The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Oelwein Police Department are seeking the public’s help in locating Abel Quijas Jr. of 145 7th Street North in Maynard, IA.

Abel Quijas, Jr.

 Quijas is 33 years old and described as 5’8” tall, 185 pounds.  Quijas is wanted for one count of Attempted Murder involving a Peace Officer in Oelwein on the afternoon of September, 11, 2014.  Quijas was last seen on foot in the area of northeast of Oelwein.

Anyone with information regarding Quijas’ location is asked to contact the Oelwein Police Department at (319) 283-4311.

The two major party candidates seeking Iowa’s third congressional district seat differed sharply over key fiscal issues during an hour-long televised debate last night (Thursday) on Iowa Public Television. For example, the candidates were asked if they support a balanced budget amendment. Democrat Staci Appel went first. “I think we need to have a balanced budget that carves out for Social Security and Medicare,” Appel said.

Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson, a panelist, asked: “So you would vote, if it had those conditions, to amend the U.S. constitution, requiring a federally balanced budget.” Appel replied: “I do not believe I would.” Republican David Young said he would, under certain conditions. To make sure that in wartime there could be a possibility of busting those caps if there were emergencies and we had to protect our homeland, things like that and we had to make sure that our priority was the mandatory spending, the benefits that folks receive under Social Security and Medicare,” Young said.

Appel interjected: “A balanced budget amendment could be a 20 percent across-the-board cut. That would effect Social Security, Medicare, our education budget. We have to be extremely careful when we do things like that.” Young replied: “That’s why you make sure the mandatory spending is a priority.” As for worries about the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, Appel said Medicare costs could be cut if the government could negotiate the bulk purchase of prescription drugs.

“I would keep my promise to seniors and the 40-year-olds and the 50-year-olds that are paying into the system,” Appel said. “Social Security and Medicare’s not a goal. It’s a promise. The best way to shore up Social Security and Medicare is to create great paying jobs, so there’s more people paying into the system and that’s the best way to do it.” Young said he’d be willing to consider a variety of options to fix the systems for future seniors.

“We need to do what conservative President Ronald Reagan did along with liberal Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill did and they got together and put everything on the table,” Young says, “And then you can take things off the table. I would take raising the retirement age, right away, off the way.” But Young says he’d consider getting rid of the income cap and requiring wealthier Americans to pay Social Security taxes on all their income. Appel suggested Young would vote to “privatize” Social Security, but Young said that won’t be an option under consideration.

“I think seniors need to know where he stands on these issues,” Appel said. Young responded: “Can you quote where I said I wanted to privatize Social Security?” Appel said: “You applauded it and I will make sure that after (the debate) that we will give all the citations.” Young continued: “I’d like to know where I said that.” Kathie Obradovich of The Des Moines Register, a debate panelist, asked: “Is that off the table for you, any sort of private account for Social Security?” Young replied: “It’s become such a political issue, it’s amazing that so many Americans when they want to get a better investment on their dollar, they look to mutual funds or stocks, but it’s been so politicized, it’s going to be taken off the table.”

Both said, if elected, they would vote to raise the federal minimum wage to 10-dollars-and-10-cents an hour, although Young would only vote for a bill to raise the minimum wage if tax cuts for small businesses were included in the legislation. On the gas tax, both expressed concern about the condition of roads and bridges, but Appel said she would oppose any increase in the gas tax. Young said it’s time for a more creative way to finance the nation’s transportation system to take into account electric cars and propane-fueled vehicles that are running on fuel that isn’t subject to the federal gas tax.

The debate was held at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs and Iowa Public Television will rebroadcast the event tonight (Friday) at 7 p.m. The two candidates are seeking the seat currently held by Republican Tom Latham. Latham announced last December that he would not seek reelection in 2014.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Testimony began yesterday in the second trial of a man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 17-year-old girl who was beaten and shot to death in a southeast Iowa farmhouse 40 years ago. Robert Eugene Pilcher was arrested in 2012 in the killing of Mary Jayne Jones after a cold case unit started by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation re-examined evidence using tools like DNA evidence that were not available in 1974.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Washington County attorney who said he was too busy to follow the state’s public records law faces a $1,000 fine for the violation. Iowa Administrative Law Judge Margaret LaMarche issued the recommendation for the fine against Larry Brock this week. It’s the minimum he faced if convicted of violating the law, The Des Moines Register reports.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A fugitive captured in Iowa after decades on the run is returning to North Carolina, where he escaped from prison in 1973. North Carolina officers were transporting 69-year-old Ronald Carnes from a county jail in Cedar Rapids to a prison in Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A large fish kill in northwest Iowa was caused by a manure spill from a nearby dairy operation, state officials announced yesterday. The state Department of Natural Resources said the August discharge killed more than 860,000 fish along 28 miles of stream in O’Brien County.