(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds plans to sign a bill into law at 2:15 this (Friday) afternoon that will ban most abortions in Iowa. There’ll be a court hearing less than an hour before that for a lawsuit that seeks to at least temporarily block the law from taking effect.

A very similar 2018 law never went in effect due to a court injunction. The governor’s request that the Iowa Supreme Court lift that injunction failed on a three-to-three tie among the justices. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver says the state’s highest court has never ruled on whether a six week abortion ban is constitutional — and that’s why the legislature passed the same proposal, again, on Tuesday.

“They have ruled on procedural matters and other bills that we have passed. They have never answered this question,” Whitver says. “…I would expect it will go back to the Supreme Court and we will get a final answer on where the Supreme Court stands.” It’s unclear when the district court judge may rule on the request for an injunction to block the law from taking effect.

House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says if the law goes into effect this (Friday) afternoon, even for a few hours or a few days, it will create chaos. “Doctors won’t know what to do, patients won’t know what to do,” Konfrst says. “There will be questions and — most importantly — there will be inconsistent care across the state because different doctors will interpret it differently.”

Konfrst and other Democrats say the bill fails to provide clear guidance to doctors about when they may and may not perform an abortion in medical emergencies.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Council Bluffs Police Department (CBPD) is asking for the public’s help in locating 16 year old Nicholas Dalton Tarin. The teen was last seen at around midnight, Tuesday, near 901 North 35th Street in Council Bluffs.

Nicholas was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black sweat pants and black crocks. He’s 5-feet 9-inches tall, has brown hair and blue eyes, a tattoo on his right arm, and weighs about 195 pounds. Nicholas takes daily medication and his family and the police department are concerned that he has now been without that medication for several days.

Nicholas Tarin

If you know the whereabouts of Nicholas please call 911 or the Pottawattamie County Communications Center at 712-328-5737.

(Radio Iowa) – Fire officials have confirmed a body was found inside a burning Milford home this (Thursday) morning. Milford Fire Chief Jim Carpenter says a neighbor reported smoke coming from a home, just a few blocks from Highway 71 on the west side of town, shortly before 7:30.

Once on scene, firefighters found flames in the living room area of the two story structure, the same area where the unidentified deceased female was found.

The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office has taken the lead on the investigation in hopes of finding the cause of that blaze.

(Radio Iowa) – Three teenagers have been charged in connection with an alleged stabbing incident in Storm Lake. According to the Storm Lake Police Department, officers were called to the site of a fight at around 8:40 Tuesday night and they found a 15-year-old male was suffering from a stab wound. He was initially transported to the hospital in Storm Lake, but was subsequently airlifted to another hospital.

Police say several of the suspects involved had fled the scene before officers arrived. A 15-year-old male has been arrested on three felony charges. Another 15-year-old male and a 17-year-old male each face one felony charge. All three teenagers are from Storm Lake. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated.

Storm Lake’s Assistant Police Chief estimates that between ten and 15 people were involved in the fight.

(Radio Iowa) – A former Ottumwa teacher has pleaded guilty to a sexual abuse case from five years ago. According to court records filed last week, 40-year-old Zachary Barr entered a guilty plea to the charges of enticing a child under 16, sexual exploitation by a school employee, and dissemination of obscene material to a minor. According to his attorney, Barr will be seeking probation.

The outlined sentencing details include 11 years of probation and a suspended prison sentence. Additionally, Barr must register as a sex offender. Prosecutors reportedly will not resist the potential sentence. Barr was a sixth-grade teacher at Evans Middle School in Ottumwa in 2018 when authorities say the mother of a 13-year-old girl, who was a former student of Barr’s, said her daughter received inappropriate messages sent by Barr via social media.

As part of the investigation, officers took control of the girl’s social media accounts. Their conversations with Barr became overtly sexual, prompting his arrest.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – Customers of Marne-Elk Horn Telephone Company (METC) are being offered a chance to recycle residential electronics next week, at locations in Exira, Walnut and Minden. Businesses should contact your METC office for your recycling needs.

The locations, dates and time frames are as follows:

• Exira – Exira Ball Fields on South Florence Street on Tuesday, July 18 2-6pm.
• Walnut – Marne Elk Horn Shed (1501 Antique City Drive) on Wednesday, July 19th 2-6pm.
• Minden – Lot across from City Hall onThursday, July 20th 2-6pm.

Accepted Items Include:

Personal Computers; Monitors; Keyboards & Mice; Printers; Copiers & Scanners; Networking Hardware; Disk Drives; Servers & Mainframes; Audio/Visual Equipment; Computer Manuals; Software; Telephones; Televisions; VCRs; Fax Machines; Circuit Boards; Cable & Satellite Equipment; Computer Cables & Wires including Christmas Tree Lights; Misc. Electronic Equipment.

Not Accepted – Appliances, Microwaves, Lighting Fixtures, Projection TVs, Laser Printers, etc. $15 fee for Old ‘Tube-Like’, Plasma & LCD TVs and Cracked Screens.

All Other Items Recycled FREE! Again, this service is for customers of Marne-Elk Horn Telephone Company, only.

CRESTON, Iowa – July 13, 2023 – If you are driving on U.S. 59 one mile south of Avoca in the coming weeks you need to be aware of a lane closure that may slow down your trip.

Crews will begin replacing the bridge on U.S. 59 one half at a time beginning on Monday, July 24, weather permitting. The roadway will be reduced to one lane with a lane width of 9-feet-6-inches. Trucks with wide loads traveling north of the work zone will be directed to use Iowa 83 and trucks with wide loads traveling south of the work zone will be directed to use U.S. 6. You will be directed across the bridge with temporary signal lights.