Members of the Iowa House have overwhelmingly voted for a bill that ultimately will increase the license fees for people who wish to legally hunt, fish and trap in Iowa. Republican Representative Terry Baxter of Garner is one of the 86 House members who voted yes. “It’s exciting to see this bill come forward. I’ve got to say some of my redneck hunting buddies are a little bit opposed to this, but every sportsmans’ group in Iowa has written me and they stand with this bill,” Baxter said. “It’s time to get some of these resources going. It’s been a long time since we had a fee increase.”

The bill gives officials in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources the authority to raise licensing fees for fishing, hunting and trapping. A yearly fishing license, for example, is currently 17 dollars and is expected to be hiked to 25 dollars. The money from hunting, fishing and trapping licenses is used for department efforts to improve habitat and other conservation efforts that boost hunting opportunities.

Representative John Wills, a Republican from Spirit Lake, says the bill will be a boost to the state’s 800-million dollar hunting, fishing and outdoors industries. “I’ve gotten literally hundreds of emails, hundreds of postcards, hundreds of people asking me to raise these fees,” Wills says.

Only six members of the House opposed the move. Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville who voted FOR the bill, needled House Republicans who’ve taken a “no new taxes or fees” pledge. “We’ve underfunded the DNR to such an extent that they need some income to keep our waters ready for fishing, our fields ready for hunting,” Jacoby says. The bill now goes to the Iowa Senate for consideration.

(Radio Iowa)

Madison County Sheriff Jason Barnes (Barns) has scheduled a news conference for this (Tuesday) afternoon to give an update on the investigation into the burning of the Cedar Covered Bridge near Winterset. The bridge burned early Saturday morning. Barnes expressed optimism Monday with the progress of the investigation. “We are moving forward with the investigation, we have received great help form the community. A lot of information has come in,” Barnes says.

Barnes says people have been very cooperative in helping find answers to this latest fire. “We have no direct witnesses to speak of, we are getting information from people in the community. Everything is going forward,” he says, We are real happy with everything.” Barnes says a search of the scene did provide some clues. “We were able to recover evidence that is going to help us, yes,” Barnes says.

The Cedar Bridge is one of six remaining bridges in Madison County which gained international fame after they were the centerpiece in Robert Waller’s book “The Bridges of Madison County.” The best-selling book was also made into a movie. It is the second time the Cedar Bridge has been torched, it burned down in 2002 and was rebuilt. Other bridges have also been the targets of vandals. Barnes says protecting the iconic bridges all the time is not easy.

“It comes down to money, it really does. we could turn every bridge into Fort Knox if you wanted to,” Barnes says. “…you could keep people out there, have infrared, put up fences around them, close them at night. But at the other end of the spectrum, these are parks. At the end of the day, these are just parks.” Barnes plans to hold a news conference at three o’clock today to update the information on the investigation.

(Radio Iowa)

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says this Saturday, April 22nd, four school districts within Pottawattamie County will be celebrating prom.  The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office will have extra deputies out on patrol during the overnight hours.  The goal of adding patrol deputies, according to Danker, is to discourage underage drinking and/or other drug use and encourage safe and responsible behavior.

Anyone wanting to report suspicions of underage drinking or drug use, at a party or otherwise, can call the Pottawattamie County Communications non-emergency line – (712) 328-5737.

Four people, two adults and two juveniles from Council Bluffs, were arrested Monday night in Oakland, on Burglary and Theft charges. The juveniles, a 17-year old female and a 10-year old female, were cited and released to their parent or guardian, with orders to appear in juvenile court. Taken into custody for Burglary in the 3rd degree and Theft in the 4th Degree, was 37-year old Marcie Faith Enarson and 18-year old John Wesley Lovejoy.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded at around 11:10-p.m., Monday, to a possible assault or disturbance in progress at 314 Oakland Avenue, in Oakland, and that there was also a language barrier. The subjects left the scene in a Chevy Tahoe prior to the arrival of authorities, but the vehicle was pulled over at Highway 6 and 400th Street.

An investigation revealed no assault had taken place, but a burglary and theft had occurred at an apartment located at 314 Oakland Avenue. The stolen property, which included miscellaneous clothes, jewelry and an Xbox, was returned to the rightful owner. The items were valued at $350 altogether.

The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office reports also, 32-year old Eric D. Wright, Sr., of Omaha, was arrested early Monday morning for OWI/1st offense and Interference with Official Acts, after a deputy went to investigate a reported occupied, suspicious vehicle in the Jack Links parking lot.

The Red Oak Police department reports the arrest of a Corning man on Monday afternoon. At 1:55pm Officers arrested 24-year-old Cody Dean Johnson of Corning on a valid Red Oak Police Department Warrant for Criminal Mischief 4th Degree. Johnson was arrested on West Coolbaugh Street and taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 cash bond.