(Radio Iowa) – The latest voter registration data suggests thousands of Iowans switched their party registration to Republican so they could participate in last month’s Iowa Caucuses. Voter data from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office shows there were about 16-thousand more registered Republicans in Iowa on February 1st than there were on January 1st.

The Iowa Republican Party Caucuses were held January 15th. The data suggests about 55-hundred were Democrats and six-thousand independents switched their party registration to Republicans in order to participate in the caucuses that night.

During the month of January, about 48-hundred Iowans registered as Republicans for the first time.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Cass County Democrats say Iowa 3rd District Congressional Candidate Lanon Baccam will visit Cass County on Tuesday, Feb. 13th. Baccam is being hosted by the Cass County Democrats at the Heritage House lower level meeting room (1200 Brookridge Circle, Atlantic, IA 50022). The event will start with a potluck and social from 6:00-6:30 PM, and the meeting with Baccam will begin at 6:30. Everyone is welcome, regardless of party affiliation.

Baccam, a Democrat, is running for Congress in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional district. The seat is currently held by Republican Zach Nunn. Baccam is a combat veteran whose parents immigrated to Iowa from Laos in 1980. Baccam was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant. Following service in the Army, Baccam attended Drake University and served in the USDA under former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.

The Cass County Democrats are hosting Baccam at their February monthly meeting, which is open to the public. For more information on the Cass County Democrats, monthly gatherings, or to join the Cass County Democrats email newsletter, contact casscountyiadems@gmail.com or follow the Cass County Democrats on Facebook @CassCountyIADems or on Instagram @CassCountyDemocrats.

(Audubon, Iowa) – Audubon County EMA/911 Coordinator Tyler Thygesen reports the Audubon County 911 Dispatch Center took a 911 call at approximately 2:00 pm today (Sunday, February 11, 2024), of a structure fire  northeast of Exira, at 2845 Pheasant Avenue (Johnson Helicopter, Inc). They were advised that the structure contained two helicopters and fuel. They were also advised a male victim had received burns. Exira Fire & Rescue and Brayton Fire & Rescue were paged at 2:02 pm. Exira Fire & Rescue requested assistance from Audubon Fire & Rescue at 2:11 pm.

The fire was determined to be under control and they were completing overhaul at approximately 3:37 pm. The male victim was transported to the Audubon Airport by Exira Fire & Rescue and then he was flown by helicopter to a burn center.

The name of the victim was not immediately released.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a man was arrested at around 12:40-a.m. Saturday (Feb. 10), for Public Intoxication. Authorities say 52-year-old Philip Luke Turner, of Elliott, was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

OMAHA, Nebraska (KCRG) – A new report focused on deportation hearings in one immigration court finds there’s a lack of due process for immigrants.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska observed more than 500 hearings in the Omaha immigration court. About 40 percent of the removal proceedings in the court involve people living in Iowa.

According to the report, judges routinely compromised the due process rights of immigrants. The report outlines four specific areas: judges failing to consistently advise people of their rights, deficient interpretation services, a high number of cases without attorney representation, and the short duration of hearings – often lasting fewer than four minutes.

“As the backlog grows bigger and bigger every day, it has not been going down, you can imagine there’s pressure to get things done quicker. However, our constitutional rights cannot be affected by that. An immovable object that simply cannot be infringed on for the sake of expediency,” said ACLU of Nebraska Legal Fellow & lead author of the report Dylan Severino.

The report’s recommendations range from small adjustments, such as using telephone interpretation services whenever needed, to large actions by Congress, such as passing comprehensive immigration reform and reestablishing the immigration court system as an independent court system rather than a Department of Justice function.

The report also suggests state and local governments consider creating programs to guarantee legal representation in immigration court proceedings.

To view the full report, click HERE.

JEFFERSON, Iowa (KCAU) — The lawyer for a man accused of kidnapping his son and leading to a standoff is asking for court proceedings to be suspended so the court can determine his client’s mental capacity. Mark Rasmussen, the lawyer representing Brandon Duong, 34, filed a motion to determine competency Thursday. In the filing, Rasmussen wants to have Duong’s mental capacity determined as he said that he believes Duong “is not able to assist in his defense.

He added that he doesn’t believe Duong is “able to perform the reasoning and/or judgment necessary to consider pleas or to make decisions.” Rasmussen states that Duong suffers from a mental disorder, limiting him from understanding his charges, assisting the defense counsel, or understanding the proceedings. As such, the defense is asking for the court to suspend proceedings so the court can see if Duong is fit to stand trial.

Duong faces charges of second-degree kidnapping – armed with a dangerous weapon, a Class B felony, and violation of custodial order – relative, a class D felony. The charges stem from an incident on Jan. 30. On that day, authorities said that Duong kidnapped his son from Jefferson and sparked a state-wide Amber Alert.

Later that day, Duong’s vehicle was later spotted by law enforcement in Woodbury County, leading to a pursuit into Cherokee and Plymouth counties. Duong later crashed east of Remsen. While armed with a rifle, he allegedly fled into a field with his son, court documents state.

During the standoff, Duong allegedly carried his son over his shoulders while officers had their guns drawn. A criminal complaint also accuses him of “using [his son] as a shield and a hostage” during the standoff. Officers eventually found Duong in the field and, after an hours-long standoff, took him into custody.

A release from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office stated that Duong was a non-custodial parent. The Iowa State Patrol said in a release the night of the incident that a Dec. 2023 court order restricted Duong from having custody of his son.

Duong pleaded not guilty during a preliminary hearing. He is currently scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Feb. 19.