(Radio Iowa) — Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is joining with House Democrats Cindy Axne and Abby Finkenauer in working to revive national biodiesel tax credits. The tax credits would be extended five years under amendments being added to what are referred to as the year-end tax extenders legislative package. Grassley says, “The biodiesel industry supports over 60,000 jobs across America, including, of course, thousands of Iowans.”

The biodiesel tax credits were allowed to expire two years ago. Grassley says it’s one of several elements he’s pushed to add to the year-end legislation. “This will provide some long-sought certainty for producers and farmers,” Grassley says. “These individual victories, all bipartisan, will actually make a big difference in people’s lives.” Finkenauer released this statement: “While today is a good day for an industry that has been dealt so many unnecessary blows, we should have passed this earlier in the year so our biodiesel producers had the certainty they need to make investments and move the industry forward.”

Axne also put out a news release, saying: “As the Congress considers bills this week to extend and adjust tax provisions, we are determined to fight for the investments that will support our farmers, rural communities, and good-paying green jobs. At a time when Iowa farmers are facing hardship, Congress cannot ignore the importance of including these critical provisions.”

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A convicted felon accused of lying on his voter registration application and voting in the November election has been imprisoned. William Gibson, of Hazleton, was sentenced Tuesday in Independence to 30 years in prison. He’d pleaded guilty to two counts of election misconduct and a drug possession charge. Each felony count filed against Gibson was enhanced because he is a habitual offender. The prosecutors say Gibson lied on his voter registration application when he attested that he’d never been convicted of a felony. And prosecutors say Gibson cast a provisional ballot in the November election. Poll workers suspected he was a convicted felon.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

Hayden Fry, the Texan who revived Iowa football and became a Hawkeye State institution, has died. He was 90. Fry’s family announced through the University of Iowa that the coach died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. The native of Eastland, Texas, had never been to Iowa before taking over the Hawkeyes in 1979. He coached at Iowa for 20 seasons, winning 238 games and three Big Ten championships.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The former top accountant for the state agency that oversees Iowa alcohol sales claims in a new lawsuit that it marked up the price of liquor products illegally and excessively for years. Todd Halbur, former comptroller of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, alleges in the lawsuit that he was fired last year after questioning the illegal price markups and payments made under an improper no-bid contract. Halbur’s lawyer, Stuart Higgins, says his client is a “dedicated public servant” who was improperly fired for blowing the whistle. Division spokesman Tyler Ackerson says the allegations in the lawsuit are “untrue” but declined further comment, citing the pending litigation

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of the Iowa Department of Human Services has sought help from state criminal investigators to look into allegations at the Glenwood Resource Center. The agency learned last month that federal officials were investigating whether the state is violating the federal rights of Glenwood residents by placing them at risk with uncontrolled human subject experiments. Federal officials also are seeking to learn if there have been practices causing needless injury. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt says Tuesday his agency was called in to help and is evaluating information in the ongoing investigation.. Glenwood is home to people with developmental disabilities.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a Fort Madison officer who fatally shot an armed man at a warehouse. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation on Tuesday identified the officer as Cory Brown, a six-year-veteran of the police department. On the night of Dec. 10, Brown was called to a Scott’s Miracle-Gro warehouse in Fort Madison and encountered a man who was armed with a handgun. Brown shot the man, identified as 42-year-old Robert Allen Elfgen, of West Point. Elfgen died at a Fort Madison hospital. Brown is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting.

CENTERVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A Nativity scene removed from a county courthouse lawn in southern Iowa won’t be returning. The scene was erected Nov. 18 outside the Appanoose County Courthouse in Centerville, but some residents complained that a religious display shouldn’t be placed on government property. It was moved away Dec. 9. Other residents soon called for its return. The county owns the building and the land underneath; the city owns the lawn. The Daily Iowegian reports that City Administrator Jason Fraser said at Monday’s council meeting that the Nativity scene location was just an agenda discussion item, so the council couldn’t vote on the issue.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The former top accountant for the state agency that oversees Iowa alcohol sales claims in a new lawsuit that it marked up the price of liquor products illegally and excessively for years. Todd Halbur, former comptroller of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, alleges in the lawsuit that he was fired last year after questioning the illegal price markups and payments made under an improper no-bid contract.

Halbur’s lawyer, Stuart Higgins, says his client is a “dedicated public servant” who was improperly fired for blowing the whistle. Division spokesman Tyler Ackerson says the allegations in the lawsuit are “untrue” but declined further comment, citing the pending litigation

(A-P) — Authorities have released the name of a Fort Madison officer who fatally shot an armed man at a warehouse. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation on Tuesday identified the officer as Cory Brown, a six-year-veteran of the police department. On the night of Dec. 10, Brown was called to a Scott’s Miracle-Gro warehouse in Fort Madison and encountered a man who was armed with a handgun. Brown shot the man, identified as 42-year-old Robert Allen Elfgen, of West Point. Elfgen died at a Fort Madison hospital. Brown is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting.

The Iowa State Patrol, Tuesday, said a central Iowa man died in a single-vehicle accident Monday evening, in Adair County. 59-year old Gregg Schochenmaier, of Norwalk, was driving a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup eastbound on I-80 near mile marker 91, when for reasons unknown, the pickup left the road and entered a ditch before striking a tree and coming to rest.

The crash was called-in at around 6:30-p.m., by a passing motorist who saw the pickup in the ditch. It’s not known when the accident took place. Schochenmaier, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. The State Patrol was assisted by the Guthrie County Medical Examiner and the Johnson Family Funeral Home.

(Radio Iowa) — Lobbyists from business groups used a public hearing in the governor’s office to tout proposals that would improve and expand affordable housing and child care options for working parents. J.D. Davis is a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. “We know that we have to get kind of in the weeds now,” Davis said, “and when we talk to our members throughout the state of Iowa, in some places it’s housing; in some places, it’s child care and we look forward to working on those issues and solving those with others that are experiencing the same issues that we have.”

Iowa Chamber Alliance executive director Dustin Miller says his group supports an increase in the state tax credits for workforce housing. “And I don’t think it gets mentioned enough, but the historic preservation tax credit in urban and rural settings has the ability to impact housing as well,” he said. Others who spoke at Tuesday afternoon’s hour-long public hearing addressed issues like criminal justice reform and expanding the sale of bio-fuels.

Kevin Kuhle of the Iowa Farm Bureau urged the governor to change the way mental health services are financed. “Mental health funding should be included in the state budget and remove this cost from property taxes. Iowa is one of only a handful of states where property taxpayers fund mental health services, creating inequities for property taxpayers,”Kuhle said. “Now is the time to transition to an equitable funding source, with the state assuming the costs of the mental health system.”

After the hearing, Governor Reynolds told reporters while she’d consider increasing state spending on the system, she believes property taxes should continue to support mental health services — and some counties may have to increase their levies. “We’re taking all of those things into consideration when we try to figure out what is a sustainable funding mechanism for…both adult and children mental health services,” Reynolds said.

Representatives of Des Moines University asked the governor to continue state funding for courses to help medical students recognize and treat mentally ill patients.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A jury convicted a woman Tuesday whose attorney had said his client was insane when she stabbed to death her former husband in northeast Iowa. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Hillary Hunziker, was found guilty of first-degree murder and will be sentenced later to life in prison.

A Buchanan County District Court document says a child called 911 early on Nov. 6, 2017, and said, “My mom just stabbed my dad.” That was followed by a call from Jason Hunziker, who said his former wife had stabbed him. The complaint says deputies later found Jason Hunziker dead in his Independence home.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report 47-year old Gerry Dean Ballantyne Jr., of Harlan, was arrested last Friday, following a traffic stop. Ballantyne was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while suspended and no proof of insurance.

The H-PD is reminding citizens, also, that 2020 dog tags are available.  The current licenses expire on December 31st.  Cost is $10 per tag and proof of rabies is required to be shown at the time of licensing.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 43-year old Willard Edward Frazier, Sr., of Red Oak, was arrested Monday afternoon. Frazier was taken into custody at the Mills Count Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Contempt of Court. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

And, an Audubon man was injured during an accident Monday morning, in Mills County. Officials say 21-year old Travis Wolff was driving a 2010 Mazda southbound on Highway 59 at around 5:13-a.m., when for reasons unknown, his vehicle crossed the center line of the road between Marh and Noyes Avenues. The vehicle came to rest in the ditch. Wolff was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital by Malvern Rescue.