Iowa conservationists are concerned a rollback of federal rules could put migratory birds at risk. The Trump administration has announced it won’t prosecute the unintentional killing of species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Iowa State University wildlife biologist Adam Janke says habitat loss poses the greatest risk to birds in the state, while loosening regulations could make the situation worse. Janke says, “On top of all those stresses related to habitat loss and habitat degradation, we may add on top of that an unnatural mortality source associated with transmission lines or wind turbines or things like that in some locations.”

The federal government plans to stop prosecuting companies that accidentally kill protected species. The law encourages oil, energy and telecommunications developers to work with conservationists to lower their impact on habitat. Janke says wind energy companies have done a good job of placing their turbines in the state, but now, that could change. “You could end up with a wind energy complex right next to a major migratory stopover location for birds,” he says, “because under this interpretation of the law, there may not be regulatory mechanism to discourage that.”

Conservationists worry developers won’t be pushed to work with them if there’s no punishment for killing the animals. An estimated 500 species of migratory birds spend part of their lives in the upper Midwest.

(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio, via Radio Iowa)

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

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Melanie Petty, with the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund, says the non-profit organization answered the call of the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, and donated $1,000.00 to their annual Partnership with Youth campaign.  Petty says they “Feel strongly that our local YMCA is changing lives by offering membership assistance to over 150 families in our community.  The YMCA offers a safe environment for our youth and also offers many programs to keep our youth active and social.” She adds, “If you want to pledge to assist the YMCA give them a call at 712-243-3934.  No dollar amount is too small.”

Pictured: Laena Sonntag, Bennett Sonntag and Grant Petty (Photo submitted)

The T-Fred Memorial golf tournament is coming up August 11th, and is their only fundraiser.  Petty says “It’s because of the generosity of our family, friends and community that we are able to donate to these wonderful organizations in Trevor’s name.  Please consider golfing this year or come out to Nishna Hills and check out our silent auction that goes on all day.”

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

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Creston Police report two men were arrested on separate charges, Sunday. At around 2:15-a.m., 34-year old Steven Lamer, of Creston, was arrested in the 1500 block of N. Lincoln, for Assault with Intent to Injure, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Lamer was being held in the Union County Jail on a $3,000 bond. And, at around 9:10-a.m. Sunday, 59-year old Andrew Carney, of Creston, was arrested in the 300 block of N. Maple Street, for Simple Domestic Assault. He was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

Creston Police said also, the A&G Restaurant, in Creston, reported May 2nd, that sometime between 11-p.m. May 1st and 6-a.m. May 2nd, someone intentionally shattered a solid glass front door. The damage was estimated at $450. And, on May 4th, a resident of the 600 block of S. Maple Street, in Creston, reported to Police that a package containing an electric knife for use in beehives, was delivered to his residence and stolen from the mailbox. The Post Office confirmed the date and time of delivery. The loss was estimate at $30.

(7-a.m. News)

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Lottery officials say a ticket bought at a convenience store in Davenport is worth nearly $4.4 million. The ticket matched the six numbers in Saturday’s Lotto America drawing: 8-15-18-32-45 and the Star Ball number of 1. The ticket was generated free when the person bought a Powerball ticket at the store as part of an Iowa Lottery promotion for May.

The odds of winning the jackpot in Lotto America are around 1 in 26 million, with the odds of about 1 in 292.2 million of winning the Powerball jackpot and about 1 in 302.6 million of winning the Mega Millions jackpot. Jackpot prizes must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett says stocks remain the best option for investors — not bonds, and especially not bitcoins. Buffett says he doesn’t think the stock market is overpriced compared with other options even though he’s had trouble finding entire businesses to buy at reasonable prices. Buffett appeared on CNBC Monday after spending Saturday answering questions before thousands of shareholders.

Buffett says cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are nonproductive assets similar to gold. So Buffett says anyone buying bitcoin is betting that someone else will pay more for it later. Buffett reiterated his standard advice that buying an index fund, such as the S&P 500 fund, regularly over time is the best option for most people. Roughly 40,000 people attended Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting on Saturday.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — A man convicted in 1970 of fatally shooting a gas station attendant during a robbery in Cedar Rapids has died in prison. The Iowa Corrections Department says Lacy Kelley died of natural causes Saturday at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. He was 66. He’d been housed in the hospice room at the prison because of a chronic illness. Kelley was convicted of first-degree murder for using a shotgun to kill 19-year-old Thomas Noethe.

A teacher in the Howard-Winneshiek School District has been arrested and charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee.

Tiffany Ranweiler-Oblander

The Howard County Sheriff’s Department says 29-year-old Tiffany Ranweiler-Oblander was charged after a complaint was filed Thursday. Authorities say Ranwiler-Oblander allegedly engaged in sexual contact with an 18-year-old numerous times during the current school year. She is in the Howard County Jail on a $5000 bond. Authorities say a no-contact order has been issued prohibiting the teacher from contacting the student.

(Radio Iowa)

The top-ranking Democrat in congress since 2003 says her party must focus on convincing the country Democrats have a “better deal” for Americans.  “Putting forth what our purpose is, how we connect with America’s working families and what we will do, together, to make sure they succeed.” That’s California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the current minority leader in the U.S. House. Pelosi was the keynote speaker at Sunday night’s Des Moines fundraiser for Polk County Democrats. “I have probably been to Iowa more times than any other member of congress who is not running for president,” Pelosi joked at the start.

Pelosi reminisced about her first trip to Iowa, when she was chairwoman of California Democrats and dispatched to speak with Iowa Democratic Party officials about the timing of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation Caucuses. Pelosi’s main theme, focused on recalibrating the party’s message for the 2018 election. She concedes Democrats didn’t communicate well with voters in 2016 — and she recommends that Democrats “relentlessly hammer away the stark contrast” with Republicans in the months ahead. “Republicans are giving the people a raw deal,” Pelosi said. “Democrats believe the Americans deserve a better deal.”

Pelosi told the crowd in Des Moines she’s hoping Democrats win two of the three Iowa congressional seats that are currently held by Republicans and Pelosi asked Iowa Democrats to seek votes in “every corner” of the state. “People always ask: ‘Is it a tsunami or is it a wave?’ …Whatever that is, it’s a lot of small droplets of water, This is not going to be big margins,” Pelosi said. “This is going to be small margins, many places, because we’re going into Republican districts.”

Iowa Republicans held a news conference Sunday, calling Pelosi the face “of the failures of Democrats over the last several elections” and noting Pelosi’s often listed as the least popular member of congress. The chairman of Polk County Democrats says Pelosi is one voice among many in the “national conversation” about the Democratic Party’s path forward. Pelosi’s appearance helped raise about 40-thousand dollars for turn-out-the-vote efforts in Iowa’s largest county.

(Radio Iowa)