BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — The mayor of an eastern Iowa city would get a $10,000 raise under a proposal being discussed by the city council. The Quad-City Times reports that it would be the first pay raise for the top elected official in Bettendorf in more than 35 years. The proposal discussed by the council Monday would hike the mayor’s annual salary to $25,000 from $15,000 starting in January 2020 — after the next municipal election.

Mayor Bob Gallagher told the council he spends roughly 12 to 15 hours a week doing the job and says he “didn’t run for this position for pay.” He says the job is more about “passion for the city and trying to help.”
The council took no action but is expected to revisit the matter later this month.

(Radio Iowa) — Trade troubles with China have caused financial strain on many industries in the U-S, including agriculture, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is praising a new gesture by that nation involving Fentanyl. Chinese officials vow to tighten controls on the production and export of that highly-potent drug, which Grassley says is a move that’s long overdue. “China is the biggest source of Fentanyl coming to our country,” Grassley says, “and it is the leading reason we have an opiate problem in the United States.”

Grassley is chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control. He says Fentanyl-laced heroin has fueled the deadly opioid epidemic in recent years and is linked to the majority of opioid overdose deaths in America. “We don’t recognize it so much in Iowa although it is a problem in Iowa,” Grassley says, “but it’s a gigantic problem in New England, in Ohio, in West Virginia, 70,000 deaths.” In October, Grassley says his panel heard from government officials and experts from across the U-S who emphasized the need for China to act on Fentanyl. Grassley says former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who is the U-S Ambassador to China, has been working toward this for some time. Grassley says, “It’s a real victory for Governor Branstad because six months ago, he came to my office to talk about his #1 goal is to get China to do what they’ve now said they’re going to do.”

A news release from Grassley’s office says in 2017, a full 60-percent of U-S opioid deaths involved Fentanyl, which is an increase from 14-percent in 2010. The release also says Fentanyl is involved in more deaths than prescription opioids or heroin.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a woman from Avoca was arrested Monday night on a warrant from the Council Bluffs Police Department. 37-year old Angela Marie Rogers was arrested at around 9:40-p.m. in Avoca, on the warrant for Contempt of Court/Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. Rogers was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Pott. County Jail, where she was booked-in and held without bond.

(Radio Iowa) — The notification process for prospective jurors who will hear cases in courtrooms across the state changed Monday. State Judicial System spokesperson, Steve Davis, says it’s a move to a more modern way for jurors to fill out information once they are notified. “Instead of getting a paper questionnaire, the potential juror will receive a postcard,” Davis explains, “and the postcard will have quite a bit of information about their jury service — but the questionnaire itself is now online.”

Davis says everyone is now used to doing things on their phones and computers and this is another thing to add to the list. “We’re hoping that with the postcard it will be more convenient. It’s much simpler to just get online and fill out the questionnaire as opposed to filling out the paper questionnaire, putting it in an envelope and mailing it back,” Davis says.

Davis says the new system also offers a way for you to be reminded if you are chosen for jury duty. He says you can sign up when you fill out the questionnaire to get a text notification or email reminder three days before you are scheduled for jury duty, and again 24 hours before the day. He says there is also a link on the website that answers a lot of questions about jury duty. Davis says a juror pool is put together with two lists. “It’s a list of licensed drivers or state identification card holders and registered voters residing in each county,” according to Davis. “And those lists are combined and then duplicates are eliminated, and then that becomes the master list for the county.”

Davis says jurors are then randomly chosen from the master list. That random selection process means you never know how often you might be called for jury duty. “It varies quite a bit. I’ve had people who call who have served twice in three years and I’ve had people call who have never served. And they are wondering why they are never picked. So, it varies quite drastically.”

Davis says each postcard will be specific to the county your residence and include the website address for the online questionnaire, the address of the courthouse with a small map, a juror number, the service start date, the term of service, and the juror badge. To find out more about jury service you can go to the Iowa Judicial Branch jury service page on its website at www.iowacourts.gov. Look for the information on jury service.