The president of the Board of Regents says the group that oversee the three state universities wants to provide students and their parents with more predictability when it comes to tuition increases. Board president Michael Richards says they should now how much funding they will get from the state by mid-April, and be ready to set next year’s tuition at its June meeting.”We must get this right and will only approve rates one time this year. We need the proper mix of financial resources at our universities. This must be done collectively, it takes all of us working together to maximize the resources of our public universities,” Richards says. He says the board has been considering tuition increases below four percent and a long-term tuition strategy. “This fall we intend to announce a multi-year tuition model, with a baseline percentage increase for the next five years, starting with the 2019-20 academic year,” Richards says. “We will do further study this year to determine the range of increase each year.”

Richards says they have listened to concerns about raising tuition in the middle of a year. “We want to come up with a plan that allows for students and their families to know what tuition rates will be and what will be projected for the next several years,” Richards says. Regent Larry McKibben of Marshaltown is a former state legislator and says the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa need more state support to maintain their quality. He says the state should take money from its cash reserves instead of another budget cut to the schools for this year. “So now were are talking about a 35 million dollar cut in the budget mid-year and they have tens of millions of dollars in a rainy day fund,” McKibben says. “I have said and I have communicated to some of my former colleagues in the legislature that that is not acceptable as far as I am concerned,” McKibben says.

McKibben says legislators and lawmakers are blaming the down farm economy for budget woes — but he says it’s something else. “It is all about priorities — it’s all about the priorities of whether we do this or whether we use some of the funds out of the rainy day funds. And we know with the federal change in tax law we know that we will have more revenue coming into the state of Iowa because of the reduction in the amount of the federal deductibility,” McKibben says. He says the reserve funds are the answer to funding the schools. “There is no reason for a mid-year budget cut. There is absolutely no reason for a mid-year budget cut,” McKibben says.

McKibben says some of the schools have already lost faculty to higher paying jobs in other states, and that will continue if the state does not give them more funding.

(Radio Iowa)

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The nation’s largest privately-owned bank says it will stop producing credit cards for the National Rifle Association in response to customer feedback. The Nebraska-based First National Bank of Omaha announced on Twitter Thursday that it will not renew its contract to issue the group’s NRA Visa Card. The announcement came after the progressive news website ThinkProgress listed the bank as a company that supports the NRA. ThinkProgress noted that First National Bank offered two NRA cards with a $40 bonus and touted it as “enough to reimburse your one-year NRA membership!”

The NRA has faced intense criticism following the school shooting in Florida that left 17 people dead. First National Bank has offices in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas. A bank spokesman declined to comment.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — A Bettendorf counselor accused of kissing and touching a patient against the woman’s wishes has pleaded guilty. Court records say Aracely Schutters’ plea was filed Tuesday to misdemeanor sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. The original charge was a felony. A plea agreement says Schutters will pay a fine of $625 and be sentenced to two years of probation.
Schutters’ sentencing has been scheduled for March 23.

An arrest affidavit says the incident happened Dec. 4 when Schutters invited the patient to her home to talk about the patient’s problems. The patient reported getting into Schutters’ hot tub, where the counselor reportedly kissed and touched the patient. The patient then got out of the hot tub and left Schutters’ home. The patient reported the incident two days later.

Police in Red Oak, Thursday afternoon, arrested 58-year old Thomas Oscar Anderson, of Red Oak, on a Felony charge of Stalking. Anderson was taken into custody at around 4:25-p.m. in the 400 block of east Maple Street. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $5,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa congressman has said in a sworn statement that a company he failed to disclose wasn’t “doing business” in 2016, despite evidence to the contrary. In an amended disclosure, Rep. Rod Blum lists himself as the majority shareholder and director of Tin Moon Corp. The Associated Press reported a day earlier that Blum violated House ethics rules by failing to list his ties to Tin Moon in his form submitted last August.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers’ concerns about the state’s privatized Medicaid program amid reports of problems haven’t translated into much legislation so far. Just a handful of bills that would make selective changes to the health care program for the poor and disabled advanced beyond a legislative deadline last week. The proposals don’t address key issues surrounding reports of reduced services and delayed reimbursements to health care providers.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa doctor has been ordered to pay a $5,000 penalty and has been placed on three years’ probation in an agreement with the Iowa Board of Medicine to settle sexual misconduct charges filed against him. The Sioux City Journal reports that Jeffrey Zoelle entered the agreement Feb. 15. The board ordered Zoelle to complete a board-approved sexual misconduct/sexual harassment evaluation, among other things.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Republican-led Iowa Senate panel has given preliminary approval to a bill that would make sweeping changes to the state’s tax system. Republicans in a five-member Senate subcommittee agreed Thursday morning to sign off on the legislation, which GOP lawmakers say would cut more than $1 billion annually in taxes. A tax writing committee is expected to approve the bill in the afternoon. A key Senate Republican says the bill could have a full vote in the chamber next week.

WOOD RIVER, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says troopers have recovered a stolen gun and seized several pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Interstate 80 near Wood River in central Nebraska. The patrol says the stop Wednesday afternoon also led to the arrest of four people from Des Moines, Iowa.

The patrol says the car was stopped on suspicion of failing to stop at a stop sign before turning onto a rural highway, then entering I-80. The trooper reported a strong smell of marijuana coming from the car during the stop and searched it. The patrol says four pounds of marijuana and the gun were found during the search. The patrol says the gun had been reported stolen from Des Moines.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department said members of the Council Bluffs Police Department arrested a 12 year old girl this (Thursday) morning, for making terroristic threats, via a social media (Snapchat) account. The threats were directed toward the Kirn Middle School.

Prior to the start of the school day, the principal at Kirn was contacted by a parent of a student who had seen disturbing messages on Snapchat, making reference to firearms and killing people at the school. The principal and the CBPD Kirn School Resource Officer worked with detectives to identify the student responsible for posting the threatening messages. The girl is a student at Kirn Middle School and was in attendance this morning.

The police department kept a presence inside the school, monitoring the area, as the investigation proceeded. Further investigation revealed that the girl did not have access to any weapons. The girl was booked into the Southwest Iowa Juvenile Detention Center on one count of Threat of Terrorism (Iowa Code 708A.5), which is a class “D” felony.

Police are not releasing the name of the female student, due to her being a juvenile. They also will not be releasing the threatening postings that instigated the investigation, as they are evidence in a criminal case. Authorities say the incident was an example of how the “See Something, Say Something” campaign works, and that they “Encourage adults to have conversations with student age kids, stressing that these types of posts are not funny and will lead to very serious consequences. Law enforcement will treat every threat as being potentially credible, until proven otherwise.”

The Council Bluffs Police Department is not aware of any other threats within the school district at this time. Authorities say they will continue to work with school officials to provide a safe learning environment for the community’s children.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa doctor has been ordered to pay a $5,000 penalty and has been placed on three years’ probation in an agreement with the Iowa Board of Medicine to settle sexual misconduct charges filed against him.

The Sioux City Journal reports that Jeffrey Zoelle entered the agreement Feb. 15. The board ordered Zoelle to complete a board-approved sexual misconduct/sexual harassment evaluation, among other things.

The board has said Zoelle, who had practiced at clinics in Sioux City and Sergeant Bluff, made inappropriate sexual comments to a patient in 2015, and that from 2011 to January 2016, he rubbed female co-workers on the neck, shoulders and back, sent them inappropriate Facebook and text messages and tried to kiss one.

Zoelle is no longer employed at the clinics. A home phone number for him could not be found Thursday.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports six arrests took place over the past week. On Tuesday, Feb. 20th: 28-year old Anthony Gerome Moore, of Tampa, FL, was arrested on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Theft 2nd Degree. Moore was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond. And, 18-year old Timothy Dethlef Asmus, of Audubon, was arrested on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Theft 4th Degree. Asmus was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond.

Last Friday (February 16th), Deputies in Cass County arrested 20-year old Shelby Lynn Brusman, of Bagley, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Brusman was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $25,000 bond.

And, there were three arrests in Cass County on Feb. 15th: 23-year old Samantha Kim Jensen, of Atlantic, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Jensen was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $25,000 bond; 33-year old Ehren Michael Mardesen, of Anita, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Mardesen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he also remains held on $25,000 bond; and, 33-year old Miles Blake Cooley, of Anita, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation and an additional charge of Possession of Marijuana 3rd/Subsequent (Aggravated). Cooley was taken to the Cass County Jail and was released the following day on $2,000 bond.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa congressman has said in a sworn statement that a company he failed to disclose wasn’t “doing business” in 2016, despite evidence to the contrary. In an amended disclosure made public Thursday, Rep. Rod Blum lists himself as the majority shareholder and director of Tin Moon Corp. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Blum violated House rules by failing to list his ties to Tin Moon earlier.

Blum writes in the amendment that his failure to disclose was an oversight because Tin Moon was “basically worth less than $1,000 and not doing business in 2016.” Tin Moon was incorporated and registered its website in May 2016. In August 2016, YouTube user “rodblum” uploaded a customer testimonial claiming Tin Moon saved her company thousands of dollars. One of Blum’s congressional aides appeared in a similar testimonial weeks later.