(Radio Iowa) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and key Republicans in the legislature met yesterday (Monday) and settled on a “per pupil” spending level for the 2019/2020 school year. They’ve agreed to boost general state support of public K-through-12 schools by a little more than two percent, slightly less than what Governor Reynolds recommended last month. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says the deal includes more money to offset transportation costs and address inequities in the state funding formula — for a total package of nearly 90 million more dollars to public schools.

“I think the most important thing when it comes to school funding is we promise an amount that we can actually fund,” Whitver says, “and this amount that we’re promising today is an amount that we’re very confident we’ll be able to fund in the future.”

The state’s education community had been lobbying for more. Melissa Peterson is a lobbyist for the Iowa State Education Association which represents 34-thousand Iowa teachers.  “While we appreciate that 2.06 percent is better than the rates that have been assigned that last couple of years,” she says, “we know that school districts in Iowa need at least three percent to keep up with the cost of inflation.”

Last year, the Republicans at the statehouse approved a one percent hike in per pupil state funding for the current school year. The previous year, the increase was one-point-one percent. Legislative leaders expect the G-O-P’s general school spending level for NEXT year to gain final approval in the House and Senate next week.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:350 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa will pay $4.15 million to two executive branch employees who were sexually harassed for years by an agency director who had been a longtime friend of Gov. Kim Reynolds. The money will go to former Iowa Finance Authority business development director Beth Mahaffey and its current communications director Ashley Jared. The state appeal board voted 2-1 to approve the deals. State Auditor Rob Sand dissented, saying Jamison and not taxpayers should be required to pay

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bill that would dramatically change the way Iowa selects judges for the Iowa Supreme Court and the district court level has been introduced in the Iowa House. The bill would end appointments by attorneys to judicial nominating commissions and gives the power solely to the governor and legislative leaders.

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Police in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny say a grand jury has declined to indict an officer who killed a Missouri man after he pointed a gun at the officer. Police announced Monday that the Polk County grand jury met last week and decided not to indict officer Todd Webb. Webb responded to a reported robbery on Sept. 15 and located a suspect nearby. Police say the suspect, Christopher Lee Leonard, of Springfield, Missouri, pointed a handgun at the officer, who then shot and killed Leonard.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say there were seven arrests made over the past four days. Four people were arrested Monday (2/4), including:

• 18-year old Kaitlin Nicole Geronimo, of Council Bluffs, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia & Speeding. ($300 bond)
• 26-year old Andria Lyn Thramer (Homeless), on a warrant for Failure to Appear in court (FTA). ($2,500 bond)
• 36-year old Sherice Nicole Dismang, on a warrant for Probation Violation ($1,000 bond)
• and 19-year old Alize Savannah Torres, of Omaha, on a warrant for FTA. (Bond $5,000).

On Sunday, 33-year old Brandon Scott Bryen, of Malvern, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, Child Endangerment and Open Container ($2,000 bond). Last Saturday, 57-year old Luis Joel Mendez, of Missouri Valley, was arrested for DUS (Driving Under Suspension) ($300 bond). And, on Friday 37-year old Jessica Lynn Ballinger, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation, and DUS (Bond $5,000).

The Glenwood Police Department reports four recent arrests. On Friday, 20-year old Dixson Briggs and 24-year old Cody Anderson, both of Red Oak, were arrested for Possession of Marijuana. For Anderson, it was his second offense. Their cash or surety bonds were set at $1,000 for Briggs and $2,000 for Anderson.

Also arrested Friday, was 35-year old Kristy Wilson, of Glenwood, for Public Intoxication. Her bond was $300. And, on Jan. 31st, 42-year old Travis Handley, of Glenwood, was arrested on two Mills County warrants for Probation Violation, with total bond set at $20,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa has tentatively agreed to pay $4.15 million to two executive branch employees who were sexually harassed for years by an agency director who had been a longtime friend of Gov. Kim Reynolds. Settlement agreements released by the state Monday show the money would go to former Iowa Finance Authority business development director Beth Mahaffey and its current communications director Ashley Jared. The state appeal board will consider approving the deals this (Monday) afternoon.

Both women came forward last year to the governor’s office to detail the sexual harassment and hostile work environment they endured under Iowa Finance Authority executive director Dave Jamison. The deals call for the state to pay $2.35 million in cash and monthly annuities to Mahaffey, 53, who left state employment and moved last year after complaining about Jamison’s behavior. Another $1.8 million would go to Iowa Finance Authority communications director Ashley Jared, 35.

The City of Audubon is asking residents to please check their basements, to make sure you do not have any broken pipes or meters due to the extreme temperatures we’ve experienced over the past few days. If you find any issues, call the Audubon City Hall.

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — Winnebago Industries says it’s shifting to its Forest City, Iowa, campus the production of Class A diesel motorhomes from the company plant in Junction City, Oregon. Winnebago announced Monday that the change will consolidate product development, supply chain and assembly for the company’s diesel motorhome business. Winnebago Vice President Brian Hazelton says the strategic decision to move diesel product manufacturing to the former Country Coach facilities in Junction City years ago did not achieve “our targeted operating efficiency and profitability goals.”

The company expects to begin the transition immediately. Winnebago says the 250 positions in Junction City will be reduced to about 30 and that there will be an increase of about 175 positions at the Forest City campus by the end of fiscal year 2020.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a man from Cass County was arrested on drug charges, Sunday morning. Authorities say 36-year old Jason Mitchell Fulk,, of Atlantic, was driving a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer on Interstate 80 at the 30-mile marker, and had stopped his vehicle at around 12:40-a.m., in the traveled portion of the roadway. Fulk was passed out while his vehicle was running, with its light off. A Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputy who made contact with Fulk conducted an OWI investigation. Officials say Fulk was found to be in possession of 6.4-grams of marijuana and a marijuana smoking pipe. He was arrested at around 1:35-a.m.  for Possession of a controlled substance, and Possession of Paraphernalia, with an OWI/1st offense charge pending drug test results.

A call about a possible stolen vehicle late Saturday night, resulted in the arrest of 34-year old Ian Robert Caldwell, of Dunlap. Authorities say deputies were called to a residence in the 1000 block of Old Lincoln Highway to locate a vehicle reportedly stolen out of Missouri Valley. The stolen 2010 Ford Focus was found outside the residence in the driveway, along with the registered owners’ cell phone, which was also reported stolen. Caldwell, who was the owners’ boyfriend, was taken into custody on the stolen vehicle charge out of Harrison County, and transported to a location where he could be picked-up by Missouri Valley Police.

An accident Saturday night in the 21,000 block of Mudhollow Road in Pott. County, resulted in the arrest of 61-year old Franklin Lugene Stricklett, of Crescent. He was taken into custody on a warrant for Contempt of Court, and cited for Failure to Maintain Control of his vehicle. And, Pott. County authorities say 25-year old Jricka J. Rothermund, of Council Bluffs, turned herself-in to the Sheriff’s Office, Friday afternoon. She was wanted on a warrant and transported to the Pott. County Jail to be booked-in.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a telephone scam is going around the area, from someone who claims to be from the “Clerk’s Office,” and is trying to collect for a bad check.  Chief Dave Erickson says the clerk’s office does not make calls to collect bad debt. One local woman told police she received the call for her daughter, and that they had to try and serve her last night, but were unable to. The caller said the matter needed to be taken care of quickly. Erickson said the caller knew personal information, including the last four-digits of her Social Security Number (SSN).

As the woman spoke with the caller, she was even transferred to a so-called lawyer by the name of “Don Harris.” The daughter then called them back and gave them her card number to handle the matter. It wasn’t until they put the number into a computer, that they learned the call was a scam. Erickson warns, if you have elderly family members, be sure and tell them not to give out any bank, credit card or personal information.

Erickson said there were numerous instances where people across the country have received similar calls, with the “lawyer” threatening arrest about a stolen check passed at an office supply store. The phone numbers potential victims of the scam received, varied from call to call.

(Radio Iowa) — An Iowa State University science professor has launched a citizen science project — looking for people to help her catalog thousands of species in a collection at northwest Iowa’s lakeside lab. Lori Biederman is looking for people to help transcribe thousands of labels that belong to plant and animal specimens that will then be put in a database accessible to people around the world. Biederman says Iowa has lost a lot of biodiversity over the years. Many of the specimens are from the late 1800s or early 1900s and clue us into the past. “This is a way to get a measure of what was here before humans really started cultivating wide scale, or building cities, taking over the lake,” according to Biederman.

She says the database will help people learn more about diverse species whose populations have declined over time. “You may not see an indigo bunting anymore in your daily life but you could see this was an indigo bunting and it was caught in Iowa. It’s an Iowa thing,” according to Biederman.  The citizen science initiative has already attracted nearly 300 volunteers. Biederman found close to seven thousand preserved specimens of birds, mammals and plants at the lab in the Iowa Great Lakes area. She learned many of the records cataloging the specimens had been lost or never existed in the first place.

(Thanks to Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)