(Radio Iowa) — Fire forced the evacuation of patients from Spencer Hospital in northwest Iowa last (Monday) night. The Spencer Fire Department says the call was received at 5:12 p.m. for a fire in the southwest corner of the hospital. Susan Zulk, the hospital’s vice president of marketing, says, “In our central sterilization area, which is adjacent to the surgery center, one of our coworkers smelled smoke and noticed sparks coming from a washer and immediately turned to a coworker and pulled the fire alarm.” She says both workers left the area after the alarm sounded and the automatic fire suppression system extinguished the threat.

“The sprinkler system took care of the sparks, however there was some smoke that spread to a few areas of the hospital,” Zulk says. “Because of that, we did transfer some of our inpatients to surrounding facilities.” A total of 16 patients were transferred to area facilities but the Spencer Hospital president says at no time were patients or hospital employees in danger. Hospital officials anticipate having the surgery center reopen later this week.

(Radio Iowa) –The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s office has released more information about a fatal accident on Storm Lake. The two people who died when a car broke through the iced-over lake late Sunday afternoon are identified as 40-year old Zackary Newlon, of Anthon and his 8-year old son. Two of Newlon’s other children, a 9-year-old girl and a 5-year-old girl, were airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital. Buena Vista County Sheriff Kory Elston says their prospects for surviving “look positive.”

Elston says the family came to Storm Lake to play at an indoor waterpark Sunday afternoon. He says investigators don’t yet know why the man decided to drive out on to the nearby lake after leaving. The car was seen driving slowly before it became submerged in the freezing water, a quarter-mile or farther from shore. Elston says rescuers found the wet children on the ice, and the father was in the water. Rescuers used sleds to get the family to the shore.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is releasing her proposed bill that would restore voting rights for felons through an amendment to the Iowa Constitution. The language released Tuesday would change Article 2 of the constitution to say a felon gets voting rights back after the sentence is discharged. That means they could vote after serving their prison time and any probation or parole.

It doesn’t include complete repayment of all obligations, including restitution. That’s an issue that could be a problem for some conservative lawmakers who have viewed Reynolds’ proposal with skepticism.
Reynolds says the move would bring Iowa in line with 35 other states that either never take away rights or restore them upon discharge of a sentence. Iowa and Kentucky are the only states with a broad permanent ban on felons’ voting.

The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board met Monday evening and acted on personnel matters and reviewed 300 series Board Policies. Superintendent Trevor Miller said the IASB sent out updates that Board reviewed to make sure they were covered and not exposed to any potential legal issues. The first reading on some of those policies passed. Miller told KJAN News the Teachers Union provided the Board with a “Letter of Intent to Negotiate.” They’ll start on negotiations sometime next month. Right now, the district is waiting on its insurance renewal costs and what the State sets for supplemental aid.

Miller said hearing on the 2019-20 District Calendar will be held at the start of the February School Board meeting. There were also some hiring of current personnel for various in-district positions. He said Tony Santisteban was hired as Boys Track Coach; Lisa Dreier, Jr. High Track Coach; Payton Wilkenfeld, Girls Track Coach; Ashton Koelhmoos, who is Volleyball Coach, will also serve as the Head Softball Coach. And, Mr. Miller will serve as as Baseball Coach for one more year.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a woman was set on fire by another woman at the apartment they shared in Burlington. Des Moines County court records say 51-year-old Deborah Powell is charged with domestic assault, willful injury and reckless use of fire. County jail records show Powell remained in custody Tuesday. Court documents say Tammy Speights told officers she and Powell had been arguing early Friday morning and that Powell sprayed her with rubbing alcohol and lit her on fire.

Police say Speights was taken to West Burlington hospital before being transferred to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. The documents say Powell told police that Speights may have set herself aflame by falling asleep with a lit cigarette.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sen. Joni Ernst says she turned down Donald Trump after interviewing to be his running mate, according to a court filing that describes an “extremely painful journey” that led to her divorce from a man she alleges was abusive.

The Iowa Republican wrote in an affidavit in her divorce proceeding that was first reported by Cityview, a Des Moines alternative newspaper. She said that after Trump interviewed her in 2016 to join his ticket, “I turned Candidate Trump down, knowing it wasn’t the right thing for me or my family.”

She doesn’t explicitly say if he offered her the job. Ernst has indicated she’ll run for a second six-year Senate term in 2020.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports four arrests occurred over the past week. On Jan. 16th, 26-year old Chiquita Cheketa Kelly, of Stuart, was arrested in Stuart on a warrant out of Delaware County, for Burglary in the 2nd Degree and Assault with intent to inflict serious injury. She was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond until being picked up by Manchester Police the following day.  On Jan. 15th, 22-year old Cody Allen VanOtterloo, of Stuart (and formerly of Des Moines), was arrested in Stuart on an Adair County warrant for Operating a vehicle without owners consent, and for Theft in the 5th Degree, for borrowing the vehicle and not returning it for several days. VanOtterloo also allegedly sold two new tires which were in the vehicle. He was released the next day on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

That same day (Jan. 15th), 18-year old Aaron John Irving, of Bagley, was arrested in Stuart for Possession of Marijuana. He was taken into custody a little after 8-p.m., following a traffic stop for driving without the vehicles’ headlights and tail lights on. As the Deputy approached the vehicle, he could smell the odor of marijuana. Irving admitted there was about 2 grams of marijuana in the vehicle. In addition to the controlled substance, various drug paraphernalia was found. Irving admitted those items belonged to him. He was cited for the offenses and released at the scene.

And, on Dec. 13th, 36-year old Warren Logan Davis, of Earlham, was arrested following a traffic stop in Fontanelle, for carrying a weapon (knife) over 8-inches in length, and Driving While License Suspended. Davis was released later that same day on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department reports three arrests took place Sunday. At around 12:40-a.m., 55-year old Clinton Roger Schmielau, of Treynor, was seen driving a 2003 Chevy pickup at 270th and Hickory Road. He was pulled over for swerving and crossing the center lane of traffic. Schmielau displayed signs of being impaired, and was placed under arrest at around 1:10-a.m., for OWI/1st offense. Later that same morning, a deputy was dispatched to locate a possible intoxicated driver traveling into Treynor on Highway 92. Dispatched advised the suspect vehicle, a 2018 Dodge Journey, struck a parked car in Treynor. The deputy located the vehicle and driver, who was identified as 24-year old Leonardo Torres, of Columbus, NE. Torres was taken into custody at around 4:20-a.m., for OWI/1st offense.

And, at around 10:30-p.m. Sunday, a Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a Mazda pickup near Interstate 29 and the South Expressway, in Council Bluffs. The vehicle had been the subject of a broadcast, and was said to have been eluding Omaha Police. 55-year old Shawn Joseph Horton, of Council Bluffs, was eventually stopped and arrested at around 10:45-p.m., for Eluding, OWI/1st offense, and on a Pott. County warrant for Felony Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $6,000.