SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Director Tanya N. Garfield of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West today (Friday) reminded Iowa small businesses of the Dec. 23, 2019, deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury caused by severe storms and flooding that occurred March 12 – June 15, 2019. According to Garfield, small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. “Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the applicant suffered any property damage,” Garfield said.

These low-interest federal disaster loans are available in:

Area counties:  Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.

The interest is 4 percent for businesses and 2.75 percent for private nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX  76155.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s 2017 stand-your-ground law doesn’t apply to defendants engaged in criminal activity prior to using deadly force.
Friday’s ruling reverses an Iowa Court of Appeals’ order in May issuing a new trial to Miguel Angel Lorenzo Baltazar, of Des Moines. He is serving life in prison for the July 2017 shooting death of Jeffrey Mercado. Baltazar maintains he feared Mercado had a weapon.

The Court of Appeals said Baltazar’s trial court issued faulty jury instructions that didn’t abide by Iowa’s new stand-your-ground law. The Supreme Court noted the new law says there’s no duty to retreat when a person isn’t engaged in illegal activity, therefore implying those engaged in illegal activity must retreat. Baltazar was illegally carrying a gun without a license.

(Radio Iowa) — Kansas and Arizona authorities have issued a “silver alert” for a missing Sharpsburg, Iowa man. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Arizona Department of Public Safety say 90-year-old James Lewis Larson was last seen November 13th near Lawrence. Additional information from Arizona authorities says Larson’s cell phone was pinged 30 miles outside of Yuma, Arizona on November 16th. Authorities say Larson was traveling from his home in Iowa to Yuma, but he never arrived. Larson is described as a white male, approximately 6-feet tall, 220 pounds with gray hair and blue eyes with eyeglasses. He was last seen driving a 2017 Ford Edge 4-door hatchback with Iowa license plate ASG 448. Anyone with information is urged to contact their local law enforcement office.

(Radio Iowa) — A judge has temporarily halted plans to execute a north-central Iowa drug kingpin for the 1993 murders of three adult witnesses and two children. Dustin Honken of Britt was convicted of the July 1993 murders of 34-year-old Greg Nicholson, 31-year-old Lori Duncan, as well as Duncan’s two children, 10-year-old Kandace and six-year-old Amber, at Duncan’s Mason City home. Honken was also convicted of murdering another informant, 32-year-old Terry DeGeus, four months later. Their five bodies were found buried in a field southwest of Mason City in the fall of 2000.

Honken was one of the Midwest’s early large-scale producers of methamphetamine and was sentenced in 1997 to a 27-year term for making and distributing drugs. Honken’s girlfriend Angela Johnson was also convicted in connection with the murders and was sentenced to death, but her punishment was reduced to life in prison in 2014. US Attorney General William Barr announced in July that he had directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to clear the way to resume capital punishment after a nearly two decade lapse. Honken was scheduled to be executed on January 15th at the federal prison in Terre Haute Indiana.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan put the cases of Honken and four others on ice while the challenge plays out. She said in a Wednesday evening ruling that the public is not served by “short-circuiting” a legitimate judicial process. Barr told the Associated Press on Thursday that he would take the issue all the way to the US Supreme Court if necessary.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a Council Bluffs man was arrested Thursday evening on a Fugitive from Justice warrant. 21-year old Michael B. Birkelbach, Jr., was transported to the Pott. County Jail. A call about a disturbance southwest of Walnut, Thursday evening, resulted the arrest of 75-year old David Lynn Johannes, of Honey Creek. Johannes was taken into custody for Assault with a Firearm, Harassment in the 1st Degree by threatening a forcible felony, and Harassment in the 3rd Degree by communication or personal contact. His bond was set at $4,300.

Thursday night, 32-year old Jesse Lee Cody, of Carson, was arrested at the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, where he was to be served with a protection order. Cody was taken into custody for being a Fugitive from Justice. Thursday afternoon, 22-year old Gage Michael Surita was arrested at the Pott. County Courthouse, on a valid warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault with a dangerous weapon/1st offense. Surita was transported to the jail.

A little after 9-a.m. Thursday, an inmate at the Pott. County Jail, who faces Criminal Mischief charges associated with incidents earlier this week where he damaged a sprinkler head and TV in his cell, was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree, for additional damages amounting from $1,000 to $10,000. 24-year old Robert Frederickson Durham, of Council Bluffs, was subsequently returned to his cell. His bond was set at $6,000.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES– Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa to fly at half-staff from now until sunset today (Friday, November 22nd), to honor fallen Marine Corps Reserve Private Channing R. Whitaker.  Whitaker, from Granger, was killed in action on November 22, 1943. Pvt. Whitaker was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force (FMF), which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Whitaker’s remains were accounted for on May 29, 2019.

Pvt. Whitaker will be buried with full military honors during a Memorial Service 2-p.m. today, in the Glendale Cemetery, in Des Moines. Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex. Flags will also be half-staff on all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

(Updated) — Police in Creston report 45-year old Jason Schlapia, of Creston, was cited Thursday evening, for attempted Theft. He was cited at the Dollar General Store at around 6:30-p.m., and then released. 26-year old Hannah Marie Jackson, of Afton, was arrested Thursday morning at the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston. She was taken into custody for Theft in the 4th Degree, and later released on $100 bond. 32-year old Shaune William Tindle, of Creston, was arrested late Thursday morning at the Union County Courthouse. Tindle was taken into custody on a Ringgold County warrant and transported to the Ringgold County Jail, where his cash-only bond was set at $5,000.

And, Thursday night, 23-year old Keegan Wayne Williams, of Creston, was arrested at the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston, for Theft in the 5th Degree. His bond was set at $300.

Iowa 3rd District Congresswoman Cindy Axne will be in Cass County this Saturday, November 23rd.  Axne will hold a “Connect with your Congresswoman” event in the Media Center at the Atlantic High School (1201 E 14th Street), from 4-until 4:45-p.m. The event is open to the public.

Congresswoman Axne also has stops planned for Saturday in:

Union County – A tour of the ASPIRE Before & After school/Learing Center/Thrift Store/Food Pantry (211 Grace St. in Afton/Union County Fairgrounds) from 9:15-until 10-a.m.

Ringgold County – 10:30-to 11:15-a.m. at Jamie’s Coffee Mill & Deli (118 W. Adams St., Mt. Ayr)

Taylor County – Noon until 12:45-p.m. at Hedgies’ Books, Toys and More (414 Main St., Bedford)

Adams County – From 2:15-p.m. until 3-p.m., for a Freedom Creek Conservation tour (15566 Sycamore Ave., in Prescott)

Adair County – 6-to 6:45-p.m. at the Olive Branch Restaurant in Greenfield ( 108 E. Iowa St.)

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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