Planned Parenthood and ACLU of Iowa are applauding the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily halt a 72-hour abortion waiting period soon after Gov. Terry Branstad enacted several restrictions.

The state will have an opportunity to respond to the temporary injunction on Monday. The court will then decide whether to extend the short-term injunction.

Planned Parenthood notes the court’s action Friday allowed 44 women with scheduled abortions to proceed with their appointments. Suzanna de Baca, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, says in a statement that the law had caused confusion for patients.

She says one woman had driven seven hours to her appointment Friday and then was told she couldn’t have the procedure that day. She says women were “angry and upset at the intrusion into their lives.”

Ben Hammes, a spokesman for Branstad, says the state believes the 72-hour wait period will ultimately be implemented.

He calls the court’s injunction “part of the process,” adding that the governor expects the stay will soon be lifted.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa will hire an outside firm to review its employment practices after a jury ruled that it discriminated and retaliated against a high-ranking gay female athletic administrator. President Bruce Harreld announced Friday the independent review would begin with the athletics department, which was the subject of Jane Meyer’s three-week trial.

Jurors awarded Meyer $1.43 million Thursday for lost wages and emotional distress, agreeing that she faced discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. Jurors also found that she faced retaliation and that the university violated Iowa’s equal pay law.

The cost of the case is expected to grow. Meyer’s attorneys will be entitled to their fees, and are expected to ask a judge to triple her lost wages since the jury ruled the pay violation was “willful.”

Officials with Major League Eating (MLE) in New York, Friday, announced World champion Matt Stonie will compete with other top competitive eaters at the first-ever Annual Tivoli Fest World Æbleskiver (pronounced “Able-skeever“) Eating Championship sanctioned by MLE, on May 27 at 2-p.m., during Tivoli Fest, held in downtown Elk Horn, Iowa, known as the largest rural Danish Settlement in the United States.

Æbleskiver are a type of round pancake cooked in a special stove-top pan with half-spherical molds. The center is soft and fluffy and the crust is crisp and browned. Originating in the country of Denmark, they can be served with powdered sugar, topped or filled with jam or maple syrup or rolled in sugar. Competitive eaters will seek to set a new world record in the æbleskiver discipline.

MLE emcee Sam Barclay says “Everyone knows Tivoli Festival is the spiritual home of Danish culture and aebleskiver consumption in these United States. The world’s greatest eaters are headed to Elk Horn, IA, with one thing on their minds—to set the record at the world’s first sanctioned aebleskiver-eating Championship.”

Tivoli Committee Member Logan Veath said “It’s such an amazing event to have people from all over the country come to the rural Danish Capital of the United States.  We look forward to welcoming them to Iowa. We are very excited to watch world-class competitors eat our Danish Æbleskiver and find out who will be the World Champion.”

Other top eating talent will include the #6-ranked Gideon Oji, the #8-ranked Adrian Morgan, the #10-ranked Juan Rodriguez, the #12-ranked Yasir Salem, the #32-ranked Sophia DeVita and the #36-ranked Matthrew Raible.

ABOUT TIVOLI FEST!
Tivoli Fest is the annual Danish American festival in the Danish Village of Elk Horn, Iowa, the largest Danish rural settlement in the USA. It is a celebration of Danish American culture, traditions and foods. New this year is the 1st Annual Tivoli Fest World Æbleskiver Eating Championship. Tivoli Fest is a wonderful experience which includes a parade, folk dancing, live bands, 5k run,Vikings, exhibits, fireworks, beer garden, Scandinavian entertainment, and you can enjoy Danish food such as Æbleskiver, Smørrebrød, and Medisterpølse. Be sure to tour the only working Danish Windmill in the United States along with the Museum of Danish America. This unique celebration provides a variety of fun opportunities for the whole family. Join us Memorial Day Weekend, May 26th to 28th 2017.

About Major League Eating:

Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community is made up of more than 8,000 veteran and rookie gurgitators who travel the nation in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.IFOCE.com, www.facebook.com/eatfast or twitter @eatingcontest.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Friday afternoon released details pertaining to the funeral and procession route for Deputy Mark Burbridge. As previously mentioned, his funeral will be held at the Mid-America Center on Monday, March 8th. Governor Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will be in attendance.

Law enforcement officers attending the service are asked to arrive at the Mid-America Center at 7:30-a.m., Monday. Doors to the Mid-America Center will be open for public seating at 8:30-a.m. Members of the public are asked to enter the center through the West Entry doors.

Procession Route:

Following Deputy Burbridge’s Memorial Service at the Mid-America Center on Monday, May 8th, 2017, Deputy Burbridge will be returned to Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home in Council Bluffs. The funeral home is located at 1221 N 16th St.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office expects more than 1,000 law enforcement vehicles to take part in Deputy Burbridge’s escort back to the funeral home. The procession is expected to begin between 11:45-a.m. and 12:15-p.m.

The procession route leaving the Mid-America Center is as follows:

1.     North on Mid-America Drive

2.     Turn Eastbound on 23rd Ave

3.     Follow 23rd Ave to South Expressway (approx. 2.5 miles)

4.     Turn North on South Expressway (Hwy 192)

5.     Follow South Expressway and continue Northbound on 6th St

6.     Turn West on Kanesville Blvd.

7.     Follow Kanesville Blvd and continue on W Broadway

8.     Turn north on N 16th St

9.     Proceed north on 16th St until reaching the Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home

10.  Select processional vehicles will pull into the funeral home

a.     Most processional vehicles will disperse at that time

The entire route length is approximately 6.5 miles.

Members of the public are welcome to line sidewalks and show their support. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public to respect all parking laws and to ask permission before occupying private/business property.

Roadway Closures – Effective at 11 AM on Monday, May 8

·       I-80 Eastbound Off Ramp (Exit 3) onto South Expressway

·       I-80 Westbound Off Ramp (Exit 3) will only be allowing Southbound traffic

·       Traffic Northbound on South Expressway (north of interstate access) will be closed

Roadways will reopen following the procession. General Roadway Information: Intersections along the route will be blocked. The traveling public should expect significant delays along the procession route. The procession is expected to last more than one hour, start to finish.

The Fourth of July likely will have more sizzle as Gov. Terry Branstad has signaled he’ll sign a bill into law that legalizes the sale of most fireworks in Iowa.

Branstad announced today (Friday) that he’d sign the bill Tuesday despite arguments from opponents that expanding fireworks sales would lead to more injuries and property damage. Supporters responded that residents already bought fireworks in neighboring states and that people were overstating potentials dangers.

After being signed by Branstad, the law will legalize most consumer-grade fireworks, including bottle rockets, firecrackers and roman candles. The explosives could be sold from June 1 through July 8 and from Dec. 10 through Jan. 3 in permanent structures or tents.

Cities could prohibit use of fireworks but not outlaw their sale. The Legislative Services Agency estimates the law will generate $1.5 million in sales tax revenue for the 2018 fiscal year.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports two arrests took place Monday. 38 year old Heather Holly Petersen, of Audubon, was arrested for Shoplifting. She later pled guilty before a magistrate.

And, 64 year old Merle Steven McMichael, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, Failure to File SR22, and Fail to Maintain Registration Plate. McMichael has entered a not guilty plea to the charges.

The Iowa Supreme Court has halted enforcement of a 72-hour waiting period required before an abortion under a new state law. The court’s approval of an injunction today (Friday) came shortly after Gov. Terry Branstad signed the measure into law. The new law also bans most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The injunction remains in effect until Monday, allowing some scheduled abortions to proceed.

The injunction followed a decision Thursday by a lower court judge who denied a request by Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa to block elements of the abortion restriction before Branstad’s signed the measure.

The organizations have argued that a 72-hour waiting period could cause undue harm to women by requiring multiple appointments

The Board of Regents is proposing another increase in tuition to make up for state budget cuts. The board approved a two percent increase in tuition at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa in December based on their previously adopted plan to raise tuition by that amount with a corresponding two percent increase in state funding.

But the Iowa Legislature cut funding in February by nearly 21 million dollars and then again in April by nearly ten million dollars due to lagging state tax collections. The Regents are now proposing tacking on a 216 dollar increase for undergraduate students at the three state schools to make up that difference. They will meet Monday to discuss the tuition increase.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson reports two local women were arrested on separate warrants, Thursday. 45-year old Heidi Powell, of Atlantic, was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear at a Probation Revocation Hearing. And, 28-year old Katherine Coleman, of Atlantic, was arrested on an Adams County warrant for OWI/2nd offense. Both women were booked into the Cass County Jail.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce are putting out a call for residents to house a group of students with The Waldorf University Choir. The Choir have scheduled a stop in Atlantic to perform next Tuesday, but their plans fell through and they are now needing housing for 40 college students.

Homeowners that can take-in a single student or more, please contact Pastor Ken Davidson at Zion Lutheran Church, in Atlantic. His number is 712-243-2927 or, e-mail: zionpastor@hotmail.com