DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A plan to expand access to medical marijuana has won approval in the Democrat-majority Senate, but the legislation is unlikely to move any further this year in the Legislature. The Senate voted 26-19 in favor of the bill Wednesday. The legislation would make medical marijuana available to people with certain chronic diseases. Those approved by a doctor could purchase marijuana products produced in Iowa and sold at state-licensed dispensaries.

The legislation moves to the Republican-controlled House, where leaders have expressed little interest in the bill. Last year, the Legislature approved a law allowing some residents with epilepsy to use oil with an ingredient derived from marijuana for treatment. But the law did not establish an in-state program for the production and distribution of the oil.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman was arrested for assault, Tuesday, and a man was arrested on drug charges. 24-year old Kirstin Marysa Silence, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Willful Injury. Silence was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released later that day on $10,000 bond.
And, 31-year old Joseph Lee Flathers, of Anita, was arrested on charges of Possession of Marijuana 2nd Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Flathers was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released on his own recognizance the following day.

There’s been a change in location for next month’s electronics recycling trailer, in Atlantic. Atlantic Community Protection committee Chairman Chris Jimerson reports a semi-trailer for the loading of electronics to be disposed of will be located at the Cass County Fairgrounds, instead of on North Chestnut Street, as had been previously announced. The 4-H Fairgrounds committee has authorized the use of the grounds for the dropping off of electronic items. The event will be held May 9th, from 7-until 11-a.m.

The electronic recycling program is for Cass County residents only. Businesses are not allowed to participate. You may bring the following items ONLY, to the fairgrounds for placement in the trailer: televisions, computer monitors, hard drives, printers, lap-tops, VCR/DVD players, keyboards, speakers, circuit boards, cell phones, cables, electronic scrap, small appliances, and microwaves.

Once the semi is full, no further electronic items will be taken, and anyone with items left over, will be asked to take those items to the Cass County Landfill, which has had its own E-recycling program in place, since 2006. For information about what electronic pieces are accepted at the Landfill, and the price of disposal, go to www.casscountylandfill.com, or call 712-243-1991.

Federal tax returns are due by midnight tonight (Wednesday) and officials with the Internal Revenue Service expect more than 57-thousand Iowans will be requesting an extension this year. I-R-S spokesman Bill Brunson says you can go the antiquated route, using a paper form that needs to be postmarked before midnight, or speed up the process with a few clicks on the agency’s website.

Brunson says, “All you need to do is go to IRS.gov and click on the Free File icon where you can choose to request an extension automatically for an additional six months online at no charge.” You have until midnight to make the request, which will push your federal tax deadline back to October 15th. While it used to be a circus-like atmosphere on April 15th, with procrastinators rushing to the post office late at night, most of those offices now keep regular business hours on tax deadline day.

Brunson notes e-filing has all but eliminated that urgency and Iowa is one of the nation’s e-filing leaders. “The Internal Revenue Service expects more than 1.4-million returns for this reporting period and of that 1.4 million, 1.3-million are expected to be electronically filed,” Brunson says. “That’s a rate of 93% of Iowans who will choose to electronically file their tax return.”

E-filers also have until midnight to complete the tax task, which Brunson says is more accurate, since the program won’t let you make a math error. He touts another benefit. “Your electronic return is secure in the sense that, if you have a refund coming, you can choose to have it directly deposited in your savings or checking account, and that item won’t get lost or stolen like an old-fashioned paper check,” Brunson says. “You can expect to get a refund from the Internal Revenue Service in 21 days or less.”

E-filing saves the I-R-S a bundle. Processing a paper return costs three-dollars and 54-cents on average, while an e-filed return costs more like 18-cents.

(Radio Iowa)

A new survey shows Iowa voters are divided over the issue of legalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Peter Brown is assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. “Iowans are split right down the middle on the question of legalizing recreational use of marijuana, 47-percent of Iowans told Quinnipiac they favor legalization, while 47-percent oppose it,” Brown says.

Quinnipiac also surveyed voters in two other states on the same issue. Voters in Virginia support so-called recreational pot 54-41 percent, while Colorado voters still back their first-in-the-nation experiment 62-34 percent. In Iowa, Brown notes support for legalized recreational use of marijuana is much stronger among Democrats than Republicans. There’s also a large gap on the issue among age groups.

Support for personal use of marijuana is 62-32 percent among voters 18 to 34 years old, while voters 35 to 54 years old are divided 47-47 percent and voters over 55 years old are opposed 53-41 percent. Iowans, meanwhile, overwhelming favor the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

The Quinnipiac poll shows 87-percent of the Iowans surveyed support the use of medical marijuana, while 11-percent are against its legalization. Last week, dozens of people took part in a rally at the statehouse and met with legislators to lobby for a new state law that would allow marijuana to be grown and dispensed in Iowa — as treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. The Quinnipiac University Poll was conducted between March 29 and April 7 and involved phone interviews with 948 Iowa voters.

(Radio Iowa)

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A 200-plus-pound St. Bernard won’t be seized from his owner, thanks to a vote by the Onawa City Council. The council voted 4-2 on Tuesday night to reverse a ruling by the police chief that Zhivago is dangerous. The giant pooch had gotten loose twice, but owner Billy Parker has said Zhivago is “a gentle giant” who poses no threat.

Council member LeRoy Habinck said at the meeting that if Zhivago were “going to bite somebody, he would have done it long before this.” Parker has installed a 6-foot-tall fence to keep the dog from escaping and roaming the neighborhood.

The council will be taking a look at city ordinances to clearly define what makes an animal “dangerous” or “vicious” and subject to city seizure.