Officials with the Creston Police Department report 32-year old Jeffrey Drake, of Creston, was arrested Monday afternoon, for Violation of a Protection Order. Drake was released from the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Summons to Appear in court. And, a man residing in the 300 block of N. Maple Street, in Creston, reported to Police early this morning, that sometime around 2-a.m. today (Tuesday), the front door at his apartment building was damaged by an unknown person. The damage was estimated at $200.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowans are united in grief and anger over the death of a black man on a Minneapolis street — and she’s promising to seek systemic change, including steps to address racial profiling. “I want all Iowans to know that I hear you,” Reynolds says. “I hear your frustration and I am committed to listening and having a respectful dialogue about what we need to address the injustices that are felt by so many and that might mean having some very uncomfortable and eye-opening discussions.” Iowa-Nebraska N-double-A-C-P president Betty Andrews says this is a perfect time to peacefully protest — but the goal needs to be new policy. “We need to address this legacy that started with America’s greatest sin: racism, slavery and all of its babies that have come since,” Andrews says.

The governor says she’ll be working with Andrews and others to develop a final, anti-racial profiling plan to present to the 2021 legislature. President Trump held a conference call with governors yesterday (Monday) and told them they’re being too weak and need to dominate the protesters, or they’ll look like a bunch of jerks. Governor Reynolds says she was not on the call with Trump and was at the time talking with Iowa mayors, thanking them for facilitating peaceful protests and asking what they need from the state in the days ahead. “I think you all know right now words matter,” Reynolds said. “We have to really be thoughtful about how we move forward and that’s where I’m working. That’s where I’m focusing my energy on.”

Governor Reynolds says peaceful protesters have a right to take a stand against injustice and she will not tolerate the lawless rioters who are trying to hijack that message.

(Radio Iowa) — The majority of votes for today’s (Tuesday’s) Primary Election have already been cast by absentee ballot — and there’s been a huge shift in party affiliation. For the first time in years, independent or “no party” voters are no longer the largest voting block in the state. Independents have dropped to third behind Democrats and Republicans. Secretary of State Paul Pate is the state’s commissioner of elections. “I’m sure a lot of people will be analyzing this one to figure it all out, but it was pretty even,” Pate says. “Republicans increased by about 36,000 and the Democrats increased by about 31,000 of new registered voters.”

In the fourth congressional district, where Congressman Steve King faces a primary challenge, more than 12-thousand residents joined the ranks of Republicans in order to vote in the primary. In the third congressional district, Democrats gained nine-thousand and Republicans 85-hundred.

Pate mailed an absentee ballot request form to every registered voter in the state, to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 at Primary Day polling places. Pate advises voters to check with their county auditor or go online to voterready.iowa.gov to confirm their polling place, as many counties have consolidated sites. Pate says many auditors were able to put polling sites in schools. “Partly because they’re closed. You know, there are no classes and they were accessible,” Pate says. “They have more options and flexibility for social distancing, also parking is available and it’s handicapped acceptable, so it’s kind of the gold standard. It’s got everything you would want in a perfect polling location.”

The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. That’s the curfew time in Polk County, Scott County and Council Bluffs. Pate’s office has advised county officials that traveling home after voting is not a violation of curfews. By Monday morning, 77 percent of the absentee ballots requested had been received by county auditors. That’s nearly 376-thousand ballots — and more are expected to be delivered today (Tuesday) as some voters waited until Monday to mail their ballot in. “Definitely a record breaker,” Pate says.

Iowans who got an absentee ballot but failed to fill it out and mail it on time have two options. They can fill it out and drop it off at their county auditor’s office before 9 p.m. OR they can take the unused ballot to their voting precinct, hand it over to a poll worker, and get a new ballot to vote at the precinct.

(Radio Iowa) — The two top Democrats in the Iowa legislature are calling on Republicans who control the debate agenda to take action on criminal justice reform when the 2020 legislative session resumes Wednesday. Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines says that includes Republican Governor Kim Reynolds’ long-term push to automatically grant voting rights to felons who’ve served their time. “The events that unfolded over the weekend show that Iowans want to advance equality and racial justice in our state,” Petersen says, “and while Senate Democrats plan to come back into session to balance a budget and deal with COVID recovery, I also believe the time is now for us to address racial injustices.”

Petersen says she’d like to see action on a bill aimed at curbing racial profiling by police. A bill that stalled in the legislature in 2018 would have created a state community policing advisory board and collected data from state and local law enforcement stops. House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard of Charles City says as a former prosecutor, says law enforcement is most successful when they collaborate rather than confront the communities they’re policing. “We do a lot of things right, but we have an opportunity to improve and maybe be a nation leader in community policing,” Prichard says.

Reducing sentences for marijuana possession and non-violent drug crimes should also be considered, Prichard says.  “We’ve had a lot of talk, but not enough action,” Prichard says. “The numbers kind of bear out that we haven’t acted enough if you look at some of the disparities in the numbers.” Although less than four percent of Iowa’s population is black, nearly 25-and-a-half percent of the inmates in state prisons are black.