(Des Moines) The new 26-member Democratic majority of the Iowa Senate met Sunday, to elect their legislative leaders and welcome three newly elected members. The three new elected Democratic Senators will be sworn in on January 12 when the 2015 session begins. They are Chaz Allen of Newton, Tony Bisignano of Des Moines, and Kevin Kinney of rural Oxford. Senator Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs was elected to continue serving as the Senate Majority Leader of the Iowa Senate.

Gronstal said “We will focus on broadly supported, common sense measures to expand and strengthen Iowa’s middle class. The most serious economic challenge we face is that the recovery has yet to reach the broad majority of Iowans.”

Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque was re-elected President of the Senate. Senator Steve Sodders of State Center was re-elected Senate President Pro Tempore.  Senate Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City was elected Majority Whip. Senators Mary Jo Wilhelm of Cresco, Amanda Ragan of Mason City, Matt McCoy of Des Moines, and Bill Dotzler of Waterloo were elected Assistant Majority Leaders.

(Press Release)

WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) – A frantic hunt for a runaway, pregnant dog ended happily when searchers found the black lab mix in an Iowa garage – nursing a brand-new litter of puppies. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that the hubbub began when the dog, which was being flown from Texas to a Wisconsin rescue shelter, slipped out of her harness and fled during a stop at the Winterset, Iowa airport on Friday.

Crews searched for the dog, named Ava, overnight. She was found just before noon Saturday in a Winterset home’s garage. And she wasn’t alone. Ava had given birth to nine puppies. Ava and her pups are expected to complete their trip to Wisconsin this week.

SHENANDOAH, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa school superintendent fired last week has hired a lawyer to fight fraud and other allegations made against him after a district investigation. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that former Shenandoah Community School District Superintendent Jeff Hiser has hired Council Bluffs attorney Eric Hansen. Hansen is a former Mills County prosecutor.

Hansen says Hiser will respond to the allegations when he has had an opportunity “to see what, if any, evidence the district has.” Hiser was fired earlier this month. A school board member says Hiser submitted fraudulent reimbursements for expenses, violated district policies regarding leave requests and obstructed the board’s investigation.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday afternoon at the Courthouse in Atlantic. During their 1-p.m. meeting, the Board will canvass the votes of the Nov. 4th General Election. They’re also expected to receive a report from Cass County Librarians and a request for funding from the group for Fiscal Year 2016.

The Board will also discuss and possibly act on a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) telephone system for the courthouse, as well as a Federal Aid agreement to help fund the replacement of a bridge on the Cass-Audubon County line. Other action includes the awarding of a contract for a bridge replacement project on Jackson Road, with the contract being awarded to Cunningham-Reis Company, in the amount of $565, 461. Work on the project is expected to begin later this winter.

And, the Board will act on waterproofing the County’s building at 707 Poplar Street (the site of the future 9-1-1/Communications Center).

A teenager from Clarinda was injured and trapped in the vehicle she was driving following an accident early Saturday afternoon, east of Essex. Authorities said the unidentified 16-year old female was transported by Essex Fire and Rescue to the Clarinda Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, after Essex Fire and Rescue personnel extracted her from the vehicle by mechanical means.

The accident happened at around 1-p.m. near 2382 150th Street. Officials said the girl was traveling east on 150th Street, when she swerved to miss a deer that ran onto the road. The vehicle entered a ditch, hit a telephone pole and rolled twice before coming to rest on its passenger side.

Authorities in Montgomery County report a man one person was arrested on weapon, burglary and drug charges Saturday night.  29-year old Joshua Dean Cooney, of Villisca, was taken into custody just after 9-p.m., on a valid Montgomery County warrant for carrying weapons, Possession of Burglar Tools, and Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana.

Cooney was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 cash bond.