(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Senate is taking up the coronavirus relief package that passed the House over the weekend, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley isn’t a fan. Grassley, a Republican, says the five previous coronavirus relief bills that passed Congress in the last year, which provided four-trillion dollars in aid, were all bipartisan in nature. “Unlike these previous coronavirus bills,” Grassley says, “this package is more like a two-trillion dollar wish list of Democrat political priorities.”

The only bright spot in the House bill, according to Grassley, was an amendment from Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull. The non-partisan amendment would have helped Iowa farmers who saw their fields destroyed by the powerful derecho last August. Feenstra’s amendment had the support of fellow Iowan and Democrat Cindy Axne when it was introduced in the House Agriculture Committee. “The derecho amendment that Feenstra brought up passed through the committee,” Grassley says. “Unfortunately, Iowa farmers didn’t make the cut as the amendment was stripped by the House Democratic leaders, presumably, just because it was sponsored by a Republican congressman.”

The powerful storm packed winds that topped off at 140-miles an hour, the equivalent of a category-four hurricane. Grassley says the derecho wiped out 800-thousand acres of crops. “It’s pretty obvious that those farmers deserve as much help as other people that get disaster relief,” Grassley says. “I’ll be working with my colleagues in the Senate to revive the amendment so that farmers hurt by the derecho and other natural disasters can receive federal assistance.”

A controversial amendment that would have raised the federal minimum wage was removed from the House bill. It does include funding for vaccine distribution, funding for local, county and state governments, and direct payments to millions of Americans of up to 14-hundred dollars.

The Atlantic Police Department reports two arrests took place Monday, and two occurred on Sunday. Authorities say 49-year old Daniel Lambson, of Atlantic, was arrested Monday for Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Theft in the 3rd. And, 28-year old Renson Berdon, of Atlantic, was arrested for False Report-911 calls. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.

On Sunday, 19-year old J.R. Berdon, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication and Interference with official acts. And, 21-year old S-K Kovac, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear. Both men were also booked into the Cass County Jail.

The Jail roster shows both Berdon’s and Kovac remained in the facility as of Tuesday morning.

Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a special meeting beginning at noon, on Wednesday. The meeting takes place virtually, via YouTube. During their session, the Board will act on awarding the purchase of 1,425 Chromebook licenses to Rick’s Computer repair, of Danbury (IA), in the amount of $35,625. Technology Director Roger Warne received three identical quotes for Chromebook licenses. By approving the request, Superintendent Steve Barber says it would represent the first step in upgrading the District’s current Pre-K through 12 1:1 (One-to-one) program.

Rick’s Computer provides repair services for the District’s computers. Mr. Barber says since the money on all three of the quotes are identical, he feels it would be best to award the quote to Rick’s, based on the company’s relationship with the District.

The Atlantic Police Department has released additional information with regard to a bar fight last month, that resulted in injuries to two people. Authorities say at around 12:10-a.m. Feb. 19th, Officers were called to the Fireside Lounge on Atlantic’s west side. When Officers and Sheriff’s Deputies arrived, the found two subjects unconscious, on the floor. Both were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, by ambulance. After a lengthy investigation of the video evidence and interviews, three subjects were charged:

29-year-old Cody Christensen, of Atlantic, was arrested on Cass County warrants for Disorderly Conduct/fight or violence-related, and Assault Causing Serious Injury. He remained in the jail as of today (Tuesday, March 2nd). Another subject was charged, with warrants issued for Disorderly Conduct, Interference with Official Acts, and Assault Causing Serious Injury. As of today, that individual had not been located.

Police say 36-year old Ty Daniel Jordan, of Exira, was cited in connection with the incident, and released on a charge of Disorderly Conduct.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A 2-year-old child was critically injured when more than a dozen shots were fired into a house in Des Moines. Police went to the home Monday night after receiving reports of gunfire in the area. Officers found more than a dozen shots had been fired into the home and that one had hit a child, who had been sitting inside. The child was taken to a hospital and remained in critical condition early Tuesday.

Later, Iowa State Patrol troopers found a crash on Interstate 80 west of Des Moines. Troopers believed the crash was connected to the shooting and notified Des Moines police. Police didn’t provide details connecting the crash and shooting but said they had detained five people and recovered two firearms.

The Creston Police Department reports 24-year old Tristan Lehman, of Creston, was arrested Monday afternoon, on a drug charge. Lehman was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 2nd offense. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, at around 10-a.m. Monday, 36-year old Dusty Champlin, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was later released on a $2,000 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:07-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Patrons of the CAM and Nodaway Valley School Districts are being asked to head to the polls today, to approve a new Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS). The purpose of the statement is to specify how the District may use revenues it receives from the State of Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) Fund. Superintendent Paul Croghan says the vote does not impact your property taxes.

The Polling Center for ALL voters in Adair County or Audubon County, and ALL voters residing in the Cass County Townships of Grant, Benton, Franklin or Lincoln, is: The Anita Community Center. The Polling Center for ALL voters residing in Adams County, and all other voters residing in the Cass County Townships of Massena, Union, Bear Grove, Noble, Edna, or Victoria, is: The Cumberland Community Center.  The Polling place for Nodaway Valley School District patrons in Adair or Madison County, is: The Adair County Health & Fitness Center, in Greenfield (202 N. Townline Road).

Polls are open from 7-a.m. until 8-p.m. at all precincts. (Here is a sample ballot with wording adapted at the polls, to reflect the separate districts: 2021 CAM CSD Special Election SAMPLE Ballot)

For additional information on the change in law and the revenue purpose statement process, visit the district’s web site at camcougars.org

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would no longer require Iowans to get permits to carry a concealed weapon has made it past initial review in the Iowa House and is scheduled for committee action today (Tuesday). Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says it means Iowans would no longer have to get a permission slip for something that’s a constitutional right. “Let’s bear in mind, we are not plotting new ground here. This is not some revolutionary thing here,” Holt said. “Eighteen states already have constitutional carry, what some would call permitless carry.”

Richard Rogers of the Iowa Firearms Coalition calls the move historic. “Essentially any person who may lawfully possess a dangerous weapon will be able to carry it openly or concealed or in a vehicle,” Rogers says. “…The right to keep and bear arms is the natural extension of the universally recognized right of self-defense.”

Rogers says the change will benefit people who’ve been threatened and want to buy a gun, knife or some other weapon immediately. “Outright bans and ‘may issue’ permit schemes were created and used by the powerful to keep the less powerful in their place. This is so even here in Iowa,” Rogers says. “Until 10 years ago, Iowa’s 99 county sheriffs had absolute discretion over whether and how to issue permits to carry weapons. Many refused to issue such permits and others frankly abused the system at their whim. Thanks to these roadblocks, just a dozen years ago, only 30,000 Iowans held such permits.”

Current law says sheriffs shall issue a permit if the person meets all legal requirements — and today more than 400-thousand Iowans have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Leslie Carpenter of Iowa Mental Health Advocacy says making it easier to get a weapon quickly is the wrong move in a pandemic when mental health problems have escalated. “Suicides make up 79% of all gun deaths here in Iowa,” she says.

Carpenter says no one would know her intelligent, charismatic son was diagnosed with a psychiatric illness. “The prospect of him being able to purchase a gun…fills me with a gut-wrenching dread that I would wish on no other person,” she said. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames, says the bill will be a deterrent to efforts to attract new businesses and new workers to Iowa. “We have a lot of controversial bills that are affecting Iowa’s image right now,” she said.

If the bill becomes law, Iowans could still get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, so they’d have a document to show in other states that DO require gun permits. A similar bill is scheduled for a subcommittee hearing in the Iowa SENATE today (Tuesday).