(Radio Iowa) — The winner of Iowa’s 2004 Caucuses is traveling the state this week, campaigning for one of the candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination. John Kerry is reminiscing about the campaign he ran here 16 years ago. “I had the best time criss-crossing this state, measuring my life by the height of your corn…I spent New Year’s Eve in Sioux City with my 300 new best friends, celebrating the New Year,” Kerry said.

Kerry was trailing in the polls in December of 2003, but wound up winning with 38 percent. “We had a hell of a good time, folks, and nothing was better than turning the tide in the Caucuses ” Kerry said. “And going on to win Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania and coming within half a football stadium of winning the presidency.” Kerry lost the state of Ohio in the General Election by about 60-thousand votes. Kerry’s on a bus tour of Iowa, traveling with Joe Biden’s sister and a few other Biden supporters from other states. “I actually thought about running and I’m not — because Joe is,” Kerry said, “and because I believe in his ability to be able to pull the country together, to win those critical states.”

Kerry, who represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate for 28 years, served as U.S. Secretary of State during President Obama’s second term. He told a crowd in Des Moines late Wednesday afternoon President Trump’s showdown with Iran is reckless, impulsive and has put us at odds with our closest allies. “The more I see of what is not happening in the world measured against what should be happening, the more I know we need to respect experience and value somebody like Joe Biden,” Kerry said, to applause.

Kerry will make stops in Fort Dodge, Algona and Mason City today (Thursday), with more stops in eastern Iowa on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

(Radio Iowa) — New Jersey Senator Cory Booker says he’s taking a gamble that he’ll be among the top three candidates when the Iowa Caucus results are announced. “We’ve said from the beginning that this is our state, that this is going to be the determining factor for us,” Booker says. “…We’re playing to keep here in Iowa, kind of Texas Hold ‘Em in some ways.” Iowans who watched seven of the Democratic Party’s OTHER 2020 presidential candidates debate in December saw Booker’s first campaign ad. He’s spending far more to buy time on Iowa T-V stations this month.  “I’m going to confess we have taken a risk in Iowa by pushing a lot of our resources that we might need to continue on into getting up on TV to compete with those people who are millionaires or who have more resources than us,” Booker told Radio Iowa.

Booker has not joined former competitor Julian Castro in criticizing Iowa’s role as the first voting event in the 2020 presidential selection process. Booker just launched “Black Americans for Cory” with a gathering of about 50 women in Des Moines and he says Iowa’s minority voters may be the deciding factor on February 3rd. “In a Caucus where the difference between finishing fifth and second is probably going to be a few thousand votes, those who appeal to the Sudanese community or can appeal to the Latino community, the black community, if you can generate support in those communities,” Booker says. “it’s the diversity that swings the hinge one way or the other.”

Booker says voters need to pick the candidate who is best able to motivate Obama-level turn-out among diverse communities. Booker’s duty as a U.S. Senator to sit as a juror in the expected impeachment trial for President Trump will take him off the Iowa campaign trail. He is also unlikely to meet Friday’s deadline for a strong enough showing in public opinion polls to be included in next week’s televised candidate debate in Des Moines. Booker returns to Iowa today (Thursday) with events scheduled in North Liberty and Mount Vernon.

Members of the Griswold School District’s Board of Education will meet this evening in a Work Session, to review Open Enrollment data. The meeting takes place in the Conference Room at the High School, beginning at 5:30-p.m.  No action is expected to be taken during their Work Session.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department have released a report on arrests dating back to December 28th. Most recently…

On January 1st: 34-year old Trent Allen Nielsen, of Avoca, was arrested on assault and lascivious acts with a child, charges. And, 52-year old Timothy Wayne Nevel, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Nevel was charged with having no lamp or flag on rear projecting load, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and prohibited acts penalties.

On Dec. 31st: 49-year old Bryan Allen Dennis, of Council Bluffs, was arrested by Harlan Police for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. And, 52-year old Brian Allan Sorensen, of Harlan, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree. On Dec. 30th, 50-year old David Lee Stout, of Harlan, was charged with domestic abuse assault following a call for service. Stout was arrested January 3, 2020 on an active Shelby County warrant and transported to the Shelby County Jail.

On Dec. 29th, Harlan Police arrested 22-year old Quentin James Briggs, of Harlan, for Domestic Abuse Assault. And, 20-year old Alexis Jean Sherer, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Harrison County warrant.  On December 28th, 41-year old Kari Jean Elizabeth Nordby, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Nordby was charged with operating while intoxicated, possession of drug paraphernalia, fail to maintain control, and insufficient number of headlamps.

In an update to an earlier report, Harlan Police say no serious injuries were reported following a rollover accident Dec. 25th, at 7th and Victoria Streets. Authorities say Larry Kruse, of Harlan, was driving a 2004 Ford Taurus and was turning south onto 7th St. from Victoria. Kruse made a wide turn and over corrected to the left, just missing a tree, before sharply turning right causing the vehicle to overturn. The car came to rest on its top. Medivac and Harlan Fire Dept. personnel assisted Kruse out of the vehicle.

There were two, property damage accidents in Harlan on Dec. 29th, one on Jan. 4th and another on Jan. 7th.

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

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The Creston Police Department reports 43-year old Shawn Parmenter, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Parmenter was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. He was later released on a $2,000 bond. And, on Jan. 3rd, Creston Police arrested 44-year old Brad Reed, of Creston. He was also taken into custody at the Union County LEC. Reed was charged with OWI/1st offense, and later released on $1,000 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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GARRISON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a worker was killed in an accident at an eastern Iowa rock quarry. First responders were sent around 1:15 p.m. Wednesday to Wendling Quarries, just southeast of Garrison. They found the man had been trapped in a rock bin and had already died. His name and details about what happened haven’t been released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)) – It will cost you more to attend the Iowa State Fair this year. The fair announced Wednesday that gate prices for adults will rise to $14 from $12 last year, and tickets for children ages 6 to 11 will increase to $8 from $6. Advance purchase prices are going up a dollar: to $9 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 11. Children 5 and under still will get in free. There will be ticket discounts on some days for certain groups, including Older Iowans Day on Aug. 19. The fair runs Aug. 13-23 this year.

(Radio Iowa) — The State Ombudsman says her office saw the fifth straight year where they took more complaints and information requests. Ombudsman Kristie Hirschman says they had 54-hundred-six contacts during fiscal year 2019 — an increase of seven percent. “Everything in all categories just seems to be increasing,” she says.  One area did stick out a little more than others. “The only clear significant increase as far as categories of complaints is from jails,” according to Hirschman. “We know the jail populations are increasing. And our office has been saying for years that jails and prisons have become the warehouse for the mentally ill.

They saw 30 percent more complaints about jails and prisons.  “The top five complaint categories for jails are: health services, discipline, staff conduct, food and conditions and confinement,” she says. Hirschman says a lot of the medical complaints involve medication that can’t be resolved.  “They believe they are not getting medications or appropriate health care treatment. Part of that is there are medications not allowed in the prison system in certain situations — especially medications such as narcotics,” Hirschman explains.

Hirschman says she continues to have concern about the complaints generated about governments. She remains frustrated with transparency in all levels of government.  “In general from a big picture perspective — I think that agencies need to strive to be more transparent. — err on the side of transparency rather than secrecy,” according to Hirschman. She says one thing the public needs to do is look for all avenues where they can settle an issue before having to call her office. “If that is available to them, then we will decline the compliant until they have exhausted the process,” Hirschman says. “Even for example is somebody calls and says ‘the city won’t pay for my street.’ And then we ask them if they have brought their concerns to the attention of the city council. And if they say ‘no’ — we are going to ask them to bring their concerns to the appropriate governing body before our office gets involved — just because we get too many complaints.”

The complaints brought to her office in the 2019 fiscal year ended with 79 percent being unsubstantiated, three percent undetermined or no basis to determine, and 18 percent partially or fully substantiated. Hirschman expects the complaints about local governments to continue to increase as a new law promotes the Ombudsman as a place for employees to report fraud and waste. The report can be found online at www.legis.iowa.gov/Ombudsman.