The fourth face-to-face debate between Republican Congressman Steve King and Christie Vilsack, his Democratic challenger, was held last night (Thursday). King opened with a subtle attack on Vilsack, who moved to Ames to run in the new fourth congressional district.

“I live here. My roots are here,” King said. “They’re going to stay here, whatever happens in November.” Later, King said he wanted to know whether Vilsack and her husband — former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and the current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture — supported a particular bill, prompting Christie Vilsack to make this declaration:

“Congressman King, you’re running against me, not against my husband.” The two quarreled over the languishing Farm Bill as they have in their three previous debates.

“I’m sitting in a position where I expect to be on the conference committee and we’ll have a voice of Iowa there when we hammer the last bill out,” King said. Vilsack replied: “I don’t think that you’re going to be on a conference committee. You haven’t shown leadership in other situations either and I don’t think you’re going to show leadership here.” Vilsack suggested there was a reason King was the only member of Iowa’s congressional delegation who did not sign a petition calling for a vote in the House on the Farm Bill.

“I think there are $136,000 reasons why he didn’t do that and those are the dollars that he is receiving from the Club for Growth,” Vilsack said. The Club for Growth issued a statement saying support of that petition would “count heavily as anti-growth” on the group’s “congressional scorecard.” King immediately shot back by criticizing the way Vilsack’s husband is running the U-S-D-A’s food stamp program.

The USDA has been spending millions of dollars advertising food stamps. They’ve gone from 19 million people on food stamps a few years ago to 47 million today,” King said. “That’s the bigger part of the argument going on in congress and that is hurting our agriculture.” The debate was held in Orange City, on the campus of Northwestern College and sponsored by K-T-I-V television.

Now is the time to plan and plant for future gardens. The Cass County Master Gardeners organization is offering a total of $1,500 in grant money to be used by the end of 2012, to encourage gardening to grow food and/or beautify surroundings. The money may also be used for education purposes.

Any Cass County not-for-profit group or individual may apply. Schools, churches, libraries, 4-H clubs, Scouts, and individuals working to improving their communities can use the money to begin or improve gardens or landscaping, or to provide education for their members or the public. Each grant has a maximum of $500. The application must also include plans for teamwork and sustainability. Consideration for the environment is also an important selection factor.

Applications should be completed as soon as possible and grant requests will be evaluated and awarded in the order received. Information and forms are available on the Cass County Extension website, www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The Master Gardener program trains volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in horticulture. These volunteers then give back to their communities through gardening service and education.

Three men face prison time on unrelated charges after being sentenced Thursday in United States District Court in Council Bluffs according to United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

29-year-old Andrew James Ring of Council Bluffs was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Ring was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Ring to pay a $100 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund.

Ring was sentenced following his plea of guilty to the charge of felon in possession of a firearm. The charge arose out of an incident in which a motor vehicle operated by Ring struck a parked vehicle near a bar in Council Bluffs on December 5, 2011. Council Bluffs police officers responded and found a rifle and ammunition in Ring’s vehicle. Prior to possessing the rifle, Ring had been convicted of OWI 3rd in Pottawattamie County.

51-year-old Richard Pearson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual contact.  Pearson was sentenced to 120 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Pearson to pay a $100 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund, to register with the Sex Offender Registry, and to forfeit certain items of personal property found in his possession on the date of his arrest in southwest Iowa.

The Indictment related to events involving texting between Pearson and a minor under 16 years of age which occurred between about mid-February of 2012, to about April 20, 2012, when the Pearson was in southwest Iowa on a trip from Colorado to engage in unlawful activities with the minor victim in Iowa. Pearson was an over-the-road trucker, who cultivated a relationship with the minor victim using cell phones provided to the minor by Pearson.

29-year-old Jeffrey Daniel Bozarth of Council Bluffs was sentenced for possession of child pornography.  Bozarth was sentenced to 48 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Bozarth to pay a $100 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund, and also ordered Bozarth to forfeit all of his child pornography and equipment on which it was digitally stored

The charge arose out of a Nebraska State Patrol “P2P” investigation, which led to Bozarth’s address. On December 2, 2010, agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Omaha, Nebraska Office executed a federal search warrant at Bozarth’s residence in Council Bluffs and recovered various computer equipment and digital files stored therein. Forensic examination of the computer files seized in the search found a significant quantity of child pornography, including known child pornography from other states within the United States and some from other countries.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Democratic National Committee and Obama for America are starting a bus tour reminding voters in early voting states they can begin casting ballots. The tour kicks off in Sioux City at noon tomorrow then heads to Council Bluffs for a 3 p.m. event. Several other stops are planned throughout Iowa next week. Early voting began in Iowa yesterday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Campaign aides say Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan will visit eastern Iowa next week. The Wisconsin congressman will headline a rally Monday at Loras College in Dubuque, then visit Clinton, the Davenport area and Muscatine on Tuesday. It will be the first time Ryan has campaigned in eastern Iowa. Vice President Joe Biden campaigned there last week.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Des Moines doctor faces a fifth malpractice lawsuit for allegedly prescribing large amounts of narcotic painkillers to a patient who fatally overdosed. The Des Moines Register reports Doctor Daniel Baldi (BALD’-ee) was sued this week by the family of 39-year-old Chad Martin. The man from Johnston died last September. Baldi has denied wrongdoing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two Iowa school districts have received a multimillion-dollar national grant to help teachers and principals develop their skills as educators. Governor Terry Branstad announced yesterday that the Central Decatur Community School District and the Saydel Community School District have won the grant, which will provide $2.3 million in its first two years.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say firefighters have rescued two cats from a mobile home in Cedar Rapids after a resident had to flee the heavy smoke. The Cedar Rapids Fire Department says the blaze was reported about 2 a.m. today by a resident at the Summit View mobile home park.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Police have arrested a man who allegedly tried to rob a Sioux City convenience store with a hammer. KTIV-TV in Sioux City reports that 42-year-old Shannon Ivory was charged with first-degree robbery and two counts of assault while participating in a felony. Police say they responded to the robbery around 1:30 a.m. today at a Kum and Go store before arresting Ivory.