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

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

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Emergency personnel are on the scene of a semi tractor-trailer rollover this morning about a mile west of Adair.  The accident happened near the 75-mile marker on Interstate 80. Dispatch reports indicated the tractor and trailer came to rest in a ravine, with the cab underneath the trailer. The Iowa DOT reports the eastbound ramp is currently blocked due to the crash. Additional details are currently unavailable.

The leaders of Iowa’s two major political parties had a face-to-face discussion of state government finances Thursday. It’s a debate likely to continue for months among the 2018 candidates for governor and the legislature. Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann says Republican Governor Kim Reynolds showed “steady management” by withdrawing 13 million dollars from the state’s economic emergency fund to cover the state budget deficit. “If you have a shortfall, we can’t cut services in the middle of a fiscal year like that. That would be completely irresponsible. We’d be going back to the Culver years if that’s what we did,” Kaufmann said.

Iowa Democratic Party chairman Troy Price says Republicans opposed the use of “one time money for ongoing expenses” when Democrat Chet Culver was governor. “I was in the governor’s office during that time and (Republicans) railed at the fact that we had to….occasionally do the exact same thing that Kim Reynolds is doing,” Price says. Kaufmann says the shortfall was an unavoidable. Price says former Governor Branstad and Reynolds have drained “about half” of the billion dollars in the state’s cash reserve and “rainy day” fund. “This is a manufactured crisis,” Price says. “…This is coming about because the state is giving out way too many tax credits to corporations.”

Kaufmann says the 13 million dollars Reynolds removed from the economic emergency fund will be paid back. “You can prepare a budget, but there’s always going to be factors that come into play,” Kaufmann says. “The commodity prices, sales tax revenues — that had to be reacted to. I think this was the most appropriate way for the governor to do that.”

Kaufmann and Price made their comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs Friday night on Iowa Public Television. The two chairmen discussed a variety of other issues, including health care policy. Kaufmann — the Republican leader — suggested a G-O-P-sponsored bill pending in the U.S. Senate that would repeal ObamaCare would be a “starting point” for negotiations on replacing ObamaCare. “If there is a message from the Donald Trump victory and if there’s a message that’s been sent to us by Iowa voters and, I think by the entire country, that is: ‘You’d better remember what you promised in the campaign,'” Kaufmann said. “Repealing and replacing ObamaCare was one of the prime promises that were made.”

Price — the Democratic leader — says the latest G-O-P proposal would be a “disaster” for consumers. “Democrats agree on one thing and that is that everyone should have health care. Health care is a right, not a privilege,” Price says. “…We may disagree exactly what the process, what vehicle it is that’s going to get us to our goal, but we all agree on the same goal.” And Price notes the Democratic Party platform “supports a single payer” health care system.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will take a more concentrated look at the deer who roam along the state’s western border with Nebraska this fall to screen for Chronic Wasting Disease. The move comes after five deer harvested in southeast Nebraska in 2016 tested positive for the disease. The C-W-D coordinator for the D-N-R, Terry Haindfield, says the effort will be similar to what they’ve done when C-W-D has been detected in other border states. “We’ve been obviously watching the eastern border along Wisconsin and Illinois and also Minnesota and Missouri. But now we are watching our some of our border to the west along the Missouri River due to some positives in southeast Nebraska,” Haindfield.

The effort starts with meetings Monday and Tuesday. He says they are going to talk to the public about the increase surveillance from Woodbury down to Fremont counties. Haindfield says they normally take 15 samples in every county.  But he says they increase the number of samples in those border counties of states where C-W-D has been found and that’s what’s going to happen now on the western side of the state.  “We’re doing anywhere from 100 to 150 samples from hunter-collected deer in those areas — that’s our goal anyway for this fall,” Haindfield explained.

The western counties have the “Big Muddy” between them and the infected deer in Nebraska, but Haindfield says it’s not an impenetrable border. “Those border rivers are not immune to crossing from deer — they can obviously swim those — but they still are physical barriers. So that does give us somewhat of a nice hope that they might not have crossed that yet.”  While it hasn’t been conclusively proven, it’s believed the infected deer in eastern Iowa may’ve come across the river there based on their location. “We’ve had 18 positives total, 17 being in Allamakee and one new one in Clayton County northwest of Elkader this last fall,” Haindfield says.

Haindfield says he’s been impressed with the way the people in northeast Iowa have stepped up to help collect samples and track the deer there. He says the support has been “tremendous” after their meetings there and he says that’s why it is important for people in western Iowa to attend the meetings and find out what is going on. “Hunters and landowners have stepped up greatly in helping us get those samples, and also to help stop the spread of chronic wasting disease,” according to Haindfield.

The first meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p-m Monday (Sept. 25), in the Lewis and Clark State Park Visitor Center, three miles west of Onawa. The second is set for 6:30 p-m Tuesday (Sept. 26) at the public library in Missouri Valley.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa county faces a lawsuit after five of its sheriff’s officers were accused of confiscating and destroying property while executing a search warrant at a wrong address. The Des Moines Register reports that Michael Owings found Van Buren County the officers at his home in June when he arrived with his mother and girlfriend. A lawsuit alleges that Owings told officers they were in the wrong place, and one of them replied, “We own this property.”

A judge granted the officers’ request for a search warrant at a Douds, Iowa home, in connection to a drug investigation, but the lawsuit contends that the correct address was about one-third of a mile from Owings’ mobile home.

Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke, Thursday, released the list of candidates whose names will be on various City ballots throughout the County during the Nov. 7th City Elections.

In Red Oak, Incumbent Mayor William Billings, Jr, has filed nomination papers for re-election, and is un-opposed. Incumbent Ward 2 Red Oak City Councilman Bill Haufle is running unopposed for his seat, and Tony Wernicke is in the running for the open At Large Red Oak City Council seat.

In Elliott, the seats for Mayor and three At Large Council Members are open, but no one filed to run for those offices.

In Stanton, there are three At Large Council seats open, and four candidates for those seats, including Incumbents Eric Paulson, Sheryl Porter, and Daniel Allen, along with challenger Jessica Sundberg.

In Coburg, the Mayor and two At Large Council positions are available. Only Incumbent Mayor Cal Myers has filed paper for re-election. There are no candidates for the Council seats.

In Grant, the Mayor and five At Large Council seats are available for the taking. All five Incumbents have filed papers for re-election, including Lyn Sliger, Jeffrey Brown. Michael Bradley Amos, Steve Williams, and Nancy Taylor. No one has filed to run for Mayor.

And, in Villisca, positions available include Mayor, two At Large Council Members, and one Council member To Fill a Vacancy (TFV). Candidates who have filed their nomination papers include Incumbent Helen Lowe, for the TFV seat, and Incumbent Mayor Marilyn Halda. There are no candidates for the two At Large seats.  Villisca residents will also have Public Measure A to vote on. It asks if “The Villisca Public Library Board of Trustees members be changed to four resident members and one non-resident member, appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Council, to serve a term of three-years, effective July 1st, 2018?”

The Auditor’s Office says the deadline to PRE-REGISTER to vote for the Regular City Election, is 5-p.m. Friday, Oct. 27th. After that date, persons may register to vote at the Auditor’s Office and vote absentee the same. The deadline to request and ABSENTEE BALLOT to be mailed for the Regular City Election, if 5-p.m. Friday, Nov. 3rd.  Those requesting an Absentee Ballot by mail should complete their requests as soon as possible and return them to the Auditor’s Office. The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office is open M-F 8-a.m. to 4:30-p.m.

Polling sites in Montgomery County are as follows:

• Red Oak: Gold Fair Building – (Precinct 1/Ward 1); Red Oak Fire Station (Precinct 2/Ward 2); 1st Christian Church (Precinct 3/Ward 3).
• Elliott Community Bldg. – Precinct 4.
• Grant Fire Station – Precinct 5.
• Stanton Fire Dept. – Precinct 6
• Villisca Community Bldg. – Precinct 7.

If you have any questions, please call the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office at 712-623-5127, or visit them on the web at www.montgomerycountyiowa.com.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Winnebago Tribal Council member has been sentenced to five years’ probation and 150 hours of community service for stealing from the tribe’s casino in Iowa. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Nebraska said Thursday that 50-year-old Charles Aldrich was sentenced Monday in federal court in Omaha. Aldrich also was ordered to pay $36,500 in restitution. He had pleaded guilty in June to theft from the WinneVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman serving a life sentence for a cutting the throats of her young sons, killing one, is asking for a new trial. The Courier reports that 44-year-old Michelle Kehoe was in court Thursday for a hearing on her motion. She testified that she should get a new trial, because her diminished mental state kept her from taking the stand in her 2009 trial.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Peter E. Deegan Jr. has been sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. Deegan was nominated by President Donald Trump in July and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week. He took the oath of office Thursday in Cedar Rapids. Deegan was previously an assistant U.S. attorney and the chief of the northern district’s criminal division.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Officials say an armed Nebraska inmate who escaped in a government vehicle transporting him has been captured in western Iowa. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says deputies found 37-year-old Eric Scott walking near the sheriff’s department in Council Bluffs around noon Thursday and arrested him without incident. Investigators say Scott was being transferred by a Dodge County deputy Wednesday when Scott commandeered the car south of Wahoo, pushing the deputy out of the vehicle.

Police in Council Bluff report Officers responded at around 2:36-p.m. Thursday, to a drive-by shooting at an apartment building in the northwest district of Council Bluffs. Witnesses said they observed a maroon, spray-painted Cavalier, driven by a white male leaving the area. No one was injured during the incident.

Suspect and vehicle via surveillance video still shots

The Council Bluffs Police Department is asking the public for assistance in locating or identifying the owner and occupants of the Cavalier, who are persons of interest in the case.

The investigation is ongoing by the Criminal Investigation Division. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of this incident is encouraged to contact this Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

A single-vehicle accident Thursday morning in Pottawattamie County resulted in a couple from South Dakota being sent to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2017 Buick Envision driven by 81 year old Robert D. Orcutt, of Volga, South Dakota, was south on Interstate 29 at around 11:36-a.m., and near exit 71, when the vehicle exited at a high rate of speed.

The Patrol says Orcutt believed the exit was part of I-29. Due to the excessive speed, the compact SUV couldn’t negotiate the curve and entered the south ditch. It struck a sign and a tree before coming to rest.

Robert Orcutt, and his passenger, 77-year old Joann Orcutt, also of Volga, SD, were taken by Crescent Rescue and LifeNet helicopter respectively, to the Nebraska Medicine Center in Omaha. Authorities say the couple were wearing their seat belts. There was no immediate word on their conditions.