Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll likely use the opportunity of chairing the confirmation hearings for President Trump’s U-S Supreme Court nominee to forward a personal crusade. For years, Grassley has pushed to have videocameras in federal courtrooms and the Republican says he’ll probably quiz Judge Brett Kavanaugh for his opinions on the topic. “They aren’t the most important questions I ask, but I usually bring it up when I get an opportunity to,” Grassley says. “Sometimes, it brings a chuckle about because I’ve been on this kick for so long of a period of time.”

Grassley says he’s tried to make the argument for cameras in the courtroom with several previous nominees who’ve come before his Judiciary Committee. “You kind of get an answer like, ‘Well, what would you expect me to say to you,'” Grassley says, laughing. “I’m not sure whether they give me a candid answer or not.” He maintains allowing cameras in the courtrooms will make the federal judiciary more transparent, accountable and accessible. “It’s something that I’m going to continue to promote,” Grassley says. “I might not be successful at it, but every opportunity, I bring it up and I’ll probably bring it up with Judge Kavanaugh and if I don’t bring it up in our oral discussion, I’ll probably submit a question for answer in writing.”

Last week, Grassley asked the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court to make court proceedings more open by immediately releasing audio from oral arguments. Audio from those arguments is now released at the end of the week.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Downstream residents can breathe a little easier, now that the water level is dropping in the reservoir that protects Des Moines from Des Moines River flooding. Dayne Magneson is assistant operations project manager for Saylorville Lake, and he said Tuesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake crested overnight less than 4 feet below full, reaching around 89.5 percent of capacity. He says the level was the sixth highest in the lake’s 41-year history. He says the figures are allowing officials to let loose “a minor sigh of relief.” Magneson also says the water will drop slowly on its way to the normal level of 11.5 percent of capacity.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education is expected to act Wednesday, on resignations, and Superintendent suggested Contract and/or Letters of Assignment recommendations. Their meeting takes place 5:30-p.m. in the High School Media Center, during which the Board will act on the resignation of Joe Brummer as Head Freshman Football Coach, and his hiring as Assistant J-V Football Coach. Other hiring recommendations or Letter of Assignment recommendations include: Cole Renken, High School P.E. Teacher; Caroline Madsen, 5th Grade Teacher; Dan Vargason, Head Girls Basketball Coach; Brad Rasmussen, High School Assistant Cross Country Coach, and Jeremy Blake, JV Volleyball Coach. Each of those appointments are subject to Board approval.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on the purchase to two COMBI Ovens from Martin Brothers, in the amount of $33,652. The ovens would be paid for from the Nutrition Equipment Fund, and would be used to replace two ovens that are 45-years old, and can only be used currently, to warm food. The Board will also act on their Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) Priorities, which include: Early literacy; Teacher Leadership and Development; Alternative Licensure; Labor/Employment Laws; School Funding Policy; SAVE (Secure an Advanced Vision of Education), and Sharing and Recognition.

Other action items include: School Insurance Renewal ($91,621 for liability insurance premium through EMC Safety Group – a $10,000 increase from last year); and, firming-up the 2018-19 Board Master Calendar, which consists of a list of actions and discussions that will take place throughout the school year. Other items may be added as the year progresses, as needed.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet 8:30-a.m. Wednesday in their Boardroom at the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic. During their session, the Board will act on a request for permission to hold a Bible Reading Marathon on the courthouse block grounds. The event, if approved, would take place Saturday, July 21st, and is similar to the past two-years, except that it will be held one-day only, instead of two. It’s estimated to take two-hours for multiple individuals to read different sections of the Bible at the same time.

In other business, the Supervisors will act on a Secondary Roads Employee wage adjustment. Other, regularly scheduled reports may be received from the County Engineer, Attorney, and Mental Health/General Assistance Director.

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

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The thought that, some of the newness of setting off fireworks might wear off in the second year of their legal use, hasn’t seem to be the case in some of the state’s larger cities. A spokesman with the Des Moines police department says calls about fireworks nearly doubled this year — despite a ban on their use in the capital city. Calls went from 270 to 521 and there were no arrests or citations issued. The Davenport Police Department responded to 480 fireworks calls — which was a nearly 27 percent increase from the same period last year. Davenport police reported 11 arrests or citations from fireworks calls. Cedar Rapids banned the use of fireworks after there were 948 fireworks complaints last year. Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow says the complaints they had this year did drop closer to the number recorded in 2016 before fireworks became legal.  “Our most problematic days were 63 complaints on July 1st, 80 on July second, 117 on July third, 216 on July Fourth,” Beulow says.

He says once all the numbers are tallied it will be around 600 or so complaints. He says there were some cases where there were several calls about one person. “That’s one of the issues that you are going to have — it doesn’t mean that a majority of the people didn’t follow the ban — it just means that those who didn’t obviously were problematic, disrespectful of their neighbors and thwarted the law,” according to Beulow. Police issued eight citations this year for illegal fireworks use in Cedar Rapids, and he says it can be tough because an officer often has to see the act taking place. Buelow says another issue is the law doesn’t allow for the ban on the sale of fireworks in cities that have banned the use of them. “The analogy that we’ve used several times with people is like taking your kid to the ice cream store, putting an ice cream cone in their hand and telling them them not to lick it,” Beulow says. “I mean, very difficult when they are being sold right in your community and it’s not illegal to possess.”

Cedar Rapids does have a nuisance ordinance where they can charge someone for the cost of sending police to their home multiple times for fireworks complaints. Beulow says the department will be looking at some other tools they can use next year. “Hopefully the issue will be involving more of a community awareness campaign. Again, we can’t reiterate enough that it’s problematic to have fireworks in a community. We hear this all the time ‘well teh state gave us this right.’ Well, the state was also wise enough to say local jurisdictions should have some control,” he says.

Beulow says his biggest disappointment is people who don’t have enough respect for their neighbors and will shoot off fireworks that send debris onto other homes and yards. And shooting them off without thinking about how the noise might impact neighbors. “That’s the problems that we’re having — and it’s caused a number of disturbances in our community — some confrontations even that officers have responded to,” Beulow says.  He says they know of at least six fires that started this year as a result of fireworks — including one where a car was destroyed in a garage.

(Radio Iowa)

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A Missouri man already given a life sentence for murder in Iowa has given 12 years for attacking two guards in the Des Moines County Jail in Burlington. Court records show 24-year-old Jorge Sanders-Galvez, of St. Louis, was sentenced Monday. He’d pleaded guilty to willful injury and to assault on a correctional officer. Sanders-Galvez was given a life sentence for his role in killing a gender-fluid Burlington teenager, Kedarie Johnson.

The two officers were attacked Dec. 10 by Sanders-Galvez and two other inmates. Court records say the two other inmates, Earl Booth-Harris and Bobby Morris, also pleaded guilty. Each also was given to 12 years.
Booth-Harris is serving a life sentence in a different slaying.

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

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Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says he has a “favorable” impression of President Trump’s nominee for the opening on the U.S. Supreme Court. “I’ve been following him on the D.C. Circuit Court and he’s been pretty much a person that believes in the Constitution as basic law and something to protect the people from their government,” Grassley said.  Grassley was at the White House last (Monday) night as Trump revealed Brett Kavanaugh was his pick for the opening on the nation’s highest court. Trump said he wants “swift confirmation” in the Senate for Kavanaugh. Grassley, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will lead the confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh. “We’ll just be very expeditious, but we’re going to do it with certainty to do our constitutional job, so we can’t rush it just for the sake of rushing,” Grassley said. “We’re going to give due consideration, as you would expect us to do.”

Kavanaugh has been a federal appeals court judge for the past 12 years and has written more than 300 opinions. Grassley says his committee will hire additional staff to conduct a thorough review of Kavanaugh’s judicial record. During a speech on the senate floor Monday, Grassley criticized Democrats in the Senate who’ve been saying they could not support any of the 25 candidates Trump was considering for the court. “Just thought it was ridiculous. I think I used the word silliness,” Grassley told Radio Iowa last night.

Senator Joni Ernst, who was also at the White House for last (Monday) night’s announcement, issued a written statement. Ernst says Kavanaugh is “highly-qualified, well-respected” and someone who deserves “timely confirmation” to the Supreme Court. Groups in the “Why Courts Matter Iowa” coalition issued a far different assessment, calling Kavanaugh “as far from mainstream as you can get” and “handpicked” to overturn the 1973 court ruling that legalized abortion.

(Radio Iowa)

The superintendent of Algona Schools has resigned after being accused of bullying a female administrator. Marty Fonley had been superintendent of the Algona Community School District since 2007. In a resignation letter submitted on Friday, Fonley stated that “many negative insinuations” had been made over the past year about budget cuts in the district. Fonley said critics had attempted to “soil” his reputation. An Algona principal whose position within the district was eliminated in the budget cuts got a standing ovation at the school board’s June meeting when she publicly stated she had been targeted for elimination by the superintendent.

The Algona School Board met briefly Friday and accepted Fonley’s resignation. They’ve agreed to pay his salary and insurance benefits through June 30th of next year, even if he lands a new job. That package will continue the following year if he remains unemployed for the 2019-2020 school year. The Algona School Board met Monday night, to begin the search for a new superintendent.

(Radio Iowa)