DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would add restrictions to how authorities can seize money and other items from people suspected of illegal activity. The chamber voted 49-0 Tuesday for the bill, which now heads to the House. It must clear procedural votes this week to survive a looming legislative deadline.

Civil asset forfeiture is a legal process that allows law enforcement to take money or property from a person suspected of illegal activity. In Iowa, authorities can keep the items regardless of a conviction. The bill would require seized cash or property to be returned if it’s valued at less than $5,000 and there’s no conviction.

The bill comes amid efforts around the country to reform a system critics say can undermine a citizen’s judicial rights.

DES MOINES – The Iowa DNR will hold the 2017 spring auction on April 22, at Pioneer Livestock Pavilion on the Iowa State Fairgrounds, in Des Moines. Doors will open at 7 a.m., and the auction will begin at 8:30 a.m. The public may view the items for sale and pre-register for the auction from 4 to 6 p.m., on April 21. There will not be any buyer’s premium fee added to the sale.

Items up for auction include more than 500 firearms, bows, gun barrels, scopes, tree stands and other assorted equipment. The items are sold “as is” with no guarantee or warranty.

Any person interested in purchasing a firearm at the auction must have either a valid Iowa permit to acquire pistols or revolvers, a federal firearms license, or a professional or non-professional permit to carry concealed weapons. The Iowa permit to acquire can be obtained from a sheriff’s office. Allow two to three weeks to receive the permit.

Payment must be made on auction day. All sales are final. All items must be removed from the site within one half hour after the sale completion. The Iowa DNR reserves the right to reject any bids and withdraw any item from the sale at any time. A sale bill is available online at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting and will be updated if inventory is added. The DNR will not be mailing any sale bills.

Drug dealers who repackage illegal drugs to resemble or taste like candy so they’ll appeal to kids would face stiffer penalties under a bill being introduced this week by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. He says it’s becoming a common practice with outlawed substances ranging from from marijuana to meth.

Grassley says, “Law enforcement reports that drug dealers frequently combine drugs with chocolate or fruit-flavors or package the drug to look like candy or soda for the sole purpose of attracting young people to that drug.” There are reports of candy bracelets containing ecstasy, gummy bears laced with Xanax and candy laced with T-H-C. The bill has bipartisan support, Grassley says, and it would target dealers who target children.

“Cynical criminals take advantage of drug trends in the general population thereby making dangerous illicit drugs specifically to market to kids,” Grassley says. “The criminals are very innovative and the law should keep up with them.” While some of the products in question may be legal in some states, Grassley says drug dealers are making their own copycat versions that could prove very dangerous — or lethal — if ingested by young people.

“They make marijuana into cookies or something like that but meth is a specific one that’s a problem,” Grassley says, “and you know how deadly meth is.” Under the bill, Grassley says those who market candy-flavored drugs to kids will face much steeper consequences, seeing prison sentences increased ten to 20 years.

(Radio Iowa)

A Certified Public Accounting firm has released an audit report on Cass County. The Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn and Company P.C CPA’s report says the County had local tax revenue of just over $29.4-million for the Fiscal Year ending June 30th, 2016. That amount included over $2.6-million in tax credits from the State. The County forwarded over $29.5-million of the local tax revenue to the townships, school districts, cities and other taxing bodies in the County.

The County retained more than $7.8-million of the local tax revenue to finance County operations, a 2.4% increase from the prior year. Other revenues included $5.4-million from the State, including indirect federal funding of nearly $1.4-million , charges for service of slightly more than $363,300, and nearly $205,000 for the use of money and property.

Expenditures for County operations totaled slightly more than $13.1-million, and 11.9% decrease from the prior year. Expenses included nearly $4.6-million for roads and transportation, nearly $650,000 for mental health, $2.44-million for public safety and legal services, $1.15-million for capital projects, and nearly $1.3-million for administrative services.

A copy of the Audit Report is available for review in the office of the Auditor of State, and the Cass County Auditor’s Office.

Governor Terry E. Branstad today (Tuesday) announced three appointments to Iowa’s STEM Advisory Council.Among those whose appointments went into effect on Monday and are not subject to Iowa Senate Confirmation, was Barbara Crittenden, of Creston. The other appointees include: Kelsey Tyrrell, of Des Moines, and Scott Montgomery, of Coralville.

An Adair County man suffered possible, unknown injuries, following an accident in the Creston Hospital’s parking lot. The crash happened at around 11:30-p.m., Friday. Creston Police say 65-year old Alen J. Weese, of Orient, was backing a 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup truck out of a parking stall near the Greater Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Room entrance, when he accidentally stepped on the gas too hard.

The pickup backed around the parking lot and hit a 2000 Ford Expedition. The pickup continued in the same direction and proceeded to hit a 2014 Jeep Cherokee as well as a 1998 Oldsmobile Regency. The pickup didn’t stop until it hit the GRMC building.

Weese was transported by ambulance to the hospital. Damage from the accident totaled $23,500, which included $2,000 damage done to a glass window on the hospital’s Emergency Room Door. No citations were issued.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports 28-year old Nathan Andrew Wilcoxsen, of Coin, was arrested Sunday afternoon. Wilcoxsen was taken into custody at his home on a Page County Warrant for Failure to appear on two counts of Theft in the 5th Degree.  He posted bond and was released pending further court proceedings.

Nathan Wilcoxsen (Photo submitted by Page County S/O)

Officials with Diamond Vogel Paint and Keep Iowa Beautiful (KIB) have announced the recipients of the 2017 Paint Iowa Beautiful program awards. April is designated at “Keep Iowa Beautiful” month. The program provides free paint to a wide variety of 91 public service projects throughout Iowa. The program is administered through Keep Iowa Beautiful, with paint provided by Diamond Vogel Paint Company.

Among the recipients of paint for their projects, is:

• The Bedford House/Garland Hotel, in Bedford – for a brick wall, restroom & ceiling tile.
• The French Icarian Colony Foundation, in Corning – For a communal dining hall.
• The Denison Chamber and Development Council, in Denison – For Park playground and picnic tables.
• Farragut Hometown Pride, in Farragut – For main street buildings.
• The Adair County Historical Society, in Greenfield – For Historic buildings.
• Crossroads of Western Iowa, in Logan – For residential homes.
• The City of Malvern – For a pool bathhouse mural.
• Main Street Manning – For 5 commercial buildings.
• In Onawa – Monona County Extension, for Community garden beds, and for the Onawa Community and Recreation Center.
• The Guthrie County Historical Foundation, in Panora – For the Caboose; and, P.E.T.S in Panora, for a Pet rescue building.
• Sac City: Chamber Main Street – For their offices; Hometown Pride Committee – For two residences.
• The Tabor Historical Society
• City of Villisca – For the City Hall interior.
• Winterset Art Center – For the historic Main Street building.
• Woodbine Main Street – For a school house.

In the 14-year partnership with KIB, Diamond Vogel Paint has awarded over 8,922 gallons of paint for 676 community projects, in Iowa.

BUSSEY, Iowa (AP) – A southern Iowa teacher has been accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. Knoxville radio station KNIA reports 61-year-old Alan Stewart, of Oskaloosa, is charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee. Online jail records say Stewart remained in Marion County custody Tuesday.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says Stewart had sexual contact with a student during 2015. Stewart is listed as an industrial arts and physical education teacher at the Twin Cedars Community School District high school in Bussey. The district says Stewart has been placed on administrative leave.

Today (Tuesday) is Diabetes Alert Day and Iowans are being urged to take a simple, online survey to determine if they might be headed down a hazardous path. Katie Jones, program manager at the Iowa Department of Public Health, says it only takes a minute to complete the test. Jones says, “This is really to see if you’re at risk for a condition called prediabetes which is basically where blood glucose levels or blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet to be considered diabetes.”

The website is: Do I Have Prediabetes-dot-org. Jones says about one in every three Iowans are prediabetic and most of them don’t know it. “The test asks things like your age, because age is a big risk factor,” Jones says. “Simply getting older increases your risk. It also asks things like family history of diabetes, things like that.”

About one in 12 Iowans have diabetes and one in four have it and don’t know it. By knowing your risk level, Jones says Iowans can make a few key lifestyle changes to stave off type 2 diabetes. “The good news is, if you do have prediabetes, you can take steps to help prevent developing type 2 diabetes and even getting rid of prediabetes,” Jones says. “The National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you actually curb that progression.”

People with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and other serious complications. Prediabetes can often be reversed through modest weight loss — 5 to 7 percent of body weight — and making small changes to increase healthy eating and moderate physical activity.

(Radio Iowa)