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

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Summer is getting into full swing, but parents who are sending a kid to college are being advised to start thinking ahead now about how they are going to pay for it in the fall. Iowa Student Loan C-E-O Steve McCullough says it’s especially important for parents who might use the Federal PLUS Loan program, as the rates increased on July 1st. He says those rates went from six-point-three-one percent to seven percent.

McCullough says there are other options available. “For this particular loan, there are several private student loans that parents can consider using instead. One of those is the Partnership Advanced Education loan provided by Iowa Student Loan. And a new version called the College Family Loan,” McCullough says.

He says the loans administered by his organization do have a lower interest rates. “The highest fixed rate that we’re charging for this fall is six-point-eight-five percent,” according toe McCullough. “Now we know that there are other private loan programs that are available to parents to fill this gap — but we don’t believe that any of them that have this same situation where the highest fixed-rate they are charging is six-point-eight-five percent.”

These are loans that are taken out by the parents with the idea that the college students will eventually pay them off. McCullough says it is important for parents to fully understand that they are on the hook for the loans if the students don’t pay. “Now many parents make the mistake of assuming that there son or daughter will pay it anyway — but that doesn’t happen in all cases — and that leads to some real consternation among the families,” McCullough says.

He says parents and students should do as much research as they can right now to find out all the options available so they don’t have to scramble in the fall.  “Most families tend to look into loan options at the point they get their first bill from the college and they figure out they don’t have the money in their bank account to pay for it,” McCullough explains. “They receive their award letter from the college that said they may need to borrow in the spring, but they’ve still been trying to arrange how they are going to pay for it.”

Iowa Student Loan is the non-profit entity in the state that administers students loans. McCullough says they have a variety of information on their website about student loans and borrowing.

(Radio Iowa)

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A traffic stop for speeding in Audubon County Wednesday night resulted in the arrest of a man on drug charges. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports 41-year old Jay Joseph Ratigan, of Exira, was arrested at around 8:30-p.m. on charges that include Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was also cited for speeding.

Ratigan was pulled over in the 1700 block of Littlefield Drive and taken into custody after Sheriff’s K9 “Axel” alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle and a search was conducted.  Ratigan was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later posted a $2,000 cash bond before being released.

A man who told authorities had given blood plasma earlier in the day, crashed his motorcycle at around 3:10-p.m. Wednesday. Red Oak Police say 46-year old Mark Edward Peterson, of Red Oak, was traveling south on N. Broadway Street, when the 1978 Honda CB750K he was operating left the road and collided with a concrete flower bed, causing him to fall off the cycle. The accident happened near the intersection with Coolbaugh Street.

Peterson suffered minor injuries and was transported by Red Oak Fire/Rescue to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital. He told police that in addition to having donated plasma and not remembering the accident, he has suffered from memory loss in the past. The cycle sustained about $500 damage in the crash. No citations were issued.

Police in Red Oak, Wednesday evening, arrested 26-year old James Leroy Christensen, Jr., of Red Oak. Christensen Jr. was taken into custody at around 7:05-p.m. in the 200 block of S. 8th Street, on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $5,000 cash bond.

A traffic stop Wednesday night in Adams County resulted in the arrest of a man from Union County on weapons-related charges. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says deputies pulled over a vehicle near the intersection of Corning Carl Road and Nodaway River Road, at around 10:30-p.m. The driver of the vehicle was transported by ambulance to the hospital for a medical emergency not related to the traffic stop.

A passenger in the vehicle, 26-year old Joshua Lee Jones, of Creston, informed deputies there was a gun in the vehicle, under his seat. Jones admitted that he was a convicted felon, and was aware he was not supposed to be around firearms. Deputies located the loaded firearm, as well as dozens of rounds of ammunition, and brass knuckles.

Jones was arrested on felony charges that include Dominion and Control of a Firearm by a Felon, Dominion and Control of an Offensive Weapon by a Felon, and D-and-C of Ammunition, by a Felon. His cash only bond at the Adams County Jail was set at $15,000. Charges are pending against the driver of the vehicle, who was not named in the report.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The campaign manager for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says he will remain in his position following his conviction for public intoxication. Phil Valenziano says in a statement he made a mistake and is “disappointed in myself for letting down the governor and her team.” He says he pleaded guilty and “will ensure this never happens again.” He says he informed Reynolds after his June 23 arrest, which came days after she announced he would manage her 2018 campaign.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Texas businessman who collected a Wisconsin Lottery jackpot that was rigged by his friend has admitted using the windfall for an investment scheme that produced another wave of undeserved government money. Court records show Robert Rhodes recently testified that he used the $783,000 payout to receive an additional $180,000 in bogus tax refunds. He did so by buying an offshore insurance policy for a personal corporation that didn’t do any business.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has announced layoffs and will dissolve its forestry bureau to offset a $1.2 million reduction in its budget. The agency confirmed Wednesday it’s eliminating eight positions, including state geologist and animal feeding operations coordinator. The agency will also close its forestry bureau, eliminating the top bureau chief position and reorganizing others within DNR.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police authorities have released the names of officers involved in the shooting death of a 29-year-old woman. A news release from police says Officers Brian Buck, Brandon Holtan and Brady Pratt have been placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting of Tiffany Lynn Potter around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Police Sgt. Paul Parizek says Potter had a handgun and fired it at police at least once.

Atlantic Public Library Director Natalie Struecker, last Friday, submitted her resignation, which is effective August 1st. Mayor Dave Jones said Struecker is moving to Cedar Rapids to work for a bigger library that will obviously offer better pay. Jones said “We wish her well, she’s a very talented person.”

Struecker became the Library Director in Atlantic, in July, 2015. Prior to moving here, she worked at the Rock Island, IL, Public Library, and is a native of Des Moines. She attended ISU and later received a Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Struecker has a background in programming and technology and has worked in libraries over the course of the past 20-years, including in Atlantic.

Natalie Struecker (from her Linked-In page)

The new director of the Iowa Department of Human Services is planning to ensure thousands of adopted children in Iowa visit a doctor at least once a year. The new rule would apply to the adopted children of parents who receive adoption SUBSIDIES from the state. Iowa Department of Human Services director Jerry Foxhoven says it would make sure the kids are seen by “professional eyes” who’ve been trained to recognize and report suspected child abuse and neglect.

“It’s hard to imagine that it is not a good idea for a parent to take their kid to the doctor at least once a year anyway,” Foxhoven says. “I mean, it’s part of what parents do. It makes sense and it allows us to make sure that the kids aren’t under the radar.” Foxhoven’s proposal is part of the agency’s response to the tragic deaths of two teenage girls who were adopted out of foster care. Autopsies revealed both were severely malnourished. Foxhoven is consulting with lawyers to figure out the best way to enforce this new rule. He may be able to add it to the contracts adoptive parents sign with the state.

“I’m certainly supportive of us figuring out a way to make it work,” Foxhoven says, “that if you’re going to get the adoption subsidy, you’re going to take your kid to the doctor at least once a year.” If it requires a change in state law, Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton predicts legislators will act quickly in 2018.

“So that kids that are maybe, possibly, slipping through the cracks right now will possibly be able to see some help,” Kaufmann says. Kaufmann is chair of the House Government Oversight Committee. That committee and a similar panel from the state senate met last month to investigate the state’s child welfare system. Kaufmann says the “vast majority” of parents who are getting state adoption subsidies are doing things right and taking their kids in for regular doctor’s check-ups anyway.

“I’ve talked to adopted parents,” Kaufmann says. “My goodness, they can’t believe that isn’t a requirement.” The state offers taxpayer subsidies to parents who adopt children with special needs, like a disability or behavior issues. Kaufmann says the money helps pay for the additional care or counseling that child may need.

“As far as I’m concerned, any parent that has a problem with proving they’re taking their kid to the doctor once a year probably shouldn’t be adopting kids in the first place,” Kaufmann says. Foxhoven’s agency already has made a change in the way the paperwork for child abuse investigations is handled. All abuse allegations related to one child or one parent used to be bundled into one long document. Now, each report of abuse that comes in is noted separately.

“It’ll strengthen the view of that worker who’s looking at it when they see there were three reports of abuse, for instance, instead of one with a couple of addendums on it,” Foxhoven says. Foxhoven took over as D-H-S director in mid-June.

(Radio Iowa)