Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:12 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two women held each other and wept as Iowa’s six electors cast their Electoral College ballots for Republican Donald Trump. Mary Barrett and her daughter Rebecca Barrett drove from Iowa City to the state Capitol to see the Monday afternoon balloting, which took only minutes. They say given the importance of a Trump presidency, they wanted to see the Electoral College vote in person. Mary Barrett expressed “surprise how sad it made me feel.”.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with killing his mother and grandmother in Council Bluffs will be sent to a mental health facility after being found mentally incompetent to stand trial. The Des Moines Register reports a judge signed an order Friday that will send Michael Dieckmann to treatment at a state prison mental health facility in Oakdale. Staff at the Oakdale facility will try to restore Dieckmann’s mental health to the point where he can understand the charges against him and participate in his defense.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A lawsuit from two Sioux tribes seeking to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline is on hold while a related court battle over the project plays out. Pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners is asking a judge rule that it has federal permission to lay pipe under the Missouri River in North Dakota. The judge in the meantime has put aside the tribes’ legal challenge over permits at numerous water crossings.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The insurance industry and its regulators are asking a judge to allow documents that detail “shadow insurance” subsidiaries created by Iowa-based life insurers to remain secret. The Iowa Insurance Division and the Federation of Iowa Insurers are opposing the lawsuit filed by Indiana University professor emeritus Joseph Belth. Belth argues that the “shadow insurance” instruments threaten the solvency of insurers.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with killing his mother and grandmother in Council Bluffs will be sent to a mental health facility after being found mentally incompetent to stand trial. The Des Moines Register reports District Judge Susan Christensen signed an order Friday that will send Michael Dieckmann to treatment at a state prison mental health facility in Oakdale.

The order followed the determination that the 31-year-old Dieckmann wasn’t mentally competent. Staff at the Oakdale facility will try to restore Dieckmann’s mental health to the point where he can understand the charges against him and participate in his defense.

He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the March deaths of his mother, 63-year-old Jacqueline Dieckmann, and his grandmother, 91-year-old Illa Pfeiffer.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will host its Annual Dinner Saturday, January 14th, 2017 at the Cass County Community Center. Chamber Executive Director Ouida Hargens says she “Always look forward to the Annual Dinner. It’s a great opportunity for us to reflect on what we’ve accomplished, look forward to what we will accomplish and most of all, highlight all of our volunteers and Chamber Members that have invested their time and money back into our organization and our community.”

The Chamber will recognize businesses, organizations and individual leaders in the community. Two people will be recognized and given awards including: ATHENA Award and Distinguished Service Award. The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce is currently seeking nominations for the Distinguished Service Award.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual, business or organization who has made the community a better place to live. They have rendered special services for the benefit of the community and have demonstrated an active leadership role for the betterment of the community through their involvement in business, civic and social service organizations.

Last year, the Distinguished Service Award was given to Geis Perry Jewelry for over 40 years of commitment, generosity and support of local businesses and events.
Please contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce to nominate someone for the Distinguished Service Award. The deadline for nominations is January 6th, 2017.

Governor Terry Branstad says with lower-than-expected state tax revenue, the current state budget must be reduced by nearly 100 million dollars. “This year we’re going to have to do some ‘deappropriation’ in order to meet the fiscal challenge we’re facing,” Branstad says. “We have a requirement that the budget be balanced.” A state panel met last week and lowered the “official” estimate of state tax collections for the current budgeting year. Branstad hopes to shield a few major budget items from cuts.

“I’m going to work with the legislature and make recommendations,” Branstad says. “I want to protect K-12 school aid from reductions and property tax credits. I don’t want to see those reduced.” With those spending areas OFF the cutting table, state agencies are likely targets for cuts, but Branstad says he does not anticipate state employee layoffs.

During the depths of the farm crisis when he was governor in the 1980s, Branstad ordered mandatory, unpaid furloughts for state workers, as well as an across-the-board cut in state government. When he ran for governor again in 2010, Branstad was a critic of then-Governor Chet Culver’s decision to cut the state budget across the board rather than make targeted cuts. Today (Monday), Branstad again indicated strategic reductions are his goal for dealing with this latest budget dilemma.

The governor and his staff are in the process of crafting a state budget plan for NEXT year that will be submitted to legislators in January. “We’re going to have to make some difficult decisions on the budget,” Branstad says. Branstad has met publicly with state agency directors over the past few weeks to discuss budget priorities. At some point next year, Branstad will resign as governor to become President-elect Trump’s ambassador to China, but Branstad intends to deliver the annual “Condition of the State” speech to legislators on January 10th and make a formal budget recommendation as well.

Branstad’s not commenting on the latest diplomatic skirmish between China and the U.S. — about that drone Chinese military seized and will now return. “First of all, I have not been confirmed yet and I’ve been advised it’s not wise for me to comment on foreign policy at this point in time,” Branstad said. “So I’m focusing on my responsibility as governor.” Branstad made his comments during his weekly news conference at the capitol in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)