Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports his deputies conducting an investigation into a series of stolen vehicle and thefts, Monday night recovered two stolen vehicle, a stolen camper, flatbed trailer, 4-wheeler, and other, miscellaneous stolen items. They were recovered in the vicinity of Green Hollow Road. During the investigation, Deputies came into contact with a suspicious vehicle, and they soon engaged in a pursuit on Green Hollow Road.

The suspect vehicle traveled south into Thurman, before heading east towards Highway 275 and then changing directions. He went south on 242nd Avenue and shut off his lights before turning into a field entrance a little over one-mile from 160th Street. Deputies pursued the vehicle until it crashed. When the persons inside took off on foot, Deputies deployed the Sheriff’s Office K9 “Judge” and his partner, to track the suspects.

K9 “Judge”

One of the suspects was tracked into the bluffs and down a creek bed. The suspect was given numerous commands to surrender, but he continued to resist, and fled on foot once again. The K9 foiled the suspects’ efforts to run, though.  During the apprehension, the suspect kicked the K9 in the face, but the dog never let go of his bite., and dragged him toward the handler. The suspect was then taken into custody and transported to Grape Community Hospital to be treated for dog bite and hypothermia. He was later transported to Jenny Edmundson Hospital, in Council Bluffs. A Deputy was treated for frost bite, following the incident.

The suspect’s name was not immediately available, because he was uncooperative with authorities. He faces charges that include Eluding, Assault on a Peace Officer, and other infractions.  The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Tabor Police and the Iowa State Patrol.

Republican Senator Joni Ernst says it “seems heartless” to deport people whose parents brought them into the U.S. illegally when they were children. “What I’ve been doing is kind of querying conservatives and Republicans across the state: ‘What do you think the answer to DACA is?’ And probably 90 percent or better say: ‘We need a permanent solution. They’re parts of our communities and we can’t let them go. They need to be here,'” Ernst says. “And I agree.”

Ernst says President Trump supports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program, he just requires a deal on DACA to include more funding for border security. Ernst held a town hall meeting in Boone yesterday (Monday) afternoon that was live streamed by The Des Moines Register. Ernst told the crowd she doesn’t “appreciate the rhetoric coming out of the White House” because “so much” of her time is spent answering questions about what the president says rather than the legislation she’s working on. Ernst directly addressed accounts indicating Trump used a derogatory word to describe African nations during an Oval Office meeting. As she visits other countries on congressional trips, Ernst says she tries to stress a “consistent” U.S. message of “level-headedness.”

“We have good friends in other nations…We need to treat them with dignity and respect, just as we would expect to be treated,” Ernst said. “…Hopefully, beyond the administration, they will see that they do have partners.”  A few minutes later, a man in the crowd directly asked Ernst if the president is a racist. “Deep inside, no, I don’t think he’s a racist,” Ernst said. “I think he’s brash and he says things that are on his mind, but I don’t truly think that he is a racist.”  Ernst got crowd reaction to her opinion that ranged from disagreement to applause.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa is caught up in a legal fight with a conservative Christian student group that denied a leadership position to a student who is gay. The case pits a university policy barring discrimination based on sexual orientation against the religious beliefs of a 10-member group called Business Leaders in Christ. The group sued after the state’s flagship university in Iowa City revoked the group’s campus registration in November.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa soon will require that ignition interlocks have cameras so drivers required to take breath tests don’t have other people start the drivers’ vehicles. The vehicles would still start, but the drivers could lose their restricted driver’s licenses and be charged with crimes after the ignition interlock company notifies the state that other people blew into the devices. All repeat drunken driving offenders are required to install the devices in Iowa.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have accused a Coralville woman of beating her 11-year-old son. Joni Reed is charged with child endangerment causing injury and related crimes. Her attorney didn’t immediately return a call Monday from The Associated Press. Police say the two had been separated by the time officers arrived Thursday evening at an Iowa City residence. The boy had a bruise above his left eye and scrapes on his arms. He also complained of head pain.

WEST BRANCH, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two crew members were injured when their ambulance flipped on an icy roadway while taking a patient to Iowa City. The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. Sunday on Interstate 80 near West Branch in Cedar County. All three occupants were taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and the two crew members already have been released.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Monday, approved a request by Parks and Rec Director Seth Staashelm, to apply for a Water Quality Initiative/Urban Conservation Project grant. Staashelm said he was informed of the grant availability by City Administrator John Lund, and it would be a 50-percent match in order to obtain the full grant amount.

A preliminary design/layout for the Urban Conservation Project grant

One of the projects he’s considering if the grant application is approved, is public gardens planning for the Nishna Park near the Atlantic High School, in cooperation with ISU Extension. The project would require installing two Bio-swales and native plants to help absorb water that ponds in the area and improve storm water run-off along with water quality. Natural Bio-retention filters and rain gardens would be included as part of the project.

The cost estimate for the entire project, ranges from 30-to 35-thousand dollars, minus any plantings that occur and any action taken by the School District to do their part, if they approve. With in-kind labor and other financial juggling, the City’s matching share of the cost could be lowered to 10-to 15-thousand dollars.

City Administrator John Lund said to Staashelm it would be possible to transfer $10,000 out of the Storm Water Fund into the Local Option Sales Tax Fund (LOST) for the project. Therefore if it comes to more than $30,000, some funds would be derived from the LOST account.

Parks & Rec Chairperson Stuart Dusenberry accepts a $500 check from Royal Neighbors member/Parks Board Secretary Jolene Smith for use at the Schildberg Shelter project. (Left to right: Seth Staashelm; Dusenberry; Smith; Board Mbrs. Charlene Beane and Erin McFadden.

In other other business, the Parks and Rec Department accepted a $500 check from Atlantic Royal Neighbors. Jolene Smith, Parks and Rec Board and Royal Neighbors member, explained where the funds are coming from. Last summer, she said, they held a “Difference Maker” out at Sunnyside Park, where they served hot dogs and chips while “Movies in the Park” was underway. Different Royal Neighbor Chapters get to vote on the projects, which are then put into a drawing. The Atlantic Royal Neighbors won a $500 donation check payable to the Schildberg Recreation Area. They would like it to go for picnic tables in the shelter at the Schildberg Rec Area that’s being built this summer.

And, finally, Seth Staashelm said the ice rink opened last week and will remain open while the temperatures allow. Sunnyside Park is open for all winter activities, even Disc Golf, but the roads into and out of the park are closed for the season. The Parks Board will meet next on February 12th and March 12th.

Officials with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office say they have discontinued an investigation into the theft of more than 30 head of cattle from the Montgomery County Sale Barn. The move comes at the request of the Sale Barn owners, who told authorities a person who shall remain nameless, came forward admitted to the theft of 34 head of cattle.

The incident took place during the early morning hours of January 7th. The Sale Barn owners asked authorities to close the investigation, saying the matter instead will be handled internally, and that no charges would be pursued.

Iowa is seeing rising rates of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs, so state health officials got federal approval to launch a program to distribute clean syringes to drug users, but there’s a problem. Syringe exchange programs are illegal in Iowa. Randy Mayer, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Health, says they’re preparing to make the case for syringe exchanges to state lawmakers.

Mayer says, “The most important one was to get this determination of need approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which we’ve just recently done.” State lawmakers considered a bill that would legalize syringe exchange programs last year, but it didn’t pass. The same state report that shows increasing rates of hepatitis C also shows Iowa is at risk for an H-I-V outbreak among drug users. Mayer says the state hasn’t yet seen H-I-V diagnoses rise among people who use drugs, but the department is watching closely for that.

“What we have is an avenue for that to occur,” Mayer says. “So, it really just takes the right person to get into that population with untreated HIV infection and that could allow that to happen. So having a syringe services program is one way to try to avoid that.”

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne illness that can cause liver failure. Mayer says the number of diagnosed hepatitis C cases in Iowa has increased more than 200-percent in the past 16 years. Iowa now has about 2,200 people per year getting a diagnosis of hepatitis C. It’s third on the state list of reportable infectious diseases. Mayer warns tens of thousands of Iowans who have hepatitis C are likely not diagnosed.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

A Creighton University economist is suggesting Iowa legislators should tread carefully as they craft a tax cut package. Republican lawmakers like Senate G-O-P Leader Bill Dix point to state tax cuts of the 1990s as proof cutting taxes will spark the economy and lead to state tax revenue growth. Creighton’s Ernie Goss says that’s true “in some cases,” but he’s not predicting that for Iowa now.

“When we cut the rates, generally speaking, the collections from the taxes are reduced. That’s what happened in Kansas. There was not the supply-side bump and in this case when you’re at full employment, it’s hard to get that supply-side bump. Where are you going to get the workers? Why can China grow at three times the rate of the US? Well, they have more fuel for the fire – labor that can come into the market. We don’t have it.”

Kansas Republicans enacted a plan in 2012 that dramatically cut taxes. “I think you need to do it in a more thoughtful manner, if you’re going to cut and they did cut,” Goss says. “But also you have to understand that some of the spending’s also going to be cut.” Goss says despite deep cuts in education and other areas over the past few years, the state budget deficit in Kansas is now 900 million dollars.

Republicans in Iowa says one difference now is the extra taxes the state should collect due to FEDERAL tax law changes. Goss cautions against counting on that “windfall” — as he predicts it won’t be as large as predicted. Goss made his comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa is caught in a legal fight with a conservative Christian student group that denied a leadership position to a gay student. The case pits a university policy barring discrimination based on sexual orientation against the religious beliefs of a 10-member group called Business Leaders in Christ.

The group sued in federal court after the state’s flagship university in Iowa City revoked the group’s campus registration in November. The group says its membership is open to everyone, but that its leaders must affirm a statement of faith that rejects homosexuality.

The university says it respects the right of students, faculty and staff to practice the religion of their choice but does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests. At around 9:15-a.m. today (Monday), 45-year old Gregory Richard Shaplin, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a warrant for violation of probation. He was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail and held on $10,000 bond.

And, early Saturday morning, 37-year old Renne Lynn Adams, of Hastings, was arrested for OWI/1^st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of two individuals after a traffic stop early Sunday morning. 37-year-old Chad Laverne Anderson of Exira was arrested at 2:40am for driving while suspended. A passenger in the car, 27-year-old Rebecca Lyn Matzen of Exira was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear. Anderson was released on his own recognizance later that morning and Matzen was held in the Audubon County Jail awaiting extradition back to Pottawattamie County.