Iowa Senator Joni Ernst’s bill to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood failed on procedural grounds Monday evening. Fifty-three senators voted to bring the bill up for consideration, but that was seven votes short of what was needed to overcome a filibuster by Democrats. Ernst says the undercover videos that sparked the effort are not going away.

“We are standing up and shining a light on what is really happening,” Ernst said during a speech on the Senate floor.

U-S Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

“This is human life and Planned Parenthood, nation’s single largest provider of abortion services, is harvesting baby body parts.” Republicans are now discussing the idea of trying again this fall and they may attach the Planned Parenthood “defunding” issue to a must-pass government spending bill.

“The American taxpayer should not be asked to fund an organization like Planned Parenthood that has shown a sheer disdain for human dignity and complete disregard for women and their babies,” Ernst said during remarks on the Senate floor. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid vows to block the effort

“Senate Democrats will fight vigorously this and any other attempt from Republicans to deprive American women of health care,” Reid said. Republicans in congress unsuccessfully tried four years ago to end federal funding for the reproductive health exams and birth control Planned Parenthood provides to low-income women.

This summer the organization has been exposed to new scrutiny after an anti-abortion group released a series of undercover videos and accused Planned Parenthood of profiting from the sale of fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood denies the charge. Planned Parenthood’s president says the American people have “zero appetite” for a G-O-P proposal that would “deny health care, including birth control,” to millions of women.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Glenwood said Monday, three people were arrested last week, on drug charges. 22-year old Alexander Morehead, of Plattsmouth, NE., Jessica Herrera, of Carter Lake, and 43-year old Janette Conn, of Glenwood, were each charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Morehead was also charged with Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug and Possession of Marijuana. His bond was set at $3,300. Herrera faces an additional Controlled Substance Violation charge. Her bond was set at $11,300. And, Conn faces additional charges of Gathering where controlled substances are used, and Prohibited Acts. Her bond was set at $8,300.

Glenwood Police said also, 42-year old Ray Knipe, of Glenwood, was arrested July 26th, for Public Intoxication. Bond was set at $300. And, on July 27th, 26-year old Tyler Buckner, of Hastings, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Failure to servce a jail sentence. No bond was set.

Cass County 9-1-1 Director Rob Koppert reported late Monday evening that the landline 911 service outage that affected Griswold Telephone Company customers in the Griswold and Lewis exchanges late Monday morning, apparently has been corrected.Customers in Grant and Elliott were also affected.

Koppert said a fiber optic cable was cut along 620th Street between Atlantic and Lewis. He said he spoke with technicians from the Griswold Telephone Company late Monday afternoon, and they advised they would be making a series of test calls from each exchange. Those test calls have been completed, and landline 911 service appears to have been functioning normally. The outage did not affect cellular 911 service.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday) reports four arrests over the weekend. On Friday, 21-year old Brandan Dwayne Clark, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear. Clark was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

Three people were arrested Saturday. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says 37-year old Abel Navarro, of Ankeny, was taken into custody on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Navarro was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $1000 bond. 59-year old Karen Ann Fritz, of Oakland, was arrested in Greenfield on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Forgery. Fritz was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released the following day on her own recognizance. And, 46-year old Bradley Leo Ranney, of Massena, was arrested Saturday on a charge of Driving While Revoked. Ranney was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $1000 bond.

A 22-year old from Mills County suffered from a head injury during a fall from the bed of a moving pickup truck late Friday night. Glenwood Police say Brian Ryks, of Glenwood…who, according to witnesses, had been drinking beer…either fell or jumped from bed of the vehicle when the driver, apparently unaware Ryks was in the back, put the pickup in motion. The accident happened at around 10:30-p.m., Friday, in the Plaza parking lot, in Glenwood.

Ryks was transported by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The pickup driver, 20-year old Dalton Sacca, of Glenwood, denied he had been drinking, and witnesses backed up that statement. Regardless, he was tested for intoxication, but the results were not available DCI lab this (Monday) afternoon. The accident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal disaster declaration has been issued for 19 Iowa counties…including Dallas and Guthrie in the KJAN listening area…that sustained damage by severe weather in June.

Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a request for a presidential disaster declaration. Branstad requested the support after the counties were damaged by winds, tornadoes, rain, hail and thunderstorms from June 20 to June 25.

The declaration means the counties will get federal funding to help with rebuilding efforts, such as repairing property, removing debris and other emergency work.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests. Three people were taken into custody last Friday (July 31st):

• 31-year old Scott Anthony McDonald, of Mondamin, was arrested just before 3-a.m. on Highway 34 for Driving While Revoked and Failure to have SR-22 insurance. His bond was set at $2,000;
• 37-year old Keith Ellis Coltrane, of Omaha, was arrested at around 1:20-a.m. Friday on Interstate 29. Coltrane was wanted on a Warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $5,000.
• And, arrested at around 12:30-a.m. Friday, also on I-29, was 39-year old Dena Marie Demare, who was also wanted on a warrant for Probation Violation. Her bond was set at $1,000.

On Saturday, Mills County deputies arrested 42-year old Brandi Ilene Berliew, of Glenwood, on charges that include Criminal Trespass and Driving Under Suspension. Her bond was set at $300. And at around 12:15-a.m. Saturday, 23-year old Molly Elizabeth Payne, of Elliott, was arrested for OWI/1st offense following an off-road vehicle, injury accident. Her bond was set at $1,000.

A Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) accident in Mills County early Sunday morning resulted in injuries to a Glenwood man. Sheriff’s officials say 23-year old Molly Payne, of Elliott, was driving a 2014 Polaris UTV northbound along a field entrance in the vicinity of 350th Street/Elderberry Avenue, when she made a sharp right turn into another field.

When the UTV rolled onto its passenger side at around 12:15-a.m., Corey Vestal, of Glenwood, who was in the right front (passenger) seat, suffered a pinned, broken arm. An unidentified rear seat passenger, complained of shoulder pain. Vestal was transported by Hastings Rescue to Creighton Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Payne was tested for alcohol and charged with OWI/1st offense. Her bond was set at $1,000.