(Radio Iowa) – By an overwhelming margin of 73-to-17, the Iowa House has voted to make changes in Iowa’s popular Bottle Bill. The Senate passed similar, but not identical legislation last month. Representative Brian Lohse of Bondurant says it’s a watershed moment for the law that assesses a nickel deposit on containers of beer and pop, to encourage customers to recycle the empties and get their nickels back.

“For many years now we have discussed and negotiated ad-nauseum how to modify and update this law so that we can correct the problems that have developed,” Lohse says. “…The rate at which Iowans have redeemed cans and bottles appears to be shockingly low…The number of places or lack thereof for consumers to redeem them have consistently dwindled over the years.”

The House and Senate now have both voted to let grocery stores quit accepting empty beer and pop containers and repaying deposits, but the House has added a new twist. Any grocery store that continues to serve as a redemption site would be paid a handling fee of three cents per container. That’s the new rate redemption centers in the business of just handling empty containers would get, too.

Lohse says it makes sense to reward grocery stores that would keep paying back customers’ deposits. “If they’re going to do what redemption centers do, then they should should also not feel the pain of one cent,” Lohse says, “which is part of the problem that we have currently.” The House-passed plan has a reporting mechanism to try to figure out the amount of unpaid deposits wholesale distributors of beer are keeping, but that’s not included in the bill the Senate passed in late March.

Any changes in Iowa’s bottle and can deposit law would have to pass the House and Senate in identical form before a bill would be sent to the governor.

(Hamburg, Iowa) – A woman from Missouri was arrested Tuesday on a warrant associated with an incident that occurred in Fremont County on Feb. 19, 2022. According to Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope, on Feb. 19th, Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office initiated a pursuit of a vehicle driving 100 mph southbound Interstate 29 near the 8-mile marker. During the pursuit, deputies observed the driver throw a firearm from the vehicle. The gun was recovered and found to be reported stolen out of Missouri.

Deputies and Missouri law enforcement agencies pursued the vehicle south of Mound City, Missouri, approximately 50 miles from the start of the pursuit, where spike strips were deployed, ending the pursuit. The driver of the vehicle, 35-year-old Crystal Clark, of St Joseph, Missouri, fled from the vehicle and was later apprehended by Missouri law enforcement and released pending Iowa charges.

Crystal Clark

A warrant was requested, and on April 12th, 2022, Clark was extradited back to Fremont County Iowa. She was taken into custody on charges that include: Theft 2nd Degree; Eluding while participating in a felony, and Trafficking in Stolen Firearms. Clark’s bond was set at $15,000.

Creston, Iowa— Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report a collapsed streambank and broken sewer line on Hurley Creek, in Creston, resulted in a wastewater discharge to the creek today (Tuesday).

The cast iron sewer line broke when the streambank caved in. Discharging at about five gallons per minute, the untreated wastewater is entering Hurley Creek near the North Spruce Street bridge south of West Spencer Street.

The DNR advised keeping children and pets away from the creek for 24 to 48 hours after the discharge stops.

The city was working to quickly repair the broken line.