(Radio Iowa) – There was a two-fer at the Capitol to celebrate Tuesday’s palindrome date. Representative Dustin Hite of New Sharon presented this closing argument on a piece of legislation.

The bill about procedures in criminal courts was not controversial and passed unanimously — but not before Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake put in his two cents worth.

That’s Representative Rick Olson of Des Moines. His two bits were that it was a simple bill and Hite had described it accurately. Yesterday’s date was a palindrome worldwide, for counties that list the month first and for those that put the date first in the numeric sequence.

The last universal palindrome date was more than a decade ago, on the 11th of November — or 11-11-11.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today (Wednesday) in a case that could lead the court to overturn a 2018 ruling on abortion. Last year, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds signed a law that requires a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, but the law never went into effect due to a legal challenge. That challenged cited a 2018 ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court. The court ruled back then that Iowa women had a fundamental right to an abortion under the STATE constitution.

The make-up of the court has changed significantly since 2018, though. A majority of the justices have been appointed by Governor Kim Reynolds and her attorneys will argue today that the state’s highest court should overturn its previous ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court will issue a ruling on abortion restrictions this summer. If the nation’s highest court upholds that Mississippi law, Roe v Wade — the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide — could be overturned. It means the legal fights over abortion would then be waged in state courts.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs report four men and a woman were arrested Tuesday for their alleged role in a home invasion. Authorities say at around 12:23 pm., officers responded to a reported home invasion in the area of 118 South 7th street, in Council Bluffs. Officers were informed that four men broke into an apartment belonging to woman, and assaulted a man who was in the home. They then allegedly stole property from inside the residence.

Jess Willard Pfarr

Gage L. Rose

Kendrick G. Arredondo-Beltran

Frank T. Stewart, Jr.

Officers were told that the four males fled the area in a white 4-door Pontiac sedan driven by a female. The vehicle and its occupants were located in the 2400 block of 9th Avenue and detained without incident. All occupants of the vehicle were transported to Criminal Investigations to speak to detectives and later all were charged and booked into corrections on Robbery 2nd and Burglary 2nd charges.

The suspects were identified as:

• 20-year-old Kendrick G. Arredondo-Beltran, of Bellevue, NE.
• 29-year-old Jess Willard Pfarr, of Council Bluffs
• 20-year-old Gage L. Rose, of Council Bluffs
• 30-year-old Frank T. Stewart, Jr., of Council Bluffs
• and the owner of the white Pontiac, Valerie M. Claar, of Council Bluffs. (Photo not available)

The male victim was treated at the scene and released with minor injuries from the assault. No other citizens were injured during the home invasion. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of the incident is encouraged to contact this Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.