IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — After facing lawsuits and days of criticism, the University of Iowa is shelving a plan to eliminate scholarships promised to thousands of current and incoming students. UI President Bruce Harreld announced Wednesday that he was reinstating the Iowa Heritage Award and four other smaller scholarship programs for current students and those who start next fall.

He informed 3,000 students last week that he was eliminating their awards, citing a “devastating” funding cut approved by lawmakers. The Heritage scholarships promised an automatic $1,500 tuition discount to the children and grandchildren of alumni for four years of undergraduate studies. Many said they came to Iowa instead of other schools as a result. Two lawsuits were filed on behalf of students this week.

The programs will be eliminated for new students in 2018.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill that labor unions say would reduce compensation benefits for workers injured on the job in Iowa. The bill advanced from the House commerce subcommittee Wednesday with an identical bill scheduled for Senate subcommittee consideration later in the day.

The proposed measure includes provisions to end worker benefits at age 67, reduce benefits for injuries tied to pre-existing conditions and minimize late fees for employers. Opponents say the changes would burden employees and favor businesses. Some businesses that support the bill say it protects employers and closes loopholes exploited in existing workers’ compensation law.

The bill would have to be approved by a full committee this week to survive a procedural deadline for policy bills.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – An education board has delighted residents of the small city of Crescent by voting to keep the community’s elementary school open despite a recommendation by the superintendent that it be closed as a cost-saving move due to declining enrollment. The Daily Nonpareil reports the Council Bluffs Board of Education voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to keep Crescent Elementary School open.

Superintendent Martha Bruckner had recommended closing the school, saying the district would have saved $185,000 annually. The district’s proposal to close the elementary school in Pottawattamie County would’ve sent students to Lewis & Clark Elementary School in Council Bluffs.

Crescent resident Michelle Shea says she is happy about the decision because the school has been a positive experience for her family and children.

Well, that didn’t take long. Less than four months after the 2016 elections were held, a candidate other than David Young has announced his intention to run for Iowa 3rd District Congressional seat.  Mike Sherzan, a Democrat who resides in Dallas County announced today (Wednesday) his candidacy for U.S. Congress in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Sherzan is running to take on Republican Congressman David Young in the 2018 mid-term election.

In a Press Release, Sherzan says “Like most Iowans, I’m fed up with Washington politicians. Iowans deserve a progressive leader who will be a champion for working class families. It’s time to change the system that serves the interests of career politicians. That’s why I’ve decided to run for Congress.”

Sherzan graduated from the University of Iowa. At age 39 he started his own financial services firm in Des Moines, Broker Dealer Financial Services. His company grew into an Iowa based, 60-employee firm with over 250 representatives and 35,000 customers located in Iowa and across the country. After 25 years of helping Iowans save for retirement and fund their children’s college education, Sherzan retired from his employee owned business.

He and his wife Susan have been married for 40 years. He says he’s the proud father of three and grandfather of seven. For more information, go to: www.SherzanforIowa.com

A crowd of about 70 people showed-up at the Bridgewater Community Building Tuesday evening, to partake in an organizational meeting designed to spark community support for ridding the town of drug dealers and users. Doug Miller is the spokesperson for “Take Back Bridgewater, Iowa,” an initiative he created after he became aware of an Adair County road rock pile with the word “Meth” spray painted on it, and an arrow pointing toward Bridgewater. (click on the left side of the audio bars below to hear his comments)

Miller says he can’t solve the problem alone, he needs to have volunteers and support from the community and that’s what he’s seeing since he created a Facebook page for the initiative, and especially the overwhelming support it garnered during Tuesday night’s meeting.

Miller says he never underestimates the citizens of the community that he’s lived in and worked in for most of his life.

The drug user/dealer community is not going down without a fight, though. Miller says when a central Iowa television station was in-town prior to the meeting Tuesday night, a loud train horn went off. The catch is…no train goes through or near Bridgewater. There hasn’t been railroad activity for years, because the tracks are long gone.

Miller says the horn can be heard up to five-miles away. It is loud and obnoxious, and an investigation is underway into who is setting off the siren.

He says the community will continue to find ways to fight meth and drug use. Miller said a planning committee meeting will be held within the next two weeks to put together an action plan. The next meeting will be an open session, with invitations going out to Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater and City Council members, so the committee can ask questions, not to “Put them on the hot seat.”

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston, Tuesday afternoon, arrested a man on a meth-related charge. 29-year old Julian Allison, of Creston, was arrested at 1100 W. Adair on a charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Sell or Manufacture – Methamphetamine, over 5 grams. Allison was being held in the Union County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Governor Branstad’s bid to end state licensing for barbershops, social workers, mental health counselors and other health care professionals ended abruptly this week. “I think it would open the door for poor actors to pretend to be professionals and I think it would be a significant and possible harm to the public.”

That’s Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton. Kaufmann literally ripped a copy of the bill in half after taking testimony from critics of the legislation and announced the bill was “killed” for the year. Kaufmann is chairman of the House Governor Oversight Committee. THAT panel may set up a process this spring to review the long list of state boards and commissions.  “I actually think there’s an appetite among both parties to see what makes sense as far as boards and commissions to be combined and to be cut,” Kaufmann says.

Kaufmann says a task force may be assembled this summer to thoroughly examine the duties of state boards and commissions and come up with a realignment plan.

(Radio Iowa)

A three-member panel in the Iowa Senate has approved a bill to ease penalties for first-time possession of small amounts of marijuana. Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, says if the bill becomes law, people caught with less than five grams of marijuana would be charged with a simple misdemeanor and spend no more than 30 days in jail. “It’s your first time, you made a mistake, to not to ruin your life in regards to going down the road for employment,” Zaun says.

Studies show roughly the same percentages of whites and African Americans in Iowa smoke marijuana — but African Americans arrested for marijuana possession are likely to do more time in prison than whites who’re caught with pot. Zaun is optimistic about the bill’s chances. “I wouldn’t have brought this bill forward if I didn’t think that we could make it become law,” Zaun says.

Two years ago, the same bill passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support when Democrats held a majority of senate seats, but it was never considered in the Republican-controlled House. The bill cleared a senate SUBcommittee Tuesday, but it must pass the Senate Judiciary Committee by this Friday or it cannot be considered again until 2018. This Friday is the legislature’s deadline for initial COMMITTEE action on POLICY bills. Bills that deal with taxes or spending are eligible for debate at any time.

(Radio Iowa)