DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Los Angeles’ Eric Garcetti, like other Democratic mayors considering the presidential race in 2020, is hoping to show party activists that his experience running a city can preview success on the national scene. He plans to make his debut in Iowa, an early campaign proving ground, today (Friday), talking to union carpenters, seeing representatives from the Asian, Latino and LBGTQ communities and headlining a county party dinner.

Only a handful of presidents ever served as mayors, and they all had won higher offices before reaching the White House. Americans never have elevated a city leader directly to the presidency from city hall, and no sitting mayor has even won a major party’s presidential nomination. That doesn’t seem to deter New York’s Bill De Blasio and New Orleans’ Mitch Landrieu, also mulling 2020 bids. So, too, are Pete Buttigeig of South Bend, Indiana, and Julian Castro, housing secretary in the Obama administration and a former San Antonio mayor.

Democrats hold only half of the governorships they did 25 years ago — being governor is a more reliable stepping stone to the White House — and are locked out of power in Congress. The party’s emerging 2020 class is heavy with mayors, who claim a closer connection to their constituents and greater accountability to them than U.S. senators and representatives have. Only 16 Democrats are governors today, and few are signaling a 2020 campaign is on the horizon. Mayors with national aspirations seem less fazed than their predecessors by the idea that voters are looking for candidates with more national experience. Consider that Donald Trump was a political newcomer before winning in 2016.

Garcetti’s mission in Iowa is to make it clear to activists that his big-city experience can translate onto the national stage. He is the executive of a jurisdiction of roughly 4 million people, about a million more than the state of Iowa, heads a police department of 30,000 and oversees the nation’s busiest seaport. De Blasio, whose city is more than twice the population of Los Angeles, was the guest at a Democratic-leaning activist group’s annual dinner in December. Garcetti and others are also stepping forward on national issues such as immigration, a burning concern for Democrats in Iowa angry with the Republican-controlled Legislature and GOP governor for enacting legislation last week outlawing “sanctuary cities.” That’s a term for jurisdictions that limit local involvement in federal immigration enforcement.

(Updated 10:50-a.m. w/Pott. County charges) — A Council Bluffs man was arrested following a pursuit that began this (Friday) morning near Harlan, and ended near Avoca. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports at around 1:55-a.m.. a Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a vehicle south of Harlan. The vehicle, a 1999 Dodge Ram pickup, driven by 29-year old Andrew Neilsen, failed to stop and a pursuit ensued on the gravel roads near Nishna Bend Park. The vehicle traveled southbound towards Avoca, eventually heading southbound on Highway 59. As the pursuit neared the I-80 interchange at Avoca, a Pottawattamie County deputy joined the pursuit.

Shelby County Sheriff’s SUV damaged in a pursuit this morning (photo from the Shelby Co. S/O’s Facebook page.)

The suspect then attempted to make a turn to get on Interstate 80 eastbound. In doing so, the suspect decelerated suddenly, causing the deputy to strike the vehicle in the rear and disabling the deputy’s vehicle. The suspect continued his attempt to elude law enforcement by reversing down Highway 59 towards Avoca for a short distance, before ending up in the west ditch. He was taken into custody by the Shelby and Pottawattamie County deputies without further incident. Both the deputy and Neilsen were evaluated at the scene by Avoca Fire and Rescue.

Neilsen was then transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail, where he was charged with: Possession/Delivery of Drugs (82.8 grams of Methamphetamine & 11.6 grams of Marijuana); Ongoing Criminal Conduct; Drug Stamp Criminal Penalties; Felony Eluding; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (a meth pipe, scales and baggies); and OWI/1st offense. Authorities seized SIM cards valued, a wallet with a fake ID during their investigation. The property was valued at $100.

Authorities learned during their investigation, that Nielsen was wanted on warrants out of Ida, Oakdale, and Pottawattamie County. Additional charges were pending in Shelby County. The accident was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, and Avoca Fire and Rescue.

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

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The Creston Police Department reports the driver of a vehicle involved in a police pursuit early this (Friday) morning, was arrested on numerous charges. 28-year old Cody John Courtney, of Thayer, was arrested on the east side of the Creston City Limits at around 1:45-a.m., and charged with Felony Eluding, Reckless Driving, Interference with Official Acts, and Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to sell. Courtney was being held without bond, in the Union County Jail.

And, just after 7-p.m. Thursday, Creston Police arrested 20-year old Gregory Dale Welcher, of Thayer, at a residence in the 200 block of S. Elm Street, in Creston. Welcher was arrested on an Adams County warrant and held in the Union County Jail on a $500 bond.

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

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Sheriff’s officials in Taylor County report 58-year old Che Blake, of New Market, was arrested Thursday, on a charge of Simple Assault. She was taken into custody in the 300 block of Lafayette Street, in New Market,  and was later released from the Taylor County Jail on $300 bond.

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa woman accused of fatally stabbing a man in the home they shared has taken a plea deal. Boone County District Court records say 59-year-old Mary Myers pleaded guilty Thursday to willful injury and voluntary manslaughter. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 18. Prosecutors dropped a charge of first-degree murder in exchange for Myers’ pleas.

Boone police say Myers went to the Boone police station on Jan. 16 and said she’d stabbed 65-year-old Joe Wirth during a fight. Officers went to the home and found Wirth dead with several stab wounds. Investigators think he was killed two days earlier.

Governor Kim Reynolds has signed the so-called “sanctuary cities” bill into law. She did it Thursday without making any public statement about it. In February, Reynolds sent a fundraising email praising legislators who crafted the bill. Reynolds said the effort sent a message to “far left liberals in Des Moines and Iowa City” who’ve been considering moves to delay or deter deportation for people in the country illegally.
It’s unclear what may happen now. Bill backers said during debate in the House and Senate there are “some” law enforcement agencies that aren’t fully cooperating with federal immigration agents. The bill calls for withholding state funds from any city or county that fails to detain undocumented immigrants when federal authorities ask. Critics say a warrant is required for that kind of a request.

(Radio Iowa)

The State Board of Regents approved the first reading Thursday of proposed tuition increases of nearly four percent for Iowa State University and the University of Iowa and nearly three-percent for U-N-I. Student leaders spoke before the vote, with U-N-I leader Drew Stensland speaking first.  “It is the students’ stance that tuition be held to as low of an increase as possible with the budget constraints that the university faces,” Stensland says. “Quality education is absolutely vital to students who attend U-N-I, but the reality is that the cost of going to U-N-I in comparison to our peer institutions is anything but advantageous.”

He told the Regents they have to make sure the cost of education does not get too high for students. “I don’t envy the decisions that you have to make, and looking forward it is up to you to make sure that you look forward and make sure that the students who come after me have the awesome experience that I am having,” Stensland says.  Iowa State University student body president Cody West says he supports the “differential” approach to tuition which charges different amounts for different programs. “Of all the approaches that we have seen — this one seems to make the most sense to me and the students that I represent,” West says. “This concept is a logical, factual one that will benefit the financial security of the universe. but I would be remiss to say that I fear it has far reaching consequences that are to complex to comprehend at times.”

West is ending his term and says in the state budget cuts cannot continue if I-S-U is to maintain its quality. “I-S-U continues to remain in a delicate balance of accessibility and quality. The only option that remains to ensure a quality education is to place this on the backs of students, West says. “I know that I and many of my peers may not have had the opportunity to attend and continue our education if we had enrolled in I-S-U this fall. For the last time as student body president I want to warn the legislature — they are heading down a dark and unforgiving path.”

University of Iowa student president Jacob Simpson called on the school to continue working to make school affordable. “Financial aid policies and practices must be reviewed and reformed to increase retention and graduation rates and to decrease student debt,” Simpson says.  Simpson says the school cannot continue to take cuts in state support. “The University of Iowa community as a whole should continue to encourage the governor and the Iowa Legislature to fund our institution at an appropriate level because of our invaluable service and our impact on the state, nation and the world,” according to Simpson.

Regent Larry McKibbon of Marshalltown told the students there is one person who can have the final say on the issue. He encouraged the students to set up a meeting with the governor. “I believe the governor would absolutely make time to listen to you and the things that you talked about today,” McKibben says. McKibben says the continued cuts in state funding have hurt the universities and he says they should give back 12 million dollars cut from the budgets. He says he understands that it is difficult for the legislators to make these budget decisions — but he says the students have delivered the message that it is difficult if they do not provide the funding. The Board of Regents will have their second and final reading on the tuition proposal in June.

(Radio Iowa)

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department reports a man wanted on a warrant out of Cass County, was arrested Thursday evening. 27-year old Francis Daniel Kirchner, of Villisca, was arrested on the warrant for Probation Violation at around 5:14-p.m., Thursday. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond. And, just before 6-p.m. Thursday, Montgomery County Deputies arrested 30-year old Joshua Kenneth Wolcott, of Red Oak. He was taken into custody on a Montgomery County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Wolcott was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 cash bond.

Red Oak Police report at around 12:55-a.m. today (Friday), 41-year old Chrystal Rush Stewart, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 400 block of E. Nuckols Street, for Simple Assault. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail & held on a $300 cash bond.