(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments today (Thursday) on the fetal heartbeat law that’s been on hold since the the governor signed the bill. The state’s attorney, Eric Wessen, argued the state has a rational interest in enacting the law and that’s how it should be viewed. “A majority of this court held and Planned Parenthood 2022 that abortion is not a fundamental right subject to strict scrutiny so under its long standing substantive due process jurisprudence this court should apply rational basis,” he says. Wessen says the state has “The right of life, the important value of health and well being of mothers, the integrity of medical profession, each of those can be found in Iowa code section 146 E,” he says.

Wessen says he believes the district court would have to drop its injunction if the High Court follows his argument. “If this court explains and holds that rational basis is the proper standard of review the state is confident that this law which is duly enacted by the legislature and is entitled to the presumption of constitutionality will survive that review,” he says. Peter Im represented Planned Parenthood and the A-C-L-U of Iowa which are seeking to block the law. He says a rational interest interpretation should not be used.

“P-P-H 2022 which is the controlling precedent clearly stated that undue burden quote remains the governing standard unquote. The district court got it right by applying that standard and certainly did not abuse its discretion by committing legal error,” Im says. He says the law block the rights of women.

“Iowans’ ability to make decisions, private and personal medical decisions, to exercise bodily autonomy and to decide what when and whether to have children,” Im says. Justices Christopher McDonald and Susan Christensen asked Im about his argument that women were not properly represented when abortion was banned after Iowa became a state. They asked why a law should be blocked that was passed by a legislature that now includes duly-elected women.

“The level of deference to the legislature is certainly most important I think in issues of policy. But when it comes to individual rights, there is no political question doctrine. There is no doctrine that says that this court should defer to the legislature if the legislature passes a law that rides roughshod over the right of Iowans to exercise bodily autonomy,” he says.

The court is expected to issue a ruling in June.

(Radio Iowa) – The Hoosier State is now banking on its own Caitlin Clark Effect, as the Indiana Fever is expected to pick the University of Iowa star basketball player during Monday’s W-N-B-A draft. Cathy DuBois, dean of the College of Business at Ball State University in Muncie, says Clark is an absolute national phenomenon and the sky’s the limit for the West Des Moines native, wherever she goes.

A Ball State study predicts Clark’s addition to the Fever roster will bring another 12-hundred fans to each game in the upcoming season, many of whom will be coming from outside the region. That means plenty of dollars spent in hotels, restaurants, and other entertainment venues during their stay.

Clark led the Hawkeyes to two consecutive national championship games, including the match with South Carolina this past Sunday which set a record for television viewers.

Clark’s number, 22, was retired during a celebration on Wednesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the U-I campus, after a season during which she racked up a long series of awards and national records.

Caitlin Clark signs autographs (UI photo by Tim Schoon)

With the new countrywide focus on women’s basketball, DuBois predicts the entire professional league will benefit as Clark joins its ranks.

Another study done in part at Ball State found more than 162-thousand media stories featured Clark during the N-C-double-A tournament, resulting in 177-billion media impressions valued at more than 2-point-6 billion dollars.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) –  A Pottawattamie County man was arrested Wednesday evening on charges that include Attempted Murder, 1st Degree Burglary, Harassment in the 1st Degree, and Willful Injury resulting in Bodily Injury. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year-old Spencer Steve Prusia, of Hancock, was being held in the Pott. County Jail, on bond amounting to $57,000.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies were sent to 208 Main Street in Hancock at around 5:30-p.m., following a reported home invasion. When deputies arrived, the male victim told them Prusia rang the doorbell. When the victim answered the door, Prusia started inquiring about an individual.

The victim told Prusia the person he was looking for hadn’t lived there for about 10-years. When Prusia told the man he didn’t believe him, the victim tried to shut the door, but Prusia forced his way into the residence and allegedly placed victim in a choke hold.

Spencer Prusia (Pott. County Jail booking photo)

Prusia also alleged told the man “he wanted to kill him.” After the victim escaped, Prusia fled the home. He was located Prusia at his residence in Hancock and transported him to the Pottawattamie County Jail. The victim was treated by medics at the scene.

UPDATE 3:30-P.M, 4/11/24: KEYSTONE, Iowa – The missing person advisory issued for Rhiannon “Rainy” Walter on behalf of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office has been canceled. She has been safely located. Law enforcement thanks the public for their assistance.

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(Vinton, Iowa) – The Benton County Sheriff’s Office (in eastern Iowa) is attempting to locate an 11-year-old girl last seen Wednesday evening in Keystone, Iowa. See the Sheriff’s Office press release below:

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that’s cleared the Iowa legislature would let churches and non-profit organizations that host bingo games as fundraisers offer a gun worth up to $5000 as a prize. The bill cleared the Senate almost unanimously in Febryary without debate, but there was some push back this week before it passed the House. Representative Eric Gjerde, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, suggested any prize worth $5000 should be allowed. “So if an organization wants to give a trip away, they can,” Gjerde said. “If an organization wants to give a canoe or a paddleboat away, they can.”

Representative Shannon Lundgren, a Republican from Peosta, said she “100%” agrees, but that expansion would doom the bill if it was returned to the Senate. “We will continue to work on that next year because I, too, would like to see our church organizations and other non-profit organizations, whether they’re youth-oriented or not earn extra money,” Lundren said.

The bill does raise the entry fee limit for bingo fundraisers to $50. The current limit on bingo prizes in Iowa is $250. The bill raises the value limit on prizes to $900, unless it’s a gun.The bill is headed to the governor for review.

Bingo fundraisers for charity are legal in Iowa as long as the games are run by volunteers.

(Radio Iowa) – Wednesday was National Organ Donor Flag Raising Day which is part of the Organ Donation Month activities. The donor flag was raised at Unity Point Health St. Lukes in Sioux City and the Iowa Donor Network’s John Jorgenson spoke. “Donors are superstars. When I think about the donation world and the number of people who are registered, they truly are superstars as they say ‘yes’ to saving a life,” Jorgenson says. “Through organ donation the legacy of their loved one lives on.” He says organ donation can help so many people.

“One organ donor can save up to eight lives, while a tissue donor can help up to 300, with the average being about 75,” he says. “No one is too old, or too young to be a donor, and actually shortly after birth newborns can be donors as long as they are a certain weight. And so there’s no age too young. and actually, our oldest tissue donor was over 105.”

Friday is national wear blue-green day to support organ donation.

AMES, Iowa – April 11, 2024 – The Iowa Department of Transportation is providing the public with a notice of renewal, for a corridor preservation zone for I-80 from west of U.S. 6/U.S. 169 (DeSoto) interchange to west of Grand Prairie Parkway in Dallas County. The notice includes a map of the corridor preservation zone and is available at www.iowadot.gov/pim. The width of the corridor preservation zone varies depending on the location within the corridor. The corridor preservation zone was first established in 2018. The Iowa DOT is renewing the corridor preservation zone on April 11, 2024. It is valid for three years.

Corridor preservation is a tool the Iowa DOT uses to preserve land for future needs as well as protect property owners. It does not restrict development in any way, but merely offers the DOT a chance to review the proposed development when notified by the city or county. For questions regarding corridor preservation zones, please visit: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/306.19.pdf

For information regarding this corridor preservation zone, contact Scott Suhr, District 4 transportation planner, Iowa Department of Transportation, 2210 E 7^th Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, by phone at 712-243-7627, or email: scott.suhr@iowadot.us. To submit a comment online, go to: https://bit.ly/idotcpz5866.

ANKENY, Iowa — A teacher from central accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student is pleading not guilty. KCCI reports 34-year-old Rachel Whiteside, who was also a coach for the Ankeny Community School District, was arrested in February for sex abuse, lascivious conduct, and sexual exploitation by a school employee. Court documents show she pleaded not guilty to those charges Wednesday (April 10^th). Whiteside is no longer listed on the school district’s website.

According to police, the investigation started when the victim reported their relationship to the district. That victim told investigators Whiteside had kissed them when they were 14 years old and initiated sexual intercourse with them. Court filings allege this happened at Northview Middle School after school hours starting in 2015.

Whiteside is expected back in court for a hearing early next month. Her trial is set for the start of June.

(Audubon County, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol today (Thursday), released information about a fatal crash that occurred Wednesday afternoon, in Audubon County. The Patrol reports the crash happened at around 2:15-p.m. at 220th Street and Highway 71, near Hamlin. Authorities say a 1998 Buick Century driven by 73-year-old Sheryl Zinke, of Audubon, was traveling west on 220th. A semi driven by 42-year-old Ross Miller, of Carroll, was traveling north on Highway 71.

When Zinke failed to stop at the intersection, her car was struck by the semi. Sheryl Zinke died at the scene. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office handled the accident scene.