A former Morningside College baseball player says he will seek the Democratic nomination for the 4th District’s seat in Congress. J.D. Scholten formally announced his bid to run against Republican incumbent Steve King for the U-S House seat in a short campaign video news release Tuesday. “I’m running to help build an economy that benefits hard-working middle class Iowans. And a health care system that makes sense for the way we live our lives in this district. And a return to decency and integrity in our politics,” Scholten says.

Scholten released an addition statement that says he is “sick and tired of how divisive politics in this country has become, and how divorced it is from people’s lives.” Scholten was born in Ames and raised in Sioux City. He played baseball for Morningside College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he graduated with a degree in World/American History. After graduating, he pursued a baseball career that allowed him to play in seven different countries. He currently works as a freelance paralegal and technical consultant.

(Radio Iowa)

GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) – A jury has awarded $4.5 million to a former employee who sued an Iowa hospital for age bias and retaliation. The Des Moines Register reports that the jury’s decision Monday came after a 10-day trial of Grinnell Regional Medical Center and two administrators. The lawsuit brought by Gregory Hawkins said the hospital fired him in June 2015 from his post as lab director while in remission from breast cancer and hired a younger replacement.

His attorney alleged that Hawkins was targeted because he’d declined an order to retire following his initial diagnosis in November 2013. The hospital’s attorneys deny the firing and subsequent hiring of a new director had anything to do with Hawkins’ age or cancer diagnosis. A hospital spokeswoman says the hospital intends to appeal.

Creston Police report the arrest Tuesday evening of a man on an OWI charge. 41-year old Tommy Watters, of Creston, was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense at around 6:30-p.m. Watters was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Red Oak Police, Tuesday evening, arrested a man for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree. 43-year old James Reed Mitroff II, of Red Oak, was also charged with Public Intoxication. Mitroff was arrested at around 6:15-p.m. in the 400 block of E. Washington Avenue and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his cash bond was set at $2,000.