(Emerson, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 2-a.m. today (Thursday), in Montgomery County, resulted in the arrest of a woman from Union County. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the traffic stop took place on Highway 34 at A Avenue, northeast of Emerson. During the stop, authorities say the driver of the vehicle that was pulled-over, 46-year-old Elizabeth Lea Reents, of Creston, began fighting Deputies. She was arrested on charges of Interference with Official Acts, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Pills, and Child Endangerment.

Reents was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Sidney, Iowa) – An attempted traffic stop Wednesday night on a speeding vehicle in Fremont County, resulted in a brief pursuit and an arrest. Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports his Deputies attempted to stop a 1995 Ford truck at around 10:30-p.m., west of Riverton. The vehicle failed to yield, and a short pursuit was initiated. The driver, 34-year-old Blake Tobin, of Sidney, was arrested without incident. Tobin was placed under arrest for:

• Eluding (OWI), a Class D Felony
• Operating While Intoxicated 1st Offense, a Serious Misdemeanor
• Possession of Controlled Substance, (Marijuana), a Serious Misdemeanor
  

  Blake Tobin (Fremont County S/O photo)

And, upon being booked into the Fremont County Jail, Tobin was found to be concealing a controlled substance on his person and subsequently charged with: Possession of Contraband in a correctional facility, a Class D Felony

Tobin is being held on $12,000 cash bond. Other charges are pending.

(Radio Iowa)- A bill to reinstate the death penalty in Iowa for kidnapping, raping and murdering a person under the age of 18 has cleared one hurdle in the Iowa Senate, but it faces key opposition in the Iowa House. Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, says with new members making up about a third of the legislature this year, he’s making another try.

“I know we haven’t been successful before,” Zaun says, “but I do plan on running it through Judiciary. This is very narrowly written.” Zaun is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison is chairman of the HOUSE Judiciary Committee. Holt says he could support the death penalty on moral grounds, but there are too many practical problems with it. Getting the drugs for a lethal injection has become increasingly difficult and Holt says there are people who’ve been sentenced to death who have later been exonerated.

“It’s just extremely expensive to keep someone on death row,” Holt says. “…Unlike in a lot of other states, life in prison is life in prison in Iowa.” During a Senate subcommittee hearing yesterday (Wednesday), a representative of the state’s four Catholic bishops spoke out against the death penalty. Reverend Heather Wachendorf of New Beginnings Christian Church in Urbandale was among three pastors who testified.

“When the punishment is the same as the crime, we should stop and question the law,” she said. “Taking another person’s life is never OK.” Terry Pierce of West Des Moines was the only member of the public at yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) hearing who spoke in favor of the limited form of capital punishment outlined in the bill. “We’re talking about an adult committing a crime against an innocent child,” he said. “In my mind, the penalty couldn’t be harsh enough.”

Iowa abolished the death penalty in 1965. In 1995, the Iowa House narrowly voted to reinstate capital punishment, but the bill was defeated in the Senate.

(Radio Iowa)- The Iowa House has approved a bill to prevent the statewide 133 million dollar increase in residential property taxes that legislators say was the unintended consequence of a 2021 law. The fix cleared the Senate February 1st and it passed the House yesterday (Wednesday). Representative John Forbes of Urbandale is among the Democrats who say it’s unfair to city and county officials who’ve already built slightly bigger budget plans.

“When you look at the cities budgeting for about 50% for public safety, that’s probably where most of the cuts are going to come from,” Forbes says. “In my city alone, we’re looking at close to a million dollar budget cut.” The bill gives cities and counties until April 30th to complete their spending plans for the budgeting year that begins July 1st.

Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton says that gives cities and counties an additional 30 days to redo budgets based on the new information about how much property taxes will be paid. “There will not be one dime cut from public safety due to this piece of legislation and if someone does choose to do that, that’s a local decision, that’s a poor decision and it’s one that I don’t think is actually going to happen,” Kaufmann said. “…This is not a cut. This is not a receipt of tax dollars into a checking account that we’re then going to be taking it.”

The glitch that’s being fixed was caused when lawmakers decided apartment buildings, nursing homes and mobile home parks would no longer be taxed like commercial property — but as residential property, starting this fall.

(Radio Iowa) – Former Vice President Mike Pence is backing parents who object to the transgender policies in an eastern Iowa school district. Last year the Linn-Mar School Board adopted a policy that lets student use a different name at school, without notifying parents. A group of parents filed a lawsuit challenging the policy and Pence held an event in Cedar Rapids yesterday (Wednesday) to show his support.

Over 50 protesters gathered outside the Pizza Ranch where Pence was speaking, holding signs in support of trans children. Hiawatha City Council member Aime Wichtendahl says Pence’s message is harmful.

Pence is among the high-profile Republicans visiting Iowa this month, less than a year before Republicans here will host the first-in-the-nation Caucuses. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott will be here next week. Former U-N Ambassador Nikki Haley announced yesterday (Wednesday) she’s running for president and she’ll visit Iowa Monday. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson was in central Iowa yesterday (Wednesday).