DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Republican lawmaker will renew an effort to require waiting periods for abortions in Iowa, but it is not clear that he’ll find support to pass a bill in the politically divided state Legislature. Sen. David Johnson, a Republican from Ocheyedan, has submitted a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would set counseling requirements followed by a 72-hour waiting period before a woman could receive an abortion.

The Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights think-tank, says a total of 35 states currently require counseling before an abortion, with 26 of those states imposing a waiting period between counseling and the procedure. It is not clear Johnson will find support for the bill, since Democrats control the Senate and have opposed new abortion restrictions in the past.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest last week of two Minnesota residents. On Dec. 15th, 32-year old Magbeth Contreras-Vazquez, of St. Paul, MN, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st offense. And, 33-year old Juan Fernandez Polanco, of Burnsville, MN, was arrested on a charge of Open Container as a Passenger. Both men were taken to the Cass County Jail. Contreras-Vazquez was released later that day on $1,000 bond; Fernandez Polanco pled guilty and was released later that day.

On December 17th, deputies in Cass County arrested 70-year old Marlin Eugene Rossell, of Lewis,  on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Rossell was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

Photo courtesy Jim Wolf

In an update to our earlier story, Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen, late Monday morning, issued a statement concerning a fire Sunday afternoon that destroyed an historic church. Bissen said the Harlan Fire Dept. and Medivac Ambulance were called to 1612 8th Street (the old St. Michael’s Catholic Church), after a report was received of smoke coming from the building at around 3:50-p.m.

The first crews on the scene observed smoke coming from the windows and roof. Mutual aid was requested from Westphalia Fire and an interior attack began on the flames. Due to rapidly changing fire conditions, firefighters were pulled out of the building and efforts began to fight the flames from the exterior.

Additional calls went out for help to the Denison Fire Department (which sent its ladder truck), as well as the Kirkman, Defiance, Shelby, Avoca and Walnut Fire Departments. Harlan Police, and deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic and scene control.

From the Harlan Fire and Rescue Facebook page.

The Harlan Pizza Ranch offered to assist by bringing food and drink for the firefighters to the scene, and the wives of several firefighters along with members of the community distributed the food.  The scene was finally secured and cleared at around 10:20-p.m., Sunday. Some crews returned to the scene early this (Monday) morning, to extinguish hot spots.

An investigator with the State Fire Marshal’s Office has been requested to determine a cause of the blaze. The parish built a new church adjacent to its Catholic school in 1964. The structure that burned was built in 1925 for 40-thousand dollars, according to the parish website, and had been vacant for about five-years. No damage estimate is available at this time.

Courtesy Jim Wolf

Photo courtesy Jim Wolf

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad has appointed an Iowa State University graduate from western Iowa to the board that governs public universities. Branstad on Monday named Sherry Ann Bates of Scranton, Iowa to the nine-member Iowa Board of Regents. Bates, 62, replaces Nicole Carroll for a term that runs through April 2017. Carroll resigned from the board last month after moving to Arizona. Like Bates, she is an ISU graduate from western Iowa.

Bates previously was a social worker at the Greene County Medical Center, and is on the Greene County Board of Health, the Scranton Telephone Board and the Greene County Foundation Board. Branstad says Bates’ professional and volunteer work “demonstrates her commitment to public service.” He says her belief in affordable higher education will serve her well as a regent.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers is pleased to report that the Clarinda Police Department’s “Operation Blessing” program was a tremendous success. Christmas gifts were provided to 85 children in Clarinda thanks to the generosity of citizens, civic groups, businesses, church groups, club groups and foundations within the community. The most often requested items this year were clothing and Lego toys.

Retired Clarinda Police Chief Joe Newton and Retired 911 Dispatch Supervisor Diane Newton again worked countless of hours this year, coordinating the program from A-Z. Brothers extends a special thank you to the Newton’s for the work they put into the program each year, all of the members of the community who support the program year in and year out, and the 911 dispatchers at the Clarinda 911 Dispatcher for taking the requests and the area media for helping spread the word about the program.

This year’s program concluded on December 19th.