(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds will soon get to decide whether to approve a state law that would nullify a recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling on “garbage grabs.” Last summer the court ruled that under the state’s constitution, Iowa residents have an expectation of privacy when they place their garbage in a publicly accessible area — meaning law enforcement has to get a warrant for these kind of trash searches. A bill that passed the House would restore the status quo in Iowa, according to Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison.  “The searching of abandoned garbage makes our communities safer because numerous crimes are solved each year using this essential law enforcement tool,” Holt says, “and this legislation seeks to restore that important precedent.”

A Clear Lake man who served two days in jail on a drug conviction argued the search warrant for his home was improperly obtained because it was based on evidence police found in trash bags outside his home. Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, says the ruling was a big deal because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled law enforcement doesn’t have to get a warrant to search trash bags and garbage cans in a driveway or at the curb. “Now, I’ll acknowledge that reasonable people can and do disagree as to whether Iowa citizens should have a protected liberty interest in their trash,” Wolfe says, “but our Supreme Court is the final arbiter.”

Wolfe says the legislature can’t pass a law and should propose a constitutional amendment to take away this constitutional right.  “Even one that you may think is silly or ridiculous or doesn’t make any sense or you don’t care if they look through your garbage, none of that matters,” Wolfe says. “Our Supreme Court says this is a constitutionally protected liberty right.” Holt says the legislature routinely passes bills to legislatively overturn court rulings. “There has never been an expectation of privacy for abandoned garbage sitting on a curb,” Holt says. “Let’s be clear here, we’re talking about publicly accessible areas, such as curbs and sidewalks. We’re not talking about garbage outside on your back porch and your yard. Publicly accessible area is the key and, again, this legislation is returning us to the status quo.”

The bill passed the Senate unanimously last month and was approved in the House this week on a 58 to 36 vote.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two separate arrests took place, Thursday. 21-year-old Nathan Edward Lee Richardson, of Glenwood, was arrested on a warrant for three counts, Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $30,000. And, 26-year-old Timothy James Black, of Emerson, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension ($300 bond).

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Supervisors will meet in a special session 9-a.m. Tuesday, March 29th. The Board has one action item on their agenda: a Hearing for, and Approval of a Resolution on, the  fiscal year 2023 Shelby County budget. There will also be general county business discussion, with no action to follow.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department today (Friday), reports the arrest at around 3:45-a.m. today, of 30-year-old Christopher Cerda-Roma, from Lenox. Cerda-Roma was arrested at Oak and Montgomery Streets, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond at the Union County Jail, was set at $300.

Authorities say two incidents of vandalism and/or theft were reported over the past few weeks. On Wednesday (March 23rd), a man told Police his vehicle had been vandalized while parked near a fitness business in the 500 block of W. Taylor Street, in Creston. He said his driver’s side window was broken out, and a fitness card worth an estimated $200, was missing. On Feb. 13th, a person with the Smoke Shop in Creston reported the business was broken into. The loss from damage and missing inventory, amounted to slightly more than $2,387.

And, on March 21st, a woman reported to Creston Police that her purse went missing while she was at the Creston Walmart Store. The loss was estimated at $100.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest figures show only 67 people were hospitalized in Iowa (as of Wednesday), for treatment of COVID-19, which is down significantly from the peak in January near one-thousand patients. The C-D-C says death rates, too, are slowing dramatically. Lisa Ridge, C-E-O of Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says even after two years, coronavirus is still making a critical impact on the facility. “While we’re grateful for these low numbers and low mortality, as a small, rural hospital with limited resources and limited ability to increase our covered lives or services rapidly,” Ridge says, “we are grappling with the ongoing effects of the pandemic.”

Lisa Ridge. (photo from Van Diest)

Since early 2020, many people have chosen to retire or quit the health care profession and the hospital has a long list of open positions, making a tough situation even more difficult for those who remain. “From our staffing and supply challenges to decreased utilization of our services, we’ve really had to embrace and show our agility,” Ridge says. “We’ve cross-trained staff. We’re showing the ability to flex-staff between departments. We’re being creative with supplies and really with our supply chain as a whole.”

The hospital is investing in new technologies, she says, in order to support its many virtual platforms.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig reports the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded nearly $250,000 in grants to help 13 Iowa farmers, businesses and non-profits increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings. Among the grant recipients, was Brun Ko Farm, owned and managed by Emily and Nathan Paulsen. The farm, located near Exira, is being awarded $15,000 toward a total project cost of $30,000, to increase vegetable production by increasing washing and storage capacity.

Naig said “Iowa agriculture is the envy of the world as our farmers continue to lead the way in producing healthy, high-quality, affordable food. It is essential that consumers have access to the Iowa-grown products they know and love. The Choose Iowa grant program makes this possible through value-added projects that help Iowans grow their businesses and access new markets. I am proud to invest in these projects that continue to position Iowa as a top place to grow, today and in the future.”

To view the entire list of Choose Iowa Marketing and Promotion grant recipients, click HERE.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has endorsed a temporary measure in response to landowner complaints about proposed carbon pipelines. Under the proposal, developers wouldn’t be able to apply for eminent domain authority to seize property for the carbon pipelines before February 1st of next year. Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, says it’s about ensuring the negotiation process between the pipeline companies and landowners is fair.

“This is a moratorium on the ability to schedule a hearing where condemnation authority can be granted,” Kaufman says. “…It sends a message that we’re watching. It sends a message that we have expectations of how you treat landowners.” Representative Steven Hansen, a Democrat from Sioux City, says this doesn’t respond to landowners who have no desire to have the pipelines on their properties.

“We could have addressed this head on and I don’t think we are,” Hansen says. “I think people were under the impression that we were going to deal with this, this year.” House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights says this should be the start of the legislature’s hard conversation about these kind of projects. “Land owner rights, public good definition, what kind of pipelines we want, what are the environment implications — all of the issues around this are critically important,” Konfrst says, “and we need to talk about them.”

Representative Kaufmann says current regulations are too vague. “Comprehensive eminent domain reform, which entails decisions and parameters set around the Iowa Utilities Board has been a priority of mine since I started here,” Kaufmann says. “…The IUB’s job is to follow what we prescribe and I’m open to changing that prescription and making it better.” Representative Chris Hall, a Democrat from Sioux City, says legislators should examine proposals now that would protect landowners.

“This is pushing the issue to next year specifically to, from my vantage point, avoid the politics and the passions that will come out on this issue prior to an election,” Hall says. On a voice vote, the House attached the temporary moratorium to a far larger budget bill that now goes to the Senate for consideration.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on a committee in the Iowa House are advancing parts of the governor’s education agenda, but her proposal to provide state scholarships for 10-thousand students attending private schools is not included. The bill would require high school seniors TAKE a civics test, but PASSING it isn’t required for graduation. Parents would be able to go online to see what classroom materials teachers plan to use. Republican Representative Garrett Gobble of Ankeny, who is a teacher, says there’s already software available for that.

“Our intent here is not to give arbitrary work to teachers,” Gobble says. “We want this to make it meaningful and show parents how to engage, but we can’t engage for the parents.” Other proposals floating around the legislature would have required teachers to post lesson plans for the entire year before school starts. Melissa Peterson of the Iowa State Education Association says teachers welcome transparency, but they also have a job to do.

Encouraging parental engagement and involvement is absolutely a good thing but we do want to ensure we are not being unnecessarily burdensome to our practitioners,” Peterson says, “distracting them from the important work of working with their students on a daily basis.” The bill, which has been approved by the House Appropriations Committee, does not call for establishing felony charges for teachers if parents allege classroom materials or books in the library are obscene.

(Radio Iowa) – A jury has approved a more than 97 million dollar verdict for an Iowa City couple after their child was born severely brain damaged. Geoffery Fieger, the attorney for Andrew and Kathleen Kromphardt, told K-C-R-G T-V the baby received brain damage after he says the doctor neglected to take care of the mom during birth.

The lawsuit says there were ample signs a cesarean section was necessary at the time of the birth in 2018, but Doctor Jill Goodman continued with the vaginal birth and used forceps and tried to pull the baby out of the womb and fractured his skull. Fieger says when she couldn’t get the baby out with forceps, she used a vacuum extractor — which he says you’re never supposed to do after failed forceps. The is believed to be the largest award in state history for medical malpractice cases.

The largest portion of the award will go for future medical costs for the child. The verdict will be split evenly between the doctor’s office and Mercy Iowa City, and includes 42 million dollars for future medical or care expenses.

The jury award also included 11-point-six million dollars for loss of future earnings, and 20 million dollars each for pain and suffering and loss of function of the mind and or body. Mercy Iowa City released a statement saying: “Mercy Iowa City is disappointed in the verdict. While we respect the legal process, we disagree with the jury’s conclusion and will consider all available options. Our primary focus remains on providing high-quality care to our patients and families.”

Obstetric and Gynecologic Associates of Iowa City and Coralville legal team also released a statement saying:
“While we have great respect for the legal process, we are disappointed in the jury’s finding. We are reviewing our legal options moving forward.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports one additional filing for the General Election. Officials say Kevin A Stender has filed nomination papers to run as the  Edna Township Trustee. The deadline to file is 5-p.m., Friday (March 25th).