(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed two bills into law that are designed to address a lack of treatment options for Iowans seeking mental health care services. One bill sets up a loan repayment program for students who agree to work in an underserved are of Iowa after they get a degree in the mental health field. Representative Timi Brown-Powers of Waterloo says it will hopefully boost the number of mental health professionals working in rural Iowa.

“Right now we are only meeting 40% of the need of mental health folks in the state of Iowa, so this bill through student aid, I hope, will expand feet on the ground, hands in the air for our folks with mental illness,” Brown-Powers said. The other new law will let a state board issue provisional licenses to doctoral students in psychology — so they can practice during their internship with a license psychologist.

Senator Jeff Edler of State Center says it’s another in a long line of bills that have addressed the workforce shortage in the mental health field. “You know this will help provide avenues for treatment for people in mental health distress,” Edler says.

Governor Kim Reynolds signed a total of 21 bills into law on Monday. One will let adults with liability insurance drive all-terrain vehicles on two-lane primary highways — if the A-T-V is equipped with headlights. Another will increase the state incentive to school districts that share superintendents, special education directors and school resource officers.

(Shelby, Iowa) – Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo reports that at around 6:24-a.m., Monday, the Shelby County 911 Center was notified of a structure fire on Des Moines Street, in Shelby, and that there were possibly people inside the residence.

Shelby Fire and Rescue, Minden Fire and Rescue, Medivac, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelby County EMA responded. Two people were transported to the hospital. The fire is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshalls Office.

Additional details were not released.

(Cylinder, Iowa) – The driver of one vehicle died and the other was injured during a near head-on collision Sunday night, in northern Iowa’s Palo Alto County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2011 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 45-year-old Brian M. Freeman, of Garner, was traveling west on Highway 18 at around 10:07-p.m., and approaching a slight right-hand curve in the road. The pickup failed to follow the curve, and crossed the center line before colliding with an eastbound 2006 Chevy Trailblazer SUV.

The driver of the SUV, 26-year-old Landon R. Schiek, of Algona, died at the scene. Freeman was injured and transported by Mercy Air to Mercy Hospital in Mason City. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office, Cylinder Fire Dept., Emmetsburg EMS, Emmetsburg Police, and the Palo Alto County Medical Examiner.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s commissioner of elections says early voting in this year’s Primary Election will set a record in a non-presidential year. Secretary of State Paul Pate says more than 73-thousand Iowans voted by absentee ballot. “Redistricting and a lot of districts getting merged now and new faces and then of course we have a U.S. Senate race on the Republican and Democratic sides and a big primary here in the Polk area for a congressional race — I think you put all that together and it’s going to put some people out there to make sure their voice gets heard,” Pate said.

Pate’s been working today in the state election office in the Lucas State Office Building. He says county auditors report in-person voting today (Tuesday) was steady, but….”I’m not seeing, I don’t think, an overwhelmingly high number,” Pate says. Pate and his staff are guessing that means total turout is likely to be around 15 percent. “That’s very unscientific. I have nothing to go with it,” Pate says. “That’s just a gut check right now.” Pate has ordered all 99 counties to conduct a post-election audit of the primary election.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), there will be a random drawing to select one precinct in each county to be a audited. Pate says that will trigger a hand count of the paper ballots in each of those precincts. “Compare them to what the tabulator said
the results were and if there happen to be any discrepancy those will have to be resolved to determine what the issue might have been and also to determine if we need to take further action,” Pate says. “When we’ve done these post-election audits of General Elections in the fall, every one of them we’ve done has been 100% match, so I’m optimistic we’ll see the same again.”

Pate says in-person voting today (Tuesday) went smoothly and there were no reports of major issues.