old Tyler L. Gobert died, and his 15-year old passenger was injured in the crash. Both are from Shenandoah. The accident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republicans are wading through the realities of mid-year budget cuts, and some have reservations about a proposal from Gov. Kim Reynolds to reduce $10 million from the state’s Medicaid program. Reynolds’ staff claims the cut won’t impact the health care program’s services for the poor and disabled, but the governor must convince members of her party. Many Republicans already appear wary of removing money from a program under scrutiny for reports of reduced services under privatization.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Forecasters expect a major winter storm to dump snow on most of Nebraska and parts of Iowa and Kansas, and the storm could make travel difficult. The National Weather Service says the storm is already moving across Nebraska, and blizzard conditions are expected at times.

NASHUA, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials have identified a man shot by police earlier this week in northeast Iowa as a Minneapolis resident. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said late Friday that 29-year-old Jihad Merrick died after being shot on Highway 218 in Bremer County in a standoff with police and after he had hit an officer with his car. The names of the officers involved haven’t been released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A commission has told lawmakers that repeated cuts to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources threatened its ability to protect the state’s air and water as the reductions have forced the agency to leave more than 100 positions vacant. The Des Moines Register reports an Environmental Protection Commission report noted the Iowa DNR’s budget had been cut from $22 million in 2009 to $11.17 million in the current budget year. The cuts have come amid rising concerns about Iowa’s polluted waterways.