Job seekers in Iowa should find plenty of opportunities in the New Year, according to a new survey of employers. The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey found, between January and March, 24 percent of the Iowa companies interviewed plan to hire more employees, while just four-percent expect layoffs. Another 68 percent expect to maintain their current workforce levels. The hiring intentions are stronger than surveys conducted both three months ago and one year ago.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved a Traffic Safety Improvement Program (TSIP) project in Montgomery County. The Commission approved a requested $500,000 for a pavement widening project on County Road H-34. The project is expected to cost a little more than $1.2-million altogether.

The Commission however declined to provide funding for traffic signals at 32nd Avenue and Manawa Center Drive, in Council Bluffs, and elsewhere. The City of Council Bluffs had requested $164,200 toward the $191,000 cost of the signals.

The Iowa Transportation Commission, meeting today (Tuesday), in Ames, approved the a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) grant application from the City of Council Bluffs. Up to $957,374 from the city share of the RISE Fund was approved for a Local Development grant to assist in reconstruction of approximately 710 feet of Gifford Road and construction of approximately 1,880 feet of South 19^th Street located on the south side of town.

Officials say the project is necessary to provide improved access to six lots totaling more than 89 acres for light industrial purposes. The project is anticipated to be completed by November 2017.

The downturn in the agriculture economy continues to impact the state with the latest evidence another drop in the price of farmland in the annual Iowa State University Extension survey. Wendong Zhang conducts the survey. “Essentially a five-point-nine percent decline. It’s the first time that the Iowa farmland values have been declining for three years in a row since the 1980’s farm crisis,” Zhang says.

The average price of an acre of farmland fell to $7,183. The three years of falling prices come after the peak in 2013 when it took $8,713 to buy an acre of land. Zhang says one key factor is driving the downward trend. “Mainly the weak commodity prices, the low corn and soybean prices. And this time the livestock margins are no longer that strong either,” Zhang explains. He says none of the 99 counties were exempt from the drop.

“No county saw an increase this time– all counties dropped — ranging from a two percent decline in the southern-central to a nine percent in western-central,” Zhang says. Zhang says the drop in farmland prices will likely slow, but won’t end immediately. “The next year or two we will probably see modest declines at the state level — although we’re already seeing some promising signs that south-central and north-central Iowa, are seeing some growth in land values over the last quarter. So, there might be some bounce back, ” Zhang says. But he says it could take three years for the whole state to turn things back around.

The three-year drop in value causes some to think history might be repeating itself. “A lot of people are now concerned about whether we will see a replay of the 1980s farm crisis,” Zhang says. “I think the probability is probably low.” He says landowners were saw some very good earning years between 2003 and 2013 to help their bottom line, which puts them in better position to handle the latest declines. And he says greater lending restrictions have also kept landowners from getting in over their heads.

“And you have much greater and hopefully stronger coverage from crop insurance. So I think overall the factors are better suited to weather the storm. I think people who are over-leveraged or bought too much machinery, they need to watch the working capita,” Zhang says.

The most expensive farmland was in eastern Iowa’s Scott County at $10,335 dollars an acre. Two counties in northwest Iowa were right behind, with O’Brien County at $10, 194 dollars and Sioux County at $10,066 dollars an acre. The least expensive farmland was in Decatur County in south-central Iowa at $3,443 dollars.

Find out more at: www.card.iastate.edu/farmland/

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Drake University student has sued the university claiming it discriminated against him by failing to consider his allegations of sexual assault by a female student but believing her allegations against him.

The case centers on a night of drinking in October 2015. The university determined the male student made his allegations against the woman in retaliation for her complaint. But the man’s lawsuit, filed this month, says the university never investigated his claims.

The lawsuit alleges violations of John Doe’s constitutional due process rights and federal sex discrimination laws. The university says it disagrees with his depictions of the facts and will prove its commitment to fairness. It’s among several recent lawsuits claiming federal guidance pushing aggressive pursuit of campus sexual assaults has resulted in bias against men.

Council Bluffs Police are investigating a home invasion that reportedly took place at around 9:17-a.m. today (Tuesday), at 310 Parkwild Drive. Initial information received by officers was that a white male, armed with a hand gun, had forced entry into the residence with the home owner inside the residence in an upstairs bedroom. The home owner gave information that he had weapons inside his residence that the suspect might be able to gain access to.

Person of interest in the burglary

With that information the Council Bluffs PD’s Emergency Services Teams was called out for entry into the residence. A short time later we were able to find that the home owner was not in the residence and that he had received information about the break in from his home security system.

With the new information, Officers on scene entered the residence along with a K-9 unit and searched the residence and found the residence to be unoccupied. Officers did find evidence that there was forced entry into the residence but at the time of this release nothing had been found missing. Photos were taken of damage done to the residence.

The only suspect information at this time is a white male in his 20’s wearing a red and white hat. If you have any information about the incident please call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported after a 2007 Hummer H3 backed into a Clarinda School bus, last Thursday night (Dec. 8th). No students were onboard the bus at the time.

An investigation determined 43-year old Christina Ann Landess, of rural Clarinda, was backing east out of a driveway at 2183 T Avenue, or about a mile south of Highway 71, when her vehicle struck the passenger side of a 2014 Bluebird bus driven by 65-year old Kenneth Lee Wagonor, of Clarinda, as the bus was traveling southbound on T Avenue. Landess said she didn’t see the bus because of a large tree near the end of the driveway that obstructed her view.

The Hummer sustained $1,500 damage. Damage to the bus was estimated at $6,000. No citations have been issued as a result of the investigation.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports two California men were sentenced Monday to a combined 55-years in prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa and elsewhere. Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced 33-year old Manuel Espinoza, of Pico Rivera, California, to 240 months (20-years) of imprisonment for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine, and to 120 months (10-years) of imprisonment for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, with the sentences to run concurrently (at the same time). Espinoza was also sentenced to five years of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment.

23-year old Jose Luis Tizoc, a resident of San Diego, California, was also sentenced by  Judge to 300 months (25-years) of imprisonment for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine, and five years of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment.

A jury convicted the men at trial on June 27th, 2016, finding them guilty on all counts charged, being Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Prohibited Persons in Possession of a Firearm. The case was the result of a large-scale investigation by law enforcement of methamphetamine trafficking that occurred in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area for approximately one year.

Beginning at least as early as November of 2014, and continuing through September of 2015, Espinoza and Tizoc conspired with multiple other individuals to distribute at least 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the area. Other defendants who pled guilty for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and have been sentenced by Judge Gritzner, include:
• Salvador Nunez Trejo, 120 months (10-years) of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;
• Jessica Moreno, 35 months (2.9-years) of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release;
• Jaime Castillo Gomez, 168 months (14-years) of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;
• Kristopher Hatch, 151 months (12.6-years) of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;
• Jane Song, 60 months (5-years) of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release;
• Grant M. Carman, 120 months (10-years) of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release; and,
• Greg M. Price, 120 months (10-years) of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater is reporting numerous arrests took place over the past week. On Dec. 4^th, 31-year old Barrett Martin Driskill and 41-year old Mandi Lea Stowers, both of Blockton, were arrested on drug, theft and trespassing charges. Their arrests took place following an incident at 1720 Pamle Park Road, during which property damage amounted to between $500 and $1,000. The pair alleged tried to steal a windmill from the property, and in the process damaged the machine.

Driskill and Stowers each faces charges that include Criminal Mischief in the 3^rd Degree, Theft in the 3^rd Degree and Trespass causing damage or injury. Driskill was later released on $2,000 bond. During the booking process at the Adair County Jail, drugs were found on Mandi Stowers. The woman was being held in the Adair County Jail on the charges mentioned, in addition to a Possession of methamphetamine charge, due to drugs being found on her during the booking process. Her total bond was set at $7,000.

On Dec. 5^th, 30-year old Michael Wayne Edwards, of Casey, was arrested by an Iowa State Patrol trooper on Interstate 80 in Adair County, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Edwards was also charged with a traffic violation, with an OWI charge pending.  Edwards was later released on $1,000 bond.

On Dec. 9^th, Greenfield Police arrested 21-year old James Leslie Smith, Jr., and 21-year old Samuel Joseph Miller, both of Stuart, along with 19-year old Brandon Charles Hegg-McLaughlin, of Indianola. All three men were charged with Theft in the 4^th degree and Interference with Official Acts. Hegg-McLaughlin faces and additional, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge (2 glass smoking devices). The charges stem from the theft of  a guitar, laptop computer and a lava lamp, and knowingly providing false information to peace officers. All three were later released from custody on $1,000 bond, each.

On Dec. 10^th, 32-year old Tyler Duane Warner, of Fontanelle, was arrested by Adair County Deputies on a charge of Serious Domestic Assault. He was later released on $1,000 bond. And, on Dec. 4^th, 43-year old Burt Lynn Brown, of Celina, TX, was arrested in Adair County by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper. Brown faces charges of OWI/1^st offense, Theft in the 2^nd Degree, and Providing False ID, after he was pulled over for speeding on I-80.

A routine check showed the vehicle’s Oklahoma license plate was expired. When Brown was questioned by the Trooper, he presented an expired driver’s license from Texas. The driver’s license showed the name of another man. His actions being suspicious, Brown was placed under arrest. While at the Adair County Jail, the Trooper found other identification cards Brown had in his possession. Many of those ID’s were from persons who are deceased. Brown said one of the ID’s was from a friend who worked at the same dealership as Brown, in Texas.  The other ID’s he said, were keepsakes, including one belonging to his deceased father. Brown was being held in the Adair County Jail on $5,000 bond.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three people have been arrested on drug charges. On December 4th, 27-year old Brittiny Christina Marie Sampson, of Atlantic, and 29-year old Jeremy Michael Clark, of Harlan, were arrested in Cass County on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver/Methamphetamine. Clark was also charged with Possession of Oxycodone, while Sampson was additionally charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both were taken to the Cass County Jail. Sampson was subsequently charged with Probation Violation and remains held at the Cass County Jail on $60,000 bond; Clark remains held on $50,000 bond.

On December 7th, 32-year old Miles Blake Cooley, of Anita, was arrested on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession of Marijuana 1^st Offense. Cooley was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $500 bond.

In other news, the Sheriff’s Office reports 65-year old Clinton Franklin Humbert, of Cumberland, was arrested Dec. 5th, on a charge of Simple Assault. Humbert was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $300 bond. 38-year old John Michael Blake, of Omaha, was arrested Dec. 7th, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for felony Theft in the 2^nd Degree. Blake was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond.

On December 12th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 27-year old Joshua James Dyer, of Elk Horn, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Dyer was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance. Also on the 12th, 39-year old Cody Michael Ewing, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of Driving While Barred. Ewing was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.