(Omaha, Nebraska/KETV) – An estimated $90,000 damage occurred to the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge early Monday morning, when vandals struck the structure that crosses the Missouri River, and connects Omaha/Council. Officials with the Omaha Parks and Recreation Department said on social media, that a person or persons unknown knocked out the LED system “for the foreseeable future.” Police said it appeared a rock had been thrown at the boxes, damaging the computer controls housed inside.

Access to the bridge will continue, but the system that programs the colored LED lights is off line. Omaha Parks & Rec said “It is disheartening to see this kind of action taken against one of our iconic city features. We ask our community and visitors to help us preserve and respect these special landmarks and facilities.”

The main lights on the lower portion of the bridge were repaired. The LED lighting system and digital controls were installed in 2019 at a cost of $720,000. The upgrade also included more security cameras, but it’s unclear if the cameras caught the vandalism.

(UPDATE’S w/suspect dying) (Des Moines, Iowa) –  Officials with the Des Moines Police Department said in a news release, Monday, that a Des Moines police officer and a suspect were hit by a car during a foot chase Monday night. The incident happened in the 3700 block of Southeast 14th Street near Watrous Avenue. According to the statement, “At approximately 7:47 p.m., the officer initiated a radio transmission that indicated he was in a violent encounter with an individual.

“The Des Moines Police Department Communications Center announced a need for assistance and additional patrol units responded,” police said in a news release. “At approximately 7:48 p.m., the Des Moines Police Department Communications Center began to receive calls reporting that a Des Moines Police Department officer, as well as an apparent fleeing suspect, had been hit by a vehicle.”  Police said Monday morning that the suspect, a 31-year-old man, has died. His name has not been released pending family notification. The officer, a 48-year-old man who has been a Des Moines officer since 2017, remains hospitalized. Police did not release his condition.

A statement from Des Moines Police said “The preliminary investigation, including witness statements and examination of evidence at the scene, indicates that the officer observed a sedan-style vehicle driving northbound in the 3800 block of SE 14th Street in reverse. The vehicle pulled into a business parking lot and the Traffic Unit officer stopped to investigate. During the initial conversation, the driver provided a false name to the officer. As the officer investigated, the driver fled on foot, running westbound into SE 14th Street. The officer followed. Evidence indicates that there was a physical struggle, in the southbound lanes of SE 14th Street, as the officer attempted to place the driver in custody. The driver attempted to flee back eastbound into the northbound lanes, with the officer following. There they were both struck by a northbound vehicle, operated by a 28-year-old, female, Ames resident,” police said in a news release. “The fleeing driver was found to have a felony-level, narcotics-related, active arrest warrant, and a barred driver’s license. No charges have been filed against the driver of the vehicle that struck both persons as evidence indicates that the crash was unavoidable.”

(Radio Iowa) – The state appeal board has approved a payout by the University of Iowa for nearly two million dollars in discrimination suits involving two Christian student organizations. A federal judge ruled that the U- I violated the First Amendment rights of Business Leaders in Christ and the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship by deregistering the groups for requiring leaders to affirm statements of faith. The U-I said the groups violated its human rights policy for practices such as banning openly gay leaders.

The federal judge ruled in both cases that the University did not apply the policy uniformly to all student groups — and had unfairly targeted the Christian organizations. A federal appeals court upheld the rulings last summer. The settlement funds will go towards attorney’s fees and damages.

(Radio Iowa) – The chairman of the Iowa Senate’s tax-writing committee says he’s drafting a five-year plan to dramatically cut state income taxes for individuals AND corporations. Republican Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs says the one billion dollars sitting in the state’s Taxpayer Relief Fund is just the start.  “We have an opportunity to do a tax moon shot this next year,” Dawson says. “…There’s no reason we should settle for mediocrity.”

Dawson is aiming for a reduction in PERSONAL income tax rates along with eliminating or reducing some of the long list of state tax credits — to reach the other goal of cutting the CORPORATE income tax rate as well. “I will say right now I have no interest in lowering corporate rates without substantially reforming some of our incentives and credits,” Dawson says, “because if we don’t change the back end of the system then all we are is just making the winners more winners and making the losers not as much of losers.”

Dawson says he’s not talking about blowing up the whole tax credit system for businesses. “It doesn’t mean just throwing everything in the trash can, right? There’s obviously different metrics that affect everyone’s individual bottom line,” Dawson says, “but if we work together…the legislature with the corporate entities here in Iowa, we really can reform this and make it a better system.” But Dawson says he’s prepared to abandon the idea of reducing CORPORATE income taxes if there’s major pushback to changes in tax credits.

Representative Lee Hein, a Republican from Monticello, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He says Republicans in the HOUSE are focused on reducing taxes for individuals. “There’s a multitude of ways to do that, whether it’s cutting rates, property tax relief,” Hein says. “It could be as eash as cutting a check.” Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville, says he wouldn’t be shocked if Republicans decide to mail Iowans a tax refund check in an election year. Jacoby says when it comes to business taxes, tax CREDITS must be reduced or eliminated before the corporate income tax rate is lowered.

“I’m for lowering the rates,” Jacoby says. “I’m also for everyone paying them.” Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says the projection is that Iowa will provide more than half a billion dollars in tax credits this next year. Is this just one more big giveaway to some very large, profitable corporations? And I say that ’cause we have some really large corporations — we love them dearly here — they pay zero corporate income tax in this state,” Jochum says. “In fact, we are writing them out checks.”

That’s because the state’s research and development tax credit for some businesses sometimes larger than what they owe in corporate income taxes, so the state sends those businesses a tax refund.

(Radio Iowa) – School bus drivers in Sioux City have been seeing an increase in motorists ignoring the extended stop sign and flashing lights when a bus is dropping off or picking up students. School district transportation supervisor, Chris Wellenstein, says drivers who break the law will be identified. “The majority of our buses have stop arm cameras on them. So even if our drivers are unable to physically view the stop arm violation happening — they will come into my office and let me know that one has occurred — at which time I can pull video from the bus,” Wellenstein says.

The video allows the district to get the license plate number, make and model of the car, and sometimes a view of the driver. That information is turned over to police. “Ninety-nine percent of the time we are able to catch folks with correct info. And then at that point in time, the police department goes and sends out a citation to the owner of the vehicle for a first offense violation of the stop arm. It is 465 dollars,” he says. “I think there’s quite a few people who don’t know the money involved in a stop arm violation.” Wallenstein says the number of violations is way up.

“Right now I am having to pull video for stop arm violations at least a couple of times a week,” according to Wellenstein. “Previous years — it has been hit and miss — you might have one every other week. Sometimes one every three weeks. But this year it seems like it has just been reoccurring, over and over.” Wellenstein says drivers are placing students in danger when they ignore the stop sign and pass a stopped school bus.

A driver who gets a second citation for the offense will have their license suspended and have to take classes to get it back.