URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) – Police have arrested a man suspected of pepper-spraying an Urbandale officer after a traffic stop. An Urbandale police news release says 25-year-old Brandon Bordinat was arrested Thursday afternoon in Polk County. He’s charged with assault on a police officer and two counts of interference with official acts.

Police say the incident began about 5:10 a.m. Thursday, when someone reported a possible traffic accident. The department says the officer spotted a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle reportedly involved, so the officer pulled it over. The department says that after the officer started talking to the driver, the man sprayed the officer and fled the scene. His image was caught on the officers’ body camera.

Police Officer body cam image of Bordinat

An effort to reduce the improper use of handicapped parking spaces goes into effect January 1st. The State of Iowa will no longer issue “lifetime” handicapped parking permits — those blue plastic placards with a wheelchair symbol in white that are to hang on the rear view mirror when a vehicle is parked in a designated handicapped space. Mark Lowe — the interim director of the Iowa Department of Transportation — says the D-O-T has issued about half a MILLION of those “lifetime” permits and they’re supposed to be turned into the D-O-T when the person dies.

“There are people that use their grandmother’s placard when they’re out driving their car without grandma in the car, so to speak, or that retain placards after somebody has passed away,” Lowe says. Representative Larry Sheets of Moulton said during House debate of this change that too many non-expiring placards are being used “well beyond the death” of the person who got the permit. “Such misuse of these placards reduces the chance for a truly needy person from finding an available parking spot.”

Representative Mary Mascher of Iowa City also spoke out on the issue during House debate. “We’ve all seen and experienced and watched individuals park in handicapped spots where they shouldn’t be,” Mascher said.

The state isn’t yanking the “lifetime” handicapped parking permits that are out there, but starting in January, Iowans with a doctor’s recommendation will only be able to get permits that are good for either six months or five years.

(Radio Iowa)

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A U.S. Department of Agriculture official has announced in Iowa today a new policy designed to allow farmers to take land out of a conservation program early if the land is to be transferred to the next generation of farmers. Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Lanon Baccam says beginning Jan. 9, the USDA will offer an early termination opportunity for certain Conservation Reserve Program contracts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The head of Iowa’s agriculture department says the state is recovering from the loss of millions of laying hens caused by the 2015 bird flu outbreak. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says Iowa’s egg production in October was roughly 1.30 billion eggs, up more than 70 percent from the same time last year. The average number of laying hens on hand in October was roughly 53 million, up 55 percent from last year.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An inmate from Iowa with a history of violence toward guards and one daring escape has died in a Wisconsin prison one month after he was transferred there. Authorities said Thursday that 26-year-old Justin Kestner was found unresponsive in his cell Dec. 21 at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun. A medical examiner says autopsy results haven’t been completed.

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man suspected of involvement in a traffic accident who pepper-sprayed an Urbandale officer who stopped him. The accident was reported early Thursday. Police say the officer pulled over a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle reportedly involved. Police say that after the officer started talking to the driver, 25-year old Brandon Bordinat, the man sprayed the officer and fled the scene.The Urbandale Police Department told KCCI late Thursday afternoon that had been arrested and charged with assault on a police officer with a weapon, interference with official acts resulting in injury and interference with official acts while using a weapon.

(This is a correction to our earlier post which stated the woman was arrested. The report clarifies she was Cited and issued a summons. KJAN News apologizes for the confusion)…..A traffic stop at around 12:05-a.m, Thursday, resulted in a woman being cited and issued a summons with regard to a traffic stop and related drug offenses. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says 32-year old Meagan Marie Travis, of Council Bluffs, was cited for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (A marijuana grinder, digital scale and pipe filters).  The woman was cited after being pulled over by a Pott. County Deputy in the area of Antique City Drive, for a registration violation. A small amount of marijuana in a pink container along with drug paraphernalia was found in the vehicle.

And a Nebraska man was arrested at around 8-p.m., Wednesday, for OWI/1st offense, after he was located in the 23,000 block of Idlewood Road in Pott. County, following a citizens report of a possibly intoxicated driver whose pickup was “all over the road,” and had nearly entered a ditch numerous times. 58-year old Jeff A. Kangas, of Omaha, was interviewed by a Deputy and taken into custody.