(Radio Iowa) – Des Moines Black Lives Matter activists are proposing their own language for an executive order to restore felon voting rights as they continue to pressure Governor Kim Reynolds to act. Organizer Ellie Odole spoke at a rally this weekend. “After giving Reynolds nearly a month to produce an executive order, which she promised to sign, BLM is taking action,” Odole said. “We will not accept such a lack of urgency and disregard for disenfranchised Iowans.”

The group’s proposal would restore voting rights to all Iowans with felony convictions after they get out of prison. In January of last year, Reynolds proposed restoring voting rights to those who complete their sentence and last month she promised to issue an executive order on felon voting rights before the November election. Reynolds has supported a legislative plan requiring payment of all victim restitution, but she hasn’t publicly revealed what she’ll include in her executive order. Representative Ras Smith, a Democrat from Waterloo, worked on the language the Black Lives Matter protesters have proposed. It would go further than the last time a governor restored voting rights in Iowa — and restore voting rights to Iowans after they get out of prison, instead of also requiring completion of probation and parole.

“It gives the largest number of people restoration of their rights to utilize their voice,” Smith said after this weekend’s rally. “That’s what we believe in.”  Every day Smith tweets the number of days since Reynolds promised to issue the executive order — and the number of days until the November 3rd election.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katarina Sostaric)

Atlantic, IA – SHIFT ATL, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is hosting their second SHIFT Network gathering/opportunity for the community, this Wednesday, July 15th, 2020 from 5:30 – until 6:30-p.m.  The event will be held in the Camblin addition at Sunnyside Park. SHIFT ATL will give an update on where the organization is both financially, and with their projects. They’ll also make two big announcements.

All current SHIFT Network members are encouraged to attend, as well as non-members. The organization hopes to grow it’s SHIFT Network membership before the end of the year, and get more community-minded people involved in the economic development of Atlantic. The Wednesday evening event will kick off with SHIFT ATL giving an update on their “State of the Union,” and answering any questions related to the information presented. Those that would like to stick around from 6 – 6:30-p.m., are more than welcome to do so, while the group facilitates conversation and brainstorming. Please plan to practice appropriate social distancing.

If you would like to attend, but want to stay in your vehicle, a SHIFT ATL member can come to your car and deliver the update. Or, if you’re unable to attend but would like to join SHIFT Network or get the updates, please email shiftatlantic@gmail.com. For more information about SHIFT ATL or the fundraiser, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/shiftatl, their website at shiftatl.org or by email at shiftatlantic@gmail.com.

The Creston Police Department reports three recent arrests, including the arrest Friday evening of a man on drug charges. Authorities say 34-year old Michael Matherly, of Creston, was arrested for Violation of a Protection Order, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine. Matherly was being held in the Union County Jail on $1,600 bond. Late Friday morning, 51-year old Misti Brown, of Clearfield, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC), for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Theft in the 5th Degree. Brown was released from custody on a $300 bond. And, Sunday afternoon, 46-year old Christine Selvy, of Creston, was arrested at her home for Public Intoxication, Interference with Official Acts, Harassment in the 3rd Degree, and three counts of Simple Assault. Selvy was being held in the Adams County Jail on $1,800 bond.

Creston Police said also, on Friday evening, a man residing in the 800 block of N. Sycamore Street reported that sometime between 10-p.m. Thursday and 7-a.m. Friday, someone stole a youth bicycle from his yard. The silver, Tony Hawk BMX-style bike was valued at $150.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – A young inventor from southeast Iowa finished first in his grade at the National Invention Convention.  Charles Smith, a student at Eisenhower Elementary in Ottuwma, topped the first grade division for his invention that he calls H.E.R.B., which stands for Home Emergency Responder Beacon. Smith’s creation is an exterior light that can be placed on a house or mailbox that creates a beacon for emergency workers. It can be activated by a wireless signal from a smoke detector, dispatcher, or Life Line.

This is the second time Smith finished first nationally in his division. Last year, the youngster finished first in the kindergarten category. Smith also made a 2019 appearance on Good Morning America to showcase an invention he titled the “Benge Beacon”

(Radio Iowa) — The recent U-S Drought Monitor report shows abnormally dry conditions in about 35 percent of the state, with eight west-central counties classified as being in moderate drought. Iowa D-N-R analyst Tim Hall says the state remains in a contrast when it comes to water conditions. “You almost can draw a north-south line along Interstate 35. And to the west of the interstate in the last month — those areas have been short of rainfall. And on the east side of I-35, we’ve had excess rainfall,” Hall says.

The latest drought monitor graph.

While parts of the state are characterized as dry — Hall says there are two different ways to look at it. “In drought terminology we sometimes talk about an agricultural drought versus a hydrological drought,” he says. “And the agricultural drought comes much more quickly because those crops need moisture and they typically get it from the upper part of the soil profile.” The other type of drought impacts more long-term water needs. “For drinking water for groundwater. So, we’re concerned and we are watching it, but right now the impacts are primarily agricultural. But if things don’t improve, then we’ll start to see those impacts move into other parts of the system,” Hall says.

He says not all rain will help get rid of the dry conditions. Hall says we often get thunderstorms this time of year that dump big amounts of rain and that tends to run off the ground quickly, and is not as helpful to crops. He says a slow, steady rain would be the most helpful right now. Hall says the longer the drought continues, the more you have to worry about the time it takes to come out of it. “Drought conditions typically are a long time building up — they don’t come generally very quickly. And on the other side of the coin — to move a drought out of the state doesn’t come in one rainstorm — typically it takes a prolonged period of wet weather,” according to Hall.

Hall says the rains can also be sporadic this time of year and help one area agriculturally — while leaving another area still in need of rain.

A Pottawattamie County man wanted on a Felony 2nd Degree Burglary warrant, was arrested today (Monday) by Red Oak Police. 28-year old Roland Charles Chapin, III, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at around 12:20-a.m., while being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $10,000 bond.

One person on a motorcycle was seriously injured during a crash Sunday evening, in Crawford County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 37-year old Nathaniel Short, of Denison, was operating a 2019 Suzuki GSX-R600 motorcycle northbound at a high rate of speed on 20th Street, when an unidentified sedan turned northbound from 4th Avenue onto 20th Street.

When the cycle hit the rear of the car, Short was ejected. The sedan left the scene and is still unidentified. The crash happened at around 7:20-p.m. Short was flown by helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. The accident remains under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating an eastern Iowa arrest after video posted on social media showed a handcuffed Black man having a seizure and apparently struggling to breathe after officers used pepper spray on him. Dubuque officials say an internal investigation will review the Friday night arrest of Yoosuf Moment. Police say Moment resisted officers before pepper spray was used. Moment was treated at a local hospital and released after he was ticketed on suspicion of driving without a valid license and interfering with police. City Manager Mike Van Milligen said in a statement that officials are aware of concerns about the incident and a thorough investigation will be conducted.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of coronavirus cases in Iowa is now over 35,000. The Iowa Department of Public Health said the number of cases of COVID-19 grew to 35,002 at 10 a.m. Sunday. That is 503 higher than Saturday’s total. There have now been a total of 750 deaths in the state linked to the coronavirus. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness. Of the 35,002 people who have tested positive for the virus, 26,206 have recovered.

CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration wants to restart federal executions this month, 17 years after the last one. Executions carried out by federal authorities have stopped, restarted and stopped again for long stretches since the first one in 1790, when U.S. marshals hanged a mariner in Maine for fatally shooting the captain of a slave ship. The federal government has never been a prolific executioner, putting to death just a few hundred people since the 1700s. States, meanwhile, have executed more than 15,000 people. The vast majority of executions in recent decades have been by lethal injection. That’s the only method authorized for federal executions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The November election is coming with a big price tag as America faces the coronavirus pandemic. The demand for mail-in ballots is surging, election workers are in need of training and polling booths might have to be outfitted with protective shields. But long-promised federal aid to help election officials is stalled in Congress. State officials say they need more money to create a pandemic-ready voting system. Lawmakers are set to debate the funding in the coming weeks, after approving $400 million in help earlier this year. Key Senate Republicans seem likely to support another round of aid despite opposition from President Donald Trump.