(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa woman accused of stealing more than one-hundred-thousand dollars worth of state money has turned herself into authorities after warrants were issued for her arrest. Thirty-six-year-old Nicole Foelske of rural Jesup is charged with first-degree theft, felonious misconduct in office and ongoing criminal conduct in connection with a State Auditor’s investigation involving the alleged misappropriation of money during Foelske’s employment with the Iowa Department of Juvenile Services.

A report released by State Auditor Rob Sand today (Tuesday) claims that Foelske purchased unauthorized food, beverages and gift cards totaling $107,745.46 between July 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019. Foelske allegedly bought 438 gift cards totaling nearly $87,000, of which she allegedly deposited more than $84,000 into her personal bank account. According to the report, Foelske also made unauthorized purchases from Amazon and had the products delivered to her home.

The investigation looked at the Juvenile Services’ finances during the calendar years of 2016 through 2019. The state probe was connected to an earlier investigation completed by the Black Hawk County Attorney’s Office and local sheriff’s officials.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa House subcommittees are advancing two of the governor’s education priorities. One bill would make it easier for groups to create charter schools. The other creates state-funded private school scholarships for students in struggling public schools. Trish Wilger of the Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education testified at a House subcommittee hearing today (Tuesday).

“We’re happy to see the Iowa legislature entertaining so many ways to offer parents option this year,” she said. “This bill gives choice to a handful of parents at a handful of schools.” The “Students First” Scholarships would be for students transferring out of 34 public school BUILDINGS where test scores rank in the bottom five percent of Iowa schools. Shanda Carstens of Panora says state scholarships for private schools will be an incentive for families to leave rural towns like hers and move closer to cities with private schools.

“At the center of our community is our school: Friday Night lights, cheering on the basketball teams, watching the amazing dance team…I’m worried that this bill could put all of this in jeopardy,” Carstens says. “As we’ve seen in other states like Arizona, the voucher expense went from $1.5 million to over $100 million in just eight years.” Republican Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake says over the past six years he’s supported spending more on public schools and he’s willing to try something different.

“People who are talking in opposition to this bill it so often doesn’t even reflect to the kids, (saying): ‘I’m opposed because public taxpayer dollars shouldn’t got to private schools.’ Well, who cares?” Wills asked. “If we don’t do something different, we’re going to keep getting what we got.” Both bills now go to the House Education Committee, which is set to meet tomorrow (Wednesday). The Iowa Senate has already passed a single bill that includes these proposals and others that were part of the school choice agenda Governor Kim Reynolds unveiled in January.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police have charged five people with attempted murder in a brazen Des Moines shooting that critically injured a 2-year-old child. Police say the shooting happened Monday night when more than a dozen shots were fired into a house. Officers called to the home found that one of the shots had hit a toddler inside. The child was rushed to a hospital and remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.

Police later arrested five people ranging in age from 18 to 20 believed to have been involved in the shooting. All were initially charged with attempted murder and weapons counts. Police say the group intentionally targeted the house, but say the toddler and a 17-year-old girl who were in the home at the time were not the intended targets.

The Harlan Police Department reports just two recent arrests. On Feb. 27th, 28-year old Cody Duane Wills, of Carroll, was arrested following a traffic stop, in Harlan. Wills was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while revoked, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, prohibited acts, operating a non-registered vehicle, no proof of insurance and improper rear lamp.

And, on February 18th, 50-year old Kimothy Recardo Jones, of Omaha, NE, was arrested following a traffic stop, in Harlan. Jones was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating while intoxicated and stopping on traveled portion of a highway.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified a Cedar Rapids police officer who fatally shot a man suspected of stabbing a woman to death. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says in a news release that Kyzer Moore was the officer who shot 39-year-old Arnell States, of Cedar Rapids, on Feb. 20 as States ran from a hotel where two women had been attacked. Police say States was believed to have been the attacker who killed 34-year-old Katrina Latrese Brinson and injured another woman.

Authorities say Moore is a 3 1/2-year veteran of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. He remains on paid administrative leave pending the investigation into the shooting.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would reduce the penalty for people caught with small amounts of marijuana has again cleared a subcommittee in the Iowa Senate. Supporters say the bill will help Iowans who have difficulty qualifying for college scholarships, loans and jobs because of a marijuana possession conviction. Lisa Davis Cook is with the Iowa Association for Justice. “We think it’s a small and measured approach to this issue,” Davis Cook says.

If the bill becomes law, people possessing five grams or less would be charged with a simple misdemeanor. A first offense with any amount of marijuana today is an aggravated misdemeanor that could land a person in jail for up to six months. Carl Olsen of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws says lawmakers instead should start the process of amending Iowa’s Constitution, to make growing and possessing marijuana legal. “The founders would have never imagined that the government would take that right away,” Olsen says.

Susie Sher, of the Governor’s Office on Drug Control Policy, says the agency is not taking an official position on the bill.  “Complicating this issue is the rising potency of marijuana,” Sher says, “and some of these high potency products and some of the risks associated with some of those products.”  Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, voted to advance the bill, but he would prefer to decriminalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol. “It seems to me across the country we’re now up to 16 states that have moved in that direction and what I think people are figuring out across the country is that marijuana prohibition has actually destroyed far more lives and the futures of far more families…with these harsh criminal penalties.”

Republican Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs, a special agent in the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, also supports the bill. He says it will give officers who catch someone on parole or probation with a small amount of marijuana a charge that doesn’t land the person back in prison. “A lot of times they come into contact with people with a few joints or some trace amounts in a pipe or whatnot when they’re already in the parole and probation system,” Dawson said. “And they were looking for a tool that was less than an indictable offense and that’s where they really were wanting a simple misdemeanor here.”

There’s a deadline for policy bills in the Iowa legislature this week. It means THIS bill must win approval in a Senate committee by Friday in order to remain eligible for debate in the Senate and House this year.