(Red Oak, Iowa) – A requested welfare check in Villisca, Monday night, in the 100 block of N. 3rd Avenue, resulted in the arrest of a man on an assault charge. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 37-year-old Jeffrey Sparks, III, of Villisca, was taken into custody for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Sparks was being held without bond, in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – At a capitol event this week in Des Moines, a group of Iowa pastors will call for equal protection of all humans in the womb. Raymond Simmons, pastor of the Ascension Reformed Church in Red Oak and Stanton, says after a year of coordination, the group has released guidance “that makes the biblical case for life at conception and equal protection of all humans in Iowa.” Eighteen pastors across Iowa have signed the guidance, and the number is growing.

If legislation followed the pastors’ counsel, all chemical and surgical abortions would be outlawed in Iowa except for rare cases of medical emergencies where the life of the mother is in danger. It would also classify abortion as murder, with varying degrees, to be handled under the existing penal code. The existing penal code deals with knowledge and intent to ensure justice, says the group.

Pastor Simmons say “We thought it was important to come as local pastors in Iowa. Well-intended legislation can still fall short of God’s requirements. We also want to bring the good news that God will bless our state if we follow Him.”

Eleven other states have already outlawed abortion; however, none of them have implemented equal protection. Equal protection means that both the doctor and the mother would be held accountable under the existing civil penal code for ending a life, no matter the stage.

“The simple fact is that a baby during the first day of conception must be protected the same way she would on the first day of birth. Legislation that does not uphold that is not pleasing to God and is not internally consistent.” Simmons said. “We understand what we are saying is controversial, even among faithful Christians, but we believe it is biblical and have signed our names to it. It is also the historical position of the church before the Soviet Union and Hitler’s Germany institutionalized abortion in the 1920s and 30s.” Simmons said that equal protection bills are popping up all across the US.

The event will be held Wednesday, January 31 at 11:30 a.m. at the Iowa Capitol Rotunda.

SIGNATORIES for Biblical Guidance to the Iowa Civil Leaders on Abortion:

Grant Brown, Crossroad Church, Earlham.
Caleb Castro, Rock Valley United Reformed Church, Rock Valley.
Todd DeRooy, Redeemer United Reformed Church, Orange City.
Dan Donovan, Cornerstone United Reformed Church, Sanborn.
Lloyd Grant, Central Baptist Church, Sioux City.
Cary Gordon, Cornerstone Church, Sioux City.
Sam Jones, Abundant Life Church, Humbolt.
David Koch, Crossroad Church, Earlham.
Joshua Loomis, Church of All Nations, Sioux City.
Jody James Lucero, Providence Reformed Church, Des Moines.
Garry Mayes, Ascension Reformed Church, Red Oak & Stanton.
Kyle McBee, Zion Lutheran Church, Atlantic.
Jamie Mogler, First Baptist Church, Bedford.
Micah Sample, First Baptist Church, Dunkerton.
Christian Shields, Christian Life Church, Cedar Rapids.
Micheal Shover, Christ the Redeemer Church, Pella.
Raymond Simmons, Ascension Reformed Church, Red Oak & Stanton.
Matthew Wiese, Crossroad Church, Earlham.

RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, on Monday, announced her Small Business of the Week: Penn Drug Company of Fremont County. Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.

“Penn Drug combines the nostalgia of Iowa traditions with a dedication to providing essential rural health care services to create a renowned southwest Iowa business,” said Ranking Member Ernst. “There’s no doubt that Penn Drug has stood the test of time, and I’m excited to watch the business thrive in Sidney for years to come.”

As the oldest pharmacy in Iowa, Penn Drug has served the Fremont County community since 1863. The business takes pride in filling and delivering prescriptions for its customers, and also operates an old-fashioned soda fountain where customers can order drinks and food. Throughout its 161 years of history, Penn Drug has been led by generations of the Penn family and folks committed to maintaining this piece of Iowa history.

Today, Penn Drug is owned by Angie and Leo Ettleman, and Mark Vogt, who purchased the store in 2015.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports an SUV sustained $4,000 damage, but the driver was not injured, after the vehicle struck a deer Monday night on Highway 25, near 130th Street. The accident happened at around 7:33-p.m.

Officials say a 2018 Chevy Traverse driven by 44-year-old Katherine Whetzell, of Creston, was northbound on the highway, when a deer entered the roadway. Whetzell was unable to avoid striking the animal, which impacted the left front side of the SUV.

The vehicle was able to be driven from the scene following the collision.

(Carson, Iowa) – Officials with the East Pottawattamie County Extension Service say a Private Pesticide applicator meeting originally scheduled for February 1, 2024 at the Carson Community building is being moved to the Oakland Community Building. The change is required due to a maintenance issue at the Carson building.

The meeting is still set to begin promptly at 6:30pm. The location has just been changed. For any questions please contact the East Pottawattamie Extension office in Oakland at 712.482.6449.

(Radio Iowa) – A few Johnson County officials are pressuring County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith to drop charges against seven people for a protest in Iowa City. Each was initially charged with disorderly conduct for obstructing the street and for interfering with police in a protest against the appearance of a California activist who speaks against transgender surgery for minors. Supervisor Jon Green says while the interfering may set a bad precedent, it’s a matter of conscience.

“It’s not that they necessarily shouldn’t be pressing charges. It’s that if you are going to charge people, you should charge everybody or nobody. You know, there were upwards of a hundred protesters at the Cole event,” Green says. The Board of Supervisors has budgetary authority over the County Attorney’s Office. Janet Lyness was the Johnson County Attorney before retiring. She didn’t take issue with elected officials expressing their opinions to the county attorney, but she drew the line at them taking action against the county attorney for doing her job.

“The political views of the county attorney or the recorder — they can certainly be supportive of actions taken by people — it doesn’t mean they can ignore their duties and their job. They still have to uphold the law, even if they disagree with it,” Lyness says. Green has also called on the Johnson County Democrats to censure Zimmermann Smith for pursuing charges. They’ll vote on his resolution Thursday. One of the protestors has turned down a plea bargain and will challenge the arrest in court.

(Radio Iowa) – The Department of Education’s 2023 fall enrollment numbers show a drop in the number of public school students, while private enrollment increased. The Education Department’s figures show public school enrollment was down one-half a percent to 483-thousand-699. Non-public school enrollment was up seven-point-four percent to 36-thousand-195 students as a new state law provided Education Savings Account for those attending private schools.

The data shows nearly 66 percent of those using the accounts were already attending private schools. The accounts let Iowa Iowa families apply for around 76-hundred dollars for each student for private school expenses including tuition and fees.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident this (Monday) morning in Guthrie County resulted in a woman from Stuart being transported by Stuart EMS to the Adair County Hospital in Greenfield. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says 80-year-old Theresa Glass was traveling west on White Pole Road at around 8:15-a.m., when the 2006 Chrysler Town & Country van she was driving went out of control on the frost covered road.

The van entered the westbound ditch and rolled over. Glass was wearing her seat belt. She suffered possible/unknown injuries (complained of pain). Her vehicles sustained $3,500 damage and was declared a total loss. Authorities say Glass was driving too fast for the road conditions. No citations were issued.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports also, there were no injuries following an accident Thursday morning. A 2022 Chevy pickup driven by 25-year-old Lucas Davidson, of Ellsworth (IA) was traveling south on Highway 4 from 190th Street, when the vehicle went out of control on the ice covered road. The pickup entered the south ditch and struck an Iowa DOT sign. The accident happened at around 6:40-a.m.

The pickup sustained $4,000 damage. Damage to the DOT sign/post was estimated at $200.

(Radio Iowa) – State policies in Iowa should do more to promote reading, according to a new report comparing reading laws around the country. The National Council for Teacher Quality found Iowa’s standards in that area are weaker than most other states. Council executive director Heather Peske (PES-kee) says it’s appropriate that Iowa lawmakers are now proposing changes. She says one thing Iowa should do is list phonics and other core components of the science of reading as part of education standards. Peske also says the state should publish a list of the best reading curriculum.

“It kind of serves almost as though it’s like a consumer protection device,” Peske says. “Many districts don’t have the capacity to review curriculum materials themselves. Some of them might not even have much of an expertise in this.” Peske says another place where Iowa could improve is in the licensing standards for elementary teachers. She says teaching candidates should have to pass a stronger exam to test their knowledge of how to put research on reading into practice.

“The stakes are very high for children,” she says, “and we need to make sure that teachers have the knowledge and skills before they get into classrooms to be able to effectively teach them to read.” Governor Kim Reynolds has said she would like to make a test called Foundations of Reading a requirement for Iowa teacher preparation programs. Peske says it’s one of the tests strongly aligned with the science of reading. A bill in the Iowa Senate would list the components of the science of reading in education standards for kindergarten through third grade.