(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley does not have high hopes for the voting rights bill that passed the U-S House in a party-line vote on Tuesday. Democrats say the legislation, named for the late Georgia Representative John Lewis, is designed to safeguard voting rights, but Grassley, a Republican, disagrees. “It would be a roundabout way of forcing almost every election law change in the country to be subject to federal okay,” Grassley says, “and that would be a very bad thing to happen.”

Supporters say the measure would restore important elements of the Voting Rights Act that were thrown out by the U-S Supreme Court in 2013. Grassley says the Lewis bill would force state legislatures to get “pre-clearance” from the U-S Justice Department for almost any change in election laws. “This thing is usually sold on the proposition that any change in state law somehow does something about voter suppression,” Grassley says, “and most often voter suppression is saying that the states are attacking African American voting.”

Grassley makes a comparison to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1964, before which, only about six-percent of the blacks in Mississippi cast ballots. “In the last election in Mississippi, 73% of black voters voted and of the white voters, only 64% voted,” Grassley says, “so to sell this bill as a way to stop suppression of black voting is just intellectually dishonest.”

The Lewis bill passed the House on a close vote, 219 to 212, and it’s not expected to advance in the Senate.

A profane sign about the president has caused a stir in Albia, particularly for its location about a block from an elementary school. KCCI reports the sign, placed in front of a home on Main Street last week, uses the “F” word before referring to President Joe Biden. Community leaders and parents from Grant Elementary school voiced concerns that students returning to class would inevitably see the sign.

Albia Mayor Richard Clark says the community feels like it’s his responsibility order the sign to be removed, but he says after he consulted the city attorney, a former lieutenant governor and the Iowa League of Cities, each said it is out of his hands.  The Mayor said he was disgusted by the sign put up by Albia resident Tyson Hackett, in response to the events in Afghanistan and his view of Biden’s handling of the situation. Some in the community who support former President Donald Trump are still uncomfortable with the profanity near the school.

Clark said he tried personally to intervene, by speaking with Hackett and explaining to him that kids see the sign as they leave school. Hackett did make a concession this week by flipping around the sign so that it no longer faces the school. But he said doesn’t intend to take down the sign entirely.

(Radio Iowa) – The Ajinomoto plant in Eddyville was evacuated last (Wednesday) night because of a chemical spill. Mahaska County 911 was told around 8:20 last night about an acid leak at the plant. Ajinomoto makes amino acids that are used as supplements to make feed for dairy cattle, swine and poultry. Eddyville residents were advised to shelter in place until the chemical completely bleeds off from the tank. The shelter order was cancelled at 1 o’clock this morning.

There are no reports of injuries at this time. Because of the chemical spill, EBF schools were to start two hours late this morning.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council is expected to act in an upcoming meeting, on going out for bids when it comes to the July 2022 City-sponsored fireworks display. The City’s Personnel and Finance Committee met Wednesday evening and voted to recommend the City move forward and solicit bids over the next few weeks.

As we’ve mentioned, the City received numerous complaints from its citizens following the 4^th of July show in 2021, when the company the City hired – J & M Displays – fireworks program turned out to be less impressive then many had hoped. The show lasted for just 11 minutes.

After the company received the City’s complaint, J&M offered to give the community a free show (Valued at $6,000), and hold next year’s show on July 2nd. The City rejected the offer, and terminated the contract.

(Radio Iowa) – Federal officials report drug overdoses rose 30-percent nationwide last year, the biggest annual increase in history. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 428 Iowans died from drug overdoses last year. That’s compared to 346 the previous year. Alison Lynch, director of the University of Iowa’s Addiction and Recovery Collaborative, says people were cut off from social support during the pandemic. “But then there’s been some other long-standing impacts,” Lynch says, “Things like stigma about using substances or having a substance use problem and then stigma about asking for help with that.”

She says increased fear and anxiety during the pandemic was also a factor in the dramatic increase in overdoses. “Another factor really has been the increasing contamination of the drugs with fentanyl,” she says, “which is so potent and it’s much easier to overdose and die with that.” The C-D-C reports 93-thousand people died of opioid overdoses nationwide last year.

Lynch made her comments on the Iowa Public Radio show, “River to River.”

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

Police in Red Oak report the arrest late Wednesday night, of 45-year-old Edward Strickland, from Red Oak. He was arrested for Driving While Barred, following a traffic stop. Strickland was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. Late Wednesday morning, of 68-year-old Henry Eugene Kasha, from Villisca was taken into custody on a Red Oak P-D warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. His arrest followed a traffic stop in Red Oak. Kasha was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says at around 10-p.m. August 21st, Deputies were dispatched to a single-vehicle accident just east of Stanton on Highway 34. Upon arrival, deputies spoke with a woman later identified as Caitlyn M. Bressler, of Nodaway, the owner of the vehicle. Upon further investigation, Bressler was arrested for OWI/2nd offense. Her bond was set at $2,000.

And, at around 11:20-p.m. on Aug. 6th, Montgomery County Deputies located a vehicle stopped at Evergreen and Highway 34. A man later identified as Billy Lynn Leeper, of Red Oak, was asleep at the wheel. When they made contact with Leeper, deputies detected the odor of intoxicants coming from his vehicle. Leeper was subsequently arrested on a felony charge of OWI/3rd offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.