The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) reports they recently launched a newly designed, Inmate List website resource, which is the latest stage of the PCSO’s public information website project. The new page provides a near real-time listing of persons currently incarcerated in the Pottawattamie County Jail.

Sheriff Jeff Danker says  “Crime victims, family members, law enforcement officials, attorneys, and the interested public will be able to view a current list of people who are confined in our jail facility.” The Inmate List can be found in the Public Awareness section of www.pottcosheriff.com.

The state’s 20 largest employers are promising to hire 25-hundred veterans over the next five years. Larry Zimpleman — the chairman, president and C-E-O of Principal Financial Group — is the incoming chairman of the Iowa Business Council. “The Iowa Business Council is made up of leading Iowa businesses, our three Regents universities and the Iowa Bankers Association,” Zimpleman says. “Collectively we employ one in eight Iowans.”

The pledge to hire more veterans has become part of the governor’s “Home Base Iowa” initiative to lure soldiers who’re leaving the military to Iowa.  “The returning veterans come to us with a variety of skills that often map into different disciplines that are more important for certain Iowa Business Council members,” he says.

Zimpleman estimates veterans make up about five percent of his own company’s current employee roster. “Home Base Iowa is an exciting program that builds our Iowa workforce with the most talented group I know: our returning veterans,” Zimpleman says.

This week the Iowa Senate is poised to approve a bill that would end state income tax charges on military pensions. It’s one of the items on Governor Terry Branstad’s list of actions he argues state government should take to make Iowa more attractive to veterans. “This shows that they’ve got it on the fast track,” Branstad says. “Good things are happening.”

Late last week the Iowa Board of Education voted to allow veterans, their spouses and their dependents to pay in-state tuition rates at the state’s community colleges.

(Radio Iowa)

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but curiosity could also lead to an expensive cellular phone bill. Iowans are being warned about a new scam that targets cell phone users. Jim Hegarty, at the Better Business Bureau, says it starts when either a scammer or their robo-call device contacts your cell.  “When they go to answer, the person on the other line, or if it’s an automated call, it just disconnects immediately,” Hegarty says. “The whole purpose of this is to get you to call that number back, just because you’re curious as to who called.” If that curiosity gets the better of you and you decide to call the number, it could be very costly call.

“It’s likely a premium adult entertainment line that’s located in Grenada or Jamaica or Costa Rica and it’s going to charge your cell phone extravagantly,” Hagerty says. “It could be a $20 charge or even more.” Legally, you made the call so you’ll be responsible for the charge, though Hegarty says if that happens, report it to your cell phone carrier and it’s possible you can get the charge reversed. He says to always review your bills carefully, line-by-line, to insure you haven’t been the victim of this sort of scam.

(Radio Iowa)

The Audubon City Council will meet tonight beginning at 7 o’clock at their City Hall. On the agenda, former City Council member Andy Griffith will speak with regard to “Public Concerns,” and Dawn Rohe, City Clerk/Manager in Manning,  will discuss Open Meetings and Open records. It’s expected those issues will be with regard to a Jan. 13th decision by the Council to appoint a new Audubon City Clerk. The Council, upon a motion in the form of a Resolution by new Councilman Jason Hocker, approved the appointment of Janet Nelson instead of Lora Hansen, who has been with the City for more than 30-years. The move came as a surprise to Hansen and many others who attended the meeting.

The Audubon City Council this evening, will also act on an Interim City Clerk and Posting of Position, with public comment limited to two-minutes per person. That will be followed by an official Public Records Request.

The Council will also act on the Appointment of a City Attorney, following the resignation last week of City Attorney Lance Levis.

w/ Ric Hanson

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With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

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If you can’t devote a full week of your life to riding a bicycle across Iowa on RAGBRAI, you can get a taste of the long-distance biking festival — and more than a taste of bacon — during a new event this summer. Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says the Bacoon (bay-COON) Ride will be a one-day, 72-mile excursion starting and ending in the central Iowa town of Waukee.  “We’re going to try to take advantage of every town along the Raccoon River Valley Trail,” Wyatt says. “There will be event specials and special things for registered riders along the way.”

The ride is scheduled for June 28th. Along the oval-shaped trail, riders will go through the towns of: Waukee, Ortonville, Adel, Redfield, Linden, Panora, Yale, Herndon, Jamaica, Dawson, Perry, Minburn and Dallas Center. Much like the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, Wyatt says each community along the Bacoon Ride will be rewarding cyclists with treats, except instead of pie, this event will all be bacon-oriented.

 “We’re starting the morning with bacon-flavored donuts,” Wyatt says, “and there should be everything from a hog roast and bacon cheeseburgers and all kinds of different food opportunities along the way.” Proceeds from the ride will benefit the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, RAGBRAI’s Dream Team and other Iowa charities. Learn more at: bacoonride.com

(Radio Iowa)

The deadline is approaching for Iowa high school students who want to apply for a seat on the State Board of Education. The department’s Mike Cormack says the student must be a 10th or 11th grader. He says they are looking for talented young people who are interested in providing a voice for students on the board. Applications are taken and then the governor appoints a student to serve on the board.

“The state student board member operates like any other board member, they get the same access to materials that the overall state board has, they participate in all the meetings,” according to Cormack. The only difference for the student is they are a non-voting member. Cormack says the lack of a vote does not mean the student doesn’t get to give their input. Cormack says he serves as a non-voting member for the department for the state athletic association and says he still has a lot of influence on what happens. The deadline to apply for the spot is January 31st.

“Application materials are available on our Department of Education website. Also, there’s been information sent to high schools around out state,” Cormack says. The student’s term can be one or two years depending on the student’s year in school. Find out more at www.educateiowa.gov.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Blizzard conditions were expected in parts of Iowa on Sunday before the entire state plunges into bitter cold on Monday. Wind chills between 25 degrees below zero and 40 degrees below zero are expected Monday morning with the coldest weather in northern Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials are considering whether to adopt national science standards for what’s taught in the state, but critics say doing so would intrude on local school decisions. Supporters say the guidelines have an important emphasis on in-depth instruction and hands-on experiments.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Court records show a 31-year-old man arrested in Iowa and charged with entering the United States illegally has already been deported eight times. Jose William Lopez-Martinez was caught in September in Black Hawk County. He is a citizen of Honduras.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad and state lawmakers are billing an effort to enhance services for veterans as a way to attract new residents to Iowa. But it’s tough to gauge if this push will really have an impact on the state population.

Authorities in Montgomery County report a Villisca man was arrested Sunday afternoon on drug charges.  Kim Eugene Beedle, of Villisca faces a Possession of methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver charge, for allegedly having over five grams of the substance. Beedle was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $100,000 cash bond.