More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Nebraska resident accused of stabbing to death a woman in northwest Iowa has had her trial rescheduled to start June 8. Melissa Camargo-Flores, of Dakota City, Nebraska, is accused of killing 24-year-old Kenia Alvarez-Flores in Sioux City on April 8, 2018. Court documents say Camargo-Flores admitted stabbing Alvarez-Flores. Camargo-Flores told investigators she’d been involved in a relationship with the victim’s boyfriend. Authorities say the two women were not related.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of fatally stabbing his wife in Story County has been found not competent for trial. Further evaluation and psychiatric treatment have been requested for 71-year-old Gary Pillman. He’s already pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder. Court records say Pillman’s attorney requested the initial evaluation. Investigators have said Pillman killed his wife after an argument in which she told him she was leaving him. The body of 62-year-old Betty Pillman was found Nov. 13 outside the Pillmans’ home in Zearing.

Officials with the Creston Police Department say a teen was transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center, Wednesday afternoon, following a collision near the Creston High School Parking lot. Police report a 2014 Chevy Impala driven by 40-year old Erin Elizabeth Dodge, of Creston, was traveling east on Townline Road. A 2006 Chrysler Sebring driven by 16-year old Katelynn Nicole Buchanan, of Creston, was pulling out of the C.H.S parking lot, and failed to yield to the oncoming Impala. When she pulled in front of the vehicle, the resulting collision caused a total of $10,000 damage.

Buchanan complained of pain and was transported to the hospital by EMS. She was later cited for Failure to Yield upon entering a through highway.

Red Oak Police report Beth Renee Perdue was arrested Wednesday afternoon in the 1200 block of E. Summit Street. Perdue was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Probation Violation, with her bond set at $4,000. She was later transported by Cass County Deputies from the Montgomery County Jail to the Cass County Jail.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says at around 3:20-p.m., Wednesday, a juvenile male was arrested for Terroristic Threats, following an incident at the Southwest Valley Middle School. The male was transported to, and held at, the Juvenile Detention Center, in Council Bluffs.

(Radio Iowa) — Republicans in the Iowa legislature have taken final action on a plan to increase “per pupil” state spending in Iowa public schools by two-point-three percent next year. It’s an additional 85 million dollars and Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has signaled she’ll sign the bill. Senator Michael Breitbach, a Republican from Strawberry Point, says this batch of state funding goes along with spending approved last month to address some school budget inequities.

“We have a limited number of new dollars that we’re going to be able to spend this year…$235 million. We’re giving $100 million to K-12,” he says. “To me, that’s a pretty good shot in the arm.” All the Democrats in the legislature voted against the spending plan. Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames says the state could easily afford to send schools more. “But we look at the budget the Republicans have given us and we see their priorities,” Quirmbach says.

Senator Jackie Smith, a Democrat from Sioux City, says this level of general state spending on schools won’t help address the shortage of teachers in critical areas.”This will further add to low wages, or at least not increasing as they should,” Smith said, “and I think we’re going in the wrong direction.” Representative Cecil Dolecheck, a Republican from Mount Ayr, says it’s a matter of priorities. “If you live in a large school district, you’re getting a tremendous amount of money in total,” Dolecheck says. “Use that money like the rural school districts do and hire more teachers. Don’t spend it on administrators and other things like that. That’s what the rural districts have had to do to survive.”

One Republican broke ranks and voted against the plan. Representative Jeff Shipley of Fairfield says legislators are failing to address critical topics like a growing number of obese and diabetic students and students with psychiatric disorders.”Absent a larger discussion of these issues, we can spend as much money as we want on education, but we’re not going to see improving results,” Shipley said.

The state will spend about three-point-four BILLION on public pre-K through 12 schools next year. House Republicans and Governor Reynolds had favored a slightly higher increase of two-and-a-half percent in general state aid, but Senate Republicans voted for two-point-one percent. They compromised in the middle, at two-point-three percent.

(Radio Iowa) — The University of Iowa has canceled study abroad programs in four countries because of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Iowa State University has canceled spring break programs to Africa, Asia and Europe. I-S-U international risk analyst Shaun Jamieson says the school has canceled the spring programs because of U-S travel restrictions.

“I know that that can be a really disappointing decision for some of our students that were planning on going on these spring break programs,” he says, “but, you know, it’s a difficult decision for us as well, but we make it with the well being of our students in mind.” I-S-U suspended programs in China in late January. Just last week, the university suspended its programs in Italy and South Korea.

About 140 Iowa State students were studying in those countries. About 160 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA students are affected by the school’s decision to cancel study abroad programs in China, South Korea, Japan and Italy. Russ Ganim is the associate dean of international programs. He says some students have found alternative programs in other countries, others have already returned home or will be arriving soon — but very few will actually be coming back to Iowa City.

“Many of those students live either in Des Moines or are from out of state or Cedar Rapids,” he says, “so while we don’t have exact numbers on how many would be coming back to Iowa City, preliminary indications are that we don’t have that many.” Another 160 University of Iowa students are outside the country — but are NOT in countries where Covid-19 cases are spreading.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three applicants to fill an Iowa Supreme Court vacancy have close political ties to Gov. Kim Reynolds who, thanks to Republican changes to the judicial nominating process last year, now has a heavier influence over the panel that chooses finalists. Among the 15 applicants to be interviewed Friday by the State Judicial Nominating Commission is Sam Langholz, the governor’s senior legal counsel. If he’s a finalist Reynolds could decide whether her own lawyer becomes the next justice. Democratic Sen. Rob Hogg says it’s a test to see if the commission has turned partisan or continues Iowa’s merit-based selection of judges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Felons would be required to repay restitution to victims before they could get their voting right restored under a bill passed by the Iowa Senate. Earlier Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds for the first time indicated support for the measure. Iowa is the only state that automatically takes felon voting rights away. Felons must apply to the governor who requires that they have at least a payment plan for court ordered financial obligations. Senate Republicans insisted on complete restitution repayment before they would consider a constitutional amendment automatically restoring voting rights upon the completion of a felony sentence.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police say an arrest has been made in the stabbing death of a Cedar Rapids man. Police say in a news release that 36-year-old Jacqueline Marie Holmes was arrested Wednesday morning at the home where a 35-year-old man was found with a stab wound to his upper torso. The man was later pronounced dead at a hospital. His name has not yet been released. Police say an investigation showed that Holmes had stabbed the victim, with whom she was in a relationship. Holmes has been charged with first-degree murder in the case. She also had an arrest warrant for revocation of probation on other charges of child endangerment, operating while intoxicated and other counts.

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a prisoner serving a life sentence for murder died Wednesday morning at a southeast Iowa hospital. Everett Lyon was pronounced dead due to natural causes at 3:58 a.m. at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington. He’d been sent there for a suspected heart attack. The Iowa Corrections Department says Lyon was 71. Lyon was convicted of first-degree murder in Marshall County. Prison records say Lyon had been serving his time at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. His incarceration began on April 10, 1979.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Director Doug Reed, Wednesday afternoon, said an open burning ban was placed into effect for Pottawattamie County, effective at 3-p.m.  The ban prohibits all open and controlled burning in
Pottawattamie County, including all incorporated city limits within the county. The ban will remain in place until environmental conditions improve.

The current dry conditions throughout the region have prompted the National Weather Service to issue Red Flag Warnings. The conditions have also spurred an increase in fire responses throughout the county due to controlled fires quickly becoming uncontrollable. Under the current dry conditions, dead and drying vegetation is the perfect fuel to spread fires rapidly.

Reed said “Pottawattamie County has seen the devastating effects of fire in extreme conditions and we want to do everything we can to help mitigate incidents like that from occurring.” Reed said also, during these dry conditions, citizens are reminded to not throw out cigarettes from moving vehicles and to discontinue burning yard waste, piled tree debris, grass/agricultural ground and set-asides or other items during the ban.

Small recreational camp fires are permitted only if they are conducted in a fire place of brick,
metal or heavy one-inch wire mesh. Any camp fire not in an outdoor fire place is prohibited.
Violation of a burn ban can subject a person to citation or arrest for reckless use of fire or
disobeying a burn ban.

For updated information on burn bans and the law you can find further information on the Pott. County social media and web pages.