Iowans who might be considering taking up beekeeping in the new year will have plenty of opportunities to learn what all the buzz is about. A record number of 36 courses will be held across Iowa during 2018 for both the beginner and advanced beekeeper. Dustin Vande Hoef, spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture, says the courses are very informative. “These are often put on by local extension officers or community colleges and led at the local level but working with our state apiarist,” Vande Hoef says. “We’ve collected them so folks can get a sense of where all the classes are and if they’re interested, I encourage them to look into them and consider signing up.”

Most of the classes charge a fee, from 35 to 100-dollars, though some are free and several are starting in January. “Actually, a lot of them, it’s a series of classes and a number include a site visit where they’ll go out to a place where they’re keeping bees and get an understanding,” Vande Hoef says. “There are some full-day classes where it’s just one day but many it’s a series of hour or two classes at night or on weekends and they’ll go through it in a series of classes.”

There are now about 45-hundred beekeepers in Iowa who manage more than 45-thousand colonies of honey bees. “We continue to see interest both at the hobbyist beekeeper level where they have a hive or a handful of hives that they keep and use the honey and give it to their friends as gifts,” Vande Hoef says, “but we also are seeing growth in the commercial size where they’ll have hundreds or maybe thousands of colonies where they’ll hire those out to go pollinate crops.”

Iowa honey bees produce about four-million pounds of honey every year, valued at over eight-million dollars. Meanwhile, the economic value of honey bees as crop pollinators in Iowa is estimated at $92 million annually. Find details about the classes at the website: http://www.abuzzaboutbees.com

(Radio Iowa)

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A Page County man was sentenced earlier this week to 10-years in prison for 3rd degree sexual abuse, but the sentence was suspended and 26-year old Kenton John Alexander, of New Market, was placed on formal probation for three years. In addition, Alexander, who plead guilty to the offense earlier this month, must complete the Sexual Offender Treatment Program, and he’ll reside at the Residential Treatment Center until maximum benefits have been achieved. He was arrested last July, in Clarinda.

Alexander will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The judge also ordered Alexander to be committed into the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections for the rest of his life.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CST

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — One adult and two children have died and two other children were injured in a mobile home fire in Davenport. Firefighters responded Thursday night to the fire at the Five Seasons mobile home park and found heavy smoke and flames. District Fire Chief Joe Smith says it took crews about a half hour to extinguish the fire. Officials wouldn’t identify those killed and injured until relatives could be notified. The injured children were taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A nonpartisan group that reviews Iowa’s finances has estimated a shortfall of about $37 million in the current $7.2 billion state budget. The Legislative Services Agency provided the data in a report this week. The agency adds the next state budget, set to go into effect in July, has an expected shortfall of about $65 million. That’s due to built-in increases like plans to return money to Iowa’s emergency reserves, which helped plug previous budget shortfalls.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — A southeast Iowa jury has found a former boarding school director guilty of abusing students. WGEM-TV reports that on Friday morning jurors found Benjamin Trane guilty of intent to commit sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child endangerment. The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon. Trane was the owner and director of Midwest Academy in Keokuk. The school was closed in January 2016.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa businessman has pleaded guilty to evading federal income taxes. Prosecutors say 49-year-old Michael Collins, of McClelland, entered the plea Thursday in a U.S. District Court in Council Bluffs. His sentencing is scheduled for May 11.

Republican Congressman Steve King says he had a “healthy conversation” with President Trump last (Thursday) night about the Obama-era “DACA” program. The program has granted temporary legal status to young adults brought into the country illegally when they were children. “President Trump said on the day that he announced his campaign for the presidency which was June 16th of 2015 that he would end DACA on his first day,” King says. “We expected that would happen on January 20th…so this concerns me a great deal.”

King says he’s upset that the “inertia” of the program continues. King is urging the president to resist any kind of deal WITH CONGRESS that would give new legal status to DACA recipients if congress approves enhanced border security and provides money to hire dozens more agents, prosecutors and judges to handle immigration cases. “I believe that the president is negotiating against himself,” King said. “He served up DACA and said: “Here it is, congress. You take DACA and solve that problem. Meanwhile, I’m not going to sign a DACA bill…unless I get some of these things or maybe even many of these things.'”

King has long been a critic of what he calls “amnesty” for anyone who came into the country illegally. King is also urging Trump to do something about granting automatic U.S. citizenship to babies born on American soil to foreign mothers. “We can’t be handing out citizenship like candy to the new mothers who are moving into America temporarily to have their babies, take their birth certificate and their baby and go back to China or wherever they come from,” King says. “There is an entire industry created over birthright citizenship.”

King made his comments in a video statement posted online and he ended by speaking directly to Trump. “You’re a president that’s on the path of being able to keep every single campaign promise. You’ve kept many of them. It’s a long list and those of us who have supported are exhilarated at the progress that’s been made, but right now there are only two of them out there that aren’t actually being kept. One of them is to end and repeal ObamaCare and that’s not your fault, at least not in a big way, because congress couldn’t get this done so far,” King said. “But when it comes to DACA, you can do that with a stroke of a pen.”

In a written statement, King used the word “constructive” to describe his phone conversation with Trump. King plans to seek a ninth term in the U.S. House in 2018. One Republican and four Democrats are campaigning for the chance to challenge his bid for reelection.

(Radio Iowa)

Governor Kim Reynolds says she supports the death penalty in “limited circumstances,” but she is not calling on legislators to pass a law in 2018 that would re-establish capital punishment in Iowa. “You’re not going to see me putting forth a bill,” Reynolds says. “But I know there’s some indication that there are some senators looking at that and so what I would say at this point is I would be willing to take a look at it, but not going to weigh in until I see what direction they’re going in.”

A bill that would have allowed a death sentence for those convicted of kidnapping, raping and then murdering the victim was introduced in the Iowa Senate last year, but was never considered by a committee. Republican Senators met privately last week and the issue came up during their discussion according to Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix. “I wouldn’t characterize it as a lengthy discussion,” Dix says. “Clearly there are members that it’s an important issue to. At the moment, we’ll just see what the process brings forward and determine where we go from there.”

Iowa got rid of capital punishment in 1965. Thirty-one states currently have some form of the death penalty, but this summer the company that makes a key drug used in executions done by lethal injection announced it would no longer produce the drug. Governor Reynolds has asked her legal counsel for a report on that, as well as other related issues. “I would like to take a look at what some of the other states are doing, what some of the other issues are and so I’ve actually just asked him three weeks ago (for)….an overview,” Reynolds says.

In 1995, a bill that would have reinstated the death penalty in Iowa narrowly passed the House, but was defeated in the Iowa Senate. Republicans held a majority of seats in both the House and Senate back then — as Republicans will when the legislature convenes next month.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A nonpartisan group that reviews Iowa’s finances has estimated a shortfall of about $37 million in the current $7.2 billion state budget. The Legislative Services Agency provided the data in a report this week. The agency adds that the next state budget, set to go into effect in July, has an expected shortfall of about $65 million. That’s due to built-in increases like plans to return money to Iowa’s emergency reserves, which helped plug previous budget shortfalls.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will release budget recommendations in January that are expected to address any shortfalls. Her budget director previously said cuts to government departments were possible. Lawmakers must approve any proposals. An LSA analyst says their figures could change as additional accounting comes into play, including the new federal tax overhaul.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a woman from Anita was arrested Thursday on a Cass County warrant for Probation Violation. 40-year old Kodi Newman was transported to the Cass County Jail and booked-in. And, this morning (Friday), 51-year old Richard H. Lewis, Sr., of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault, 3rd or subsequent offense. Lewis was booked into the Cass County Jail.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Cass County arrested a Nebraska man Dec. 12th on a Cass County Sheriff’s warrant for two Felony counts of Sex Abuse 2nd Degree. 26-year old Donavvan Ace Smith, of Bellevue, NE, was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $50,000 bond. On December 16th, Cass County deputies arrested 49-year old Rhonda Annette Stanley, of Atlantic, on a charge of Driving While Revoked. Stanley was taken to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office where she was released the following day on $1,000 bond.

On December 19th, 22-year old Matthew Henry Paulsen, of Adair, turned himself in at the Cass County Jail on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Paulsen remains held at the Cass County Jail on $10,000 bond.

And, on December 21st, at 7:31 p.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a one-vehicle accident on 620th (Olive) Street. A 1996 Ford Ranger driven by 29-year old Charlie Bennett Hadfield, of Exira, was southbound on 620th Street when the driver lost control of the vehicle on the icy roadway and the vehicle entered the east ditch and came to rest on the passenger side. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $1,500. Upon further investigation, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Hadfield on charges of OWI 2nd Offense and Driving While Barred (Aggravated). Hadfield was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on $5,000 bond.

The top Republican in the legislature says she’s hoping to find a way to help the thousands of Iowans who can’t afford to buy individual insurance policies for 2018.  “My gosh, we have got people that are paying up to $40,000 was one I heard with an $8000 deductible for each person. How is that sustainable? I’ve heard bankers talking about people coming in to borrow money to pay for health insurance. How do we sustain that kind of thing?” Upmeyer asked. “We have to move this needle.”

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake plans to consult with the state insurance commissioner and the head of a federal agency to see what options may be available. One could be helping to set up “associations” that let people join, so they’re part of a group insurance plan. “We’ve moved away from those. Maybe we need to take another look. Maybe we need to dust somehting like that off,” Upmeyer says. Republicans have long favored arrangements which let small business owners, for example, join a professional or trade association that offers insurance to its members. The group insurance policies purchased by these associations could be even cheaper if state officials remove regulations on what insurance policies must cover.

“Maybe we can figure out a path,” Upmeyer says. “We just have to be creative and if we’re not going to get this accomplished in congress, at least we should work on it and shine a lot of light on it and maybe folks in Washington, D.C. will be more motivated.”

Upmeyer made her comments during an interview with Radio Iowa.