The Iowa State Patrol, Tuesday, said a central Iowa man died in a single-vehicle accident Monday evening, in Adair County. 59-year old Gregg Schochenmaier, of Norwalk, was driving a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup eastbound on I-80 near mile marker 91, when for reasons unknown, the pickup left the road and entered a ditch before striking a tree and coming to rest.

The crash was called-in at around 6:30-p.m., by a passing motorist who saw the pickup in the ditch. It’s not known when the accident took place. Schochenmaier, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. The State Patrol was assisted by the Guthrie County Medical Examiner and the Johnson Family Funeral Home.

(Radio Iowa) — Lobbyists from business groups used a public hearing in the governor’s office to tout proposals that would improve and expand affordable housing and child care options for working parents. J.D. Davis is a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. “We know that we have to get kind of in the weeds now,” Davis said, “and when we talk to our members throughout the state of Iowa, in some places it’s housing; in some places, it’s child care and we look forward to working on those issues and solving those with others that are experiencing the same issues that we have.”

Iowa Chamber Alliance executive director Dustin Miller says his group supports an increase in the state tax credits for workforce housing. “And I don’t think it gets mentioned enough, but the historic preservation tax credit in urban and rural settings has the ability to impact housing as well,” he said. Others who spoke at Tuesday afternoon’s hour-long public hearing addressed issues like criminal justice reform and expanding the sale of bio-fuels.

Kevin Kuhle of the Iowa Farm Bureau urged the governor to change the way mental health services are financed. “Mental health funding should be included in the state budget and remove this cost from property taxes. Iowa is one of only a handful of states where property taxpayers fund mental health services, creating inequities for property taxpayers,”Kuhle said. “Now is the time to transition to an equitable funding source, with the state assuming the costs of the mental health system.”

After the hearing, Governor Reynolds told reporters while she’d consider increasing state spending on the system, she believes property taxes should continue to support mental health services — and some counties may have to increase their levies. “We’re taking all of those things into consideration when we try to figure out what is a sustainable funding mechanism for…both adult and children mental health services,” Reynolds said.

Representatives of Des Moines University asked the governor to continue state funding for courses to help medical students recognize and treat mentally ill patients.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A jury convicted a woman Tuesday whose attorney had said his client was insane when she stabbed to death her former husband in northeast Iowa. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Hillary Hunziker, was found guilty of first-degree murder and will be sentenced later to life in prison.

A Buchanan County District Court document says a child called 911 early on Nov. 6, 2017, and said, “My mom just stabbed my dad.” That was followed by a call from Jason Hunziker, who said his former wife had stabbed him. The complaint says deputies later found Jason Hunziker dead in his Independence home.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report 47-year old Gerry Dean Ballantyne Jr., of Harlan, was arrested last Friday, following a traffic stop. Ballantyne was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while suspended and no proof of insurance.

The H-PD is reminding citizens, also, that 2020 dog tags are available.  The current licenses expire on December 31st.  Cost is $10 per tag and proof of rabies is required to be shown at the time of licensing.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 43-year old Willard Edward Frazier, Sr., of Red Oak, was arrested Monday afternoon. Frazier was taken into custody at the Mills Count Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Contempt of Court. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

And, an Audubon man was injured during an accident Monday morning, in Mills County. Officials say 21-year old Travis Wolff was driving a 2010 Mazda southbound on Highway 59 at around 5:13-a.m., when for reasons unknown, his vehicle crossed the center line of the road between Marh and Noyes Avenues. The vehicle came to rest in the ditch. Wolff was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital by Malvern Rescue.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Jacob David Jones, of Corning, was arrested Monday on a Page County Warrant for Failure to appear on an original charge of Driving while Barred. Jones was arrested at the Adams County Jail and transported to the Page County Jail, where he was being held on $2,000 cash only bond.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Tuesday of 29-year-old Logan Matthew Hughes of Red Oak on charges of Domestic Abuse Assault 1st Offense and Interference with Official Acts. Hughes was arrested at 12:21pm at 1409 N 5th Street in Red Oak. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on no bond.

Associated Press – Billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was granted an extension that will allow him to avoid filing a mandatory financial disclosure until after Iowa’s presidential contest. Presidential candidates are required to reveal their investments, businesses and streams of income. Only Bloomberg, fellow billionaire Tom Steyer and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick have yet to do so. Bloomberg sits atop a sprawling business empire and is worth north of $50 billion, making him the wealthiest candidate in the contest. His attorneys say his finances are too complicated and they need more time to file the report.

Members of the Exira-EHK School Board met Monday evening in Elk Horn. Superintendent Trevor Miller told KJAN News the Board’s Negotiations Committee elected two representatives for negotiations, as they do every year.

(Tamie Fahn and Kevin Petersen were chosen to represent the Board.)

Miller said also, the Board passed the second and final reading of a policy pertaining to seat belts on school buses, since the District now has at least one bus equipped with lap/shoulder belts.

And, the Board approved Early Retiree Applications for those 55 years of age and have served the District for at least 15-years. That includes: Lisa Dreier – Elementary PE/Tag & Works Leadership; Geralyn Christensen – Title Reading; Connie Burns – Academic Intervention; Tami Jacobsen – School Board Secretary/Superintendent Secretary; Char Bintner – Elementary Special Education Para; and Patty Mortensen – Head Cook.

The Board also approved those same individuals’ resignations, effective the end of the school year. The next step is for the Board to come back in January to determine what staff positions they need to fill for the coming school year, as well as adjustments to the schedule, and post those positions in an effort early enough, to get the best qualified persons.

There’s yet another update to the visit this Sunday in Atlantic, of Former Vice President Joe Biden. We recently announced Biden would hold a Town Hall meeting in Atlantic, this Sunday (Dec. 22nd), at the Venue, on Walnut Street. However, Cass County Democrat Party Chair Sherry Toelle said she had just learned that the location of the Biden Town Hall has changed to the Cass County Community Center. 

The rest of the information remains the same. Doors open at 1:30-p.m. Sunday, with the Town Hall starting at 2-p.m.  Biden will be joined in Atlantic by former Governor Tom Vilsack and former 1st lady Christie Vilsack. Tom Vilsack served as Iowa’s 40th Governor, from 1999 to 2007. He also served as United States Secretary of Agriculture from January 2009 until January 2017.