Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:48 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal inspectors have repeatedly ordered a southeast Iowa fur farm to improve the grim living conditions for ferrets, foxes, raccoons and skunks it sells to government laboratories and pet stores. Many of the animals have been forced to live in sweltering heat or maggot-infested filth, sometimes with decomposing carcasses in their cages. So far no charges or enforcement action has been taken against the Ruby Fur Farm.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — MidAmerican Energy plans to spend $1 billion updating more than 700 older wind turbines across Iowa. A MidAmerican Energy official says the turbines will be retrofitted with newer, more efficient components, including longer blades, to extend their lifespans an estimated 20 years. The company says each upgraded turbine will annually net between 19 and 28 percent more energy.

ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a grandson of an 84-year-old man whose body was found by firefighters in northwest Iowa. The Rock Valley Police Department said in a news release Friday that 19-year-old Santos Rodriguez Jr. is charged with first-degree murder and arson in the slaying of Luis Luevanos. Court records don’t list an attorney for Rodriguez.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo city councilman wants the city to sell advertising space on city vehicles. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Councilman Ron Welper has been working with city staff and an advertising agency on a plan to sell sign space on police vehicles, firetrucks and garbage trucks. He projects revenue of about $100,000 a year. The council took no action Monday after receiving information about Welper’s proposal.

A team of more than 70 Iowans and Nebraskans from the Omaha District of the Army Corps of Engineers has returned from a lengthy hurricane recovery mission in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Most of them spent eight weeks or more offering emergency assistance. Michael Welch, power plant superintendent at Gavins Point Dam, headed up the “Blue Roof Mission” which helped secure temporary covers of blue tarps atop damaged homes.

“Some houses were absolutely destroyed and the Blue Roof Mission could not be applied to those homes,” Welch says. “I would say the Corps of Engineers’ disaster response to the blue roof people was like the infantry. They’re actually boots on the ground, canvassing neighborhoods, directly talking people to people.”

Welch and his team were initially sent to the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he says they saw near total destruction. “It was also amazing how positive the people were,” he says. “It’s like any natural disaster. People realize it’s the basics of life that are important, that they’re alive and that all of the possessions they had can be replaced and that their family is safe. Those are the things that I’m reminded of when I go on a disaster response.”

Welch says the team members saw signs of recovery as they got ready to leave. “There were no leaves on any plants when we got there,” he says. “I got to St. Croix on the 24th of September and by the time we were leaving at the end of October, the trees had sprouted leaves and it was turning green again. It was amazing how fast nature can start the recovery process.”

Welch says the Corps will continue to rotate people into the hurricane areas as long as they are needed.

(Radio Iowa)

This Sunday (Nov. 12th), Fred Hubbell, Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa, will begin a four-day statewide mental health tour. One of his stops takes him to Harlan, he will be joined by rural mental health expert Dr. Michael Rosmann, former President of the National Sheriffs Association and current Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald, along with local community mental health stakeholders. His “Harlan Rural Mental Health Roundtable Discussion” take place at the Milk & Honey Restaurant, (1101 7th St.), beginning at 3-p.m., Sunday.

Hubble is a lifelong progressive and fifth-generation Iowan, holds vast experience in both the public and private sector, who successfully ran several large companies like Younkers Department Chain and Equitable of Iowa. His 10-stop trip across the state includes discussions in both Sioux City and Harlan, on Sunday.

Along the way, he will be joined by county sheriffs, mental health professionals, and community leaders to hear about Iowa’s mental health crisis and discuss solutions to restore care and support to the mental health community. At each stop, Hubble will discuss his vision to revitalize Iowa’s mental health care.

More information about him and his campaign, can be found at FredHubbell.com.

ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a grandson of an 84-year-old man whose body was found by firefighters in northwest Iowa. The Rock Valley Police Department said in a news release Friday that 19-year-old Santos Rodriguez Jr. is charged with first-degree murder and arson in the slaying of Luis Luevanos. The older man’s body was found Oct. 29 after firefighters extinguished the blaze at the home he shared with Rodriguez. Investigators have since learned that Luevanos had been stabbed several times.

Police say Rodriguez left for Utah after the fire and was taken into custody there. Iowa investigators went to Utah to interview him, and police say Rodriguez admitted stabbing his grandfather and setting the fire. Court records don’t list an attorney who could comment for Rodriguez, who remains for now in Utah.

Events are taking place today (Friday) across the state in advance of Veteran’s Day, which in tomorrow (Saturday). In Sioux City, sailors from the soon to be commissioned U-S-S Sioux City are spending the weekend in the town for which their combat ship is named. This marks the second straight year that Command Master Chief Timothy Hardin has spent Veteran’s Day weekend in Sioux City. “This year, we wanted to do it again but bring different people. So, me and the commanding officer and the executive officer brought seven different people here so they visit and kind of connect the link between the ship Sioux City and the City of Sioux City,” Hardin said. The crew members, on Thursday, set up flags at Graceland Cemetery and along Lakeport Avenue. This morning (Friday-11am), they took part in a Veteran’s Day ceremony at the Sioux City Public Museum. On Saturday, the crew will attend two Veterans Day breakfasts, serve lunch at the Gospel Mission and attend a Sioux City Musketeers hockey game Saturday night. Hardin, who has served in the Navy for 25 years, said this weekend will be a great experience for his crew.

USS Sioux City Crew in SXC 11-9-17

“You get to meet the people and learn the history of the town named for the ship,” Hardin said. The crew’s training is wrapping up at the U-S-S Sioux City’s current port of Marinette (mair-uh-net), Wisconsin. The ship will be launched in the summer of 2018 with a week-long celebration in Maryland. Nearly 100 sailors are expected to be assigned to the ship. The U-S-S Sioux City is part of a class of vessels that will be deployed close to shore for combat and security missions.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s Deputies in Audubon County, Wednesday, arrested a Guthrie County man wanted on an outstanding Audubon County warrant. 35-year old Jason Dean Smits, of Jamaica, was picked up from the Greene County Jail and transported to the Audubon County Jail, were he was charged with Failure to Appear for an Order to Show Cause for Child Support. Smits posted a $1,000 bond and was released. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Nov. 13th.

And, 27-year old Cole Jacob Benton, of Hamlin, was arrested Thursday afternoon on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charge. The charge was the result of an investigation into an incident at Benton’s residence. He was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later posted a $300 cash bond before being released. His court date was also set for Monday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal inspectors have repeatedly ordered a southeast Iowa fur farm to improve the living conditions for ferrets, foxes, raccoons and skunks it sells to government laboratories and pet stores. U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection reports say animals lived in sweltering heat or maggot-infested filth, sometimes with decomposing corpses in their cages at Ruby Fur Farm, located 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of Des Moines.

Owner Randy Ruby declined to discuss the reports. But a spokeswoman at an animal business advocacy group says some of the inspectors’ claims were exaggerated and when there were problems Ruby addressed them. No enforcement action has been taken, but animal rights groups want the farm’s animal dealer license revoked and animals removed. A USDA spokesman has declined to say whether enforcement action is under consideration.

Clarinda Police Officers investigating a reported, possible burglary in progress, arrested a man on drug charges this (Friday) morning. Police Chief Keith Brothers says 29-year old Nathan Andrew Wilcoxen, of Coin, was arrested at around 6:30-p.m. for possession of methamphetamine and possession of Oxycontin without a prescription, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. Wilcoxson was arrested while officers were investigating in the 300 block of N. 13th Street. He was being held at the Page County Jail on $2,300 bail.

Police reports have been submitted to the offices of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.

A University of Iowa scientist says he and others who’ve served as advisers to the U-S Environmental Protection Agency are finding out in news stories they’ve been removed or demoted. Many of the scientists come from academia and say they’re being replaced by scientists from industries regulated by the E-P-A. Professor Peter Thorne heads the U-I’s Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and says until recently, he chaired the E-P-A’s Science Advisory Board, the agency’s most prominent advising body. “I was term limited, but I was nominated to continue and I found out from the media that someone else had been asked to chair that going forward,” Thorne says. “So I have not gotten official word, but my name disappeared from the website this week, so that’s confirmation.”

Thorne says he’s worried changes at the E-P-A will limit the agency’s ability to protect public health and the environment. He says scientists from academic institutions serving as advisers are being “marginalized” by the agency’s new leadership. “The scientists are being replaced by industry scientists,” Thorne says, “people who have worked for industry, people who have worked for law firms that have sued the EPA.”

Thorne says scientists who get E-P-A funding for research are now blocked from serving as advisers to the agency. He made his comments on Iowa Public Radio’s program “River to River.”

(Radio Iowa)

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

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