Creston Police report the arrest Wednesday night of 45-year old Karen Brodsack, of Creston. Brodsack was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree. Her bond was set at $1,000.

And, the Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 41-year old Dennis Michael Smith, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday night at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Smith was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear in court. His bond for the offense was set at $5,000.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate have selected a handful of priority areas for quick action once the 2017 legislature convenes on Monday.  “We have four bills that I believe define us and give Iowans a clear indication of where we plan to go with policies for our state.” That’s Bill Dix of Shell Rock, the leader of Senate Republicans.

Two of the measures are proposed amendments to the state constitution and would be voted upon by Iowans. The first would limit state spending to 99 percent of available tax revenue. That’s been the practice in the legislature for about two decades, but that spending limitation is not required under the state’s constitution. The second proposed amendment has been sought by gun rights advocates and would insert the right to “keep and bear arms” in Iowa’s constitution. “Effectively accomplishing what is in our federal constitution,” Dix says.

The third priority for Senate Republicans will be legislation to forbid spending state tax dollars at Planned Parenthood. Dix says there are plenty of other clinics in Iowa that offer breast cancer screening and reproductive health exams which are covered by tax dollars for Medicaid patients. “Better options for more women and their health care,” Dix says.

The fourth and final priority area for Senate Republicans will be an effort to curb lawsuit abuse. “A measure that ensures losers in those court cases pay for the cost associated with the case,” Dix says.

Lawyers say “loser pays” laws often deter legitimate victims from getting compensation for the fraud or harm they’ve suffered. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has been planning its lobbying campaign against G-O-P cuts, too. Dix says spending restraint, gun rights, tort reform and “protecting the unborn” were among the main promises Republican candidates made to voters in 2016.

“That sets a tone,” Dix says of the GOP’s “first four” priorities. “Obviously, there’s a lot more work that needs to be done, but those are four key measures that we want to move forward as early in the process as we can.”

Republicans will hold 29 of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate when the legislature convenes Monday and be in control of the debate agenda. Democrats have held the majority for a decade, but with just 19 seats in Democratic hands this year, Democrats be the minority party in the state senate. Rob Hogg, of Cedar Rapids, is the new leader of Senate Democrats. He says Republicans are proposing solutions to “manufactured problems.”

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities say no injuries were reported following a house fire near Walnut, Wednesday night. Firefighting crews from Walnut and Avoca were called at around 7-p.m. to a home located at 49914 Western Avenue. When they arrived, the home, which was unoccupied at the time the fire broke out, was fully engulfed in flames. The structure was a total loss.

Firefighters were on the scene for slightly more than three hours. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. The fire was the second to have occurred in or near Walnut, in less than two-weeks. At around 5-a.m. on Dec. 22^nd,  flames destroyed at home 408 Pearl Street, in Walnut. An overloaded electrical cord was thought to have caused the fire.

Iowa is seeing a construction boom at the same time contractors are being challenged with a worker shortage. Chad Kleppe, president and C-E-O of the Master Builders of Iowa, says the situation will only worsen over the next five years as about one-third of the existing workforce retires. Kleppe says the worker shortage is changing the way Iowa builders go about their jobs.

“Contractors are, by nature, very creative in how they’re going to meet workforce needs,” Kleppe says. “Obviously, they’re trying to do more with less right now, but in some respects, they’re changing the way they may construct.”

Some contractors in central Iowa are putting pieces of buildings together on manufacturing floors before hauling them to construction sites as a way to save labor. Kleppe says his association is ramping up efforts to recruit students into considering construction industry careers.

“You can come out of high school and earn while you learn,” he says. “After five years in the industry, you’re making north of $50- to 55,000 with zero college debt.” Kleppe says they’re targeting Iowa kids as young as middle school.

(Radio Iowa, w/thanks to Rob Dillard, Iowa Public Radio)

PELLA, Iowa (AP) – A teacher has been accused of sending sexually explicit emails to a student while working for Pella Community Schools. Court records say 42-year-old Juan Munoz is charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee. He was arrested Tuesday after he turned himself in to police. Online jail records say Munoz remained in custody Thursday. The court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.

Authorities say a parent told the school district Dec. 2 about emails sent by Munoz, who taught Spanish at the district’s middle and high schools. Pella police Lt. Paul Haase says his department then took over the student’s email and corresponded with Munoz, who Haase says sent sexually explicit emails and photos.

School district administrators say Munoz resigned Dec. 5.