NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — Officials say some of the nearly 170 dogs seized from a puppy mill in northern Iowa are being placed with shelters and rescue groups across the Midwest. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced Tuesday that dogs have been sent to Iowa shelters in Mason City and Waterloo; to the Wichita Animal Action League in Wichita, Kansas; and to the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha, Nebraska. The ASPCA says the other dogs will remain at an undisclosed shelter where experts can assess them in the investigation.

The dogs rescued Nov. 12 — all Samoyeds — were described as “fearful and undersocialized.” Officials say the dogs were kept in kennels that provided minimal protection from the elements and that they had no access to clean water. Animal neglect charges are pending against the owner.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A longtime Roman Catholic priest in Iowa has been removed from the ministry for a year after a girl complained that he improperly touched her. The Diocese of Sioux City says the fourth-grader alleged that the Rev. Brian Danner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Humboldt rubbed the top of her leg while taking her confession. Diocese lawyer Michael Ellwanger says the girl’s parents were “extremely upset” and complained. Church officials reported the incident to the county attorney and indefinitely revoked Danner’s ability to function as a priest.

Ellwanger says a diocese review found that Danner’s actions were inappropriate but didn’t constitute sexual abuse. Authorities did not pursue a criminal investigation after a representative for the girl’s parents indicated they were unsure whether they wanted to move forward.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is taking President Trump to task for Trump’s public criticism of his White House chief of staff. In a weekend interview, Trump spoke negatively of General John Kelly’s job performance and suggested he may be considering firing Kelly or that Kelly might want to leave on his own. Grassley says Trump’s comments were inappropriate. Grassley says, “The words that are used are very important and those words have been disrespectful of a person that defended our country and was a leader of the U.S. Marines for 46, 47, 48 years.”

Kelly retired from the U-S Marine Corps in 2016. In his tweet, Grassley said: “I wish President Trump would never discuss any ill feelings he has about his chief of staff, General Kelly.” Grassley notes, the president is certainly entitled to make any changes in his staff he sees fit, but he shouldn’t be speculating about those individuals on national T-V. Grassley says, “The president could fire him for justified reasons, the president could praise him for justified reasons, but those sorts of words should never go public.”

In a weekend interview on Fox News, Trump said he isn’t happy with Kelly’s performance as chief of staff: “Certain things I love that he does and there are certain things I don’t love,” Trump said. “There a couple of things that just aren’t his strength. It’s not his fault, it’s not his strength.”

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds is planning to call on Iowa lawmakers to pass a series of criminal justice reforms — and a new path for restoring voting rights to an estimated 52-thousand Iowa felons may be among her proposals. “I’m looking forward to making some recommendations next year, so stay tuned,” Reynolds said. Reynolds told reporters today (Tuesday) she’s just begun discussing options with her staff. “We’re going to have a conversation and talk about that,” Reynolds said. “…I want that to be a part of what we’re looking at next year.”

Iowa, Florida and Kentucky have been the only states to permanently bar felons from voting once their sentences have been completed, unless the governor acts to restore voting rights to an individual applicant. Earlier this month voters in Florida passed a referendum to override that policy, restoring voting rights to about one million felons. “That’s why we’re going to take a look at it,” Reynolds told reporters.  In addition, a legislative advisory board last week recommended that Iowa’s current policy on felon voting rights be abandoned. Reynolds has continued the process set up by her predecessor, Terry Branstad, that requires felons to apply to the governor to have their voting rights restored. In the 18 months Reynolds has been governor, she’s granted that request to 88 felons.

“I was at my grandson’s basketball game…this weekend, being a grandma and I had a gentleman walk up to me and he had had his rights restored,” Reynolds said. “And he said: ‘Not only did I get a letter, but your team personally reached to me with a phone call to make sure that I knew that my rights had been restored.’ And he said: ‘I can’t even begin to tell you the dignity that I felt because I had gotten my life back, to be able to go in and vote.'” Reynolds says her staff worked to make sure all the applications for voting rights restoration were processed before Election Day. In 2005, Governor Tom Vilsack issued an executive order the automatically restored voting rights to felons who had been released from prison and completed their parole, but in 2011 Governor Terry Branstad rescinded that, reverting to the voting rights restrictions for felons he had in force during his previous 16 years in office.

(Update 10:30-a.m.) Emergency crews responded at around 9:45-a.m. today (Tuesday), to a rollover accident involving a crane, south of Wiota. The accident happened on 690th Street (Cass County Road N-28), south of Lansing Road. Cumberland Fire Chief Sean South told KJAN News the driver of the truck had to be extricated by mechanical means (The Jaws of Life), after he was trapped in the vehicle. The accident happened, he said, when the northbound truck/crane got too far over onto the soft shoulder, and rolled into the ditch. The unidentified driver was conscious and breathing, and talking with rescuers before he was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Medivac.

Both lanes of N-28 were blocked for a time.  Cumberland Fire and Rescue, Anita Rescue and Wiota First Responders, along with Medivac Ambulance, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management Agency responded to the scene.

Photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass County EMA

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is replacing her legal counsel days after winning a four-year term in office. Reynolds’ press secretary Brenna Smith confirmed late Monday that attorney Colin Smith has left the office as of Nov. 14. Brenna Smith says that Windsor Heights attorney Michael Boal will replace Colin Smith beginning Nov. 28.

Boal, a 28-year-old Republican, lost a race for an open seat in the Iowa Legislature earlier this month to Democrat Jennifer Konfrst. He’s the son of House chief clerk Carmine Boal, a former state lawmaker.
Colin Smith had worked for Reynolds since she assumed the governorship in May 2017 and for her predecessor Terry Branstad.

Brenna Smith says the governor “appreciates his years of service to this office and the state.”

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a 122-year-old building in southeast Iowa that was damaged by a fire last summer says he’ll tear down the structure and build something new. The Hawk Eye reports that the Burlington City Council learned of the plan to demolish the Tama Complex on Monday. The historic complex was nearly destroyed in an Aug. 4 fire. Eric Tysland is the development and parks director for Burlington. He says Tama developer Doug Wells will work with G & B Construction on the demolition.

Wells told the council this month that he’d prefer to rebuild the $12.5 million complex, but the decision would ultimately come down to the cost of demolition versus rehabilitation. Wells is expected to provide an update on the project next month.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of driving onto and damaging the eastern Iowa baseball field made famous by the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” must serve two to five years of probation. Television station KCRG reports that 21-year-old Austin Pape, of Dyersville, also was granted a deferred judgment at his sentencing Monday in Dubuque. A deferred judgment allows Pape’s conviction to be removed from court records if he fulfills his probation terms.

Investigators say Pape acknowledged driving onto the field Jan. 22. The field sits just outside Dyersville, 140 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Des Moines. Thousands of people visit the property every year, running around the bases and walking to the surrounding cornfields.

Pape pleaded guilty in September to felony criminal mischief after prosecutors dropped a charge of reckless driving.

The Griswold School Board met Monday evening, and discussed the sale of the Elementary Buildings. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News they have received two bids for the Lewis Building, and no bids (to date), for the Elliott Building. “However,” he says “We’re having ongoing communications with the City of Elliott about that building.” The plan moving forward, he says “Is to set a date, probably in January,” for the two individuals with the Lewis proposals, to present to the Griswold School Board and Lewis City Council. Afterward, they’ll try to “Come to the best conclusion about who we feel is the best bidder for that,” and then conduct formal hearings and all the steps necessary to transfer ownership.

One of the bidders, he says, has proposed a manufacturing facility for the Lewis building, while the other proposes it be used for a Youth Shelter/Residential Treatment Facility. In other business, Board approved a couple of Early Retirement applications from two, long-time District employees who have “done great things for the district.” Gail Maxwell is the K-12 Media Technology Integrationist and Media Specialist. Andrea Olson is a Title 1 Teacher at Lewis. Henrichs said “We’ll greatly miss them and appreciate their efforts greatly.”

The Board also continued with discussions on Budget changes for the 2019-20 School Year, which amount to about $200,000. He says “We’re using that word ‘change’ because we’re trying to find ways to shift people around, versus eliminating positions.” A list of 17 different ideas and/or options has been established, to which the Board agreed to continue exploring. The goal, he said, is to have some final decisions made by the end of January.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS