Republican Congressman Steve King says it’s too soon for him to speculate about facing former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack in the 2012 election.

“The Democrats may have a primary. On my side I may have a primary so we can’t presume that that is a match up at this point, although it seems to be likely,” King says. “She placed a courtesy call to let me know that she has an exploratory committee. I think that’s to her credit and we’ll see how this emerges.” Vilsack, who is a life-long Democrat, announced last week she is moving to Ames, which is in the new fourth congressional district where King lives, and will be conducting a “listening tour” with voters in the district. King says he and Vilsack have a “complete philosophical disagreement on how the world looks.”

“That could be an engaging and interesting discussion taking place across 39 counties,” King says. “I was born here. I live here. My roots go down here. Our family for three generations, four generations, I guess more, go down in this part of the state.” Christie Vilsack is also an Iowa native, but her hometown of Mount Pleasant is in southeast Iowa and is not part of the new fourth congressional district. King says it’s “hard to estimate” how tough an opponent Christie Vilsack may be.

“Not having a track record, it’s hard to estimate that. I think that people on her side think so and so I would take her and any opponent very seriously and intend to do my share of this work and put together the best team we can,” King says. “Anytime you have a new district and the extra counties that are added it makes it a more difficult task and certainly I expect that.” After winning a seat in congress in 2002, King has refused to debate his Democratic opponents in the past four elections. And King is making no committment to debating Christie Vilsack.

“Nor am I declining. That’s something that I would think would be discussed between the two camps, if it got to that point,” King says. “But I would just say that most everybody in Iowa knows that I’ve debated a Vilsack many, many times…Tom and I served in the Iowa Senate together as we engaged each other over and over again. And then as he as governor, and I as a senator and then, he as governor and I as a congressman and now he as the secretary of agriculture and I as a congressman.” King suggests he’ll have even more debates with Tom Vilsack before debates Christie Vilsack. King made his comments on the Iowa Public Radio program, “The Exchange”.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Council Bluffs construction office reports bridge construction work will cause lane restrictions in both directions of Interstate 29 between U.S. 30 (exit 75) and Harrison County Road F-50 (exit 82) near Missouri Valley beginning May 6th and lasting until August 5th, weather permitting.

Traffic in the work zone will be restricted to one lane in each direction. Also, a 13-foot-6-inch width lane restriction will be in place.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limits and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.

Tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE) will partner with local agencies across the state to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s nationwide prescription drug take-back program. Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue. The DEA says currently, more Americans abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroine combined.

Iowans can turn in their unused, unneeded and expired prescription medications at collection sites across Iowa. To find the site nearest you, surf the web to http://www.justice.gov/dea/

In our area, the collection sites include:

The Hy-Vee Pharmacy at 1605 N. Broadway, in Red Oak

Umba Hall at 300 2^nd Avenue, in Underwood.

Hy-Vee Drug Town at 757 W. Broadway, in Council Bluffs

The Greater Regional Medical Center parking lot at 1610 W. Townline, in Creston.

The Glenwood, and Carter Lake Police Departments

And, the Farmers & Merchants Bank in Winterset.

The service is free and anonymous. No questions asked. Tablets, capsules, all other solid dosage forms, and liquids in original prescription bottles will be collected. Syringes will not be accepted.

The event will be held from 4-to-6-pm Friday, April 29^th, and from 10-a.m. to 2-p.m. Saturday, April 30^th.

The trial of one of three people charged with the murder of a Council Bluffs woman began Tuesday at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse. On Wednesday, the jury heard testimony in the case against 47-year-old Clarence L Woolsoncroft. Woolsoncroft stands accused of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery and conspiracy in connection with the January 14^th death of Tammy Rocha.

Prosecutors say minutes after Rocha and Woolsoncroft had a playful snowball fight, Woolsencroft drove Rocha to a home owned by Lisa A Reeves and her father, Bryan E Reeves. The three are suspected of conspiring to assault Rocha over the theft of a cell phone and some jewelry.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, Dale Mercer, a passenger who rode along with Rocha in Woolsoncroft’s truck the night of the attack, testified that he had never met Woolsoncroft, but Rocha called the man to give them a ride home from the Horseshoe Casino.

Mercer said as Woolsoncroft drove the truck north on 35th Street and made a left turn onto Fifth Avenue, Rocha questioned where they were going. Mercer said Woolsoncroft told her he needed to see some people, but Rocha warned him those individuals would attack her. As the truck approached a house at 3510 Fifth Avenue in Council Bluffs, Rocha tried to push the accelerator pedal, but Woolsoncroft was able to brake and put the truck in park. Mercer said three to four people were waiting near the street for the truck to stop.

Lisa Reeves allegedly began to assault Rocha in Woolsoncroft’s pickup before Woolsoncroft allegedly pulled Rocha out of the truck. Reeves continued to assault the woman, who was eventually found in the street with multiple stab wounds. Rocha later died at the Nebraska Medical Center.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration as a result of tornadoes and severe storms that occurred in western and northwest Iowa April 9^th and 10th.

The Public Assistance Program, which provides assistance to public entities and select nonprofit agencies, is being requested for: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Ida, Monona, Pocahontas and Sac Counties. Public Assistance funding may be used to rebuild damaged infrastructure that may include roads, bridges, culverts, and other public facilities, or to cover costs of emergency work during debris removal after the storms.

Branstad has also requested from the Small Business Administration (SBA) a Physical Disaster Declaration for Monona and Pocahontas counties due to a tornado and severe storms that devastated more than 350 homes and/or businesses April 9-10. The Disaster Loan Program allows for low-interest loans to be made available for the victims of a disaster.

An Iowa native who was active in getting Kansas to pass a law that bans abortions after the 20th week of a pregnancy is in Iowa, urging lawmakers here to do the same thing. Cheryl Sullenger (SULL-ehn-jer), a Marshalltown native, lives in Wichita, Kansas, where late-term abortion doctor George Tiller worked until he was shot to death. 

“The last thing you want to be known as is the late-term abortion capitol of the country,” Sullenger says. “We experienced that in Kansas and, frankly, it traumatized the community.”

Sullenger says Council Bluffs could become the next Wichita, as a late-term abortion doctor from Nebraksa — LeRoy Carhart — hopes to open an abortion clinic in Council Bluffs. A Nebraska law which took effect in mid-October prevents Carhart from performing abortions in his Bellevue, Nebraska, clinic after the 20th week of a pregnancy. Carhart has said he hopes to open a clinic in Council Bluffs, and the Iowa House has passed a bill that would set up a late-term abortion ban in Iowa. The bill has stalled in a Senate committee. Sullenger, who is senior policy advisor for the anti-abortion group “Operation Rescue”, is urging senators to act. 

“You guys have an opportunity to close that down before it gets here and once things like this get started in a state, it’s very difficult to get them out,” Sullenger says. “But you guys have an opportunity to nip this in the bud and protect women and their viable babies from exploitation.”

Carhart’s website says a “South West Iowa” abortion clinic will be “available soon.” It shows the charge for an abortion performed after the 24th week of a pregnancy would be about three-thousand dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

An Atlantic man was arrested Tuesday, on a charge of Public Intoxication.  Authorities say 19-year old Cody Pleis was brought to the Cass County Jail & held pending a court appearance.

The Iowa State Patrol in association with the Montgomery County Attorney’s office have filed charges against an Essex woman, in connection with a crash late last year that claimed the life of two Cumberland children. 18-year old Karli Jo Brown, of Essex, was arrested Tuesday on two-counts of motor vehicle homicide and one-count of serious injury by a motor vehicle, with regard to a November 28^th crash that resulted in the deaths of 5-year old Maliki Todd and 4-year old Alex Todd. The children’s mother, 25-year old Nina McNeese, was injured in the crash.

The accident occurred on Highway 48 in a no-passing zone. Officials say Brown was southbound on Highway 48 when she attempted to pass two vehicles. He car collided head-on with McNeese’s vehicle, at the crest of a hill.

In the complaints filed against her, prosecutors allege Brown operated a motor vehicle in a reckless manner which intentionally caused the deaths of the two children and resulted in serious injury to McNeese. She was also cited for allegedly speeding, texting while driving, and passing in a no-passing zone.

Brown was taken into custody Tuesday, but later released on $10,000 bond. Her preliminary hearing was set for May 10^th in Montgomery County Court. If convicted on the charges, Brown faces a total of up to 25-years in prison and/or fines of up to $30,000.