Authorities say a single vehicle accident in Pottawattamie County Tuesday evening on Interstate 29 took place, after a man admitted he wasn’t focused on what he was doing, and driving crazy. Sheriff Jeff Danker told The Daily Nonpareil that the unidentified driver was in a Chevy Impala traveling southbound on I-29, when he sped up next to a car, turned his dome light on and flashed a hatchet at another vehicle. The Impala driver then lost control of his vehicle and ended up getting stuck in the median. Danker told the paper the driver said someone in the other car threw trash at his car so he sped up, threw trash at them and flashed the hatchet.

The driver and a passenger told authorities they were on their way to a meth party. The driver of the Impala was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail where a drug test was conducted. Charges are pending the results of a toxicology report.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a Red Oak man was arrested Wednesday night at the Montgomery County Jail, for possessing a controlled substance. 18-year old Eligah Ryan Newkirk was charged with possession of contraband in a correctional facility. Newkirk was taken into custody at around 10:20-p.m., and held in the jail on $5,000 bond.

A bill that boosts the penalty for interfering with law enforcement activities has cleared the Iowa House, over the objections of more than a dozen lawmakers. About three percent of Iowans are African Americans, but Democratic Representative Mary Wolfe of Clinton says last year in Iowa 27 percent of the people who were convicted of interferance with official acts were black. “Until somebody can tell me why it is that such an extremely disproportionate number of African Americans are convicted of interference with official acts, I am not comfortable voting yes for a bill that creates a new and much broader crime of interference with official acts,” Wolfe says.

The bill increases the penalty for someone who, for example, injures a police officer who’s making an arrest. Representative Rick Olson, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the bill goes another step too far. “The defendant doesn’t have to inflict the injury,” Olson said. “He doesn’t have to cause the injury. It’s just that the clumsy cop causes his own injury, but yet the penalty is enhanced.” Representative Deborah Berry, a Democrat from Waterloo, says if the bill becomes law, it will have a “tremendous impact” on Iowa’s minorities. “This particular bill — we’re going to see an additional burden on our state prisons by it,” Berry said.

Representative Ako Abdul-Samad, a Democrat from Des Moines, says “racism still does exist in the state of Iowa.” “It’s a ‘Catch 22’ for a lot of us. I know it is for me, because I support my law enforcement officers,” Abdul-Samad said. “I support the work that the police officers do…but I also have to look at the reality of Iowa.” Representative Gary Worthan, a Republican from Storm Lake, responded. “We can’t solve race problems by backing away from what we see as a crime.” Worthan says he’s not willing to abandon the bill because of a minority impact statement. “The law should be blind as to race, color, creed, religion and minority impact statements in my mind’s eye basically remove the blindfold from ‘Lady Justice,’ who holds the scales,” Worthan said. “…If it’s a crime, it’s a crime whether you’re white, black, red, yellow or whatever.”

The bill also adds removal of an officer’s communications device to the list of actions considered to be interference with official acts. Worthan says it applies to the communications devices used by police and by prison staff. “Members of law enforcement will tell you in this day and age, that communications device is their lifeline,” Worthan says. “Without that, they are out there on their own, with no back-up, so we need to move this forward.”

The bill passed the House Wednesday on a 77-to-17 vote. The bill passed the Senate April 1st by a unanimous vote. It now goes to the governor for his consideration.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston Construction Office reports bridge construction work on eastbound Interstate 80 between Antique Drive (exit 83), near Casey, and Iowa 25 (exit 86) will begin Monday, April 15th, weather permitting. During the project, traffic will be operating in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the westbound lanes of I-80 in the work zone. The open lanes will have a 16-foot width lane restriction in place. This project is expected to be completed by late July.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.