Senator Chuck Grassley sent an early morning tweet, suggesting he’d been cut from the roster of senators who’ll work on a tax package. Grassley said he had been “dropped” as a member of the conference committee that will come up with a final version of the tax bill. Grassley mentioned President Trump in his tweet. Grassley said he wouldn’t be “in the front line fighting” for what he and Trump believe should be in tax package.

Grassley is the former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the panel that writes tax policy. Grassley remains on the committee and, in his tweet, Grassley notes he is the committee’s “senior Republican.” Last week, Grassley sparked attention with a comment about the estate tax. Grassley said eliminating the estate tax rewards people who save and invest rather than those who spend “every darn penny they have, whether it’s on booze or women or movies.”

Earlier this week, Grassley told Radio Iowa his comments were not about people who live paycheck-to-paycheck but about two fictional people — one who saves and one who “doesn’t save anything.” Protesters have been leaving empty liquor bottles outside Grassley’s Des Moines office. A parody website called “booze women or movies” is now online, featuring Grassley’s original comment mixed with dance music.

(Radio Iowa/O. Kay Henderson)

The face of a young central Iowa man who died almost two years ago will be featured on a Rose Parade float that’ll be seen by millions of people on New Year’s Day. Eighteen-year-old Drew Lienemann, of Waukee will be among some four-dozen organ donors who will be depicted on the Donate Life float during the popular holiday parade, according to Tony Hakes, spokesman for the Iowa Donor Network. “He was a senior at Waukee High School before he passed away,” Hakes says. “He was an organ donor and was able to save, enhance or heal the lives of many. He was a remarkable young man, great athlete, great sense of humor, great family guy. We got involved with his family when he passed away and became a donor.”

Lienemann’s face will be recreated in what’s known as a florograph, an all-natural picture made from things like coffee grounds, sugar, sesame seeds, nutmeg and cloves. That florograph will be sent to the family here in Iowa this month. “The family gets to put the finishing touches on it and they actually complete the florograph,” Hakes says. “We ship it out to California and then the family will go out to Pasadena for the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl game. They will actually decorate the float and be able to put the florograph back on the float which will then be in the Rose Parade on January 1st.”

Lienemann’s parents and two sisters will be making the trip from Waukee to California for the event. Hakes says it’s all an effort to raise awareness about the cause. “The Rose Parade is viewed by millions around the world and it’s a great opportunity to talk about organ and tissue donation and how people should register and why people should register as a donor,” Hakes says. “If someone doesn’t have a ‘Y’ on their driver’s license in the lower right hand corner next to ‘Donor,’ and they want to register before they renew their license, they can go to IowaDonorNetwork.org and sign up there.”

Lienemann took his own life in January of 2016 and his parents went public with what happened, holding a news conference in hopes of preventing further tragedies. They encouraged anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide to reach out for help immediately, saying, seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-TALK (8255), or if you’re interested in organ donation, visit IowaDonorNetwork.org.

(Radio Iowa)

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports two of his Officers were assaulted after they responded to a disturbance late Wednesday night. They were called to 515 S. 10^th Street, Lot 27, at around 11:10-p.m., where an allegedly intoxicated man had bitten a female occupant of the residence, on the leg.

Officers located Tyler J. Shea-Sledge inside the home. Shea-Sledge is alleged to have resisted officers as he was being placed under arrest for assault resulting in bodily injury. Shea-Sledge also spit on officers while being taken into custody. He faces additional charges that include assault on police officers, assault resulting in bodily injury and resisting arrest. Shea-Sledge was being held in the Page County Jail on $2,000 bond. He also being held without bail on an outstanding felony warrant from Nodaway County, Missouri for failure to appear at a required hearing. Clarinda Police were assisted during the incident by Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Department.

Police reports have been submitted to the offices of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A Creston man residing in the 200 block of S. Peterson Street reported an incident of Theft to the Creston Police Department, Tuesday. The man said sometime over the past three months, someone took a cherub statue, a garden hose, and light bulb from the outside of his home. The property was valued at $72.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Board of Regents has agreed to rename the University of Iowa art museum for a Muscatine couple donating $10 million for construction of a new museum. The Des Moines Register reports that the regents were told Wednesday during their telephonic meeting that Richard and Mary Jo Stanley committed the money last month. Richard Stanley, who died in November, earned his master’s in engineering from the university in 1963. His parents also earned degrees at the Iowa City campus.

The new name will begin being used in spring. The name: University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art. The building that had housed the museum and its 15,500 pieces of artwork and artifacts was extensively damaged during the 2008 June floods.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Falls man whose twin baby daughters had fractured bones and signs of malnutrition has been sent to prison. Court records say 29-year-old Jason Olomon was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison. He’d pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment causing injury and misdemeanor child endangerment. He’d been arrested in February 2016.

Police say Waterloo hospital employees became suspicious during a September 2013 visit with Olomon’s then 3-month-old daughters because they seemed to be in pain while being fed. Both were underweight, and X-rays revealed they had fractured bones. The girls’ mother, Lucy Schnieders, was sentenced to prison in 2014 on child endangerment charges.

A traffic stop in the 1200 block of Highway 34 at around 3:40-a.m. today (Thursday), resulted in two men being arrested on drug charges. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year old Benjamin Parra Moreno, and 22-year old Edward Izell Davis, Jr., both of Lenox, were taken into custody. Moreno faces a Possession with the intent to deliver/marijuana charge. His bond was set at $5,000. Davis., Jr, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $1,000.

The Montgomery County K9 Unit assisted in the investigation and eventual arrests. During the course of the traffic stop, over 90-grams of suspected marijuana, and a .45-caliber handgun were seized.

In an update to our report yesterday with regard to an ongoing burglary investigation in Fremont County. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports his Deputies arrested 32-year old Justin Michael Evans, of Randolph.  The man was taken into custody in Hamburg, on a valid Fremont County warrant charging him with Conspiracy in connection with a Nov. 28th burglary incident in Farragut.

On Wednesday, Aistrope said 31-year old Marcus Washington, of Clarinda, 36-year old Alfred Mutchler, and 29-year old Mindy Irvin, both of Shenandoah, were taken into custody. Washington and Mutchler are being charged with Burglary in the 3rd Degree. Irvin was charged with Conspiracy. They were being held in the Fremont County Jail on $5,000 cash bonds, only.

Additional information is being gathered, and additional arrests are possible as the investigation continues. Shenandoah Police, as well as Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery and Page Counties are assisting in the ongoing investigation.