(Radio Iowa) –  West Des Moines police have charged a son and his girlfriend with the murder of a man they say was intentionally or recklessly denied adequate medical care and living conditions. Police found 58-year-old Steven Schaper was living in deplorable conditions in August of last year, and he later died at the hospital. Police their investigation led to charges of second-degree murder against his son, 24-year-old Jacob Schaper, and 23-year-old Jocelyn Grisham. Police describe the two as the caretakers for Steven Schapper.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to reinstate the death penalty in a limited number of cases is eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate. The bill would make those convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a person under the age of 18 eligible for a death sentence. Republican Senator Julian Garrett of Indianola, a retired attorney, would vote to make the death penalty an option in far more cases.

“Given how difficult it is to get a bill passed in this legislature, we’re narrowing it down as much as we possibly can,” Garrett says. The bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 10-to-eight vote. Senator Janice Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, says it’s an international embarrassment that some U.S. states still have the death penalty.

“It puts us right in line with Saudi Arabia, Iran, China and North Korea,” she says. Other Democrats, like Senator Tony Bisignano of Des Moines say if there’s a mistake and an innocent person is put to death, there’s no reversing that. “The state should not be in the business of killing people,” Bisignano says. Garrett considers the death penalty a deterrent and he says a wrongful conviction is a worthwhile trade off.

“If we make a mistake now and then and, as I say, mistakes under current technology are minuscule and we can save some innocent women’s lives down the road, that’s where the trade off is,” Garrett says. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee has said he could support the death penalty on moral grounds. But Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says it’s impractical for several reasons.

The drugs to administer a lethal injection are hard to find and Holt says the cost of sentencing someone to spend the rest of their life in prison is far less than the court costs associated with appeals to a death sentence and the expense of maintaining a death row in the state’s prison system.

(Radio Iowa) – Anyone who can legally own a gun would be able to carry it, loaded with bullets, while driving on a public highway under legislation that’s cleared a House subcommittee. Current law says guns are to be unloaded while a vehicle is moving. The bill also says anyone who can legally own a gun can leave it in their locked vehicle at work, at a school, or at a community college or public university as long as it’s out of sight. A lobbyist for an Iowa business group says that would violate a business owner’s property rights to decide whether to allow firearms – even in the parking lot of the business.

Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says in this case property rights should not outweigh the Second Amendment. “We also have the rights of the law abiding citizen who owns that vehicle to think about as well,” Holt says. Another gun-related bill that’s passed a House subcommittee would direct K-12 schools to provide lessons on gun safety. In 2020, gun injuries were the number one cause of death among children in the U.S. and Representative Ako Abdul-Samad of Des Moines says teaching students how to react when they see a gun is part of reversing that trend.

“We’ve had children come over to my agency and turn in a gun that they found in a bag in the park,” Abdul-Samad says. “That’s a reality now.” Abdul-Samad, a Democrat, is co-sponsoring the bill with a Republican from northwest Iowa. A volunteer with the Moms Demand Action group says gun safety should be the responsibility of gun owners, not children.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments today (Tueday) in the case of a central Iowa landlord who was convicted of discriminating against tenants following two test calls from people posing as renters Attorney, John Fatino says the calls to Patrick Knueven of Des Moines did not prove anything, because there was no attempt to actually rent from his client.

“In this record, there was never a refusal to sell, lease, rent, or reject a bonafide offer,” Fatino says. Knueven was found guilty of trying to steer renters away, but innocent of charging higher rent based on religion and national origin. Fatino says he was not allowed to show cases of Knueven’s good character, while the Des Moines Human Rights Commission was allowed to use alleged past cases of discrimination.

“The commission has been allowed to basically steamroll these people with evidence from 2015 and 2016, under the guise that shows this continuing case of harassment — which first of all, we reject– and second of all, it’s an absolute violation of the rules of evidence because the city was allowed to put it on before we ever got around to even attempting to put in the evidence of the Knueven’s good character.”

One of the “testers” who called was white and the other was someone with a distinct foreign accent. Attorney Luke DeSmet represented the Des Moines Human Rights Commission, and says the calls clearly showed discrimination. “He did this by not volunteering information to the protected tester, by offering the unit at a higher rental rate to the protected tester. And by just generally failing to be courteous and someone that a person would want to deal with when talking to the protected tester,” DeSmet says.

The justices questioned why the charges were brought based solely on the two testing calls. DeSmet says it is evident from the two calls that Knueven treated the one tester like a business person and then changed his tone when someone from a protect group called. “Every answer is monosyllable. No, no. And he’s not volunteering information. So there is a difference here,” DeSmet says, “when the control tester calls, he volunteers all kinds of information about I haven’t shown the unit since I last talked to you, I have people that are willing to make an offer. But that doesn’t happen at all when he’s talking to the protective tester.”

Justice Edward Mansfield says the caller didn’t ask a lot of questions, so there are no misrepresentations, it just seems like rudeness. “It just strikes me that, you know, if I was the supervisor for these testers, I’d say, hey, you know, you need to go back and make another phone call and get something more than what you got,” Mansfield says. “Being rude by itself probably would not be enough — we need some affirmative act by Mr. Knueven, to engage to show that he’s engaged in housing discrimination,” DeSmet replied.

“We have two of those here. One is the refusal of volunteer information is protected tester. And the other is the difference in rental rates that he offered the control and protected tester. ” Fatino in his rebuttal, said the facts show that there was no refusal to deal, nobody came back to get an application. nobody pushed harder for a rent amount, so there was no steering the callers away. “It’s just not the record you have in front of you. You have this weak attempt to call him. Apparently, it’s, you know, that if he didn’t respond with the crisp and solaric tone, the city expected that, you know, this is some charge of discrimination,” De Smet said.

He said the Supreme Court should dismiss the conviction against his client.

(Radio Iowa) – Former President Jimmy Carter is now in home hospice care, and his long years of dedicated work with a non-profit are being fondly remembered by the program’s Iowa leader. Lisa Houser is the executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Iowa and she says the 98-year-old was instrumental in helping the program succeed in building homes for families in need of affordable housing.

“President Carter and Mrs. Carter are some of our most famous volunteers with Habitat,” Houser says, “and they have an annual Carter Work Project every year and they’ve actually been doing that since 1984.” Houser says she had the pleasure to work on a home site with the Carters several years back. Habitat was founded in the 1970s but Houser says it didn’t really take off until the Carters got involved.

“They actually first volunteered on a house project near their home in Plains, Georgia, and then later that year, they went to New York City and volunteered on renovating an abandoned building,” Houser says, “from there, they fell in love with Habitat like so many of us do.” She says the Carters continued to be active with Habitat right up until the pandemic in 2020. Houser says Iowa’s Habitat program is thriving.

“Here in Iowa, we have 22 local Habitat affiliates that serve about 48 of the counties,” she says. “Last year, we worked with right about 550 families and that is through building new homes and selling homes with an affordable mortgage.” Habitat also works with existing homeowners who need help with repairs. Learn more at: iowahabitat.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Democrats in the Iowa House are proposing a framework for state licensed businesses that could sell marijuana to customers over the age of 21.

Referendums would determine if a marijuana business could be established in a county. A 10% state tax would be collected on the sale of marijuana products. “The revenue generated will go to Iowa schools, it will go to local mental health services, it will go to local public safety,” Representative Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque, said during a news conference this afternoon5. “I will say this: in 2021 alone Colorado’s marijuana industry generated $423 million in tax revenue.”

James said marijuana businesses in Illinois are collecting taxes from Iowans who’re crossing the border to buy cannabis. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights said it’s time to regulate a product some Iowans already use.

House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst. (RI photo)

“Legalizing marijuana for adult use keeps Iowans safe, stops our tax dollars from going to neighboring states, improves the quality of life for Iowans who are suffering from chronic illnesses,” Konfrst said, “and it stops us from wasting state resources to unfairly punish Iowans.”

Non-violent, low level marijauna possession convictions would be erased from a person’s record after two years under the proposal from House Democrats. Republicans are in the majority in the legislature and GOP leaders have said they have no interest in legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s a farmer versus farmer debate over proposed rules for developers planning to build three carbon pipelines through Iowa. Under a bill that’s cleared a House subcommittee, landowners along 90 percent of a pipeline’s route would have to grant voluntary access before developers could get state officials’ permission to seize the rest of the land. Kevin Kuhle, a lobbyist for the Iowa Farm Bureau, says the organization backs the bill. “We believe that infrastructure projects and property rights can coexist,” Kuhle says. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association opposes the bill, arguing it would kill the pipeline projects intended to make ethanol carbon neutral. Devon Mogler represents Green Plains, which operates ethanol plants in Shenandoah and Superior.

“Our downstream customers that we reduce carbon intensity and now there are federal incentives in place that can not only benefit us, but farmers as well.” Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison is the bill’s lead sponsor. “I have no problem with the pipeline. I do have a problem with the blunt force of government being used to seize other people’s land for this project,” Holt says. “That is my concern. That is the reason we wrote this legislation.” Jake Ketzner, a lobbyist for Summit Carbon Solutions, says it would be devastating for Iowa if the pipelines don’t get built.

“In Iowa, over 60% of the corn produced in our state goes to ethanol production,” Ketzner said. “Can you imagine and rural Iowa or our state in general with reduced ethanol plants and 60% of the demand for corn gone?” A large group of landowners who oppose the pipelines rallied on the Iowa Capitol steps this (Tuesday) morning.  “We cover every corner of this state and we’re here to say it’s time that our elected officials work for us and stop these carbon pipelines,” she said. That’s Kim Junker. She and her husband farm near New Hartford and they’re unwilling to voluntarily let the Navigator pipeline pass through their property.

Senator Jeff Taylor, a Republican from Sioux Center, has proposed five different bills that would limit carbon pipeline development. He spoke to rally goers. “Even though my bills are stalled on the Senate side right now, the House bill would not have happened if not for you guys lighting a flame under we legislators here at the Capitol,” Taylor said, to cheers. “I know that’s true.” Three companies have proposed pipelines through the Midwest to capture carbon from ethanol plants and store the material underground in North Dakota.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. Monday afternoon, 35-year-old Myles Dustin Longcor, of Henderson, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Contempt of Court. He remains in the jail, held without bond.

Early Saturday morning, 24-year-old Gustavo Felipe Solis-Sanchez, of Bellevue, NE.,was arrested in Mills County, following a property damage accident. Solis-Sanchez was charged with OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000. And, Saturday afternoon, 45-year-old Joseph Ryan Bredberg, of Malvern, was arrested in Mills County, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was also set at $1,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting this (Tuesday) morning, in Atlantic. The Board approved a Class B retail alcohol license for the Griswold Dollar General Store, and they approved an adjustment to the status of Secondary Roads Department employee James Stokely, from “Probationary,” to regular full-time employee, for the Operator 1 position. Stokley’s promotion is effective March 1, 2023.

In other business, the Board received a regular weekly report from County Engineer Trent Wolken. He mentioned like most of the other County Department Heads, he’s been busy working on his budget, and he has interviews scheduled this for an Equipment Operator 1 position. Wolken said also, there are problem spots crews are trying to hit with spot road rock until they can a better layer down.

He said also he’s working with Mid-American Energy to close out the Wind Mill repower project, which he calls “A process,” including a couple of other meetings, with regard to road & bridge damage.

HCA’s John Thomas addresses the Cass County BOS

The Supervisors also heard from Hungry Canyons Alliance representative John Thomas, whose office is in the Golden Hills R C & D building, in Oakland. The Alliance represents 19 counties in southwest Iowa. Thomas said Cass and other alliance members pay a fee of $5,000 per year. He discussed efforts to control stream bed degradation.

He says on the downstream side of the bridges, HCA cost-shares on building those projects known as “weirs.

They also build culverts and other structures to control erosion and bank degradation. EWP (Emergency Watershed Protection) and HCA combined to complete 67 projects in 2020 and 2021, he said. The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, a federal emergency recovery program, helps local communities recover after a natural disaster strikes.

In Cass County, there were three recent projects, including one each along Turkey Creek and the West Nodaway River.

(Radio Iowa) – A Marion man who has been missing for more than a month has been found dead. Information from Marion police says the body of 81-year-old Ted Wolf was found by a person walking their dog in rural Linn County. Police say Wolf’s body and his car were located a significant distance from the roadway and obscured in some trees, and there were no signs of foul play. Wolf had last been seen on January 16th around 12:30 p-m and it is believed he was headed to Lisbon for an appointment.

Police had released photos from surveillance video of him stopping at a gas station in Walford on that day.