(Radio Iowa) — With another mass shooting over the weekend, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says fellow Republican leaders in Congress are committed to fast-tracking some sort of gun safety legislation. Grassley blames the media for focusing on rampages like the one Saturday where a gunman killed seven people and wounded 25 in Odessa, Texas. “Seven people died in Chicago over the weekend from gunshot wounds, but you never hear anything about that,” Grassley says. “It’s kind of sad commentary that we concentrate just on one person killing some people and nine people dying someplace else doesn’t get any attention.”

Grassley says Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear the process of conducting background checks for firearms purchases needs to be revisited and strengthened. “It’s my understanding, based on what I heard two weeks ago,” Grassley says, “McConnell is committed to bringing up things dealing with background checks particularly.” Grassley has spoken in favor of so-called “red flag” laws that would take guns away from people who are deemed a threat to themselves or others. Grassley says mandatory background checks for all gun purchases may be coming in the near future.”Since we’ve worked out things like that a few years ago, it ought to be easy to work out some legislation that will make background checks more possible, particularly with people who have mental illness issues.”

The Odessa gunman was reportedly fired from his job the morning of the shootings and, based on his arrest in 2001, could not have legally bought firearms in Texas. Congress remains on recess this week and will return to work on Monday.

In an update to our earlier reports, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office confirms an Atlantic man was injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident east of Marne, Monday morning. The accident happened on Highway 83 (The Marne Road), a little before 8-a.m. Authorities say 22-year old Kyle Krueger, of Atlantic, was traveling westbound in a Ford F-150 pickup, when the vehicle went out of control off the right shoulder of the road, crossed the highway and rolled into the south ditch. Krueger was transported by Medivac Ambulance to the Cass County County Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries. The accident remains under investigation. The pickup sustained an estimated $5,000 damage.

Ric Hanson (Photos)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa agency is keeping secret a list of about two dozen former criminal offenders who were improperly granted credentials to work for private security firms.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety denied an open records request Friday that sought the identities of those individuals whose security cards were recently revoked. The revocations came after the discovery that the department granted 5,800 private security employees credentials to work in Iowa without undergoing mandatory federal criminal background checks.

The department has for a year worked to retroactively complete those checks. Commissioner Stephan Bayens said it has revoked 20 to 25 cards of those found to have disqualifying criminal histories.

In keeping the list secret, department lawyer Catherine Lucas cited a state law that says names of employees of licensed security firms “shall be held as confidential.”
But it’s unclear whether that law applies to those revoked. Other parts of the law allow the department to release information about disciplinary action taken against licensees and to confirm whether an individual is an employee of a licensed agency.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County, Monday, arrested 37-year old Richard Doran Alexander, of Shambaugh. Alexander was arrested on a Department Of Corrections Felony Warrant for Parole Violation. He was on Parole for an original charge of Domestic Abuse Assault 3rd or subsequent Offense. Alexander was found to be hiding in a basement at a residence in Shambaugh, where he was staying. He was transported to the Page County Jail for holding as there is no bond on the warrant.

Richard Doran Alexander

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report says an August survey of business supply managers suggests slow or no economic growth over the next several months in nine Midwest and Plains states.
The report issued Tuesday says the Mid-America Business Conditions index dropped below growth neutral in August, hitting 49.3 compared with 52.0 in July. The index had remained above growth neutral for 32 straight months.

Iowa’s overall index sank below the 50.0 threshold to hit 49.7 last month, compared with 52.6 in July. Index components were new orders at 51.8, production or sales at 49.4, delivery lead time at 59.4, employment at 45.7 and inventories at 42.1. Manufacturers experienced slightly positive growth over the past 12 months.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he blamed the slowdown on weak farm and manufacturing sectors, produced in part by tariffs and a global economic slowdown. The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.