Two dozen Iowans testified at a public hearing Monday, offering both praise and criticism for proposed rules to implement Iowa’s new voter certification law. Betty Andrews, president of the Iowa/Nebraska N-Double-A-C-P, says she’s worried the rules will make it harder for groups like hers to register new voters. “I have great concern about that,” Andrews said.

One proposed rule will remove people from voter registration rolls if they’ve been called to jury duty, but notified the court that they couldn’t serve because they are not a citizen. Connie Schmett of Clive, a long-time G-O-P activist, praised the move. “We simply can’t allow our laws and our elections to be tainted,” Schmett said.

Kim Hiscox of West Des Moines, an Election Day poll watcher, says she called county officials to report her suspicions that three non-citizens voted in 2016. “Please do stick with your guns and hold people accountable to prove that they really are citizens of the United States before they are allowed to vote,” Hiscox said.

Others argued becoming a citizen often takes years and a person who declines service on a jury one month may take the oath of citizenship the next. Joe Henry of the League of United Latin American Citizens says the number of registered Latino voters has doubled in the past decade. “Many of our members are lower income. They’re not going to be able to understand these rules,” Henry said. “…Clearly, this seems to be a ploy to restrict the vote within our community.”

Staff from Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office say at least two specific rules to implement the law are in a state of flux and will be redrafted by this Friday. Daniel Zeno is a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.  “We believe the rules should be as clear as possible to make sure that we are protecting the voting rights of all Iowans,” Zeno said.

About 100 people gathered outside the small conference room where the hour-long hearing was held, chanting their opposition to the new election law. The law was passed this spring by the Republican-led legislature and approved in May by former Governor Terry Branstad.

(Radio Iowa)

Five former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture helped kick off this week’s World Food Prize events in Des Moines. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack spent eight years as President Obama’s Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack says it’s important to say to the rest of the country agriculture is the “most significant industry” in the U.S. “You’re talking about 23 million people who are employed by the food and agriculture industry,” Vilsack said. “…You’re not just dealing with a small segment of society here. You’re dealing with something that impacts everyone every single day.”

Dan Glickman, a former Kansas congressman, served as U.S. Ag Secretary in President Bill Clinton’s administration. He says farmers must do better at explaining the benefits of genetically-modified crops to more vocal consumers. “People who do want to know what’s in their food, how it’s produced, where it’s produced, whether it’s safe, who grew it and all those kind of things,” Glickman says. “And that power of the consumers is going to impact a lot more players in agriculture. Farmers and ranchers have to be a big part of it.”

Mike Johanns — a former Nebraska governor and U.S. Senator — served as ag secretary during George W. Bush’s administration. He says some of the answers to the debate about water quality will come with advances in technology and equipment.

“Twenty years from now or even 10 years from now we’ll look back and we’ll look at our agricultural practices today and we’ll ask ourselves: ‘Why did we do that?'” Johanns says. “You see the sprayers out in the field. You see the airplanes and all of a sudden they’re dropping whatever they’re dropping onto the fields. I think we are working our way to a day where science is going to help us solve these problems.”

Johanns and Glickman made their comments during taping of an Iowa Public Television program that will air October 27th.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The law firm that won a landmark gender discrimination case against the University of Iowa athletics department will challenge the school’s handling of sexual assault and harassment complaints next. Des Moines-based Newkirk Zwagerman filed two lawsuits seeking changes to how the school responds when female students report assault and harassment, arguing that a culture of “victim blaming, implicit gender bias and gender stereotypes” hinders how cases are investigated and resolved.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Rain has kept Iowa and Nebraska farmers out of corn and soybean fields in the past few weeks significantly delaying the harvest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says just 32 percent of the Iowa soybean crop has been harvested, the lowest percentage harvested by this date since 1985 and only 13 percent of the corn crop for grain is finished, the smallest percentage harvested by this date since 2009. Nebraska farmers are similarly behind the normal harvest schedule for both crops.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines chicken owners are objecting to a proposal to limit flock size and ban roosters in the city. Sgt. Jim Butler, the police department’s chief humane officer, has proposed a 15-chicken limit per home and the rooster ban, saying the changes are in response to complaints. The Des Moines Register reports chicken owners told City Council members Monday that the 15-chicken limit would be difficult because local hatcheries typically sell chicks in orders of 25. The council didn’t take action.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines Airport had to divert and delay some flights after heavy rain caused a runway problem. Airport Executive Director Kevin Foley says the runway was closed between 4 and 6:05 p.m. Saturday so a team could fix the problem. He says the team had found the runway had bubbled after rain seeped beneath the pavement.

Members of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Monday evening, approved a request for $60, 673 in funds needed to order playground equipment for a playground to be established near the campground at the Schildberg Recreation Area. Parks and Rec Director Seth Staashelm said he received a substantial discount from the manufacturer for the equipment, shipping and handling. The total cost of those segments amounted to $49,304.

Staashelm recommends a company Supervisor/representative oversee the installation of the equipment by community members and others, to make sure all the safety pieces are in place. The supervisor will be on hand for two days, at a cost of $11,369.
The other portion of the project is engineered wood fiber which will act to cushion any falls or tumbles kids might take.

Conceptual image of the proposed Schildberg Rec Area playground equipment.

Pea gravel cannot be used as fall material because it can only absorb a fall from five-feet, and it has to have a depth of 11-inches, whereas wood fiber can absorb a relatively unlimited fall height (for the purposes of playground equipment), and has a depth of 11-inches or more.

The playground equipment, Staashelm says, is customizable. He says the Kiwanis have already donated $2,000 toward the project and will receive a bench in their honor. It’s hoped there will eventually be six donation-type benches in the area. A bathhouse is also on the drawing board.

The playground equipment will be ordered and received by December. It will be stored until next Spring, when volunteers from throughout the community will work on installation the playground. Details on that aspect will emerge later, as we move toward Spring. The Atlantic Parks & Rec Board, Monday, also approved the installation of electrical outlets at the ever popular Cedar Park Shelter. Berg Electric will install two plug-in boxes with four outlets, for just $694.

The Iowa Department of Transportation reports that this Wednesday, Oct. 18th, construction crews will close the westbound Interstate 80/northbound I-29 exit to South Expressway (exit 3) at 6 a.m. for two days to complete final construction activities in the area.

On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Oct. 18th and 19th, the on-ramp at South Expressway to westbound I-80/northbound I-29 will be closed at 9 p.m. and reopened prior to the morning commute. By Friday morning, Oct. 20th, motorists will be driving on the newly constructed westbound I-80 lanes and using the new I-80/I-29 interchange. The Madison Avenue on-ramp that was closed at the beginning of the month will reopen and ramps at South Expressway will also be open.

Drivers should note that northbound I-29 traffic destined for South Expressway (exit 3) will not be able to access the exit until the detour pavement is constructed. They should use the U.S. 275 detour until April 2018.

The new roadway design features a right-hand exit from westbound I-80 to southbound I-29 (exit 4) utilizing the new flyover bridge, changing the existing left-hand exit that drivers currently use. The South Expressway (exit 3) will also be shifted east of the current location.

The Iowa DOT encourages motorists to use caution while becoming accustomed to the traffic shift.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Rain has kept Iowa and Nebraska farmers out of corn and soybean fields in the past few weeks significantly delaying the harvest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says just 32 percent of the Iowa soybean crop has been harvested, the lowest percentage harvested by this date since 1985 and only 13 percent of the corn crop for grain is finished, the smallest percentage harvested by this date since 2009.

In Nebraska corn is 17 percent finished behind 32 percent last year and the 39 percent average. Just a third of the Nebraska soybean crop has been harvested, well behind 59 percent last year at this time and the five-year average of 67 percent.

Iowans are seeing advertisements for a so-called “super flu shot” for senior citizens. Iowa Department of Public Health medical director Patty Quinlisk says these vaccines target the influenza virus in two ways.

“One of them basically adds more protein from the flu virus into the vaccine,” Quinlisk says. “It’s basically got four times the amount of what’s called the antigen. The other one is a regular vaccine but it has something called an angivent in it, which basically says, ‘Look, look over here, there’s a red flag come respond to this.'” The state health department recommends the vaccine, in part, because a recent study found almost 25-percent fewer cases of flu in those who got the so-called super dose.

Doctor Quinlisk says, however, if your provider doesn’t have it, don’t wait for it. “The best flu shot is the one that’s in your arm, so if you go in and they don’t have one of these super-duper high-antigen shots, just get the regular one,” she says. “You’re still going to be protected.” Although Iowa’s influenza season usually begins in November, the health department has already had reports of a few cases across the state. Quinlisk encourages everyone to get a flu shot every year. The exceptions are infants under six months and those who are allergic to eggs.

(Radio Iowa w/Thanks to Pat Blank, Iowa Public Radio)

Newton Police are investigating the armed robbery of a nursing home early Sunday morning. Police Lieutenant Bill Henninger says they are looking for two people involved.He says they were called to Nelson Manor around 2:48 a-m and were told that two men carrying handguns entered the facility and took medications before fleeing.

Lieutenant Henninger says the men were described as black wearing dark clothing, with bandannas covering their faces. He says they came in through the front door and were inside the nursing home for less than five minutes before they ran out. No shots were fired. Henninger says officers are still attempting to verify the types and quantity of the medications stolen.

They were taken from a location by the nursing home’s common area, and not from patient rooms. Henninger asks anyone with information related to the case to contact the Newton Police Department at 641-792-1547 or Jasper County Crime Stoppers at 641-792-8362 -jaspercrimestoppers.com

(Radio Iowa)

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Coin was arrested Sunday evening on a theft charge. 32-year old Derrick Ray Lynn was arrested at his residence on a Page County Warrant for Theft 5th Degree.  Lynn was transported to the Page County Jail, where he posted bond and was released pending future court proceedings.

Police in Clarinda arrested a man and woman on drug charges Saturday morning, following a traffic stop and the deployment of K9 “Raiko”. 25-year old James Robert Castillo, of Bedford, was arrested a little after 10-a.m. Saturday, on felony charges that include possession with intent to deliver more than five grams of  methamphetamine,and failure to affix a drug tax stamp. Castillo also faces a serious misdemeanor, possession of a controlled substance charge, for a substance that was believed to be methamphetamine. Castillo is being held in the Page County Jail on $100,000 bond.

Also arrested was 52-year old Tina Marie Benkowich, of Clarinda. She was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. She was later released on a $300 bond. Investigative reports have been forwarded to the Page County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of the filing of formal charges.