(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Lottery is on a pace to surpass the record for sales set last year. Lottery C-E-O Matt Strawn detailed the numbers through November today (Thursday) for the Lottery Board. “Two-hundred-14 million, 532-thousand-943 dollars. That represents a five-point-one-four percent year over year increase in sales,” Strawn says. The record for sales in the last fiscal year was 481-point-five million dollars. He says the proceeds to the state are also on a pace to beat last year’s record. “The lottery proceeds through November, again the first five months of fiscal ’24, proceeds of 49-million-416-thousand-943 dollars. This represents a three-point-one percent year over year increase in proceeds,” Strawn says.

The record for proceeds set in the last fiscal year was a little more than 108 million dollars. Lottery retailers are also looking at another record for commissions. “Retail partners did earn a record 31-point-three million in sales commissions during the last fiscal year, and then turning to this year through November, fiscal year ’24. Sales commissions paid to retailers exceed that pace and five-point-seven percent year over year,” Strawn says.

The increase in sales is due in part to large lotto jackpots. There’s also been an impact from the economy, including increase in scratch ticket sales as gas prices have come down.

(Radio Iowa) – The four Republicans who represent Iowa in the U-S House have voted to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Second district Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says there are credible allegations that may connect Biden to his son Hunter’s business dealings. “We have been able to trace through numerous shell companies many of the transactions that funnel dollars directly from the Chinese Communist Party through the Biden family,” Hinson says. “That to me is significant, in terms of following the money.” Hinson says the impeachment inquiry gives the House Judiciary Committee a stronger legal position as it seeks access to some materials.

“It makes it so that we can actually force compliance with our subpoenas and it’s our solemn duty to get the facts the American people,” Hinson says, “especially as the White House continues to stonewall congressional oversight.” Third district Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant says the inquiry gives congress the power to effectively conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. “I think anybody right now would say there are a lot of questions when it comes to the president’s actions,” Nunn says. “When we look back at just what’s been presented to us through public information, we know that the president has received money from his son, Hunter Biden, in situations that absolutely bear greater scrutiny.” Nunn says he went to congress to hold D-C politicians accountable and the inquiry will show whether the president’s conduct merits impeachment.

“I’m going to be impartial on this going forward, but I want to make sure that congress and the American people have the facts presented to them,” Nunn says, “and simply burying our heads in the sand here is the simply the same kind of soft on crime, defund the police kind of attitude that has made other communities less safe.” Fourth district Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull says Biden has been uncooperative and evasive with congressional committees and the impeachment inquiry brings congress one step closer to uncovering the facts about the Biden family’s foreign business dealings. First district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks says she was proud to support the impeachment inquiry, which she says it the next necessary step in the methodical process Republicans have taken to investigating the president.

Biden says Republicans are choosing to waste time on a baseless political stunt rather than focusing on the urgent work that congress needs to get done.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is criticizing the U-S Department of Education for delays in releasing the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Grassley, a Republican, says bureaucrats at the ed department have failed to offer clear guidance to students, families and universities on how to navigate the application form, which he says could impact access to aid for many thousands of students, while also penalizing farm families. “Farmers may, because of inflation of land prices, may have a lot of wealth, but they may not have the income to send their kids to school,” Grassley says, “and particularly if they’ve got more than one kid in college, then maybe they won’t qualify for Pell Grants and guaranteed student loans.”

Grassley says the redesigned FAFSA was supposed to streamline the federal financial aid process and help one-and-a-half million more students, including over 13-thousand-500 Iowans, to access the maximum Pell Grant award. The new FAFSA was made possible through bipartisan legislation Congress passed in 2020. He says that was three years ago and we’re still waiting. “This is an effort to socialize aid to colleges for the first time since the 1960s. We can’t penalize small business and farmers because they might have a lot of wealth,” Grassley says. “You’ve got to base it on the income because if the families don’t have an income, then their kids aren’t going to go to school.”

Federal education officials announced earlier this month the new FAFSA would be available by December 31st, but Grassley says they neglected to specify a date and warned of processing delays in the coming months, escalating uncertainty for students and their families.  “Usually that’s done by October 1st and so it’s going to take these colleges a long time to get on top of it,” Grassley says, “and so you aren’t going to be able to know whether you’re going to be able to afford to go to college just because of the slowness of the bureaucracy.”

Grassley is calling on the department to focus on implementing the simplified FAFSA process, rather than transferring student loan debt to the taxpayers.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Two Davenport men were sentenced yesterday related to their involvement in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy.  According to public court documents, Jordan Thomas Hopper, 25, and Austen Michael Thomas, 26, were part of a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl from 2020 to 2022. The fentanyl was pressed into blue pills with “M30” on them (meant to look like prescription Percocet pills). The conspiracy resulted in numerous overdoses.

At sentencing, the Court found Hopper to be responsible for three overdoses caused by the ingestion of pills containing fentanyl. Hopper was sentenced to 420 months in federal prison. Thomas was not specifically found to be responsible for any overdoses but was also sentenced related to his unlawful possession of a firearm. Thomas was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison.

Others charged as a part of this conspiracy include: Linder Kai Divos, 27 of Davenport, who was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in federal prison; Kathan Daniel Wiley, 23 of Davenport, who was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison; and Marshall Matthew James Carver, 26 of Davenport, who is pending sentencing.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

(Cedar Rapids, Iowa/KCRG) – Police are investigating reports of a teacher assaulting two students at a Cedar Rapids school. One parent told KCRG TV that on Monday a teacher at Johnson STEAM Academy yanked on her son’s hoodie, choking him. Another parent said the same teacher slapped her daughter in the face. The school district confirms a teacher has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation unfolds. Police say the investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors have not filed charges.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District released the following statement:

“Cedar Rapids Community School District is aware of the reported incident and is thoroughly investigating said situation consistent with the law and our policies and procedures. The staff member has been placed on administrative leave during the process. Being an active student and staff investigation, we cannot comment on the details. Student safety and well-being are the utmost priority as we continue building safe and secure learning environments for all.”

(Madison County, Iowa/KCCI) — A former EMS worker is suing Madison County after she was fired last year. KCCI says the woman claims she was discriminated and retaliated against. Kayla Whitten and Madison County Ambulance Service Director Tadd Davis were terminated during an internal investigation. A third employee, Bryan Snyder, resigned.

In her lawsuit, Whitten claims she was facing sexual harassment from other paramedics that Davis knew about. Davis allegedly told the other EMTs to stop, but Whitten says they did not listen. Whitten also details in her lawsuit that she entered a relationship with another EMT, Bryan Snyder, who was separated from his wife at the time, and that Whitten became pregnant. Whitten says she was fired after the two broke up.

She claims the Madison County Board of Supervisors told her they “could not trust her because she was pregnant by a married man.” The county has denied many of Whitten’s claims and says her employment was terminated for legitimate and non-discriminatory reasons.

The case has since been moved from Madison to Warren County. A scheduling conference is set for next week.

(Mount Ayr, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Ringgold County report a woman from Kellerton was arrested Dec. 8^th on an outstanding Ringgold County warrants charging her with two felony counts of a Controlled Substance Violation/Intent to Deliver. 63-year-old Tammy Lynn Downey was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on a $20,000 cash-only bond. She posted bond and was released. Her preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 28^th.

Tammy Lynn Downey (Ringgold Co. S/O photo)

*Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Des Moines, Iowa/WHO-TV) — As more travelers take to the skies to reach their holiday destinations, the TSA is reminding those planning to travel with firearms about the right way to pack them. TSA rules require guns to be packed in a locked hard-sided case that is padded on the inside and the weapon also has to be unloaded. According to the TSA, “Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm.”

This handgun was detected by TSA officers in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Des Moines International Airport (DSM) on April 20. (TSA photo)

WHO-TV report so far this year, TSA agents at the Des Moines International Airport have stopped seven guns — all of which were loaded — during screening. In 2022, 15 guns were found during TSA screening at the airport. If there’s room in your suitcase to pack the firearm case, TSA officials recommend doing so. Some airlines will require guns that are only in a firearm case to be picked up at the baggage office after arrival at the destination. Check with your airline on their policies.

If you don’t declare a firearm you could face a civil penalty of up to $15,000. You can find out more about the TSA’s rules for traveling with firearms and ammunition at https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition