Officials with the Montgomery County Republican Party say candidates seeking the Republican nomination for United States House of Representatives, Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, will gather in Red Oak at the Red Oak High School Auditorium this Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 6:00 p.m., to answer questions in a forum setting. While there is no charge for admission to the Forum, non-perishable food items will be accepted for food pantries.

A reception to meet the candidates will precede the Forum at 5:00 pm in the High School Cafeteria; light refreshments will be served with free-will donations gratefully accepted.

Six Republican candidates are seeking the Congressional seat being vacated by Congressman Tom Latham; the nominee will be decided in the Primary Election on June 3, 2014. The candidates are: Matt Schultz, Brad Zaun, Robert Cramer, Monte Shaw, David Young, and Joe Grandanette. The Republican Nominee will face the Democratic challenger in the General Election on November 4, 2014.

The Forum and Reception will give voters from Southwest Iowa an opportunity to meet the Candidates and listen to them answer a variety of questions with importance and interest to people in the southwestern part of the state.

The event is sponsored by the Republican Party Central Committees from: Adams, Fremont, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Taylor Counties, plus the Montgomery County Republican Women. The sponsoring counties are among those Western Iowa County Republican Parties in the network, iGOP. More information on iGOP can be found at www.igop-ia.com.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs police have charged a man in connection with a deliberately set fire that destroyed his mother’s house. Police Sgt. Chad Meyers says officer arrested 29-year-old Daniel Kennedy, of Council Bluffs, on Saturday on a warrant for suspicion of second-degree arson in connection with the Jan. 28 fire. The Daily Nonpareil reports the home, which was vacant, was owned by Kennedy’s mother, Susan Graves Kennedy.

Officers arrested Kennedy after responding to a report of a disturbance and finding him yelling at his mother. They checked his name for warrants and then made the arrest. The January fire destroyed the house. Crews demolished it a few days later.

Daniel Kennedy was held in the Pottawattamie County Jail on $12,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The floor manager of school anti-bullying bill in the Iowa Senate says the bill is unlikely to make it through this legislative session. Democratic Sen. Rob Hogg says changes made in the Republican-led House on parental notification are unacceptable. Hogg says one of the primary changes made would remove the ability of school administrators to handle incidents of bullying off school grounds.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A bill meant to support veterans already in Iowa and attract others to the state has won the final approval of the Iowa House. The bill headed to Gov. Terry Branstad would exempt military pensions from state income tax, and surviving spouses are included in the exemption. It allows companies to give preference to veterans in hiring decisions and offers credit to veterans with occupational licensing.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs police have charged a man in connection with a deliberately set fire that destroyed his mother’s house. Twenty-nine-year-old Daniel Kennedy, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Saturday on a warrant for suspicion of second-degree arson in connection with the Jan. 28 fire. The home, which was vacant, was owned by Kennedy’s mother.

ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) – A 115-year-old railroad freight house has been moved from a farm back to its original location adjacent to the Rockwell City depot. The freight house was moved about 20 years ago to a nearby farm. It was donated back to a group that oversees the Rockwell City Depot in October 2013. The group Landmark Depot Preservation raised $4,000 to move the freight house.