COUNCIL BLUFFS – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections report 31-year old James Dean Archer, who was convicted of Willful Injury- Causing Serious Injury, and other crimes in Page County, failed to report back to the Council Bluffs Residential Correctional Facility as required this (Thursday) morning.

James Dean Archer

Archer is a white male, 6-feet tall. He weighs about 178 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on October 22, 2019.  Persons with information on Archer’s whereabouts should contact local police.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee have advanced a proposed constitutional amendment designed to override an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that nullified abortion restrictions. Senator Jake Chapman of Adel made the case for it in committee. “This is judicial tyranny. Do we want to cede our power, the people’s power, to unelected judges across the street to rewrite our constitution?”

Chapman says the court improperly ruled Iowa women have a fundamental right to an abortion and a 72-hour waiting period was unconstitutional. “What we had was five unelected judges with the power of the gavel rewrite out state constitution,” Chapman says, “a right that didn’t exist prior to 2018.” The proposed amendment says Iowa’s constitution does not recognize, grant or secure a right to abortion.

2022 is the earliest Iowa voters could decide whether to add that language to the state constitution. The 10 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted for the proposal. The five Democrats on the panel voted no. “The Republicans are sick of the courts standing up for Iowans’ rights. They want to make sure they have the final say.” That’s Senator Claire Celsi, a Democrat from Des Moines. Another Democrat from Des Moines, Senator Tony Bisignano, predicts there will be what he called “an onslaught” of anti-abortion legislation if the amendment is added to the constitution.

“It will have very, very striking consequences to women’s right to make decisions for theirselves,” Bisignano said. A similar proposal did not come up for a vote in the Republican-led senate last year. Advocates say having Governor Kim Reynolds publicly call on her fellow Republicans to pass the proposal makes it likely the full senate will vote on it this year.

(Radio Iowa) — The medical director of the Iowa Department of Public Health is reassuring Iowans they shouldn’t fret about coronavirus. State epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati says while there is a single case confirmed in the northwestern U-S, the potentially-fatal virus is not a big concern, but it’s good for Iowans to have it on their radar.

“The overall risk here in the United States and in Iowa remains low right now,” Pedati says. “It’s possible that we might see travel-associated cases like we did in Washington state two days ago, but right now, the overall risk for people here in the United States is low.” More than 600 cases of the virus are confirmed in China and at least 17 people have died. There is no vaccine and many of the symptoms resemble the common cold.

Iowans should continue practicing good hygiene, Pedati says, as simple steps will go a long way toward prevention. Pedati says, “Those good public health tools of washing your hands, covering your cough and staying home when you’re sick, those are important things that will protect you from a variety of illnesses.” The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word “coronam” for crown, as the virus, under the microscope, resembles a crown.

In addition to China and the U-S, coronavirus cases are confirmed in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, but all cases appear to trace back to one area of China. Pedati says, “Anybody who has traveled or is planning travel to Wuhan City, China, will want to work with their clinical and public health providers to make sure they understand the recommendations and that if they get sick, that they understand to seek care.” Several major Chinese cities have banned large gatherings over the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival while expanding travel restrictions on the Wuhan area.

In the U-S, health officials are working to educate the public about the virus. “At the national level, the CDC is also working on screening people who are coming from that particular city here by directing flights into one of five particular airports where they’re evaluated for exposures and symptoms,” she says. Those airports are in: Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The case in Washington state involves a man who recently visited family in the Wuhan region of China. He’s in isolation and is undergoing treatment.

(Radio Iowa) — A bill under consideration in the legislature would let county attorneys apply for professional weapons permits, so they could carry guns in most places where guns are banned. Assistant Polk County Attorney Bret Lucas helped draft the bill. He’s gotten death threats because of his work on criminal cases.

“Sure, some of those are idle threats. It’s venting, things like that, but every now and then you come across an individual that truly causes you concern,” he says. The bill, which has cleared a Senate subcommittee, would require county attorneys to undergo the same training and testing as others who have these permits.

Susan Cameron Daemon is the lobbyist for the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association. “For a professional permit, you do have to train every year and you have to qualify every year,” she says. “And We believe others that get that professional permit should be at the same standard.”

There are several other gun-related proposals under consideration at the statehouse, including a bill that would allow paramedics working with SWAT teams to apply for professional weapon permits. Another would prevent businesses from telling employees with a concealed weapons permit they can’t have a gun in their car or truck in the parking lot at their work site.

WASHINGTON (AP) – With all eyes on Democrats as they prepare to cast their ballots in Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is working to try to persuade Republican voters that they should turn out at their caucus sites, too. The push is complete with a presidential rally next week, GOP-led training sessions and a new video featuring the president’s daughter-in-law.

It makes clear that the campaign is trying to avoid the optics of empty Republican rooms on caucus night juxtaposed with Democratic gatherings brimming with enthusiastic voters and keep the focus on Trump.

STANTON, Iowa (AP) – The impeachment trial that got underway this week is happening at an inopportune time for all four senators in the Democratic primary. But it’s a particularly bad moment for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The three-term senator built her campaign on a strategy of a slow and steady build in Iowa.

Abigail Bessler daughter of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks to supporters during a campaign gathering Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in Stanton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

She spent campaign funds conservatively all year, hoping a late surge would bring a strong showing in Iowa and catapult her to the top tier in New Hampshire and beyond. Now her absence from the campaign trail could blunt the gains from what Klobuchar described Wednesday as “quite a 48 hours.”

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) – Prosecutors say a man charged with vehicular homicide in a fatal November crash near Ankeny was speeding and talking on his cellphone at the time of the crash. Television station KCCI reports that 51-year-old Aaron Lehman, of Polk City, was driving a pickup truck 20 mph over the posted 55 mph speed limit when he rear-ended a car Nov. 25 on a highway north of Ankeny.

A passenger in the car, 55-year-old Tracy Gugger of Ankeny, died at the scene. Lehman has pleaded not guilty homicide by vehicle while driving recklessly. He is free on $10,000 bond and is set to appear in court Jan. 30.

(Audubon) — Hundreds of thousands of Iowans expected to make their voices heard on February 3rd. Election officials in Audubon County say there will be two caucus locations for the Democrat Caucus: Precinct 1 (basically Northern half of the county) is the Audubon Elementary School, 600 Tracy Street. Precinct 2 (basically Southern half, including Kimballton) is the Exira Event Center, 106 N Jefferson Street. The Republican Caucus will be held for Precinct 1, at the Audubon High School. Precinct 2 will meet at the Exira School.

Doors open at 6:00 and close at 7:00. No one is permitted into the building after 7:00. Anyone needing a ride to a caucus site is invited to visit the Audubon County Democrats Facebook page. Click on the Community tab and scroll to the application. Anyone willing to provide rides are also encouraged to visit this site to volunteer to pick up their neighbors who need rides. We encourage high school students to attend caucuses in their precincts.

Anyone turning 18 before November 3rd may participate in the caucus. Those students not eligible to caucus may observe the process.