FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — Officials say an inmate head-butted a guard at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. The assault occurred around 8:25 a.m. Wednesday when the guard and another were escorting the inmate, who’d been placed in restraints because of previous misconduct. An Iowa Corrections Department news release says the inmate used his head to strike the guard’s face.

The guard was treated at Fort Madison Community Hospital and released. The names of those involved haven’t been released.

Lawmakers say the stories they’ve heard from patients and families are spurring some major reforms of Iowa’s mental health care system. Mary Neubauer of Clive wrote a widely-read obituary for her son, Sergei, in late September after he took his own life. This is how Neubauer explained her family’s predicament during a news conference in early March:

“When it became obvious that Sergei needed long term, residential mental health care for his illnesses, it simply didn’t exist in Iowa and that is a horrible feeling.” Senator Charles Schneider of West Des Moines met with Sergei Neubauer’s parents shortly after the young man’s funeral. Schneider says the meeting helped him better understand the shortage of treatment options for Iowans who need in-patient treatment, but not in a hospital psych ward.

“That’s the problem that they experienced when they were trying to find help for their son,” Schneider says, “so that’s how it helped me and I’m sure that story, if it helped me, probably helped every other legislator they talked to.” Today (Thursday) Governor Kim Reynolds will sign two related bills into law. One will require school employees to undergo at least an hour’s worth of suicide prevention training each year. The other seeks to address flaws in the system for treating mentally ill Iowans.

Representative Timi Brown-Powers of Waterloo says during a meeting earlier this year, she kept her head bowed as Neubauer spoke of trying to find treatment for her son’s depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.  “Although we’re ripping a scab off of a wound, that’s how we get stuff accomplished down here,” Brown-Powers says. “And those stories do matter.” A University of Northern Iowa political science professor says studies confirm personal stories rather than raw statistics are what move people to action.

Advocates who worked on these two bills say the next step is to lobby legislators to provide more MONEY for the mental health care system. Peggy Huppert is the state director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “We’ve reached a tipping point on this issue,” Huppert said. “Mental illness affects tens of thousands of Iowans and they’re raised their voices to say in unison: ‘More must be done.'” The governor is scheduled to sign the two bills into law later this (Thursday) morning.

(Radio Iowa)

Republican Ron Corbett says he has filed a lawsuit, hoping a judge will rule his name should be on the June Primary ballot as a challenger of Governor Kim Reynolds. On Tuesday, a state panel concluded Corbett’s nominating petitions were eight signatures short of the number required to qualify as a primary candidate. “This is about being treated fairly and there’s something just in my gut that tells me this isn’t right,” Corbett says.

Corbett spoke at a news conference in Cedar Rapids Wednesday afternoon, blasting the “Republican establishment” for challenging that paperwork. “You see the establishment doesn’t take too kindly when someone tries to threaten their power,” Corbett said. Corbett expects a ruling next week. Timing is crucial, as primary ballots are being printed soon. Corbett says it’s “tough to beat the donor class, special interests and the establishment.”

“And that’s the trio behind Governor Reynolds, but that trio can be defeated, but only if people unite behind them and the only way that people can unite behind them is to have a ballot choice,” Corbett says. Corbett’s campaign is arguing it’s been penalized for its “over-diligence” in crossing off “legal and valid names” on Corbett’s nominating petitions. Corbett’s lawsuit asks the judge to count those names — something the review panel refused to do Tuesday.

“Maybe you’re a football fan like I am, but once in a while the referee on the field throws a flag,” Corbett said. “…We’re just throwing a ‘coaches challenge’ out there and we’re asking for a judge to review.” Corbett says one reason he filed the lawsuit is because Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller “sided with” Corbett, while the two other members of the review panel voted against letting Corbett on the ballot.

(Radio Iowa)

A Democrat who’s spent the past two weeks trying to qualify as a candidate in Iowa’s third district congressional primary has ended her campaign. Theresa Greenfield of Des Moines launched her campaign last summer and was a leading fundraiser, but her campaign manager confessed he forged some signatures on Greenfield’s first set of nominating petitions. She launched a second effort to gather the required signatures, but fell short.

On Monday, members of the Democratic Party’s third district governing board nominated her for congress. Late yesterday (Wednesday), Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said Iowa law “does not permit” Greenfield to qualify for the ballot that way. Greenfield says shutting down her campaign is “a tough pill to swallow” but she accepts the attorney general’s decision.

Greenfield says it would have been wrong to “look the other way” and let the petition with forged signatures stand. Attorney Jerry Crawford represented Greenfield Tuesday as a state panel reviewed her nominating petitions. “I think this is crucial. If Theresa had just kept quiet…she’d be a candidate and no one would know any different,” Crawford said. “It’s only because she did the right thing…that anybody knows anything about this.”

Three other Democrats did make the primary ballot for a shot at challenging Republican Congressman David Young in November.

(Radio Iowa)

Wednesday marked the close of the filing period for persons seeking nomination during the June 5th Primary election. The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office reports those who have filed their certified nomination petitions with the Office, include:

Montgomery County Recorder (Vote for 1)
Carleen Bruning, Rep, Incumbent
Montgomery County Treasurer (Vote for 1)
Tera Hughes, Rep
Jackie Porter, Rep
Montgomery County Attorney (Vote for 1)
Drew B. Swanson, Rep
Supervisor District #1 (Vote for 1)
Rudy Kinard, Rep
Roger Waggener, Rep
Supervisor District #2 (Vote for 1)
Mike Olson, Rep, Incumbent
Supervisor District #4 (Vote for 1)
Mark Peterson, Rep, Incumbent

Polling place on June 5th include: The Red Oak Gold Fair Building, Red Oak Fire Station, Red Oak First Christian Church, Elliott Community Building, Stanton Fire Department, Grant Fire Department and Villisca Community Building.

The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. If anyone has questions about voter registration, absentee ballots, or voting, call the Auditor’s office—712-623-5127 or visit www.montgomerycountyiowa.com
ABSENTEE BALLOTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER MAY 7, 2018, AT THE AUDITOR’S OFFICE TO BE VOTED THROUGH JUNE 4, 2018. Those requesting by mail should send requests as soon as possible.
***NEW Identification Requirements***
Voters will be required to present specified identification in order to vote. If you are on record with the Iowa DOT as having a driver’s license or a nonoperator’s ID, you will need to present that card at the polls. If the voter doesn’t have these specified forms of identification, the voter will need to present other forms of identification to establish their identity and residence. THE LAW IS SPECIFIC ABOUT THESE OTHER FORMS. For further information, contact the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office.

Twenty-five Delegates attended the Cass County Democratic Party’s County Convention on Saturday, March 24th. County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle said the proposed platform was adopted unanimously. Delegates moving on to the Democratic Party’s District and State Conventions are Carol Preston of Griswold, and Jim Jordan and Sherry Toelle, both of Atlantic.

Nine Alternates were chosen: Gini Jordan, Jan Lunde, Gary Schwartz, Don Sonntag, and Rebecca Sponsler, all from Atlantic; Jordan Aggen and Evelyn Kopp, both from Anita; and Mike Conry from Griswold. Sherry Toelle will act as the body’s representative on the District Platform Committee. Sandra Sothman of Atlantic was elected as Affirmative Action Chair. Jordan Aggen and Evelyn Kopp, both from Anita, were elected as Precinct Committee Persons to the County’s Central Committee.

All three candidates for the State Legislature were present, speaking to the Convention. Warren Varley, running for Iowa House District 20, Denise O’Brien, candidate for the Iowa House District 21, and Sara Ramsey who is a candidate for the Iowa Senate District 11, spoke of their political and life experiences as well as their top policy priorities.

Chair Sherry Toelle said that the Convention and speakers were well-received and that Democrats were energized for the 2018 elections.