The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The U.S. Senate Thursday, approved Loretta Lynch to be the new U.S. Attorney General despite “no” votes from both of Iowa’s Senators. Republican Joni Ernst spoke with Iowa reporters by phone from Washington shortly before the vote on Lynch’s confirmation. “After closely reviewing her testimony, I am not confident Ms. Lynch will act independently from President Obama when the role requires and therefore could not vote to confirm her as attorney general,” Ernst said.

Lynch, currently the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, was confirmed on a vote of 56 to 43 — with 10 Republicans voting for President Obama’s pick to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder. Iowa’s senior Senator, Chuck Grassley, voted against Lynch. Ernst said she has “serious concerns” about Lynch’s decision to defend President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

“She agreed that it was O-K for him to use executive amnesty in the manner that he did and because of that, I don’t see that she is operating independently. She is being influenced by the political decisions of the White House rather than relying on current law,” Ernst said. Lynch will become the first African-American woman to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General.

(Radio Iowa)

Frost and freezing conditions hit the state the last couple of nights and that has grape growers hoping they don’t see another drop in production like the one brought on by the cold last season. State Viticulture Specialist Mike White says he had not had any reports of damage following Wednesday’s freeze warning. “For the most part things look pretty good in Iowa. There might have been a vineyard or two in southern Iowa in a low area that might have had some frost, but I think right now we’re looking pretty good,” White says.

White says however, grapevines do have some built in insurance against frost damage. He says each plant has three buds inside with the first being 100 percent fruitful. “Now if it gets out there with one or two leaves and let’s say its April 27th and you get a frost, well the secondary bud inside there will bust open, and it has the ability to produce maybe 30 to 50 percent of a crop,” according to White.

White says the third layer will not produce fruit but it will sustain the plant through the season. He says wineries last year took a hit from a cold and wet spring and a late summer thunderstorm in western Iowa. Yields were cut by as much as 40 percent. Iowa has more than 100 wineries across the state.

(Radio Iowa)

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst is praising the passage of a bill designed to help law enforcement prosecute human traffickers. “The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act also provides much need support to the victims of this, what I consider modern-day slavery,” Ernst says. “It also enhances law enforcement’s ability to bring these perpetrators to justice and brings forward stiffer penalties for criminals.” The trafficking bill was approved in the Senate this week on a vote of 99-0.

“This marks an important step to combat the spread of human and sex trafficking,” Ernst says. “We can no longer turn a blind eye to the human rights crisis happening across the country.” In addition to the law enforcement tools and victims’ fund, the legislation qualifies child pornography production as a form of human trafficking and creates a Human Trafficking Advisory Council composed of survivors to formulate recommendations to the federal government.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad has asked several state agencies to monitor the outbreak of a deadly form of bird flu that’s reached Iowa and led to an emergency declaration in Minnesota. In Iowa, the flu is confirmed in Buena Vista and Osceola counties. Nearly 4 million chickens at one farm will be destroyed.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Agriculture says a turkey farm in Sac County has become the third farm in Iowa to have confirmed cases of bird flu. The farm’s 34,000 turkeys will be killed to contain the virus. The farm is within a six-mile monitoring zone of the first turkey farm identified in Iowa to have the H5N2 virus.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some international trade partners are declining to buy egg and poultry products from states affected by a deadly strain of bird flu while others are excluding imports only from counties where the virus has surfaced. Agriculture officials say the food supply is safe. But Mexico, Japan and Canada are among 33 countries declining to accept poultry products from entire states, including Iowa.

GUTHRIE CENTER, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa teen was killed and his passenger escaped after their truck plowed through barricades blocking what had previously been a bridge and submerged in a creek. KCCI-TV reports 17-year-old Zachary Meacham, of Guthrie Center, died in the crash Wednesday at Brushy Creek in Guthrie County. The crash remains under investigation.

A man who was arrested Monday night for Violating a No Contact Order, was arrested again Thursday evening, on the same charge. Red Oak Police say 45-year old Mark Douglas Berggren, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 5:30-p.m. on an active warrant out of Mills County, for Violation of a No Contact Order. Berggren was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

Authorities in Adams County say three separate 911 calls about a possible drunk driver Thursday afternoon, resulted in a traffic stop and an arrest. 43-year old Ronald Chester Kingery, Jr., of Corning, was arrested at around 3:50-p.m. at Highway 148 and 6th Street, in Corning. Kingery, Jr. was charged with OWI/1st offense and brought to the Adams County Jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Agriculture says a turkey farm in Sac County has become the third farm in Iowa to have confirmed cases of bird flu. The farm’s 34,000 turkeys will be killed to contain the virus. The farm is within a six-mile monitoring zone of the first turkey farm identified in Iowa to have the H5N2 virus.

Sac County is the adjacent county south of Buena Vista County where a farm with 27,000 turkeys was confirmed to have the virus on April 13. An egg-laying facility with 3.8 million chickens in Osceola County northwest of the turkey farms also has the virus. State agriculture officials say in the latest case announced Thursday, turkeys began dying and tests at Iowa State University confirmed the bird flu virus is present.

A man from Dallas County was injured during a rollover accident this (Thursday) afternoon, in Guthrie County. The Iowa State Patrol says 18-year old Ricardo Samuel Alanis Cazares, of Dawson, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported by Panora Fire and Rescue to the Dallas County Hospital, following the crash that happened at around 12:30-p.m.

Officials say Cazares was traveling north on Guthrie County Road P-28. At the intersection with 270th Street, P-28 curves west, and then back north. The 2004 Dodge Caravan Cazares was driving went across the southbound lane and onto the southbound shoulder at the curve. Cazares overcorrected, causing the van to roll over and come to rest upright in the east ditch.

A western Iowa teen faces numerous arson charges. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report 19-year old Coty William Cates, of Missouri Valley, was arrested April 16th on three counts of Arson in the 2nd Degree. The charges stem from an investigation into three separate fires set to a vacant residence located at 1003 Granite Street, Missouri Valley.Cates was being held in the Missouri Valley Jail.

Officials say the first fire occurred at approximately 1:12-a.m.on October 4, 2014. The second fire occurred at approximately 3:24-p.m., on October 9, 2014. The third fire occurred at approximately 9:57-p.m., on October 10, 2014. The combination of the three fires caused extensive damage to the home.

The Missouri Valley Police Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate several other possible arson fires that have occurred in the Missouri Valley area over the past two years. They include:

• An explosion at a vacant house that occurred east of Missouri Valley at 2279 Hwy 30 on October 27, 2013.
• Numerous large hay bales set on fire in several locations outside of Missouri Valley on October 31, 2014.
• A vacant house fire located at 105 West Superior, Missouri Valley on March 7, 2015.

Anyone with information about those is asked to call the Missouri Valley Police Department at (712) 642-2736, DPS’ State Fire Marshal Division at (712) 308-3977, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office at (712) 644-2244, or the Arson Hotline at (800) 532-1459:

A reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction from the Iowa Arson Reward Fund.