(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs said Wednesday, that Officers have identified the driver of the hit and run that resulted in serious injuries to a pedestrian early Tuesday morning. The driver of the suspect vehicle is 40-year-old Justin Craig Lobato, from Lincoln. Lobato has several warrants out for his arrest. Charges for the collision are pending. If you know his location please contact your local law enforcement agency.

Justin Craig Lobato

Original story, 2/1/22:

Police in Council Bluffs say officers were dispatched at around 2:09-a.m. today (Tuesday), to North 7th Street and West Washington Ave., in reference to a car versus pedestrian accident. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim, who was laying in the middle of the intersection. The victim – whose name was not immediately released – had a severe head injury and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Wednesday) reported 156 additional COVID-19 deaths. The additional deaths happened between Oct. 20 and Jan. 27. On the bright side, the data show positive virus tests and hospitalizations continue to decline.

The IDPH dashboard indicates there were 19,161 positive tests reported in the last seven days, down from 23,461 at last report on Monday. The state’s 14-day positivity rate fell from 22.9% to 21.5%. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 also continues to fall. There are currently 794 patients hospitalized with the virus, down from 849 on Monday.

Of those hospitalized with the virus, 54.1% are unvaccinated, while 70.6% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. State data shows 55% of those hospitalized have a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, while 45% were hospitalized for another reason but tested positive.

The number of Iowa’s long-term care facilities reporting a virus outbreak continues to climb. There are 109 such facilities, up from 107 on Monday.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is making a public pitch for a reduction in Iowa’s corporate income tax rate. “When we talk about the corporate tax rate, we are tied for third highest in the nation — 9.8% is our tax rate,” Reynolds says. “Illinois, California, New York are lower than Iowa.” Reynolds did not mention cutting income taxes for corporations when she unveiled her tax plan during her Condition of the State Address in January. During a news conference today (Wednesday), however, Reynolds described Iowa’s corporate tax rate as a liability compared to the zero rate in South Dakota and Nebraska’s corporate income tax of seven-and-a-half percent.

“I’m trying to get to 5.5 flat,” Reynolds said. “There are 11 states today — today! — that have a corporate tax rate under 5%, so that’s what I’m saying. Every state is very competitive because they know that’s what you need to do to be in the game and to compete. We are an outlier.” House Republicans have released a bill that includes most of the governor’s tax proposals, with the exception of a corporate income tax cut. Senate Republicans have a plan that does cut the corporate tax, but not as deeply as Reynolds proposes.

The Senate G-O-P plan also reduces or eliminates some popular business tax credits and exemptions. Reynolds says her goal is to keep the corporate tax rate simple, but she’s not saying what concessions she might make.  “This is not a discussion I’m going to have with the media,” Reynolds says. “We’re going to sit down and talk to legislators and we’re going to take a look at what it looks like, where we agree, maybe where we need to change.”

Reynolds made her comments during a news conference at a business in Des Moines to tout another element of her tax plan that is included in both plans released last week by House and Senate Republicans.

One person was transported to Cass Health in Atlantic, following a single-vehicle accident that happened this (Wednesday) morning, northwest of Atlantic. Marne 1st Responders, Atlantic Fire & Rescue and Cass EMS were dispatched to the scene off Eastland Road and west of Highway 173 (590th St.). Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Bartholomew explains what happened.

The driver of the 2018 Chevy Silverado was identified as Don Sonntag, of Atlantic. He was conscious and breathing when the Deputy arrived. Bartholomew said it’s not clear what time the accident actually occurred, only that it was discovered by a passing motorist at around 10:28-a.m.

(Radio Iowa) – Retired admiral Mike Franken says he raised more than 300-thousand dollars in January in his bid for the Democratic nomination for the U-S Senate. Franken says he has raised more than 750-thousand in individual donations since launching his campaign last October and says that is a sign Iowans are tired of the divisiveness in government and this country: “I see people wanting answers, they’re wanting action, they’re wanting us to get along better, so even within the family structure, people are getting along better. And that there’s more of a hope for the future in the state of Iowa. There’s also a sense in Iowa that we have lost some of that which has made us unique in the United States,” Franken says.

Franken is from Sioux County and has a home in Sioux City. He says both Democrats and Republicans need to find ways to compromise on issues like President Biden’s build back better bill, which recently failed without support from all Democrats in the Senate. But what I think Joe Biden will do now is back up. He’ll segment and I would hope the Republicans will come to the table and work to do something that is good for all Americans,” he says.

Retired Vice Admiral/Iowa Senate candidate, Mike Franken.

Franken says one of the things he likes in the bill is expanding the electrical grid. “Iowa is in great situation here to be central to having the most reliable, least expensive electricity in a carbon tax environment in the United States. That will be a huge boost to manufacturing in the state, Franken says. Franken served in various policy-making, strategy, and planning roles including Chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of the Navy. He defends Biden, saying no one president has ever been responsible for a major swing in fuel prices and is optimistic inflation will come down and the economy will turn around this year.

“There’s supply chain problems that are significant causes to inflation. There are treaty manufacturing issues associated with the delivery of technical goods — there’s a host of issues,” Franken says. “There’s also a sense that the interest rates have been too low for too long.” Franken retired from military service as a three-star admiral in 2017.

Marne First Responders and Atlantic Fire & Rescue were dispatched to an accident just west of 590th (Highway 173), on Eastland Road. A call about a truck in the ditch came in at around 10:27-a.m.  According to dispatch reports, one person was injured and possibly trapped in the vehicle. Additional information was not immediately available.