IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa is tightening the rules for incoming out-of-state students seeking in-state residency after beginning their studies. Officials say a record 317 part-time freshmen enrolled at the university for fall 2016. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that many of those nonresidents weren’t taking enough credit hours to trigger the higher, full-time tuition.

Out-of-state students who want to become residents must live in Iowa for at least a 12-month period and prove they moved to Iowa primarily for reasons other than higher education. The nonresident students previously had to show that they worked an average of 20 hours a week for those 12 months. Under the tighter rules, students enrolling after May 1 will have to show they’re working an average of at least 30 hours a week.

A study by the Department of Natural Resources shows a recycling program used effectively in rural areas of some other states may not be the best system to use in Iowa. The D-N-R’s Jennifer Wright says states like New Mexico have used a “Hub and Spoke” approach where the “spokes” are collection points for recyclable material. “And they collectively work together and create partnerships to bring it into a hub so that they have enough materials enough commodity products….the cardboards, the papers, the plastics. So they get enough to effectively sell it back to the market,” Wright says.

Wright says the D-N-R wanted to find out if there was a need for this type of program.
“There was a thought maybe that rural parts of Iowa were challenged with their ability to effectively recycle,” Wright says. She says rural areas are much different than the cities where recycling has evolved into a fairly simple process. “You have your single stream bin and you roll it out to the corner every two weeks and then it goes of to a facility and then it gets process. But, when you get out into our rural communities — they do have recycling — it just may not be provided curbside,” Wright explains.

She says the found the process could be improved in rural areas. “The infrastructure is pretty robust, we have a lot of options available, it’s just that there are some inefficiencies within the system,” Wright says. Part of the problem is all the various collection points might not have enough of the material to make it worthwhile. Wright says they determined installing a whole new system isn’t needed, but some modifications would help. She says there might be an idea to have a hub and spoke for certain commodities, with the whole idea of helping them grow and become more efficient.

Wright says for example, collectors might work together to take their glass to one buyer to be able to get the best price. Wright says the focus moving forward will be on finding ways to help the rural recycling efforts get better.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating the Des Moines slaying of a woman and the crash death of a male suspect. Des Moines police say in a news release that officers and medics who responded about 2:30 a.m. Monday to a report of a stabbing found the woman’s body.

Officers developed information about a suspect and the suspect’s vehicle, and the vehicle soon was spotted by Altoona police officers. Des Moines police say the vehicle crashed on Interstate 80 as the driver tried to evade the Altoona officers. Des Moines police say the suspect died in the crash.

The names of those involved have not been released. Police say the woman’s death was Des Moines’ seventh homicide of the year.

Cass and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies coordinated efforts in a drug investigation Sunday, in Elliott. The result was three arrests, numerous items seized, including more than one-quarter of a pound of meth, a weapon and drug paraphernalia. Authorities say 32-year old Daniel Eugene Long, of Atlantic, 50-year old Kristine Myers Ryan, of Red Oak, and 64-year old Patrick Emile Clark, of Elliott, were arrested.

Long was arrested for felony Conspiracy to Deliver Methamphetamine. Myers-Ryan faces charges that include felony Gathering where Controlled Substances were used, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (A simple misdemeanor). Clark faces felony charges that include Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Drug Tax Stamp Violation, being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Pills. All three subjects were being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

They were arrested after authorities executed a search warrant at 508 5th Street #B, in Elliott. Recovered at the scene was nearly 142-grams of Methamphetamine, a .32- caliber handgun, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia.

Clark was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $100,000 bond. Long’s bond was set at $50,000, and the bond for Myers-Ryan was set at $5,000.

An investigation into reported suspicious activity early this (Monday) morning in Tabor, led to the arrest of a Mills County man on drug charges. Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope said Deputies were dispatched to the Tabor City limits and later conducted a traffic stop on Highway 275 in front of the Casey’s Store, in Tabor. Upon further investigation, the Fremont County K9 team was requested. The Mills County Sheriff Department and Shenandoah Police Department K9 units also assisted at the scene.

As a result of the investigation, authorities arrested 35-year old David Joseph Jay, of Glenwood, for: Possession of Meth; Possession of Marijuana; Possession of Butane Hash Oil (DABS); Unlawful Possession of Prescription Medication and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Jay was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on a $14,300 cash bond.

David Joseph Jay (photo submitted)

(Updated) Firefighters from Portsmouth and Panama along with a Medivac Ambulance crew were dispatched to a structure fire early this (Monday) morning. The call came in from 206 3rd Avenue in Portsmouth, just before 3-a.m.  Initial reports suggested the fire began in the kitchen area and may have been electrical in nature, but Portsmouth Fire Chief Michael Leinen said later the cause of the fire was still under investigation. Leinen said there was extensive damage to the kitchen/back porch area, and the remainder of the house sustained smoke and some water damage.

The Harlan and Persia Fire Departments were initially dispatched to the scene, but then were called off at around 3:20-a.m.. Fire crews were on the scene about 2 hours.

A ten-year-old has died in a northwest Iowa farming accident. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office says that just before 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, they received a 9-1-1 call of an accident nearly three miles south of Inwood on Highway 18. Inwood emergency personnel and deputies from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched. The Canton-Inwood Ambulance from Canton, South Dakota also responded to the scene.

According to Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep, a family member was moving a round bale with a skid loader and somehow the bale moved and fell off of the unit and rolled over 10-year-old Marcus Blom, of Inwood. Vander Stoep says the Sanford Air-Med helicopter from Sioux Falls, South Dakota landed at the site of the accident. But he says that due to the extent of his injuries, Blom died at the scene.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa legislature is poised to pass a bill this week that will dramatically eliminate items that teachers and government workers in Iowa may bargain for during union contract negotiations. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake suggests with Republicans holding a majority of seats in both the House and Senate now, this move should not be a surprise.

“This is about doing the right thing for Iowans,” Upmeyer says. “This is something we’ve worked on for a number of years. We’ve had bills on this topic before.” Critics say state and local government workers will only be able to negotiate over base wages during future contract talks. Republican legislators who held forums in their districts this weekend were quizzed by large crowds upset about the bill. More than 100 people gathered in an Oskaloosa coffee shop to confront three local legislators.

Suzy Card of Pella, a regional representative for the state teachers’ union, drew applause from the crowd when she questioned whether the G-O-P had “campaigned on getting rid of collective bargaining.” “That’s a yes or no questions, guys,” Card said and the crowd applauded. More than 400 attended a forum in Ankeny. Jody Butler, a former education advisor to Governor Terry Branstad in the 1990s, asked the two Republican legislators there to “have a meaningful conversation” and make adjustments in the bill.

“Take your time instead of shoving this through,” Butler said. On Sunday afternoon, there was a large rally at the statehouse in support of teachers and other government workers. A public hearing on the bill is scheduled this (Monday) evening in a committee room at the statehouse.

(Radio Iowa)