Iowa has a higher-than-average rate of new lung cancer cases, according to a report from the American Lung Association. Alyssa DePhillips of the American Lung Association in Iowa says 65 out of every 100-thousand Iowans are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.

The report really recommends radon testing and mitigation, healthy air protections and reducing the smoking rate through tobacco tax increases, smoke-free air laws and access to comprehensive quit-smoking services,” she says.

Iowa also ranks low nationally for early detection of lung cancer and in the five-year survival rates for Iowans who’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa high school students would have to pass the U.S. citizenship test in order to graduate if a bill that cleared the Iowa Senate this week becomes law. Senator Jerry Behn, a Republican from Boone, says students would be able to take the exam once a year, starting in 7th grade, giving them plenty of time to pass it. “We already have to have a lot of tests in high school,” Behn says, “and tt was felt this particular test would help teach a little bit more civics.”

Senator Tod Bowman, a Democrat from Maquoketa, is a high school teacher who says the questions in the exam are too easy.  “Right now this bill focuses on rote-memory questions,” Bowman says. “There’s not one question in this exam that Alexa couldn’t answer. ‘Hey, Alexa. What are the first three words to the constitution?’ “We, the People.'”

Bowman says exam has nothing to do with showing a student knows how American government works or is inspired to fulfill their civic duty. Democratic Senator Rob Hogg, of Cedar Rapids says test anxiety may prevent some kids from graduating from high school. “The really dark, nasty underside of this bill is invariably there are going to be some kids who fail,” Hogg said, “and you relegate them to a lifetime of economic distress.”

The bill passed the Senate on a 38-to-12 vote this week, but may not pass the House. In January, Representative Walt Rogers, a Republican from Cedar Falls, introduced a similar bill. “I just think it’s common sense that kids should know a little bit of basic civics when they come out of high school. I remember, when I had to graduate from UNI, I had to take just a basic writing class and so this is just something that I think is the right thing to do,” Rogers says. “…Honestly I think Iowa does a pretty good job, but this is just kind of a statement that says they have to pass this test. By doing that they have to focus a little bit on what our history is, what our government is and maybe get a little more excited about becoming a Senator or a Representative someday.”

Rogers made his comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program. However, Rogers announced in mid-February that his bill did not have enough votes to pass the House Education Committee.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former insurance agent and former claims representative have been charged with felonies following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.

Des Moines television station KCCI reports that former insurance agent 37-year-old Nicholas Menough, of Grimes, is charged with fraudulent submissions, forgery and second-degree theft. In the other case, former claim representative 42-year-old Cora Lea Harrington, of Pleasant Hill, has been charged with fraudulent submissions and second-degree theft. The investigations began in April 2017.

Prosecutors say Menough falsified insurance policy applications and altered financial documents related to the sale of insurance policies to receive advanced sales commissions. Harrington is accused of altering financial documents to claim proceeds for herself.

Menough was arrested Feb. 5. Harrington was arrested by the Pleasant Hill Police Department on Feb. 9.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s only licensed medical marijuana manufacturer is looking to open a cannabidiol dispensary in Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports that MedPharm Iowa wants the Sioux City Council to submit a letter of support as it applies for a state license to open the dispensary in Sioux City. The council is set to discuss the request at a meeting Monday.

Earlier this year, the Iowa Department of Public Health requested proposals from companies, intending to award licenses for up to five medical cannabis dispensaries throughout the state. The application deadline is Thursday.

The department plans to award the five licenses by April 1. Dispensaries are locations where patients and primary caregivers with valid medical cannabidiol registration cards can obtain cannabidiol.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Public Information Board has charged Polk County Assessor Randy Ripperger with violating Iowa’s open records law. The Des Moines Register says Ripperger is accused of wrongly denying public access to a list of 2,166 Polk County property owners who have had their names removed from the assessor’s website search engine. That makes it impossible for others to determine what properties those entities own through an online search.

The case is an administrative proceeding, not a court trial. Either the board itself or an administrative law judge will preside over a June 21 hearing. A board prosecutor is seeking an order directing Ripperger to disclose the list of property owners and pay unspecified damages.

Ripperger has cited a state law that allows governmental agencies to keep confidential certain communications. Ripperger says his office grants every request for removal it receives from property owners, who he says are generally public officials.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Glenwood man early Saturday morning. At 2:08am Deputies arrested 29-year-old Justin Michael McFail of Glenwood in the 1200 block of Highway 48. McFail is charged with Driving While License Suspended and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. McFail was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond. Deputies were assisted by the Montgomery County K-9 Unit.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports his deputies, Friday night, arrested on multiple warrants, 29-year old Bianca Elizabeth Countryman, of Sidney. An investigation into her activities began at the end of November 2017 and continued into this year, as the Sheriff’s office was conducting investigations into the delivery of controlled substances in Fremont County.

Countryman’s warrants include, Delivery of Methamphetamine, Delivery of marijuana, Delivery of prescription pills, Conspiracy to deliver controlled substance, and Child Endangerment.

She was arrested at her residence in Sidney without incident and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center, where her cash bond was set at $75,000.

Bianca Countryman (Fremont Co. S/O photo)

Red Oak Police, Friday afternoon, arrested 58-year old Thomas Oscar Anderson, of Red Oak. The man was taken into custody for Violation of a Protection Order. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, from Red Oak, stopped in Atlantic, Friday afternoon. She first toured the Nishna Valley YMCA before paying a visit to the Ann W. Wickman Early Childhood Development Center, where she engaged the students in reading from Dr. Seuss’ “Mr. Brown Can Moo. Can you?”

Sen. Joni Ernst

Afterward, Ernst sat down with reporters, where she was asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, on Thursday boasted of new nuclear weapons that he said render NATO’s U.S.-led missile defenses useless. Ernst said “Russia is not our friend.” She said she had not been brief yet, on the specific capabilities…but, Russia is a concern and Russia will continue to be a concern for a very long time. They are what we consider a “Near peer” adversary, as well as China, Iran and North Korea. We like to keep our eyes on folks like that.”

Ernst was asked about whether or not Putin is just “Blowing smoke” when it comes to his stealth nuclear capabilities. She said “He likes to project power, and if he’s doing that just by “blowing smoke,” he will do that, but we do Russia has some nefarious intentions, especially when it comes to the United States, so we need to keep our eye on him and push back where we can push back.”

As for the RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard), Ernst said “Renewable fuels/biofiels are extremely important. Not just to the State of Iowa, [but] from a producer standpoint, a lot of folks from across the Midwest those that grow corn and use ethanol they are very concerned. They want to uphold the [RFS] but, it’s important to the nation as well. We look at clean air standards..it’s better than burning just purely fossil fuels, and it does decrease our reliance on foreign energy sources. So we think it’s very important to maintain it, keep pushing for it.

Late last month, the Whitehouse said talks will continue on a dispute over the future of the RFS, which has pitted producers from corn producing states against oil producing states. The standard requires biofuels from corn and soybeans to be blended into gasoline and diesel. Midwest states have sought to maintain the standards while oil companies have pushed to ease the mandates.

Ernst also mentioned she was concerned about the trade tariff on aluminum and steel President Trump has proposed, saying “Maybe it wasn’t as thoroughly vetted as it should have been, because now we have the WTO (World Trade Organization), that’s saying they may have “Trade wars” now, between other nations and the United States. She says she’s concerned because it may have implications “In our ag trade space.”

Prior to being Atlantic, Ernst was in Panora where she visited a tele-com company, and learned how broadband infrastructure will be important for rural communities as well as in town.