DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI]— A Des Moines man who was convicted of abusing his infant son more than a decade ago was taken into custody Thursday for allegedly violating his parole. Jonas Neiderbach, 34, was found guilty in 2011 of abusing his six-week-old son in 2009. The infant suffered brain trauma, a broken arm and broken ribs.

Neiderbach was convicted of six counts of child endangerment, but in 2013, the Iowa Supreme Court threw out two of the convictions. He was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison, with no mandatory minimum. According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, Neiderbach was released on parole in 2022. New court documents say he violated his parole at least seven times in the last six weeks. His next court date has not been set.

DES MOINES, Iowa — U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, announced new legislation in Washington, D.C., that would help replace lead water pipes in Des Moines, across the state and across the country. It’s called the Safe Drinking Water for Disadvantaged Communities Act. Nunn announced it during a press conference Thursday morning in Des Moines.

The bill would put $15 billion of federal money toward forgivable loans — local water utilities would then be able to apply for loans to replace lead water service lines. In Des Moines, Water Works says the city still has 20,000 lead lines in commission, and they need to be replaced. Water Works officials say without the federal loan, replacing the lead pipes would force them to impose a 30% increase on customer’s water bills for the next 20 years, in order to pay for the project.

Water Works is already replacing some of the lead lines as part of a pilot program.

Iowa (KCRG) – The American Library Association announced a new report on Thursday showing a 92% increase in books targeted for censorship. The group says it’s the highest levels they’ve ever documented in its 140 years of existence. The report shows Iowa is one of 17 states that saw attempts to censor more than 100 titles in 2023. In total, the new numbers released show efforts to censor 4,240 unique book titles in schools and libraries throughout 2023, easily overcoming the previous high from 2022, when 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship.

Specifically in Iowa, the American Library Association documented 16 attempts to restrict access to books. Those efforts challenged 259 different titles. Former Iowa Library Association President Sam Helmick says book bans and challenges may teach people what to think, instead of how to think.  Currently the Community & Access Services Coordinator at the Iowa City Public Library, Helmick says they welcome conversations about concerns over library materials, because those conversations are important to maintaining trust within the community.

An Iowa law banning some books from school is on pause after a district court issued an injunction last December. The Iowa State Education Association and book publisher Penguin Random House joined together to challenge SF 496 and file that litigation last fall. That law makes it illegal for school libraries to offer books that contain “descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act.” It also restricts teaching about sexual orientation.

The state has appealed – leaving schools in limbo as they wait for a decision, and continuing worries for teachers. As librarians and teachers navigate the increase in challenges to books in Iowa and across the country, Helmick says the best way to advocate for local libraries is to use them. The Library Association say it’s also important to be aware of any legislation targeting tax levies and funding for libraries, saying “Funding is an access issue. We can’t even debate the books if we can no longer afford to purchase them because of the pricing of digital materials or because we are disadvantaging and disarming public libraries, school libraries and the staffing.”

(Radio Iowa) – A new report finds one in six full-time Iowa workers struggles to pay for basic needs. The non-profit Common Good Iowa, which advocates for families and children, estimates 17-point-5 percent of all Iowa working households earn below what’s needed to cover a basic-needs budget. Sean Finn, a policy analyst for the non-profit, says figures this year show more low-income Iowans are struggling compared to last year, even as the state sees strong wage growth.

Finn says, “Even though these families were making more each month, even though these wages, especially low wages were increasing, inflation just outpaced it during this time.” Finn says one reason is the historical policies that contributed to systemic racism like “red-lining,” where financial services are withheld from neighborhoods that have significant numbers of racial and ethnic minorities. Finn says red-lining has lasting effects.

“Even though it’s technically illegal at this point,” Finn says, “there’s good evidence that red-lining unofficially goes on to this day, including in the state of Iowa.” The ninth annual report estimates one-third of full-time Black and Latino workers make below what is needed to support their families’ basic needs. That’s almost double the statewide average.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say a man was arrested early this (Friday) morning, on an assault charge. 55-year-old Terry Lee Kelley, of Creston, was arrested at around 3-a.m., at his home. Kelley was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Degree. He was taken to Union County Jail and held without bond, until seen by a Judge.

Thursday night, 35-year-old Dawn Marie Baddley, of Creston, was arrested on two-counts of Theft in the 5th Degree. Baddley was taken to Union County Jail. She posted bond, and was released. And, Thursday afternoon, 28-year-old Shyanne Renee Bird, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While License Suspended. Bird was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop near Highway 34 and G Avenue in Montgomery County, Thursday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of a man from Farragut. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 37-year-old David Dale Morelock was arrested at around 4:47-p.m., for Driving While License denied or revoked. Morelock was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – State and federal candidates who want to be included on the June Primary ballots for Republicans and for Democrats face a 5 p.m. deadline today (Friday) to deliver their nomination petitions to the Secretary of State’s office in Des Moines. Christina Bohannan, a Democrat who’s running in Iowa’s first congressional district, has submitted over a thousand more signatures on her nominating petitions than were required.

“We collected these at grocery stores, at soup suppers, at pancake breakfasts and we’ve been talking to people  where they are and so it’s really exciting to have this level of support and, in a lot of ways, it’s really the beginning of the campaign,” Bohannan says. “…What I can tell you is these signatures represent people who have really bought into this campaign.”

Bohannan ran against Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in 2022 and lost by less than seven points, so this race is destined to be a rematch in the 2024 General Election. Miller-Meeks submitted her nominating petitions on February 26th, the first day in the filing period. Beyond the candidates running for seats in the U-S House of Representatives, candidates for seats in the state legislature must submit their nominating petitions by 5 p.m. today (Friday) as well. House Speaker Pat Grassley says most of the Republicans currently serving in the Iowa House are seeking reelection.

“As we look across the state, there are other opportunities that we continue to have,” Grassley says. “If you look at the last election results (from 2022), there are seats with just a little more time and resources, we could have had an even larger majority.” Republicans hold 64 of the 100 seats in the Iowa House. House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst says Democrats have a good chance of gaining seats because the G-O-P agenda is lacking. “There’s not a bill in there to defend reproductive freedom. There’s not a bill in there to make child care really, boldly different across this state,” Konfrst says. ” There’s not a bill to really address affordable housing.”

In the state senate, Republicans hold a 34-seat super majority. Senate G-O-P Leader Jack Whitver says Republican candidates have been recruited in four senate districts currently held by Democrats, but areas where Governor Kim Reynolds and Donald Trump have done well in the past. “It’s hard to believe when we’re sitting here with 34 that we have a chance in four seats, but depending on how the election goes, those are seats we’re watching very, very closely,” Whitver says.

Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum says Democrats can do well in the 2024 election because Republicans are ignoring what’s most important to Iowans. “They’ve asked us to fully fund education,” Jochum says. “They’ve asked us to stop stripping away local control from school boards and cities and counties.”

Jochum has developed a plan she says will help Democrats make progress over the next three elections and regain a majority of state senate seats in the 2030 election. Jochum is not seeking reelection this year after serving in the legislature since 1993.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Democrats are proposing an extension of unemployment benefits for workers at a Perry pork plant who’ll be laid off at the end of June. Tyson announced earlier this week it will close the plant, which employs nearly 13-hundred people and is Perry’s largest employer. Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum of Dubuque says she has an inkling of what’s ahead for Perry.

“About 20 years ago Smithfield came in and bought out the Dubuque Packing Company and threw 2000 workers out of work and it took our community many, many years to recover from that plant closing,” Jochum says, “so I do know how difficult this is and how difficult it’s going to be for Perry to overcome the many challenges they’re going to be facing.”

In 2022, Governor Reynolds signed a law that reduced the number of weeks Iowans are eligible for unemployment benefits from 26 to 16 weeks. Jochum and other Senate Democrats are proposing that those who lose their jobs due to a plant closure — like the workers in Perry — should be eligible for up to 39 weeks of unemployment. “We, as Democrats, stand with Perry and the Iowans losing their jobs and their livelihoods because of Tyson’s decision,” Jochum says. “The effects of this closure are going to touch every corner of Dallas County, from schools to city services to Main Streets and beyond and it’s going to all of us working together to meet these challenges and keep Perry strong.”

The Senate’s Republican leader says he can’t comment on Jochum’s proposal because he hasn’t seen it and hasn’t had a chance to review its impact. Tyson is encouraging its employees in Perry to apply for job openings at its other meat packing plants in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – The Ankeny-based Casey’s convenience store chain continues pushing toward its goal of adding 150 stores this fiscal year. Senior Vice President of business development, Brian Johnson, talked about it in an investor update on the third quarter. “In the third quarter we closed on a transaction to enter our 17th state in Texas and through the end of the quarter we have built or acquired over 125 stores,” he says.

Casey’s President and CEO, Darren Rebelez, says they like to have a mix of building new stores along with merging or acquiring existing stores. He says acquiring stores is more attractive now as the cost of construction has gone up, so installing or upgrading the kitchen in an existing store is less than the cost to replace the whole store.

“I think we’ve learned how to get our prepared foods into these acquisitions more quickly. Historically this has taken us a long time to do and to the extent that some of these stores that we acquire have some level of kitchen space available our team has gotten really effective at getting equipment in early and getting the food into the stores quicker,” Rebelez says. He says that allows them to gain the advantage from the prepared food sales much quicker than in the past. Rebelez says the acquisitions recently have mostly been competitors with under 100 stores.

“We’re also having discussions on larger potential deals but we just haven’t gotten anything over the finish line yet,” he says. Rebelez says even with the acquisitions, they will still end up building in the neighborhood of 50 new stores this year. Casey’s now has more than 26-hundred stores in 17 states.

[Update 3/16/24 – The victim of the crash was identified as Larry Nielson, of Anamosa]

(Anamosa, Iowa) – A collision between a car and a small SUV this (Thursday) afternoon in eastern Iowa Iowa, resulted in one person deceased and four others injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened at U-S Highway 151 and Shaw Road, south of Anamosa, in Jones County.

The Patrol says a 1989 Oldsmobile Delta 88 was traveling east on Shaw Road at around 12:45-p.m., when the driver failed to yield to a 2015 Nissan Juke that was traveling south on Highway 151. The Nissan struck the car on the Highway. Two juveniles and two adults were injured and transported to area hospitals by Anamosa, Mt. Vernon and Monticello Ambulances.

Another adult was transported to St. Lukes Hospital where they died from their injuries. All of the crash victims were wearing seat belts. No names had been released as of the time of this report.