(Radio Iowa) –  Iowa motorists might be noticing they have a little more pocket change lately as gasoline prices have been steadily falling in recent days. Meredith Mitts, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says pump prices peaked in mid-June and have dropped considerably since then. “The state average is $4.06, which is down two cents from yesterday,” Mitts says. “It is down about 25 cents from a week ago and down almost 60 cents from a month ago.” The current national average price for gas is $4.32 a gallon, which is 26 cents higher than in Iowa.

Mitts explains why prices are spiraling — both in the state and nation — and will likely continue falling for a while. “The steady decline is due to a low domestic demand for gasoline,” Mitts says, “and then the oil prices have also declined and are remaining at the mid $90 per barrel.” After hitting an all-time state high of $4.76 a gallon on June 15th, pump prices have been in a free fall.  “There is reason to be cautiously optimistic that pump prices will continue to fall, especially if the global price for oil doesn’t spike,” Mitts says, “but overall, the situation still remains very volatile and could change any day.”

While the statewide average is $4.06, Triple-A says the most expensive gas in Iowa is in Council Bluffs at $4.27 a gallon, while it’s the cheapest in the Quad Cities at $3.88.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Officials with the Harlan Police Department report a woman from Cass County was arrested Monday, following a traffic stop. 32-year-old Michaela Lynn Hansen, of Atlantic, was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

And, last Saturday, Police in Harlan arrested 32-year-old Carlos Roberto Fonseca-Triminio, of Harlan, was following a call for service. Triminio was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Police Department reports six arrests. Last Saturday, 71-year-old Kenneth Harding Dempsey, of Harlan, was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree, in connection with the theft of an antique candy scale from Bonneson’s Five and Ten. Dempsey appeared in court today (Tuesday), and waived a court appointed attorney. His preliminary hearing was set for 2-p.m. on August 11th. Separately, 20-year-old Dalton Clark, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI. He was later released from the Cass County Jail.

There were three arrests in Atlantic on July 18th: 30-year-old Carly Seddon, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Assault with the Intent to Inflict Serious Injury; 62-year-old Jon Humphrey, of Wiota, was cited into court for Stalking (Unauthorized use of GPS), and then released; and, 29-year-old Brandi Clark, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication.

On July 17th, Atlantic Police arrested 55-year-old Bryan Westphalen, of Atlantic, for Domestic Abuse Assault. He remains held in the Cass County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican U-S Senator Chuck Grassley admits it’s rare he and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders agree on legislation, but they’re in accord on the computer semiconductor bill due for a final vote this week. Grassley says the so-called CHIPS bill is nothing less than “corporate welfare,” and it’s not the same as the measure that he supported last year. “There was never a bill that would give tax refunds to major corporations on top of the federal dollars when it was passed a year ago,” Grassley says. “Now that tax provision is in here. So there’s subsidy, refundable tax credits for major corporations that are very wealthy.” Some provisions that were provided for in the earlier legislation have been accomplished, according to Grassley.

“We’ve already had a lot of companies saying that they’re going to invest in Texas, Arizona and in Ohio and computer chips,” Grassley says, “and that’s all happened since we passed the bill a year ago.” Backers say CHIPS is designed to bolster U-S production of computer semiconductors and to level the playing field with China, but Grassley disagrees. “We need to be tough on China, I want to make that very clear,” he says, “but the taxpayer can’t bankroll corporate welfare.” Grassley says what was originally going to be 52-billion dollars in subsidies has ballooned to be 270-billion. In a tweet, Grassley said of CHIPS: “It’s just a huge govt handout to massive/already-profitable companies Why would we spend MORE TAXPAYER DOLLARS for unnecessary corporate welfare?”

(Radio Iowa) – A U.S. Senate hearing on police safety has focused on the shooting death of an Iowa State patrolman. Zach Anderson was a Grundy County deputy last year when Patrol Sergeant Jim Smith led a tactical team to confront a man barricaded in his Grundy Center home.

Anderson considered leaving law enforcement, but is now a Cedar Falls police officer.

Anderson told senators more must be done to protect police and provide more counseling after attacks like the one he survived. Anderson credits his wife for encouraging him to talk. “Today I can tell you that I’m doing OK,” Anderson said, “but I know that others are not.” Anderson said the man who killed Sergeant Smith had “a hatred of law enforcement” that “ramped up” in the current environment and Anderson called on senators to play a role in changing attitudes. “I ask you today to lead like Jim by defending us, protecting us, caring for us and validating the work we do as law enforcement officers,” Anderson said.

Senator Chuck Grassley, who invited Anderson to speak at the hearing, said there’s “too much hostility” toward law enforcement. “This is a growing crisis,” Grassley said during the hearing, “and there’s much that congress needs to do to address it.” A Michigan sheriff, the president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Baltimore’s police commissioner and a Chicago policeman who survived a shooting also testified during today’s  hearing.

(Radio Iowa) – Dead fish are washing up on the shore of Storm Lake. Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Ben Wallace says an initial investigation indicates one species of fish is affected. “It looks to be a disease kind of specifically impacting the common carp,” he says, “so, to be honest, not a huge impact on the fishery there.” Wallace says thousands of dead carp have been found along Storm Lake’s shore.

“This kind of thing does happen. It’s not super common, but it’s a natural occurrence to have disease outbreaks in wild fish populations,” he says. “…They have a lot of necrotic tissue on their gills, had some fungus growing on their scales and stuff, so everything points to a disease impacting the common carp.”

Wallace hopes to find a lab to test sample fish to gain more information. He says the kill could last a couple more weeks before the disease runs its course. He does not expect other species of fish in Storm Lake to be impacted.

(Nora Springs, Iowa) – One person died and two others were injured during a crash late Monday night in Cerro Gordo County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2013 Nissan Altima driven by 58-year-old Timothy Hoy, of Charles City, was westbound on 265th Street at around 11:10-p.m., when the vehicle crossed the center line of the road and collided head-on with a 2005 Pontiac G5, driven by 41-year-old Stephen Miles, of Mason City.

The Pontiac came to rest in the north ditch. The Nissan stopped on the roadway, and was struck by a third vehicle. Authorities say Stephen Miles died at the scene. He was wearing his seat belt. Two passengers in his car, 16-year-old Tyler Miles -who was not buckled-in, and 17-year-old Jackson Gobeli, both of Mason City, who was wearing his seat belt, were injured and transported by ambulance to the hospital.

The crash remains under investigation. Nora Springs First Responders and EMS, along with Mason City EMS, responded to the scene.

An investigation into a rollover accident Friday afternoon resulted in a rural Clarinda man being cited for Failure to Maintain Control. According to the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies were notified at around 1:10-p.m. Friday about a motor vehicle accident having taken place in the vicinity of 200th Street and O Ave, about three-miles northwest of Clarinda.

When Deputies arrived, they found a vehicle upside down in a field, with heavy damage resulting from the rollover accident. No one was found at the scene. Deputies and personnel from the Clarinda Fire Department and Clarinda Regional Health Center EMS searched the area looking for the driver, and after an extensive search, the driver, identified as 48-year-old Jason Ludwig Reents, was located at his residence approximately three-miles to the west.

Reents was transported to Clarinda Regional Health Center with non-life-threatening injuries by Clarinda Ambulance Service. Reents was later cited for Driving While Revoked and Failure to Maintain Control. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Clarinda Fire Department and the Clarinda Ambulance Service.

Note: A charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year-old Gage Burman Kephart, of Plattsmouth, NE, was arrested the evening of July 20th on I-29, for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300. And, on the 21st, 24-year-old David Glen Combs, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charges of OWI1st and Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $5,000.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Monday, arrested a man wanted on a Page County warrant for Consumption of alcohol in a public place/1st offense, and, Disorderly Conduct. Authorities say 40-year-old Joshua Jay Martin, of Clarinda, was transported to the Page County Jail and held on a $1,000 cash-only bond, pending further court appearances.

Joshua J. Martin