All the Democrats and one of the Republicans running for governor in 2018 will participate in a Tuesday evening forum, to discuss Iowa’s mental health system. Democratic candidate Nate Boulton, a state senator from Des Moines, has been calling for reopening the two state-run Mental Health Institutes former Governor Terry Branstad closed. “When those facilities were shut down, the services were lost. They weren’t replaced with anything. There was nothing new that came in to take care of those residents,” Boulton says. “We all know our state needs to be doing more, not less, for mental health care.”

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is challenging Governor Kim Reynolds in the Republican Primary next June. Corbett says a fragmented system was made worse by the decision to close the Mental Health Institutes in southern Iowa. “All that did was compress the system down,” Corbett says. “The state may have saved some money, but the patients didn’t evaporate, they just got pushed down and, in many cases, on local property taxpayers.”

Corbett says some state-run facility needs to provide up to 50 more beds for patients with acute mental illnesses. Corbett will attend Tuesday’s forum. Governor Reynolds won’t, but she’s sending a short video that will be played for the crowd. Democratic candidate Fred Hubbell, a Des Moines businessman, took a tour of hospitals and jails around the state last month. Hubbell says emergency rooms and jails have become the “last resort” treatment option for mentally ill Iowans. Andy McGuire, a medical doctor who’s also seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination, says police have become “mental health providers.”

“They take patients to jail and to emergency rooms, two of the most expensive and worst places for someone in crisis rather than preventing crisis with more up-front counseling,” McGuire says. “…We need to prioritize and focus resources and we need to destigmatize mental health. We need to love more and ignore less.”

McGuire made her comments at a recent Democratic Party fundraiser. John Norris, another candidate who spoke at the same event, accused Governors Branstad and Reynolds of “turning the heartland into the land of the heartless.” Tuesday’s discussion about the mental health system is sponsored by The Des Moines Register and Des Moines University and starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Council Bluffs report one person was injured during a rollover accident at around 4:15-a.m. today (Monday). Officers responding to the 7-mile marker of Interstate 80 located a 1998 Ford Escort that had been traveling west bound, when the driver lost control and the vehicle went off the roadway before rolling numerous times. The driver was able to crawl out of the vehicle prior to officers arrival. The unidentified man suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Nebraska Medical Center by rescue squad.

The crash is currently being investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Special Operations Traffic Unit (712) 328-4948. Anyone who may have witnessed or have information in reference to the crash is urged to contact the CBPD Traffic Unit.

Farmers and public health officials are growing increasingly concerned with a shortage of food animal veterinarians in Iowa and across the country. The number of farm animal vets is shrinking at a time when worries over potential disease outbreaks are on the rise. Dr. John Thomson ran a veterinary clinic for 20 years just south of Creston. “And it’s a very sparsely populated area, so it’s not always easy to attract veterinarians into those areas,” Thomson says.

The retired Iowa State University professor is fighting for legislation that would lure more young animal doctors into rural or underserved areas. Thomson says one of the biggest barriers involves student debt. “On average, (veterinary) students are graduating with $141,000 in debt and they’re looking for ways to reduce that as painlessly as they can. A lot of times they’ll take what they feel is the most lucrative opportunity for them and that isn’t always in the most remote areas of the state,” Thomson says.

In response to the vet shortage, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program provides selected food animal and public health veterinarians up to $75,000 in loan repayment in exchange for serving at least three years in designated shortage areas. Thomson says the program is working, but doesn’t receive enough funding to fill the demand. This challenge results in part from the fact that each award from the program is subject to a 39 percent withholding tax.

“There’s a Veterinary Enhancement Act that has been put forward to remove the tax on the award so more people can be provided that assistance,” Thomson says. Thomson is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, which is pushing for removal of the tax. Thomson was the dean of the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine from 2004-2011.

(Radio Iowa)

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say one person has died in a Mason City house fire. The blaze started around noon Friday. A neighbor reported that flames had engulfed the rear of the home. The victim’s name hasn’t been released. Officials say the fire started at a multi-plug surge protector.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s officials report a Nebraska man was arrested Sunday night for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 25-year old Tyreek Dupree Thomas, of Omaha, was arrested at around 6:20-p.m.  and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his bond was set at $300.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, late Sunday night, released his weekly arrest and activity report. In it, he mentioned 23-year old Alex Lee Buckner, of Adair, was arrested Nov. 29th in Adair, on warrants out of Adair County for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Buckner was also arrested on a Felony warrant out of Pottawattamie County, for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. He was later released on bond amounting to $6,000.

And, 23-year old Todd Michael Murray, of Creston, was arrested Nov. 28th in Adair County by the Iowa State Patrol. He was charged with Reckless Driving and Driving Under Suspension. Murray was later released on $600 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans have announced a series of actions in recent weeks to respond to allegations of workplace sexual misconduct within the caucus. But questions remain, including on the details of an in-house investigation into allegations, the scope of work to be done by a former state senator and the nature of an ex-staffer’s departure.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police say a man and woman were injured during a shooting in Cedar Rapids. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports public safety spokesman Greg Buelow says the woman suffered a serious gunshot wound and the man suffered a traumatic injury in the shooting Saturday night at an apartment complex. Buelow says officers were responding to several calls of a possible active shooter at the scene. An investigation indicated the two injured people apparently knew each other and no one else was in danger.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A soy processing plant in Hutchinson has closed, costing 77 people their jobs. CHS Inc. announced Friday that the Hutchinson plant was one of three it was closing as it moves out of soybean protein production. The others were in Creston, Iowa, and its Innovation and Technology Center at Eagan, Minnesota.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a 4-year-old Des Moines child has died in an accident involving a dog collar. Police say a 911 call placed around 2:45 p.m. Friday reported an unresponsive child. Arriving officers performed CPR on the child, who was taken to an area hospital and later pronounced dead. Police Sgt. Ryan Doty said Saturday the death appears to have been an accident. He declined to detail how the child died, but confirmed the death involved a dog collar.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A soy processing plant in Hutchinson, Kansas, has closed, costing 77 people their jobs. CHS Inc. announced Friday that the Hutchinson plant was one of three it was closing as it moves out of soybean protein production. The others were in Creston, Iowa, and its Innovation and Technology Center at Eagan, Minnesota. Spokeswoman Annette Degnan says a total of 144 employees at the three locations will be affected.

The Hutchinson News reports eligible employees will be paid through Jan. 30 and will be eligible for severance pay and outplacement assistance. The company reported net income of $127.9 million for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, compared to net income of $424.2 million for fiscal 2016. CHS Inc. is a global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans have announced a series of actions in recent weeks to respond to allegations of workplace sexual misconduct within the caucus.

But questions remain, including on the details of an in-house investigation into allegations, the scope of work to be done by a former state senator and the nature of an ex-staffer’s departure.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix’s office declined to comment on incidents referenced in a report released last month that summarized an internal investigation into alleged misconduct within the caucus centering on inappropriate comments.

Dix had indicated there were no new incidents of alleged misconduct that went beyond a lawsuit involving a former staffer who said she was fired after reporting harassment. The report highlighted an incident during the 2017 legislative session.

A traffic stop this (Sunday) morning in Red Oak resulted in the arrest of a man for OWI/1st offense. 29-year old Austin James Duysen, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 1:15-a.m. near the intersection of Broadways and Corning Streets in Red Oak. His bond was set at $1,000.