(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Army Corps of Engineers predicts dry conditions will persist in the Missouri River Basin this year. Last year, the runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City was just 59 percent of average volume — the 10th lowest annual runoff in 123 years of record keeping. According to a news release from the Army Corps of Engineers office in Omaha. the ongoing drought shows no relief in sight. The water flow out of upstream reservoirs was reduced this past July.

There will be releases from Gavins Point Dam this winter, at minimum levels, though. The Army Corps says the flow in the Missouri River along Iowa’s western border will meet with needs of cities that use the river as a source of drinking water.

ADAIR COUNTY, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Thursday, released additional information with regard to an Officer-Involved shooting that occurred December 29th, in Adair County. The officer involved in the shooting was identified as Adair County Deputy Josh Armstrong. Deputy Armstrong is a 2 ½ year veteran with the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. A copy of the report of the DCI’s investigation will be forwarded to the Adair County Attorney’s Office for review.

Three additional charges have been filed on the suspect who was shot by the Deputy. Authorities says 57-year-old Charles R Bradshaw, of Jefferson, is now charged with:
1. Attempted murder of a peace officer (707.11 (5) (A)) Class B-Felony,
2. Assault on a police officer (708.3A (2)) Class D-Felony
3. Intimidation with a dangerous weapon (708.6, Class C-Felony).

The incident that resulted in Bradshaw being shot in both arms and taken into custody, begin at around 8:30-p.m., Dec. 29^th, when a Stuart Police Officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The suspect (Later Identified as Bradshaw) failed to stop and a pursuit was initiated. Several agencies assisted in the pursuit, including Stuart Police, Greenfield Police, Guthrie and Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies.

The pursuit ended in rural Adair County just north of 130th Street on Jordan Ave when Bradshaw’s vehicle abruptly turned around in the roadway. A Stuart Police Officer was unable to stop and struck the Bradshaw vehicle, which continued to travel a short distance and ultimately struck a Guthrie County deputy’s vehicle before it came to a stop.  During this series of events an Adair County Deputy heard a gunshot from the suspect vehicle.

Deputy Armstrong exited his patrol car just as Bradshaw’s vehicle became disabled and observed the Bradshaw to be in possession of a handgun.  The Deputy fired his service weapon and struck the Bradshaw, causing non-life threatening injuries.

Bradshaw was taken a hospital to be treated for his injuries and then taken into custody. A black .9mm handgun and a spent shell casing was found during a search of the vehicle, along with a substance believed to be meth. Bradshaw had previously been convicted on a felony drug charges in Missouri.

He remains in the Adair County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – Consumer spending in Iowa is driving state sales tax revenue higher. Over the past six months, there’s been a more than 10 percent increase in sales tax payments to the state. The latest report of overall tax collections shows total state revenue grew just over nine percent last month compared to December of 2020. Jeff Robinson is the senior fiscal analyst with the Legislative Services Agency.

“In summary, Iowa net General Fund revenue continues to grow at a strong pace, with sales tax posting remarkable year-over-year gains,” Robinson says. “Corporate income tax growth has moderated, but remains positive.”

Robinson says it’s likely there was a modest gain in the amount of personal income tax payments made to the state, however an accounting change made in mid-November makes a precise reading difficult. That’s because the Department of Revenue set up a single account on November 15th for depositing ALL tax payments made to the state and Robinson says it’s taking some time for payments to be separated and reported in each tax category.

(Audubon, Iowa) – School Administrators across Iowa and the nation, for that matter, are planning to enact one of two options with regard to Federally Mandated employee COVID-19 vaccinations. The mandate says businesses with 100 or more employees must ensure those employees are vaccinated, or submit to weekly testing. The U-S Supreme Court is expected to received oral arguments tomorrow (Friday), on whether or not to enforce the Mandate. That would include most school districts, including Atlantic, Audubon and Griswold. As previously mentioned, the Griswold School Board has a special meeting this evening to discuss the matter and enact a plan. Atlantic will hold a vaccine policy meeting at Noon on Monday, Jan. 10th in the District Central Office at 1406 S.W. 7th Street (The meeting will be streamed on YouTube, with the link to be made available prior to the meeting).

Atlantic’s Policy says “Employees must submit to the Superintendent (or their designee) acceptable proof of vaccination status no later than January 10, 2022. Beginning Feb. 9, 2022, any employees who are not fully vaccinated must submit proof of negative COVID-19 test results every seven days. Audubon Superintendent Eric Trager says the Audubon School Board will meet in special session 7-a.m. Monday, to discuss the federal policy and their response.

He says this situation is still very fluid, and could very well change, but the deadline for having those policies in-place, is Monday, Jan. 10^th.

If the high court rules against the mandate, the Audubon School District will cancel the meeting and take no action at all. Either way, Trager said the “Timing is not ideal here.”

The Audubon School Board, he said, is not alone in having to act on the policy one way or another.

The Audubon School Board meeting takes place 7:00 a.m. Monday, January 10^th, in the Board Room at the High School.