Police in Red Oak, Thursday night, arrested 44-year old Floyd Raymond Henry II, of Red Oak. Henry was taken into custody at around 10:25-p.m. for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond until making an appearance before the magistrate.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Thursday of 50-year old Kristine Courtney Ryan, of Elliott. Ryan was taken into custody for Theft in the 2nd degree, and Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree, following an incident in the 500 block of 5th Street, in Elliott. Ryan was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

It’s unclear EXACTLY how House Republicans intend to go about “defunding” Planned Parenthood. Republicans on a House subcommittee last (Thursday) night set aside three MILLION dollars in state money to pay for contraceptives, exams and other reproductive health services for Medicaid patients in Iowa, but there’s no language in the bill specifying which clinics qualify. The intention, though, is to prevent any of that money from being spent at health facilities where abortions are performed.

Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell of Ames admits since she and other Democrats are a minority in the legislature, they do not have the votes to stop this. “But we can let Iowans know what’s happening and I think that’s probably the most important thing we can do today,” she says.

A key Republican in the House says the details of the G-O-P’s plan may be released sometime today (Friday). Wessel-Kroeschel says the bottom line is the state is giving up matching federal dollars for the Medicaid program, while the G-O-P’s budget plan reduces the Iowa Department of Public Health’s budget by 10 percent. “This could put us at a public health risk,” she says. “It is absolutely unconscionable that you leave $3 million on the table when you are doing those kinds of cuts.”

The Republican-led Iowa SENATE passed a bill back on February 2nd that would deny state tax dollars to facilities that perform elective abortions. Legislators are rushing to craft the final details of a OVERALL spending plan for the state budgeting year that begins July 1st. Lawmakers hope to wrap up the 2018 legislative session next week.

(Radio Iowa)

Republican Congressman Steve King says he’s concerned that President Trump picked a “pro-immigration” economist to head his “Council of Economic Advisors.”  “People are policy,” King says, “so whenever I see those kind of appointments come in place, I do get concerned about it.”

King, though, says he has “some level of comfort” because of what Trump said during the campaign, plus King is a fan of Trump’s attorney general. Jeff Sessions and King were staunch opponents of immigration reform efforts during the Obama AND Bush Administrations. “But I am not at the level of being happy with so far of what Donald Trump has done,” King says. “He’s done some good things, but DACA and DAPA still exist.”

King opposes the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” as well as Obama’s decision to table deportation orders for the parents of American citizens. “And I’ve told the president this: ‘Every day you don’t address this, it gets harder and harder to do,'” King says. If Trump WERE to try granting legal status to people who came into the country illegally, King warns Trump’s support would slump in the countryside.

“I wouldn’t say that is the case today. His base is starting to get uneasy because they haven’t seen this movement on DACA and on DAPA…They are not quite confident yet on the wall, but the messages are clear out of the White House: ‘We’ll build the wall.’ King says. “…I look at the ‘to do’ list that comes out of the campaign promises of Donald Trump…and there are quite a few check marks behind that. There are a few to go or he will lose his base and think that’s an important message for the president to receive.”

And King says he’s trying to “whip” up support among House conservatives who opposed the initial plan to “repeal and replace” ObamaCare. King made his comments Thursday afternoon during taping of this week’s episode of “Iowa Press.” It will air tonight (Friday night) at 7:30 on Iowa Public Television.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 1:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Republican lawmakers are seeking to eliminate a tax on utilities that has long funded energy and environmental research at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. A draft plan proposes ending in 2022 an assessment on utilities that raises about $5 million annually for the Iowa Energy Center at Iowa State and the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa. One Democratic senator says he fears the centers will go away when their funding dries up.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — One of three men charged in the death of a 29-year-old man last summer has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge. The Quad-City Times reports that 34-year-old Durell Parks Jr. pleaded guilty Thursday to willful injury resulting in serious injury in the Aug. 18 fatal stabbing of Romane Nunn Sr. in a Davenport park. Parks had originally been charged with first-degree murder. He faces up to 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced May 24.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a police officer and two bystanders pulled a man who slipped and fell into the Cedar River in northeastern Iowa from the water. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier report that the rescue happened Thursday near the Ice House Museum in Cedar Falls. Officials say he was unconscious when the officer and two others pulled him from the water. He was taken to a hospital, and his condition was not known Thursday afternoon.

A Life Flight medical helicopter made an emergency landing north of Stratford shortly after 2 a-m today (Thursday) after notifying the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office of a problem. The crew members stated that they had struck a bird while in flight. A windshield was broken out as a result with all crew members escaping injury. The helicopter landed in a farm field. The helicopter is owned by Unity Point Health Trinity Regional Medical Center out of Fort Dodge. The crew was returning to Fort Dodge after transferring a patient to Iowa City.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature has passed a bill that will require identification at the polls and reduce the number of early voting days. The Senate approved the bill 28-21 Thursday. The House approved it earlier this month. It now heads to Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who has indicated he supports requiring ID to vote.

The legislation would require people to show acceptable identification at the polls beginning in 2019. The state must provide identification to people who need it. Another provision will reduce early voting before a general election from 40 days to 29 days. It also eliminates a straight party voting option.

Republicans say the measure will maintain voter integrity, though there’s no evidence of widespread fraudulent voting in Iowa. Democrats say the legislation will suppress voter turnout and is unnecessary amid budget constraints.

Atlantic Police report they arrested a man wanted on a warrant, Wednesday. 19-year old Ethan Erlacher, of Atlantic, was arrested on the Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear in court on an original charge of OWI. Erlacher was booked into the Cass County Jail following his arrest.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a wide-ranging gun bill into law that includes a stand-your-ground provision. Branstad signed the legislation Thursday. Portions of the bill go into effect immediately though most will be enforced starting July 1.

Democrats and gun safety advocates expressed concern over the stand-your-ground provision, which will allow people to use deadly force anywhere if they felt a risk to their life or safety. They say it will lead to racial tensions and increase gun violence.

Republicans say the bill will expand Second Amendment rights in the state. The bill will also allow a person with a weapons permit to bring a concealed handgun into the state Capitol. Minors under 14 will be able to use handguns with parental or guardian supervision.

Officials with the Union County Sheriff’s Office, today (Thursday), report the arrest Wednesday night, of a Lorimor man. 57-year old Tommy Allen Green was arrested at around 9:30-p.m. at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for failure to appear.  Green was being held in the Union County Jail on $300 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office said also, no injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday afternoon, between Afton and Thayer. Authorities say 80-year old Larry Lee Schlapia, of Creston, was traveling north on Highway 169 when he came upon a tractor pulling a planter, that was stopped at the intersection with Highway 34.

Schlapia told deputies he misjudged the distance between his vehicle and the planter, because he had recently left an eye doctor and his vision was not yet fully adjusted. His 2008 Mercury Marquis struck the 2016 John Deere Great Plains planter, causing $600 damage to the implement and $2,500 damage to the car. The 2011 John Deere tractor, driven by 68-year old Larry Brown, of Afton, was not damaged.