DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A bill that would require employers to give time off to non-essential workers so they could attend Iowa’s presidential caucuses has received preliminary approval in the Iowa Senate.
A Senate subcommittee backed the bill Tuesday. Under the proposal, employers would be required to provide unpaid leave to workers who want to attend their precinct caucus. There are exemptions for jobs that impact public health or safety or if employers could show they would experience economic distress.

It will move on to the full committee for review later this week in the Democratic-majority Senate. Iowa Democratic Party Executive Director Ben Foecke spoke in favor of the bill, saying it would provide greater access to the state’s leadoff presidential caucuses. No Iowa Republican Party officials attended the hearing.

CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) – A 36-year-old man who’d held officers at bay in a Cherokee County home has taken a plea deal. The Sioux City Journal reports that Joshua Allender pleaded guilty on Monday to intimidation with a dangerous weapon and assault on a peace officer. He’d been charged with attempted murder, assault and a weapons crime.  The newspaper says the plea agreement calls for a 10-year sentence. Allender’s sentencing is scheduled for April 13.

The charges stem from an incident Oct. 30 in Cherokee County, when officers responded to a call about a suicidal person. The officers say Allender refused to leave the home and fired a gun from an upstairs window. More than six hours later officers fired tear gas into the home, and Allender soon was in custody.

The City Council in Atlantic is set to hold public hearings on the FY 2016 Budget, FY 2016 Capital Improvement Plan, the 2015 Sewer Rehabilitation Project, and an amendment to the Urban Renewal Plan for the Southeast Urban Renewal Area. The hearings will take place during the Council’s regular meeting that begins 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall.

Interim City Administrator John Lund reports Sonntag Development, LLC is seeking $360,000 in Tax Increment Finance (TIF) funds to help with infrastructure improvements and other related costs for the proposed three-to four-million dollar project, which will feature 28-unit multi-family housing complex on property situated between East 19th and East 22nd Streets, near the Sundance Apartments, and in the Urban Renewal Area. The funds would be paid in increments, as portions of the project are completed. The City’s Personnel and Finance Committee, according to Lund, “Thoroughly reviewed the request and made a recommendation for passage to the City Council.”

In other business, the Council is expected to officially appoint Jamie Arnold, with the Otto, Lawrence and Wiederstein law firm, as City Attorney. Arnold was to have been appointed on Dec. 3rd, 2014, but he had not received his paperwork to practice law from Iowa. That paperwork finally came through on Feb. 26th. Arnold was also appointed as the Assistant Cass County Attorney during last week’s Cass County Board of Supervisor’s meeting.

And, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will act on a resolution appointing John Lund as City Administrator. The title will become official on March 29th. Lund’s salary will be adjusted accordingly, to $75,000 per year. The Council held a job evaluation for Lund during a closed session on Feb. 18th, and concluded that he was qualified for the position.

A couple from Creston were arrested on assault charges Monday evening. The Creston P-D says 34-year old Nick Ward and 35-year old Rebecca Ann Ward, both of Creston, faces charges of Domestic Abuse Assault. Both were being held in Jail without bond, with Nick Ward being housed in the Union County Jail, and Rebecca Ward in the Ringgold County Jail.

And 37-year old Gerald Lynn Lawrence, Jr. of Des Moines, was arrested Monday afternoon at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. The man was wanted on two Union County warrants for Failure to Appear in court. He remains in the jail without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Getting press releases and other information about crimes and incidents from the Clarinda Police Department has come to an end. In a note to the media and public this (Tuesday) morning, Chief Keith Brothers said “Effective today (March 3, 2015) at 3:00 p.m., the records office at the Clarinda Police Department will close and cease normal operations until further notice and will not be staffed by an administrative assistant/records clerk to the police chief.”

Brothers said also “The department has had an administrative assistant/records clerk to the police chief since November of 1976, either in a full time or part time capacity and this position has served the police chief and the department well. The department’s ability to maintain accurate records and disseminate reports, etc. in a timely manner will most certainly be negatively affected.”

The chief said he accepts “Total responsibility and accountability for the problems that will result as I have been forewarned of in my recent consultations with the Iowa Police Chief’s Association concerning
administrative assistant/records clerks and their importance to departments of our size and population served.”