(Radio Iowa) — A Dubuque man will spend more than eleven years in prison for randomly firing a pistol at a group that was holding a party. Sentencing documents say 34-year-old Norris Culver Junior fired several shots from a .45 caliber handgun at a duplex across from his house in May of last year. There were several people at the duplex — including three young kids — celebrating at a graduation party. Three of the bullets hit the duplex — but missed all of the graduation party people. Culver pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has multiple felony convictions dating back to when he was 18. He was still on supervised release at the time of his Dubuque arrest for illegally transporting four aliens into Texas.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A development group that wants to build a $225 million casino and hotel at the Des Moines airport says the project would help pay for a planned new terminal. Highview Development Group presented the plan to the Des Moines Airport Authority board on Tuesday. The complex would include a 350-room hotel connected to the airport by a skywalk. There also would be a fountain, rock garden, restaurant and wedding and banquet facilities.

The airport board tabled discussion of the proposal until its February meeting. Officials have been seeking $194 million from various sources to cover the $500 million airport project.

Officials with the City of Massena report the City is looking to support a child care center for the community and surrounding area, to fit the long-term child care needs. If you have an interest in, or a need for – child care in the Massena area, the City would like your information, as it moves forward with the process. That process includes a survey to determine child care needs. The survey is available online at camcougars.org, and on the City of Massena Facebook page.

Paper copies of the survey are available in Massena, at: the Massena City Hall; the Post Office; Massena C-Store; Economy Food Market; FNB Bank; and the CAM South Elementary School. Surveys are available in Cumberland, at City Hall and the Post Office. In Anita at the CAM North Elementary School, and Post Office….In Bridgewater, at the Bridgewater Cafe, and at the Post Office….in Fontanelle at the Library and Post Office, and at the Post Office in Corning.

You can also receive a paper copy of the child care survey in the mail, by contacting Principal Larry Hunt at 712-779-2212. Completed surveys must be submitted by Feb. 3rd, 2020.

Red Oak Police report the arrest at around 12:05-a.m. today (Wednesday), of 54-year old Jeffrey Allen Buell. The Red Oak man was taken into custody for Harassment in the 2nd Degree. Buell was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond. And, at around 6:12-p.m. Tuesday, Red Oak Police arrested 26-year old Lindsey Sue Rhodes, of Red Oak, on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Driving While Intoxicated/1st offense, Rhodes was transferred to the Mills County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic presidential candidates strained to keep Tuesday’s debate civil and substantive. They drew policy contrasts with each other on national security, health care and trade, but repeatedly shifted the focus back to their common opponent: President Donald Trump. The debate came three weeks before the Iowa caucuses and just as some candidates are preparing to leave the campaign trail to serve as jurors in Trump’s Senate impeachment trial. Months of campaigning have left Democrats with a crowded top tier, and it’s unclear if the debate helped any of the candidates break out of that pack.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers to consider increasing the state sales tax by 1 cent to fund increased spending on water quality, the environment and mental health care programs. To offset the tax increase she’s proposing an income tax cut of 10% and a property tax cut. Reynolds made the proposals in her annual Condition of the State address delivered to lawmakers Tuesday. Reynolds is again calling for a constitutional amendment to allow felons to vote upon completing their sentences and an amendment declaring there is no right to an abortion under the Iowa Constitution.

DES MOINES (AP) — There was a lot of pre-debate chatter about a coming fight between Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren over Warren’s assertion that Sanders told her in 2018 that a woman couldn’t be elected president. Sanders denied it, Warren didn’t press it, and a substantive debate on a range of issues ensued. Still, after the debate, it appeared that Warren declined to shake Sanders’ hand. Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines was the final forum before the Iowa caucuses.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature has again denied press access to a liberal journalist whose blog is often critical of its policies, despite warnings from state and national groups that the restriction appears to be unconstitutional. The Iowa House and Senate informed Laura Belin, author of the Bleeding Heartland blog, that her applications for access during the session that began Monday have been rejected. The Iowa House told Belin that it does not credential journalists who are nontraditional while the Iowa Senate said it doesn’t consider Belin a member of the media. Belin says she’s considering her next steps, including an appeal or a lawsuit.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state panel has agreed to pay more than $400,000 after a judge found a worker at a southwest Iowa care center was the victim of disability discrimination. The State Appeal Board approved paying the court-ordered judgment against Glenwood Resource Center to Dorothy Hollinger.

She was a residential treatment worker at Glenwood, a center for people with intellectual disabilities. Hollinger had a knee injury made worse after a patient at the center kicked her in 2011. After an extended surgical leave she was fired in 2013 but recalled for job that paid less. A judge last year ordered the state to pay lost wages, emotional distress and attorney fees.

(Radio Iowa) — After months of discussion and two public hearings, the board of supervisors in one southwest Iowa county has decided to leave the county wind turbine ordinance as is. Chuck Morris is chairman of the Page County Board of Supervisors.

“Whichever way we land, we’ve got people pretty upset and we understand that,” Morris says. Today’s (Tuesday’s) decision comes after the supervisors held public meetings in both Clarinda and Shenandoah last month to gather feedback on wind turbines in the county.

The current ordinance requires there to be 15-hundred feet between a wind turbine and any home on neighboring property. Supervisor Jon Herzberg says increasing the setback much more would effectively end wind energy possibilities in the county. “A 1600-feet setback is about the most you can go, otherwise the wind energy company won’t come in,” he said.

Page County resident Jane Stimson accused the supervisors of siding with big corporations and absentee landowners. “I think you’re looking out for them more than you’re looking out for those of us who’ve been in families for generations in this county,” she said. “…You’re just selling us out.”

The county ordinance does require a setback from non-participating property lines that’s equal to one-point-one times the height of the turbine.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Allegiant Air has announced it will add three new nonstop flights — to Memphis, Tennessee; Austin, Texas; and Chicago — from the Des Moines International Airport. The Des Moines Register reports the added flights are part of the carrier’s largest expansion in the company’s history. The new fights begin May 21, with service twice weekly to all three destinations.

The Las Vegas-based carrier had earlier announced flights from Des Moines to Nashville, Tennessee, which start Feb. 13. Allegiant announced in November that it would make Des Moines its newest base, investing $50 million to bring in 66 employees — including pilots, flight attendants and fleet mechanics.

(Radio Iowa) — Two high school students from Hinton High School in northwest Iowa, were killed in an accident early this (Tuesday) morning in rural Plymouth County.  According to Hinton High School Superintendent, Todd Meyer, the two students were siblings, a senior girl, and a freshman boy. Plymouth County Sheriff’s Officials say that icy roads may have played a factor in the head-on collision.

The names of the students have not been released. School officials say school remains in session, however, all school related activities scheduled for this (Tuesday) evening are now canceled. There have been four vehicle accident fatalities in Plymouth County during the last three weeks.

The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved more than $1.3-million in funding for four statewide Iowa’s Transportation Alternatives Program projects. The program supports projects related to trails, Safe Routes to School initiatives, National Scenic Byways, and the preservation or rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities. Funding is available to cities, counties, school districts, or other eligible organizations through an annual application-based program.

Among the projects and approved funding amounts is the Manning Safe Routes to School program – South Phase I (Manning): $49,200.