(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a resolution supporting Israel’s right to act decisively to eliminate Hamas after the October 7th terror attacks in Israel. The resolution expressed sympathy and support for the families of Israelis who were killed or taken hostage three months ago. The resolution was not debated and passed on a voice vote after half dozen Republicans read the document aloud. Representative John Dunwell of Newton read a section of the resolution about Israel’s war aims. “The House of Representatives expresses its support for the State of Israel’s  right to pursue, without interference or condemnation, the elimination of Hamas and any other affiliated terrorist groups until Hamas and all such groups are permanently neutralized and public safety is assured.”

Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake was the resolution’s lead sponsor. “The House of Representatives calls upon Iowa’s state and local law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant in protecting all Israeli Americans and all supporters of the state of Israel from acts of crime and all other unlawful discrimination.”

Representative Sami Scheetz, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, is the first Arab American of Palestinian descent to be elected to the state legislature and he voted no on the resolution. Scheetz says the October 7th attack by Hamas was brutal and should be condemned, but he says there’s no reason to believe more violence, chaos and destruction will settle a conflict that’s raged for nearly a century.

There were about 60 pro-Palestinian protesters were in the Capitol rotunda earlier today (Thursday), calling for a cease fire in Gaza.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has scaled back her proposal to overhaul Iowa’s Area Education Agencies. Last week, Reynolds released a plan to focus A-E-As solely on special education for children with disabilities. Reynolds says based on feedback from parents, legislators, school superintendents, and teachers — she is dropping the idea of ending the A-E-A’s general education services that focus on things like literacy, math and science for all students.

The A-E-A’s digital resources and lending library for schools were to be closed down in the governor’s original plan, but Reynolds is proposing now that those continue, if schools are asking for those services.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop in Red Oak at around 11:40-a.m. today (Thursday), resulted in the arrest of a man from Creston. Red Oak Police say 24-year-old Brandon Tyler Andrews was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $491.25.

CLIVE, Iowa — A Pottawattamie County man has claimed a $2 million Powerball prize, while a second multimillion-dollar prize is still up for grabs. The Iowa Lottery says Danny Buckelew, of Treynor, matched all five white balls in the Powerball drawing on Oct. 7, 2023. His initial $1 million prize was doubled because he opted for the Power Play^® option at the time of purchase, which multiplies the prize at the Match 5 level to $2 million. Buckelew purchased his winning easy-pick ticket at Casey^®s, 403 Stephans St. in Tiffin, and claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Clive. Casey^®s received a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million-winning ticket at one of its stores.

The winning numbers in the Oct. 7 drawing were 47-54-57-60-65 and Powerball 19. The Power Play number was 3.

Danny Buckelew (IA Lottery photo)

Meanwhile, another $2 million Powerball prize remains unclaimed nearly two months after it was won. The lucky ticket matched all five white balls in the drawing on Nov. 25, 2023, and was purchased at Clinton Liquor, 1641 S. Bluff Blvd. in Clinton. The winning numbers in that drawing were 27-33-63-66-68 and Powerball 9. The Power Play number was 2. The winner or winners of this $2 million prize will have until the close of business on May 23, 2024, to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

Since getting its start in April 1992 in 15 states with jackpots that started at a guaranteed $2 million, Powerball has grown into one of the world^®s biggest and most recognizable lottery games. Today Powerball is played by 48 lotteries with drawings at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

(Grant, Iowa) — A vacant home in Grant was destroyed in a fire, early Wednesday evening. According to Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce, firefighters in Grant were called-out to a residence just north of Grant at 1194 U Avenue, at around 6:15-p.m., after flames were scene coming from a structure on the property.

When firefighters arrived, they found the two-story residence showing flames. It was also determined the home was unoccupied.  Multiple agencies assisted in battling the blaze, including firefighters from Elliott, Villisca and Red Oak. Others assisting at the scene include Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Villisca Ambulance Service, Alliant Power, Southwest Iowa Rural Water. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center coordinated activities at the scene.

Photo courtesy of Grant Fire Chief Greg Vetter

Firefighting operations were terminated at 12:06-a.m. today (Thursday). No injuries were reported. The property–owned by Phillip and Dawn Chalmers–was considered a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report 24-year-old Roseann Brown, of Glenwood, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant for Child Endangerment.  Brown was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

(Griswold,Iowa) – The City of Griswold has posted a notice seeking people interested in joining the City Council. A seat became available with the announcement Xavier Johnson chose to vacate his elected seat. He was one of three people elected this past November to the City Council At-Large. Johnson currently serves as Assistant Librarian at the Griswold Public Library.

The City says “Due to section 362.5(A) of the Iowa Code, an elected city officer is not entitled to receive any other compensation for any other city office or city employment during that officer’s tenure in office, but may be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred.” City Clerk Carmen Sorensen told KJAN News Johnson could have remained on the Council if he would have resigned from his position with the library.

Persons interested in filling the City Council seat in Griswold should contact City Hall at 712-778-2615, or e-mail cityclerk@griswoldia.gov.  The deadline to express your desire to sit on the Council is February 9, 2024, in order to be appointed during the Council’s meeting on February 12th (2024).

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira-EHK School District’s Board of Education met Tuesday evening, in a regular monthly session. According to the meeting minutes provided by Exira-EHK Business Manager & Board Secretary/Treasurer Mallory Meyer, the Board appointed board member Kevin Petersen to the Shelby County Conference Board, and Tamie Fahn to the Audubon County Conference Board as representatives of the School Board.

The Board approved setting the following dates for upcoming Public Hearings:

• March 19, 2024 at 5:30-p.m. (Prior to the regular meeting) for the 2024-25 Calendar Year Public Hearing
• FY 25 Budget – Public Hearing #1: 5:30-p.m. March 26, 2024
• FY25 Budget – Public Hearing #2: 5:30-p.m. April 16, 2024 (prior to the regular meeting)

In other business, the Exira-EHK School Board approved Early Retirement Incentive applications from 3rd Grade Teacher Page Halbur, and Special Education Teacher/Asst. Track Coach, Cassidy Nerland. They also approved the resignations of both individuals. And, they approved the hiring of Kourtney Hollingsworth as Food Service worker.

The Board’s next regular meeting is at 6-p.m. on February 20th, in the Elk Horn Building Conference Room.

(Radio Iowa) – Another winter storm is headed for Iowa but forecasters say it shouldn’t bring anywhere near as much snow as the two monster storms of last week. A Winter Weather Advisory is posted for most of Iowa from this (Thursday) afternoon through Friday morning. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Small says this latest blast won’t drop the heavy, wet snow that caused so much consternation for Iowans in last week’s first winter wallop.

“It’ll be the light fluffy variety, probably amounting to about one-to-three inches before it’s done by late evening,” Small says. “The bad news is though, that will be followed by sharply increasing winds, not to the extent we saw with the previous blizzard, but still sufficient to cause some blowing and drifting snow and low visibilities tonight and into early Friday morning.”
Small says it’s about to get really cold, again, though we just have to get through the weekend.

“We’re going to see lows well below zero, even in the teens below zero, depending on the part of the state you’re in, Friday night and Saturday night,” Small says. “It doesn’t look too long-lasting though. We should rebound next week for a period of above-normal temperatures. As a matter of fact, for starting the next work week, Monday morning, much of the state will probably be at freezing or just above.”Small says temperatures in the 30s next week will likely mean an end to the snow, at least temporarily, though it’s something of a trade-off.

“Just barely enough for a cold, miserable rain, nothing extreme, but it’ll be a soggy mess next week with melting snow and a little bit of rain on top of it,” Small says. “No travel impacts probably, but kind of a mess when we go the other direction after this snow and cold.” Parts of Iowa saw more than 25 inches of snow combined in last week’s two storms.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Public Safety is proposing that someone caught making a so-called “swatting” call that prompts a massive law enforcement response to a FAKE threat be charged with a felony. Josie Wagler of the Department of Pubic Safety says in 2021, there were four reports of swatting calls in Iowa. Last year, there were 39. “Our purpose really is to just try and deter bad actors from tying up emergency resources and trying to k p the public and emergency response agencies safe,” she says. Under the proposal, a person who makes a fake call about a violent attack, an armed intruder or a bomb threat could be charged with a felony, rather than a misdemeanor.

Representative Brian Meyer, a Democrat from Des Moines, says a call intended to prompt SWAT teams to show up somewhere isn’t like a prank call to 9-1-1.  “And I just want to make sure we don’t get people caught up in the bow wave of doing something stupid versus being very malicious and intentional about it, which I think this bill addresses,” Meyer says.

Public Safety Communications – APCO Int’l. (photo)

Earlier this week, the White House was the target of a fake “swatting” call after someone called 9-1-1 to falsely claim the White House was on fire and someone was trapped inside. Several elected officials around the country have been subjected to these kind of incidents in recent weeks. The mayor of Boston has been targeted with several fake calls to 9-1-1 about shootings at her home.