DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa judge has upheld a state law that disqualifies felons from voting and an executive order requiring felons to petition the governor for restoration of voting rights. Judge Arthur Gamble also strongly suggests the Iowa Supreme Court sort out the confusion it caused last year when it ruled not all felons are automatically disenfranchised.

Gamble ruled Monday in the case of Kelli Jo Griffin of Montrose, who voted in a 2013 city election, thinking her voting rights had been restored after she completed probation for a felony cocaine delivery charge. She was charged for voting as a felon but a jury last year found her not guilty.  She sued, challenging Iowa’s voting laws.

Gamble dismissed the suit but Griffin’s attorney says she is appealing to the Iowa Supreme Court.

A Council Bluffs man accused of killing his father last month, stealing his van and driving to Colorado, has formally been charged with 1st Degree Murder and Theft. 20-year old Sean Schendel was found in Sterling, Colorado, just days after authorities discovered the body of his father, 55-year old Robert Schendel, in his Council Bluffs home.

Prosecutors said Sean Schendel withdrew money from his father’s bank account after the homicide. He’s pleaded not guilty in the case.

We’re over 13 months away from the 2016 General Election, and some campaigns are already in full-swing trying to garner support. Desmund Adams made stops in Cass County, Monday, including here at the KJAN studios. Adams, of Des Moines, is running for the Nov. 6, 2016 Democratic ticket, hoping to take over the 3rd District Congressional seat in Iowa currently occupied by Republican David Young.

Desmund Adams

Adams says his journey to acquire political office began with a “non-traditional” path. He was a high school dropout who didn’t care much about education. Ironically, he went on to get his GED in the Job Corps, and eventually graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor of Science degree, in Education. He became a teacher and went back to Drake where he pursued and gradated with, a Law Degree. He interned for a former Iowa Supreme Court Justice. For the last decade, he’s been a small business owner.

Adams says his campaign and concerns focuses on people, especially the working class. Adams ran as a Democratic in 2012, for Iowa Senate District 22. He says there are a lot of differences between this race and the last campaign. The last race covered two counties and some 45,000 people. The 2016 race covers more than a dozen counties, and the issues are somewhat different. He says the issues are more Federal, as opposed to State, but individuals are still the same. Adams added, “We’re still dealing with increases in poverty, challenges in education [and] business…but one of the major differences is the third district has a broad diversity in both people, and businesses.”

He says he cares about those in the rural communities as well as those in urban districts. He plans on visiting both traditional and organic farms and listening to farmers’ concerns and understand their challenges. He says Iowans he’s spoken with so far, have concerns over the lack of small town growth and poverty, loss of manufacturing jobs. Adams says people are telling him our political leaders are not listening to their concerns, and that’s where he wants to stand out among the candidates. He says he wants to step-up to the plate and address challenges like education, a crumbling infrastructure and get those issues resolved.

Adams faces a challenge in his party by Jim Mowrer, an Iraq War veteran. Another potential candidate for the 3rd District is Democrat State Senator Matt McCoy. To date, David Young doesn’t appear to have any challengers from his own party. The 3rd Congressional District covers 16 counties, including all of southwest Iowa, south of Interstate 80.

Creston Police said today (Tuesday), a 42-year old Creston man was arrested at around 12:30-a.m. today for OWI/1st offense. Clinton Ward Lovely was later released from the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond. And, a little after noon, on Monday, Creston Police arrested 49-year old Melissa Rae Rodden, of Murray. Rodden was charged with OWI/1st Offense and also later released on $1,000 bond.