The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a man wanted on a warrant for Violation of Parole, was arrested Friday morning after he turned himself-in to the sheriff’s office. 27-year old Benjamin Wyatt Barnes, of Carter Lake, appeared at the Sheriff’s Office at around 10:30-a.m., Friday. After the warrant was confirmed, Barnes was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail. Jail staff were advised Barnes was sometimes armed and dangerous, and that he was a sexually violent predator, known to abuse drugs. He was booked into the jail without incident.

NEW HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) — A trial has been delayed for a northeast Iowa woman whose dead 4-month-old son was found in an infant swing, his body infested with maggots. The delay in the trial of 20-year-old Cheyanne Harris came at the request of her lawyer, who wanted more time to prepare the defense case. The trial had been scheduled to begin Wednesday. The judge set a new trial starting date of June 11 in New Hampton.

Harris and the baby’s father, Zachary Koehn, have pleaded not guilty to charges of child endangerment and first-degree murder in the death of their son, Sterling Koehn. Koehn’s trial is set to begin March 28. Authorities say deputies and medics called to the couple’s Alta Vista apartment on Aug. 30 found Sterling dead in the swing.

Adair County Sheriffs Jeff Vandewater reports four arrests took place over the past week. Last Thursday night, 36-year old Mathew Douglas Minnick, of Adair, was arrested by Adair Police for Criminal Trespass and Theft in the 5th Degree, with regard to an incident at the Casey’s Store in Adair, whereby he admittedly to not paying for a fountain pop before leaving the store. Minnick was released from custody Friday afternoon on a $300 cash or surety bond. Earlier that evening, 20-year old David Gerard Krawczyk, of Omaha, was arrested by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper. The Trooper had pulled over a 1994 Buick on Interstate 80, about three-miles east of Adair, for having expired plates.

The Trooper said that while speaking with the driver, it became clear that the passenger (Krawczyk) was the owner of the vehicle. Krawczyk told the Trooper the Buick was his father’s car. After the Trooper asked Krawczyk for his father’s name and his name to compare the possible registered owners, Krawczyk identified himself as Andrew Krawczyk (David’s brother). During the traffic stop, the driver stated his passenger’s name was David. While speaking with the Trooper in his patrol vehicle, Krawczyk admitted his real name. He said he lied about his identity because of a warrant for his arrest. David Krawczyk was taken into custody for Providing False Information, and on the warrant. He was later released on a $10,300 cash or surety bond.

And Jan. 24th, 41-year old Joseph Eric Funke, of Fontanelle, was arrested in Bridgewater, for Contempt of Court – Failure to be fingerprinted within 30-days of a June 9th court order. Funke was later released on a $100 cash bond or surety. On Jan. 23rd, 26-year old Cody Leon Zimmerline, of Adair, was arrested by Adair County Deputies on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. He remains in the Adair County Jail. On January 22nd, 32-year old Curtis Eugene Baird, of Fontanelle, was arrested in Fontanelle, for having provided a False name and date of birth to a Deputy,, and Driving Under Suspension. Baird was released the following day on his Own Recognizance.

The president of the Iowa Senate is hinting Republicans are ready to end state payments to cities and counties that were promised to make up for expected lost tax revenue. The state payments began after the legislature voted in 2013 to roll back commercial property tax rates. Senate President Jack Whitver, a Republican from Ankeny, says 150-million in state tax dollars WILL be forwarded to cities and counties in the current year — but next year’s payments are up for debate. “I believe there’s general agreement in the legislature that we don’t want to touch that for the current fiscal year,” Whitver says. “Those cities and counties have already certified their budgets. It would be very difficult for them to go back and change that, but I believe they should be on the table for the next few years.”

The 2013 property tax changes approved by Republican Governor Terry Branstad, the Republican-led Iowa House and Democratically-controlled Iowa Senate not only reduced commercial property tax assessments by 10 percent, property taxes for apartments were reduced as well. City officials say the state payments are not compensating for lost tax revenue — and if the state payments end they’ll be forced to cuts in city services. Whitver and other Republican leaders argue cities have benefited from the legislature’s move to reduce property taxes five years ago. “Many places around the state have seen tremendous growth since then both with assessments and with new buildings and so I believe we should look at phasing that out over time,” Whitver says. “…We obviously don’t want to do something that’s harmful, but ultimately that’s $150 million that we’re paying to the cities and counties that we’d like to phase out. I’d like to phase out.”

In December, Governor Kim Reynolds said she wants to bring city and county officials into the negotiations over if and when the payments from the state end. Whitver made his comments during a weekend appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines park that for decades drew thousands of people for its amusement park rides, music and dancing is set to return. The Des Moines Register reports that Riverview Park advocates have announced $4 million in funding that will pay for an outdoor concert venue and other features.

The Parks Area Foundation is a nonprofit formed by residents of the north-side Oak Park, Highland Park and Union Park neighborhoods and has been the driving force behind the park restoration project. The group has raised $750,000 by flipping burgers and selling hot dogs during summer gatherings. It also secured financial support from the city of Des Moines, Polk County and Prairie Meadows.

The park opened in 1915 and was modeled after Brooklyn’s Coney Island. It closed in 1978.

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson reports two women were arrested over the weekend. On Saturday, 24-year old Kayla Compton, of Atlantic, was arrested after she turned herself-in to the Cass County Jail on charges that include Reckless Use of a Firearm causing injury, and Child Endangerment. The charges stem from an incident at her home, whereby she was allegedly intoxicated and unloading a pistol that discharged and shot her in the leg. Compton was booked into the jail and subsequently released.

And, on Sunday, 54-year old Paula Goettsche, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense. She was booked into the Cass County Jail.

Sheriff’s Officials in Pottawattamie County have released the identity of a man who died over the weekend during a fiery tractor rollover accident. Authorities say 40-year old Brian Louison, of rural Council Bluffs, died at the scene of the accident near 18853 Leisure Avenue, in rural Crescent. Sheriff’s Deputies and Crescent and Underwood Rescue personnel were called to the scene at around 5:18-p.m., Saturday. The 1985 International tractor was headed east  on Leisure Avenue, when the machine went off the traveled portion of the road to right, rolled onto its top into the south ditch and caught fire.

Rescue personnel found Louison trapped under the tractor after the flames were extinguished.

Governor Kim Reynolds visited the State Board of Education at the end of last week to talk about various education topics. Board member Mary Ellen Miller of Mason City talked about the dual enrollment program which saw almost 50-thousand students earn college credit last year while still in high school. Miller told the governor there was one key figure that stood out to her. “Eighty-percent of the students enrolled are Caucasian. Twenty-percent are minorities. That’s way beyond the demographic of the state,” Miller says. She says it’s a very successful program. “What you see is a program that is really serving a minority group well — that’s a staggering number — one out of five,” Miller says.

The program saw a four-point-one percent increase over the previous year. Governor Kim Reynolds says it is a positive for all students. “It reduces the cost of higher education, so that’s a plus, we are always looking for ways to keep that down. Second of all, I think the statistics bear out that the students who dual enroll, they have a much higher rate of completion,” according to Reynolds. Miller says there have even been some cases where a student has completed a two-year college degree while still in high school. Reynolds says those degrees are important. “We always say a four-year degree is not for everybody, there’s apprenticeships, certifications, two-year…but a lot of the kids who go through and get the two-year degree, down the road they are back at it,” according to Reynolds. “So it’s not like they completed (their education) they have that and that’s a motivator down the road if they want to advance their career they are not afraid to go back and finish it. So, it’s really important form that perspective too.”

The Board of Education’s report says Iowa currently leads the nation in dual enrollment. At least 48 states have dual enrollment policies.

(Radio Iowa)

A key lawmaker says a long-simmering argument in the financial sector may be debated as the legislature considers changes in Iowa’s tax code. Senator Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, is chairman of the senate committee that drafts tax policy. “We all need to look at what is fair,” Feenstra says. “What is a bank and what is a credit union and are they different or are they the same? So these are all things that need to be fleshed out before we go into changing something dramatically.”

The state’s banking industry argues credit unions should lose their NON-profit status and should have profits taxed like banks. Iowa Bankers Association C-E-O John Sorenson. “A typical family of four in Iowa pays more taxes than one of the state’s largest financial institutions that happens to be a credit union that earns $60 million in profits. I mean, if you apply a five percent tax to that, that’s $3 million,” Sorenson says. “I think they can probably survive. Most of us do who run a business in this state. We pay our taxes. The banks pay $300 million in taxes when you include state and federal.”

Justin Hupfer is vice president of government affairs for the Iowa Credit Union League. “We pay property tax. We pay sales tax. We pay payroll taxes just like any other business. The difference between us and banks is that we pay what’s called a moneys and credits tax on our legal reserves and banks pay a franchise tax on net income,” Hupfer says. “The banks like to talk about our largest credit unions. If you look at our five largest, they pay over $13 million in taxes, just those five alone.”

Sorenson, the president of the Iowa Bankers Association, accuses Iowa credit unions of veering from their original mission by doing “a good deal of commercial lending” and placing branches in wealthy neighborhoods. “A subsidy is being provided to an industry that looks nothing like they started out back in the 1930s when they were given a tax exemption to serve people of modest means,” Sorenson says. “Well, I don’t know how many people of modest means are out by Jordan Creek Town Center, but that’s where the University of Iowa has put their newest branch.”

The Jordan Creek mall is in West Des Moines, one of the state’s fast growing suburbs where yearly household incomes are about 16-thousand dollars higher than the statewide average. Hupfer from the Iowa Credit Union League counters that three-quarters of the loans approved by the state’s credit unions go to low-and-moderate income Iowans. “Eighty-five percent of Iowa credit union loans are consumer loans, meaning they’re mortgage loans, car loans, small-dollar consumer loans,” Hupfer says. “If you compare that to Iowa bank loan portfolios, only 28 percent of their loan portfolio is consumer. You know, frankly it’s hard to find an Iowa bank that’s interesting in making the $8000 car loan.”

There was a debate in CONGRESS about federal taxation of banks and credits, but the FEDERAL tax bill did not alter the tax status for credit unions. There was a brief debate in the Iowa legislature 15 years ago about increasing state taxes on credit unions after the University of Iowa Credit Union made a bid to buy a bank. However, the bill never made it past the committee level and the credit union didn’t wind up acquiring the bank.

(Radio Iowa)

The American Lung Association is handing Iowa mostly failing grades for its efforts to curb smoking. In three of the five areas graded by the advocacy group, the state receives an F. It earned one failing grade for the amount of funding that goes to tobacco prevention programs. A critical care doctor from Des Moines, Michael Witte, says people need support to kick the smoking habit. “We do have to look at it as an addiction,” Witte said. “Gram for gram, tobacco or nicotine is ten times more addictive than heroin.” Iowa drew another F for the level of state tobacco taxes. Pat McKone, the senior regional director for the American Lung Association, would like to see the tax on a pack of cigarettes go up by at least a dollar fifty.

“This is, by far, the most effective strategy to reduce the harm from tobacco, period,” McKone said. “It is the most effective strategy.” Iowa received a third F for the minimum age for the purchase of tobacco products. The only area in which the state receives an A from the Lung Association is in providing smoke-free air in many public places. Just under 17-percent of Iowa adults smoke. More than 5,000 Iowans die each year from tobacco-related illnesses.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks Rob Dillard, Iowa Public Radio)