The debate over fireworks has been reignited in the state senate. A bill to make it legal to sell and set off fireworks cleared a subcommittee this morning (Thursday) with the backing of Democratic Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo. “If you look at the polling about fireworks, I think the majority of Iowans are in support of it,” Dotzler said. Dotzler envisions making it legal to set off fireworks from Christmas Eve through the 3rd of January and in late June and early July — for the Independence Day holiday.

“People on the 4th of July like to celebrate the founding of our country and it’s always been a tradition across America and I think Iowa’s kind of ready for it,” Dotzler says. The bill’s future is uncertain, however, as supporters have not agreed on the details, like exactly when it would be legal to SELL fireworks in Iowa. Opponents have killed similar efforts to legalize fireworks over the past several years. Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says legalizing fireworks is unpopular in her district.

“I guess there’ll be a few 12 year olds around the state who’ll be disappointed with my vote,” Petersen says. A brief public hearing at the statehouse today (Thursday) on the bill attracted two opponents and no supporters. Iowa Firefighters Association vice president Marv Trimble of Garrison says during his 35 year career, he’s responded to both fires and injuries caused by fireworks.

“First of all, you never know what it is usually because even if it is fireworks, people don’t say it’s fireworks when they call,” Trimble says. “…Most of the time people will not admit it was fireworks until everything else is eliminated as a cause and then they will admit: ‘Yeah, we were using fireworks.'” Last year the Iowa House passed a bill legalizing fireworks in the state. The Republican leader in the Iowa House smiled today (Thursday) when reporters told him the issue had been revived in the Iowa Senate, but he’s wary of predicting ultimate victory s for fireworks supporters this year. The only fireworks which ARE legal to sell and ignite in Iowa today are sparklers and snakes.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Leaders in the split Iowa Legislature say they’re still negotiating a deal over the state budget, but they remain tight-lipped on releasing more details. Lawmakers for the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-majority House told reporters Thursday they’re working together to reach an agreement on the budget that goes into effect in July.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Council Bluffs Democrat, says there’s been “frank discussions” and there are “significant differences,” but he refused to provide more information. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, a Clear Lake Republican, says there’s been progress but GOP leaders “have to take things off the table” that the Senate may want. She refused to elaborate.

Both sides agree there’s about $7.35 billion available, most of which is expected to be status quo from the previous budget.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers released a statement on Thursday afternoon warning residents about a couple of phone scams circulating through the area.  He stated that he has received numerous calls from citizens reporting two scams.

One scam involves someone calling acting as a representative of the IRS stating that delinquent income taxes must be paid immediately or the person will be arrested.  The second scam involves a caller identifying themselves as the grandchild of the citizen and claiming they are in jail and need bail money wired immediately.

Brothers said at this time no citizen had fallen victim to the recent round of scam attempts, but he wants to remind citizens who receive these calls to hang up immediately and do not provide any personal or financial information.

An investigation into recent thefts in western Iowa and Nebraska has resulted in the arrest of a Shelby County man. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says 28-year old Justin Levell, of Irwin, was arrested at his home Wednesday morning and brought to the Shelby County Jail, where he was charged with Theft in the 1st Degree, a Class-C felony punishable by up to 10-years in prison. His bond was set at $10,000.

Officials say Deputies, Wednesday, found Levell in possession of a 2012 35-foot camper trailer, along with a John Deere 4-wheel Gator. The camper trailer had been reported stolen out of Mills County, and was valued at $20,000. The Gator was stolen from Wahoo, NE., and was valued at $15,000.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency advises residents and emergency responders, the bridge over Lyons Creek on1700th Street, is set to be closed for an overhaul project, beginning Monday, April 4th. The bridge is located in the 1100 block of 1700th Street, just west of Highway 59.

The road will be closed from April 4th through the end of June, weather permitting.

Officials estimate the cremated remains of as many as 80 deceased veterans are stored in Iowa funeral homes. A bill signed into law by the governor would let a veterans’ organization claim the cremated remains of confirmed veterans who were indigent of homeless when they died. Those veterans will be buried at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery with full military honors.

Iowa Funeral Directors Association president Marty Rieken says he does not have veterans remains in his Oakland funeral home. “But I do know some funeral directors who do and this will give them a chance to give those people a proper burial and everybody deserves a proper burial,” Rieken says.

Giving a veteran full military honors at the burial site is a moving tribute, according to Rieken. “And anybody that’s served our country sure deserves our respect,” Rieken says. “And we should be able to give them a proper burial.”

Under current law, cremated remains may only be claimed by a family members. The new law that goes into effect July 1st lets Iowa funeral directors with unclaimed cremated remains contact the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs six months after they’ve filed the death certificate, to find out if the deceased was a veteran. If he or she was a veteran, the funeral director will keep the cremated remains for another six months, just in case a family member comes forward.

After that, the cremated remains will be released to a veterans organization for transport to the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. Iowa’s new law is similar to laws in other states. In 2007, a national group began an effort to find indigent veterans who had been cremated, but not yet buried. According to the organization’s website, the Missing in America Project has identified the cremated remains of more than three-thousand veterans and interred more than 27-hundred of them.

(Radio Iowa)

A traffic stop on Interstate 80 this (Thursday) morning in Cass County resulted in a Pottawattamie County woman’s arrest on numerous felony drug and other charges. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 29-year old Melaney Lynn White, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st Offense in conjunction with Iowa Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement felony charges filed against White for: Possession with Intent to Deliver/Meth; Possession with Intent to Deliver/ Hydrocodone; Possession with Intent to Deliver/Hydromorphone; and three charges of Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp.

White faces additional charges that include: Possession of Controlled Substance 2nd Offense/Psilocybin Mushrooms; Possession of Controlled Substance 2nd Offense/ Lorazepam; and Possession of Controlled Substance 2nd Offense/Clonazepam.

The woman was brought to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $32,000 bond.