Police in Council Bluffs deployed protective shields and less lethal, beanbag shotguns in response to a situation at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, Tuesday night. Officials say at around 8:40-p.m., officers responded to a report of an armed subject inside Mercy Hospital. The reports indicated that a man — later identified as 26-year old Cirilo Baco, Jr., of Omaha – had a knife inside a room, and had threatened a nurse. Officers arrived and as entry was made into one area of the Hospital, Baca left out of another exit.

Officers at that exit held him at gunpoint until backup arrived. During the investigation it was learned that Baca, Jr. didn’t display a knife, but told the nurse to leave the room he was visiting. Baca, Jr. was charged with Public Intoxication and Disorderly conduct in a place of business.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating an incident of willful injury/assault that resulted in a man suffering severe injuries. Authorities say at around 4:20-p.m., Tuesday, Council Bluffs Medics and Police were sent to the 100 block of South 7th Street on a report of an unresponsive male inside an apartment. Officers located the male, identified as 26-year old Keith Wise, of Council Bluffs, who appeared to have severe injury to his eye and head. Medics transported the unresponsive man to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, where hospital staff confirmed Wise suffered severe trauma to his eye and head, which required immediate surgery. He was transported to Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha for the surgery. Wise was said to have been in critical condition prior to undergoing surgery.

Council Bluffs Police Detectives conducted an investigation, which lead detectives to believe the man was assaulted inside the apartment in the 100 block of South 7th Street. At this time detectives are actively investigating all leads in this case. There has been no arrests had been made in this case as of last report. The investigation is ongoing by the Criminal Investigation Division. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of this incident is encouraged to contact this Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712328-7867.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is confirming the recent and abrupt departure of his chief of staff. The secretary of state’s office tells The Associated Press that Mark Snell’s employment ended Jan. 3. The AP had asked about Snell’s departure three weeks earlier but spokesman Kevin Hall didn’t provide information until Tuesday. Hall says Snell was an at-will employee, which means he could be fired for any reason. He said no documents exist that would explain the reason for Snell’s departure, and Snell didn’t submit a resignation letter.

Snell had a $132,000-annual salary and had served as the top administrator since Pate took office in 2015.  Pate, a Republican, is gearing up to run for re-election this year.

Red Oak Police report three people were arrested, Tuesday. At around 8:42-p.m., 26-year old Devon Keith Hale, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on an active Pottawattamie County warrant for Violation of Probation. Hale was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. And, 19-year old Ciara Lianne Hebb, along with 23-year old Shae Daiel Lewis, both of Red Oak, were arrested for Violation of a Protective Order. Hebb was taken into custody at around 4:07-p.m., and Lewis was arrested at around 3:50-p.m.  Both were being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

State officials would be required to draw up standards for high school courses on the Bible if a bill that has cleared a House subcommittee becomes law. The bill’s backers say an elective course on “the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament of the Bible” will help students better understand politics, society and culture. Chuck Hurley is vice president of The Family Leader, a Christian evangelical organization that supports the bill.

“Biblical principles helped lead to the unalienable rights that we ensconced in our Constitution,” Hurley says. “For students not to be aware of that background would be, in my opinion, educational negligence.” Opponents of the bill say some educators might use the course to preach rather than teach and they fault the bill for picking one religious tradition to the exclusion of all others. Daniel Zeno of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa says a third of Iowa schools are already offering courses about religion.

“As long as they are academic courses, we don’t think there’s any problem,” Zeno says. “…There are ways that school districts can do this right now without singling out the Bible.” The bill HAS cleared a three-member House panel and is now eligible for debate in a full House committee. If the bill becomes law, Iowa school districts would not be forced, but could choose to offer a Bible literacy course. At least seven other states let local school boards choose to offer a Bible literacy course as part of the social studies curriculum.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal tax cut could save up to $147 million in utility bills for Iowa residents as the state’s investor-owned utility companies pass along some of their giant tax reductions.

The Des Moines Register reports that utility companies, like MidAmerican and Alliant, will save millions as part of the new tax law signed by President Donald Trump in December. Legislation lowering the corporate federal income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent took effect Jan. 1.

Companies have yet to decide how they’ll return savings to customers. Some are considering lowering rates or providing monthly bill credits.

MidAmerican Energy estimates returning between $90 million and $112 million to customers. Interstate Power & Light says it may return between $18.6 million and $19.6 million. Alliant’s gas customers could see between $500,000 and $3.7 million.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police say a northwestern Iowa teen accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend and another teen to death has told investigators he wanted the girl “to feel the pain he was feeling.”

Television station KTIV reports that 18-year-old Tran Walker, of Sioux City, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the early Sunday stabbing deaths of 17-year-old Paiten Sullivan and 18-year-old Felipe Negron Jr., also both of Sioux City. Walker remains jailed on $1 million bail.

Police say Walker was in a car with the other two when he began to stab Sullivan, his ex-girlfriend, because he was upset that she had broken up with him. Police say when Negron tried to intervene, Walker stabbed him, too. Both of the victims died.

Walker’s preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 8.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports that they responded on Tuesday to an incident of burglary and criminal mischief at the Rialto Theater in Villisca. The investigation determined that sometime in the last few months multiple persons entered into the theater through a side door and damaged the interior. The damage included but was not limited to broken bathroom fixtures, damage to props and equipment, paint damge to the carpet, walls, and seating. The amount of damage is still being assessed but is believed to be several thousand dollars worth.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in finding information about the damage done. Anyone with information may call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107 or Crimestoppers at 1-888-434-2712.

There was a packed hearing today (Tuesday) at the statehouse for a bill that would withhold state funds from cities and counties that fail to cooperate with federal immigration agents and keep a person in jail for expected deportation. A handful of police chiefs, including Marshalltown’s Michael Tupper, spoke in opposition.

I think we’re trying to solve a problem that does not exist in Iowa,” Tupper said. “I’m not aware of any communities in Iowa that do not cooperate with the federal government or their law enforcement partners.” Tupper says the bill will create fear among immigrants and make it harder to prevent and investigate crimes. Storm Lake Police Chief Mark Prosser opposes the bill, too.

“Just the peripheral conversations, the rumors and so on spread a wave of fear in our communities that greatly impact our ability to create, maintain and grow relationships,” Prosser says. “In my community of 30 to 35 different ethnic groups in a community of about 12,000 to 13,000 people…those relationships are imperative that we are partners in crime prevention, that folks are not afraid to report crimes when they’ve been victimized.”

The subcommittee hearing for public comment on the bill lasted more than an hour. Karl Schilling, an officer with the Des Moines chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, suggested inaction on immigration reform at the federal level was the root cause of the dispute.

“What we really need is a rational immigration policy and we should all work for that instead of something that will intimidate people and keep them from coming to the police when they’re victimized,” Schilling says. Alexa Rodriguez told legislators she was a high school student who opposed the bill.

“Relationships between local police and immigrants who are already terrified and terrorized are going to be broken,” she said, “and that people like me whether we know it’s right or wrong.” A year ago, the city council in Iowa City adopted a resolution stating that unless there’s a public safety threat, no city resources will be used to enforce federal immigration laws. Iowa City Police Chief Jody Matherly told legislators that doesn’t mean federal immigration officials are prevented from picking up suspects who’re under arrest in Iowa City.

“We just had it happen last week,” Matherly says. “A person was lodged in the jail because of us and the next day ICE picked them up. That notification system exists and they deal with that. It’s timely. It’s accurate and the system takes place, but we’re not the ones doing that, nor should we be.” Representative Greg Heartsill, a Republican from Columbia, says that resolution in Iowa City and actions in other cities are what’s prompted this bill.

“You’re right, we have poor immigration policy, but at the same time we’re not going to make this situation any better by local municipalities continuing to thumb their nose at the federal government,” Heartsill says. “It’s not o.k. for when cities and counties tell their local law enforcement to look the other way or to stand down or to show contempt for the rule of law.” The bill cleared the Iowa Senate last year and today (Tuesday) is cleared a House subcommittee. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says he finds “no compelling reason” the bill shouldn’t become law.

“No Iowan should be harmed because someone is in this country illegally, could have been deported through cooperation with immigration authorities, but instead was released back into the community as has happened numerous times across our nation,” Holt said. “…I am saddened that certain communities appear to be putting ideology above the rule of law and political correctness ahead of the safety of its citizens, but they are and that is why this legislation is necessary.” City and county officials told legislators holding someone in jail indefinitely without a warrant could invite lawsuits. Holt — the bill’s manager in the House — is considering adjusting the legislation to ensure federal immigration officials provide a warrant when they expect to pick someone up in an Iowa jail for deportation.

(Radio Iowa)

A bid to EXPAND the state’s bottle deposit law has the support of 41 members of the Iowa House. Representative Andy McKean, a Republican from Anamosa, is leading the bid to have the nickle deposit applied to bottled water, fruit juice, tea and sports drinks. “This is not a Republican bill. It’s not a Democrat bill. It’s an Iowa bill and I’m very proud we have a large contingent from both parties working to make the ‘Bottle Bill’ even better,” McKean says.

Under the state’s 40-year-old “Bottle Bill” consumers pay a five-cent deposit on each container of soft drinks, beer and wine they buy — and they can return the empties and get their deposits back. Grocers complain about having filthy empties in their stores. The bill McKean’s touting needs at least 10 more supporters before it could pass the House. The legislation would increase the handling fee for recyclers, to make it more profitable to operate a redemption center for bottles and cans.

“I’ve been to the grocery stores in my district and they’ve shown me first hand what’s involved in trying to take care of all these cans and bottles and I think it would be a great thing if the redemption centers around our state began to be the depository for these items,” McKean says. Representative Chuck Isenhart, a Democrat from Dubuque, is hoping this approach goes farther than a stalled bid last year that would have repealed the ‘Bottle Bill’ rather than expand it.

“While it’s not necessarily the most monumental issue we face as a legislature, it’s a good model of what you can do in putting together a bipartisan bill if you start working together early,” Isenhart says. It’s unclear what will happen to the “Bottle Bill” in the legislature this year — if anything. Several efforts over the past few decades to alter the bill have failed.

(Radio Iowa)