The Iowa Judicial Branch reports that at 3:30-p.m. September 21st,, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will administer the oath of office to Iowa Supreme Court Justice Susan Christensen in a public ceremony in the supreme court courtroom in the Judicial Branch Building (1111 E. Court Ave.), in Des Moines. Justice Christensen, of Harlan, will fill the vacancy that resulted from the retirement of Justice Bruce B. Zager.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (right) introduced Judge Susan Christensen as her pick for IA Supreme Court Justice during a press event on Aug. 2nd, in Des Moines. (Radio Iowa photo)

Prior to her appointment to the supreme court, Justice Christensen was appointed a district associate judge in 2007 and a district judge in 2015. Before becoming a judge, she practiced law in Harlan for 16 years. Justice Christensen graduated from Judson College in 1988 and received her law degree from Creighton University School of Law in 1991. She served as Assistant County Attorney in Shelby County from 1991 to 2007, Harrison County from 1996 to 2007, and Crawford County in 2007.

Justice Christensen is a member of the Children’s Justice State Council and served on the Supreme Court’s Family Law Pro Se Forms Committee, Child Support Guidelines Review Committee, and Parents Representation Standards Committee. She is a member of The Iowa State Bar Association, the Southwest Iowa Bar Association, and the Shelby County Bar Association.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A man sought by police for more than 20 years has been arrested in Burlington. Des Moines County District Court records say 41-year-old Dawarn Moncrief was taken into custody Thursday. The Hawk Eye reports that he’s charged with going armed with intent for the June 27, 1998, stabbing of DiAngelo Willis. Police say Moncrief fled the stabbing scene and remained free until Thursday.
He was arrested on drug and other charges after the vehicle he was in was stopped for an illegal license plate.

Moncrief’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, today (Tuesday) released a report on arrests and other information. Vandewater said 28-year old Kenny Joe Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested Aug. 28th on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a child support matter, the cash -only bond for which was set at $1,500. He was also arrested on Court Orders requiring he serve the balance of his sentences (12 days), for Carrying Weapons, and Failure to serve his required jail time.

And, 21-year old Matthew Christopher Avila, of Prescott, was arrested Aug. 31st in Orient, on a warrant out of Taylor County. He was turned over to Deputies from Taylor County.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The director of the Iowa Department of Transportation is boldly inviting his employees to go where they’ve gone many times before: a work meeting. A video produced by DOT staff features Director Mark Lowe and six department leaders as characters from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” The video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o403Rlyf0cA&feature=youtu.be)  urges employees to attend a two-day annual leadership conference that begins Wednesday.

Lowe is the star, dressing in the uniform of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and flashing the Vulcan salute. With “Star Trek” theme music playing, he says the mission is to engage employees “to boldly go where no DOT has gone before.”

The others didn’t dress up but had their headshots photo-shopped onto the bodies of “Star Trek” characters. Lowe recorded another video for last year’s conference featuring him eating dates. He says the videos are “very quick, easy and efficient” ways to connect with employees using self-deprecating humor.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will meet 9-a.m. Wednesday, in their Board Room at the Courthouse, in Greenfield. During their meeting, the Board will set Public Hearings and Readings regarding an Amendment to Ordinance 31 (Assessment of Wind Energy Conversion Property), to establish rules and regulations on Wind Conversion Property. That will be followed by discussing and the establishment of rules to conduct the Public Hearing.

Afterward, the County Engineer will discuss Secondary Road Department matters, including a new hire for the culvert crew, the Adopt-A-Roadway Program, and other business.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say a man from Treynor was arrested early Saturday morning following a traffic stop on a speeding VW Passat. A Deputy observed the vehicle, driven by 32-year old Bryan James Murray, traveling around 100-mph eastbound on Highway 6, at approximately 2:30-a.m., Saturday. Murrary was taken into custody for OWI/3rd offense, Driving While Suspended, and Failure to Maintain Proper Speed.

At around 9:50-p.m. Friday, 58-year old Jeffrey J. Funkhouser, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession and/or Consumption of Alcohol (Public Intoxication) in the vicinity of a school, after authorities received a call to assist the Crescent Volunteer Fire Department with a possible “Man down,” call. It was later determined there were no injuries. And, at around 5:50-p.m. Friday, 22-year old Kuira Jane Lawton, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a felony warrant for Violation of Probation, after her vehicle was pulled over for having no registration plates. Lawton was also cited for Driving While Suspended and Operating a non-registered vehicle.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have rescued one of two people whose kayak overturned in a rain-swollen Cedar Rapids stream. City public safety spokesman Greg Buelow says rescuers were dispatched a little before 4:30 p.m. Monday to comb a stretch of Indian Creek. A woman was rescued a little after 5 p.m., but the man she’d been kayaking with remained missing at nightfall when the search halted. No names have been released. The search is expected to resume today (Tuesday).

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

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(Radio Iowa) A traveling exhibit called “Spirited: Prohibition in America,” just opened at the State Historical Museum in Des Moines. The exhibit chronicles the years when alcohol sales were forbidden across the country. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs spokesman, Michael Morain, says they are holding some companion events that explore the history of alcohol in Iowa. The first one is September 13th. “There’s a lunch and learn session with a historian name Jerry Harrington from Iowa City. And he’s going to talk specifically about Governor Harold Hughes, he crusaded for the liquor by the drink law….but his personal story is interesting as the governor himself was a self-described recovering alcoholic,” according to Morain.

Harrington will talk about the fight to change that law that dominated state politics until 1963, when Hughes finally got the change passed by the Iowa Legislature. “He took a stand that said if we’re going to have this law we need to enforce it, but if we are not going to enforce it we need to get rid of the law,” Morain says. “So, his personal story intersected with Iowa politics in a dramatic way, in an interesting way in the 1960’s.” That event is from noon until one p-m, Thursday, Sept. 13th at the State Historical Museum of Iowa. There are two more alcohol-themed events planned.

They will screen the film on October 4th called “Whiskey Cookers.” It’s a documentary about the Templeton bootleggers. And the third event is an after-hours event called “History on the Rocks” that will discuss prohibition. They will have some special guests. “One of the guests is from Millstream Brewing Company over in eastern Iowa over in the Amanas Colonies — which is Iowa’s oldest microbrewery and it has been going since 1884,” Morain says. “It was doing microbrews before everybody else was doing microbrews.

The screening of “Whiskey Cookers” is from 5:30 to eight p-m Thursday, October 4th at the museum. The after hours event is from five to 7:30 p-m Thursday, October 18th. You can find out how to sign up for the events at The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs website.

https://iowaculture.gov/iowa-culture

(Radio Iowa) — The use of a pesticide recently banned by a federal judge has already been declining for 20 years. But one researcher says chlorpyrifos (klor-PEER-uh-foss) could still have long-term health effects in Iowa. Some scientists have linked the pesticide to nervous system damage. Ralph Altmeier is with the Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health. “Over long-term it has some effect on the human nervous system. I wonder what I’ll experience in another 10 or 20 years because I used some of those same chemicals,” Altmeier said. “Some of that neurotoxin effect is cumulative and non-reversible.”

In August, a judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the pesticide. Altmeier believes his father may have developed nerve damage from chlorpyrifos. “His toes would burn, and that’s perhaps a result of chronic exposure to this,” Altmeier said. “That’s not life-threatening, but it was uncomfortable for him at times. So, there could be some long-term chronic effects that are just showing up now.”

Chlorpyrifos is used on corn, soybeans and other crops. According to federal data, its use has been dropping off since 1994. But farmers in the Upper Midwest use it more than any other region.

(Thanks to Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio via Radio Iowa)