SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A former Sioux City councilman has made an agreement with Iowa environmental regulators on removing potentially hazardous materials that accumulated from his electronics recycling business. The state attorney general’s office sued Aaron Rochester in 2018, saying more than 17 million pounds of the material was being stored at facilities in Iowa and Nebraska. The Sioux City Journal reports that Rochester has agreed to annually ship at least three semitrailer loads of used or broken cathode ray tubes and/or containers of leaded glass to a federally approved treatment, storage and disposal facility.

(Radio Iowa) — It’s likely the 2020 Iowa legislature will try to adjust the state-run medical marijuana program, but it’s not yet clear what will win final approval. A bill last year would have let state-licensed growers and pharmacies make and sell slightly more potent cannabis-infused products — but after objections from a state board about raising the “cap” or limit on T-H-C, Governor Kim Reynolds vetoed the legislation. “Almost every aspect of that bill I supported and they were all recommendations from the board,” Reynold says. “The only piece that I didn’t support was the jump from where the cap is right now to where they went to.”

The state advisory board recently weighed in again, recommending an increase in the potency of medical marijuana allowed for sale at five dispensaries in Iowa — but not as much of an increase as was outlined in the 2019 legislation. “They listened to some of the individuals that have been impacted by the program and actually changed one of their recommendations,” Reynolds says. “…That was a positive step in the right direction.” The board is also embracing the idea terminally ill patients should not be subject to any limits on medical marijuana use.

Republican House Speaker-select Pat Grassley of New Hartford says it’s too soon to say what lawmakers may wind up doing. “The House, the Senate, the board and the governor have to work on a bill that we can pass in each chamber and something that the governor can obviously sign, so as I sit here, I’m not going to get into what the weeds would be on that specific issue.” Senate President Charles Schneider, a Republican from West Des Moines, has met with the governor to discuss what may be possible in 2020. “I have been a strong supporter of medical cannabis since I came into the legislature,” Schneider says. “…It’s a matter of us working together and finding a way to get something done for Iowans that makes dosing more practical for the patients and for the producers.”

Current law uses percentages for the T-H-C in state-regulated cannabis products rather than grams, which is how prescription medications which typically measured. Schneider’s also hoping lawmakers agree to expand the list of medical conditions that health care providers may recommend cannabis as treatment. The legislators and Governor Reynolds made their comments this week at a statehouse forum organized by The Associated Press.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Utilities Board has given final approval to an agreement with Alliant Energy for an electric rate increase. Alliant had requested an increase of 204 million dollars in revenue from residential customers. The amount was reduced to 127 million dollars to give the company a nine-point-five percent return. The agreement also includes a refund of seven-and-a-half million dollars for customers who paid interim rates.

The monthly customer charge will increase form 11-50 to 13 dollars for residential customers and from 19 to 20 dollars for the general service customers. Customers who don’t want an automated meter will have to pay a monthly fee of four-dollars, six cents. The I-U-B says the evidence in the rate case demonstrates that Alliant has not efficiently managed its relationships with its customers.

Alliant is required to file a comprehensive improvement plan within 90 days and review its own internal processes, and identify opportunities for improvement, and correct deficiencies as they become apparent.

GARRISON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a worker killed in an accident at an eastern Iowa rock quarry. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office identified him as 30-year-old Michael Lee Griffith, who lived in Vinton. First responders were sent around 1:15 p.m. Wednesday to Wendling Quarries, just southeast of Garrison. They found Griffith had been trapped in a rock bin and had already died. Details about what happened haven’t been released. The accident is being investigated.

Officials with the Glenwood Police Department, Thursday, warned area residents of a new text scam involving a person claiming to be a member of the area clergy. In one instance, a person who said they were “Fr Dan Siepker” texted the recipient, and after some back and forth messages, asked for gift cards to be purchased for “a friend [of his] battling cancer in the hospital.”

The “priest” said the patient needed the gift card to download his favorite songs and video “to help boost his confidence, faith and morale in the next phase of his surgery and throughout the therapy.” The scammer also said they would “reimburse” the message recipient, as soon as possible.

Authorities warn THIS IS A SCAM. If you receive a similar text claiming to be from an area priest or minister, do not fall for it! If you have any questions as to the validity of such texts, contact your clergy or a representative of your church.