IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Judicial Branch has started tracking legal deadlines for judge appointments amid uncertainty over whether Gov. Kim Reynolds made two picks on time.
The governor has 30 days to appoint a judge once finalists have been submitted by a nominating commission. After that, the authority falls to the chief justice. The requirement has come into focus after the liberal blog Bleeding Heartland reported that Reynolds informed Judge Jason Besler of his appointment days after the deadline. An attorney has filed a complaint alleging Besler is unlawfully holding office.
Now questions are being raised about the June 21 appointment of Judge Michael Jacobsen.

A nominating commission signed a letter addressed to Reynolds 35 days earlier, on May 17, recommending Jacobsen and another attorney. But the letter apparently was never sent, and the commission chair waited until May 22 to email the names to the governor’s office. Jacobsen was appointed 30 days later. Davis says the court system is now formally tracking submission dates, which it didn’t do previously.

Emergency crews are on the scene late this morning, of a collision between a semi and cement truck. Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon reports one lane of Interstate 80 westbound was closed as of 11:24-a.m. The crash occurred about one-half mile west of the exit to Highway 71 (59.9 mile marker), in the north ditch.  Kennon says two people were hurt and transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by ambulance. The accident was reported at 10:55-a.m.  We’ll have more information when it becomes available.

Ric Hanson photo

Mike Kennon photo

Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance have been called to the 60-mile marker of Interstate 80 westbound for an accident involving two semi’s. Unknown at this time if there are any injuries. The accident was reported at 10:55-a.m.  We’ll have more if information becomes available.

(Radio Iowa) — A rare disease that causes muscle weakness, loss of reflexes and even paralysis has appeared in Iowa — twice — in recent weeks and the experts are puzzled. State health officials confirm two cases of a rare polio-like illness which attacks the nervous system called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. The first case is a three-year-old boy in Grimes, while the second is in a person under 18 in western Iowa. Minnesota reports seven cases of AFM since mid-September, while 62 are reported nationwide in 22 states.

There is no known cure and federal investigators haven’t been able to identify a common cause in the cases which usually start as a cold.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Department of Human Services figures show that the state’s family planning program is providing far fewer services like contraception a year after state lawmakers excluded Planned Parenthood clinics from receiving state funding. The Des Moines Register reports that the program covered 970 family planning services from April through June. That’s a 73 percent decrease from the roughly 3,600 services covered by the program during those months in 2017.

The department’s data show the number of patients enrolled in the program has dropped from almost 8,600 in June 2017 to less than 4,200 in June 2018. The program aims to help poor and moderate-income level residents obtain contraception. Legislators decided in 2017 to ban agencies that provide abortions from participating in the program. The state lost $3 million annually in federal Medicaid funds.

Michelle Andersen, Director of the Atlantic Public Library presented an Annual Report to the City Council, Wednesday evening. Andersen said statistics from FY 2017-18, dating to back before she took over as Director, until the present time, show there were over four-thousand active member accounts. She said also there were nearly 25,400 annual visits. They also have accounts specified as “Not Atlantic” patrons – meaning they serve Marne and Wiota, as well as “Open Access” members.

There were more than 63,000 physical items checked-out, which is about the same as usual. Use of the digital library has been up, though.  That includes everything you would expect to find at the library, but online: books, audio books, magazines, and about the same amount of use as their other digital resources. Andersen said there is a trend away from less public computer usage at the library, to more Wi-Fi connections on personal devices. She said also, they just closed the library-hosted “Picture Atlantic” digital photo contest as a further celebration of the City’s Sesquicentennial. There were over 100 pictures submitted. The winners will be announced Nov. 2^nd.

Financially speaking, Andersen said 86% of their revenues came from the City of Atlantic, with others coming from donations, State and County contracts. Last year, the County contributed a little more than $14,000, and this year is expected to be increased to $16,000. Expenses are primarily used for staff and circulation.