DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s top election official has announced a bill that would require voters to show identification at the polls, and Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature have indicated a willingness to pass it into law.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate told reporters Thursday that a voter ID bill was needed to ensure integrity in Iowa’s election system. The assertion comes after Pate released a statement in October calling Iowa “one of the best states in the nation for both voter participation and voter integrity.”

Pate says the system is clean but needs to be kept that way. There is little evidence of fraudulent voting in Iowa. Sen. Jeff Danielson, a Cedar Falls Democrat, says the changes would disenfranchise voters. Pate didn’t provide a copy of the proposed bill but confirmed it wouldn’t allow use of student IDs as valid identification to vote.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has chosen West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee to participate in a program that will let food stamp recipients shop for groceries online. Hy-Vee is one of seven retailers that will participate in the two-year pilot program, which will begin this summer.

The USDA says it hopes to expand access to healthy food for people who receive food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). People won’t be able to use their food stamp benefits to pay service or delivery charges.

It wasn’t clear whether the program would be offered only in Iowa or if Hy-Vee customers in other states could participate.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a Union County man faces multiple felony charges associated with a November 2016 crash in Adair County that claimed two lives and resulted in two other people being seriously hurt. Following an investigation by the Iowa State Patrol into the two vehicle, head-on collision, which occurred Nov. 2nd south of Orient in Adair County, an arrest warrant was issued for 31-year old Derek Eugene Ueligger, of Creston.  Wednesday night, Ueligger walked into the Adair County Public Safety Center and was taken into custody.

He faces two counts of Homicide by vehicle while operating under the influence, two counts of Serious Injury by Vehicle, and a single count of OWI/1st offense. Ueligger is awaiting his initial appearance before a Magistrate in the Adair County Jail and is currently being held without bond.

Court records show Ueligger was driving a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue southbound on Highway 25 at around 9:30-p.m., when his car crossed the center line of the road and collided head-on with a 2012 Chevy Impala driven by Betty Schultz. The investigation determined Schultz had tried to avoid the collision, the severity of which resulted in the immediate death of 88-year old Dawn Christensen and soon thereafter, 85-year old Norma Caltrider, both of Adair. 89-year old Marilyn Ersham and 82-year old Betty Schultz, both of Greenfield, suffered serious injuries in the crash.

Toxicology tests showed Ueligger was under the influence of Meth at the time of the accident.

The Harlan Police Department says no injuries were reported, but two vehicles sustained a total of $6,000 in damage, following a collision at a car wash. The accident happened on Dec. 27th, while a vehicle driven by Richard Ranney, of Harlan, was in the Ultra No Touch Car Wash. The driver of a vehicle in line behind Ranney, Milton Barry, of Harlan, accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake. His 2016 Buick ran into the rear of Ranney’s 2014 Chevy, pushing the Chevy through the car wash.

And, there were no injuries on January 3rd, when a 1998 Lexus driven by Kristine Gross, of Harlan, backed out of a driveway in the 1400 block of 12th Street, and struck a 2006 Pontiac that was traveling south on 12th Street. The driver of the other vehicle was identified as Dakoda Ball, of Harlan. Damage from the mishap amounted to $1,500 altogether.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department have released a report on their most recent arrests. Authorities said that on Dec. 28th, 40-year old Phillip Pool, of Harlan, was arrested after police were called to a disturbance in the 1000 block of Dye Street.  Pool was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with assault, for allegedly assaulting Ryan Holm, of Harlan.

Last Saturday, Harlan Police arrested 32-year old Joseph Smith-Kidd and 29-year old Kimberly Kidd, both of Harlan, for Violation of a valid No Contact Order after they were seen together.

And, on Wednesday, 20-year old Gage Johnston, of Harlan, was taken into custody following a traffic stop.  Johnston was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with Driving Under Suspension.  He was also cited for failure to prove security against liability.

The Board of Supervisors in Adair County will hear several funding requests for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY2018) during their meeting Friday morning, in their Boardroom at the Adair County Courthouse.

The meeting begins at 9-a.m., with the Board considering recommendations from the County Compensation Board, and consideration of FY2018 hourly wage increases for full-and part-time County employees.

Requests for FY 2018 funding are also expected from (In order of appearance): the Adair County Attorney; Ag Extension Council; Library; Southern Iowa Trolley; Fair Board; County Auditor; MATURA; The Adair County Historical Society; Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG); Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), and the Dept. of Human Services.

Governor Terry Branstad will release the details of 100-million dollars in cuts to the CURRENT year’s state budget on Tuesday. Branstad will not propose furloughs for executive branch employees, but Branstad’s not ruling out the possibility of layoffs.
“It’ll be up to each agency to determine,” Branstad says. “In many cases when somebody retires or quits, we need to review whether that position needs to be replaced or whether responsibilities can be reassigned or combined with another position.”

Branstad is scheduled to deliver the annual “Condition of the State” message to legislators on Tuesday. He plans to release details of his state spending plans at the same time. The governor last month indicated he will not propose cuts in state payments to schools or cuts in the Medicaid program. That means the budgets of state agencies are his likely targets for cutting.

“It’s better to make the tough decisions,” Branstad says, “and if you can’t live with the budget you have, then you’ve got to make some kind of a permanent decision.” And Branstad says the cuts he’ll propose for the remaining six months of the current budgeting year will be NOT be restored in the state budget plan he’s developed for the NEXT year.

Branstad made his comments yesterday (Wednesday) during the Associated Press Legislative Seminar at the statehouse.

(Radio Iowa)