(Radio Iowa) — Legislative leaders say they’re hoping to come up with a way to finance expansion of mental health treatment for children in Iowa. There’s no consensus, however, on whether the state might assume responsibility for financing the entire mental health system — much of which is financed with county taxes today. Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines says the focus “most definitely” should be on implementing recommendations from a task force that examined treatment options for children. “I cannot even begin to tell you…the number of teachers and parents who come to me and talk about the anxiety our children are experiencing all across our state,” Petersen says. “I think a lot of it has to do with social media, gun violence. We have a lot of poverty in our state.”

House Republican Leader Chris Hagenow says mental health care is one of the “big issues” the state and nation are wrestling with. “As we learn more in how to do more and face more challenges, I think we all should all be eager to try and take whatever that next step is to deliver these services to kids,” Hagenow says, “wherever we can.”  Senate President Charles Schneider, a Republican from West Des Moines, says address inadequacies in the mental health system is an “on-going process.” “My wife used to be a behavioral interventionist at Stillwell Junior High and she would tell me stories all the time about things that she would see going on in the classroom and some of them were really, really sad and heartbreaking,” Schneider says. “We need to make sure we’re getting out across the state to address and intervene whenever mental health issues first start to appear so we can address them early on.”

Representative John Forbes, a Democrat from Urbandale, says Iowa’s counties will spend about 114-million dollars this year to provide mental health services to Iowans who cannot afford to pay for the care they need. “So I want to make sure we, as a legislature, can find a dedicated stream of money to be able to provide adequate services to people here in the state,” Forbes says. Forbes says too often mental health problems go untreated and individuals wind up in prison, which he says is more costly than prescribing meds and providing proper counseling. The legislators made their comments Monday during a forum sponsored by the Des Moines Partnership, a coalition of 24 central Iowa chambers of commerce.

(Radio Iowa) — One teen is dead and another is in critical condition after a shooting and crash in a stolen car. Des Moines police received a report that a car that was left running by the owner had been stolen just after eight o’clock last night. About 30 minutes later police got a call about a shooting in a neighborhood that involved a car matching the description of the one that was taken. An officer spotted the car and it took off and then crashed into a Postal Service delivery van and then into some trees and fencing.

Police say a passenger in the car 16-year-old Emilio Esteban Garcia, of Des Moines, died at the hospital, while the 17-year-old driver remains in critical condition. Police recovered a gun from the car as they continue piecing together what happened.

NEW YORK (AP) — More U.S. beef is being recalled because it may be contaminated with salmonella. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a unit of Brazil’s JBS is now recalling a total of more than 12 million pounds of raw beef that was shipped around the country. JBS Tolleson in Arizona already recalled about 7 million pounds of beef in October.

Health officials say their investigation identified additional products with the USDA inspection number “EST. 267.” The products were packaged between late July and September. The USDA says any products still in people’s freezers should be thrown away. It says 246 illnesses have been reported.

The USDA says salmonella is prevalent in raw poultry and meat and is reminding people of to properly cook and handle meat. It says cooking kills salmonella.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — The mayor of an eastern Iowa city would get a $10,000 raise under a proposal being discussed by the city council. The Quad-City Times reports that it would be the first pay raise for the top elected official in Bettendorf in more than 35 years. The proposal discussed by the council Monday would hike the mayor’s annual salary to $25,000 from $15,000 starting in January 2020 — after the next municipal election.

Mayor Bob Gallagher told the council he spends roughly 12 to 15 hours a week doing the job and says he “didn’t run for this position for pay.” He says the job is more about “passion for the city and trying to help.”
The council took no action but is expected to revisit the matter later this month.

(Radio Iowa) — Trade troubles with China have caused financial strain on many industries in the U-S, including agriculture, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is praising a new gesture by that nation involving Fentanyl. Chinese officials vow to tighten controls on the production and export of that highly-potent drug, which Grassley says is a move that’s long overdue. “China is the biggest source of Fentanyl coming to our country,” Grassley says, “and it is the leading reason we have an opiate problem in the United States.”

Grassley is chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control. He says Fentanyl-laced heroin has fueled the deadly opioid epidemic in recent years and is linked to the majority of opioid overdose deaths in America. “We don’t recognize it so much in Iowa although it is a problem in Iowa,” Grassley says, “but it’s a gigantic problem in New England, in Ohio, in West Virginia, 70,000 deaths.” In October, Grassley says his panel heard from government officials and experts from across the U-S who emphasized the need for China to act on Fentanyl. Grassley says former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who is the U-S Ambassador to China, has been working toward this for some time. Grassley says, “It’s a real victory for Governor Branstad because six months ago, he came to my office to talk about his #1 goal is to get China to do what they’ve now said they’re going to do.”

A news release from Grassley’s office says in 2017, a full 60-percent of U-S opioid deaths involved Fentanyl, which is an increase from 14-percent in 2010. The release also says Fentanyl is involved in more deaths than prescription opioids or heroin.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a woman from Avoca was arrested Monday night on a warrant from the Council Bluffs Police Department. 37-year old Angela Marie Rogers was arrested at around 9:40-p.m. in Avoca, on the warrant for Contempt of Court/Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. Rogers was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Pott. County Jail, where she was booked-in and held without bond.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — The notification process for prospective jurors who will hear cases in courtrooms across the state changed Monday. State Judicial System spokesperson, Steve Davis, says it’s a move to a more modern way for jurors to fill out information once they are notified. “Instead of getting a paper questionnaire, the potential juror will receive a postcard,” Davis explains, “and the postcard will have quite a bit of information about their jury service — but the questionnaire itself is now online.”

Davis says everyone is now used to doing things on their phones and computers and this is another thing to add to the list. “We’re hoping that with the postcard it will be more convenient. It’s much simpler to just get online and fill out the questionnaire as opposed to filling out the paper questionnaire, putting it in an envelope and mailing it back,” Davis says.

Davis says the new system also offers a way for you to be reminded if you are chosen for jury duty. He says you can sign up when you fill out the questionnaire to get a text notification or email reminder three days before you are scheduled for jury duty, and again 24 hours before the day. He says there is also a link on the website that answers a lot of questions about jury duty. Davis says a juror pool is put together with two lists. “It’s a list of licensed drivers or state identification card holders and registered voters residing in each county,” according to Davis. “And those lists are combined and then duplicates are eliminated, and then that becomes the master list for the county.”

Davis says jurors are then randomly chosen from the master list. That random selection process means you never know how often you might be called for jury duty. “It varies quite a bit. I’ve had people who call who have served twice in three years and I’ve had people call who have never served. And they are wondering why they are never picked. So, it varies quite drastically.”

Davis says each postcard will be specific to the county your residence and include the website address for the online questionnaire, the address of the courthouse with a small map, a juror number, the service start date, the term of service, and the juror badge. To find out more about jury service you can go to the Iowa Judicial Branch jury service page on its website at www.iowacourts.gov. Look for the information on jury service.

CORWITH, Iowa (AP) — The remains of a northern Iowa sailor killed at Pearl Harbor have been identified. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says the remains of 48-year-old Navy Reserve Musician 1st Class Henri Mason were accounted for on March 26. He was from the Hancock County community of Corwith.

Mason was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was struck by several Japanese torpedoes during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. He was among 429 crewmen killed. Mason’s remains had been interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu until being exhumed and identified.

Police in Creston, Monday afternoon, arrested 23-year old Tyler White, of Creston. White was taken into custody on two Union County warrants for Violation of Probation, on an original Possession of a Controlled Substance charge, and for Failure to Appear on an original Possession of a Controlled Substance, charge. He was also charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. White was being held in the Union County Jail, while awaiting a bond hearing.

(7-a.m. News)