(Radio Iowa) – Lawmakers continue to discuss how distribution of the nickel deposits on bottles and cans of beer and carbonated beverages that are sold in Iowa might be restructured. A key senator is expressing doubts, though, that this is the year the so-called Bottle Bill will be changed. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver points to April 30th, which is the target date for ending the 2021 legislative session. “There is still progress being made,” Whitver says, “but it will be difficult to wrap that up in the next three weeks.”

Republican Representative Shannon Lundgren of Peosta is among the House members hoping to come up with a compromise by that deadline.  “We are probably starting to run out of time,” Lundgren says, “so I think we have to come with some language and get that out there.” Representative Chuck Isenhart, a Democrat from Dubuque, says something must be done to address the declining number of options for consumers who want to return the empties and get their deposits back. “I think we need to be cognizant of consumer convenience,” Isenhart says. But Senator Whitver says no single solution has emerged that has enough support to pass either the House or Senate.

“If there are 12 different ideas, there’s not one and you need one to make it law and I know a lot of legislators, a lot of interests on every side are working on this,” Whitver says. “We haven’t got a whole lot closer than we were in January.” During an appearance on Iowa P-B-S this weekend, Whitver agreed with an interviewer that debates about the Bottle Bill are a bit like “Groundhog Day” since they restart EVERY January when the legislature convenes.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol tweeted a message today (Monday) from the family of slain Trooper Jim Smith. The message says the Department of Public Safety and Sergeant Jim Smith’s family would like to thank the public for the amazing show of support since he was killed in the line of duty Friday. It says they have quickly realized that many people are grieving with them. The Patrol says they have posted a memorial display of Sergeant Smith’s patrol car at the District 10 Office in Oelwein.

ISP Sgt. Jim Smith

The tweet says anyone wishing to honor Sergeant Jim Smith should feel free to stop by with cards, flowers, and condolences. Smith was shot Friday while trying to help arrest a man in Grundy Center.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Friday, arrested a man in Clarinda on a charge of Harassment by electronic communication. Authorities say 18-year-old Coleton Eugene Richardson was arrested in the 1100 block of South 16th Street. He was released from custody, after posting bond.

Coleton Richardson

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports three people, including two from Cass County, were arrested on outside agency warrants last week. At around 12:10-a.m. on April 5th, 34-year old Lyndsey Marie Cottrell and 41-year old James Bernard Block, both of Cumberland, were arrested on warrants out of Madison County. Both were transferred directly to the custody of Madison County deputies. And, on April 4th, at around 8:45-p.m., 41-year old Nicholas Arthur Hardisty, of Orient, was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Union County. He was directly transferred to the authority of their deputies.

On April 5th, 44-year old Cory Robert Haag, of Fontanelle, was arrested at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office in Greenfield, on an Adair County Felony warrant for: A controlled substance violation; Child Endangerment/bodily injury by exposure to Meth, and Possession of Marijuana/2nd offense. Haag was released later that same afternoon on a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

And, on April 10th at around 12:01-a.m., 20-year old Alexander Steven Smith, of Creston, was arrested for Possession of marijuana/1st offense, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was cited at the scene, and released.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Monday, reported two arrests from the past few days. At around 12:43-a.m., Sunday, Adams County Deputies saw a vehicle parked in the middle of the road on Locust Avenue. They conducted a welfare check on the vehicle’s occupant, and subsequently arrested 49-year-old Christopher Boswell, of Corning, for OWI/1st offense. And, at around 10:15-a.m. Friday, Adams County Deputies and workers with the Dept. of Human Services conducted an investigation at 400 12th Street, in Corning.

Upon further investigation, 37-year-old Jarrod Brown, of Corning, was arrested on charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia.

Both men were transported to the Adams County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – Safety inspectors discovered the radio system employees inside the Anamosa State Penitentiary used to communicate was malfunctioning more than a year before the inmate attacks that killed two Anamosa employees. K-C-R-G T-V was first to obtain the report Iowa’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued last August. It was based on an inspection in February of last year. Iowa OSHA investigators warned the prison’s communication system would not show the location of an emergency if an employee radioed that he or she was being attacked. OSHA said the system had other deficiencies, including dropped calls within the prison.

The OSHA report also indicated some prison staff assigned to respond to emergencies within the prison were not always available because of other duties. Iowa OSHA labeled these violations serious and levied a 20-thousand dollar fine against the Iowa Department of Corrections. The agency is appealing the fine and a spokesman declined to comment on the report. “We’ll address any issues the investigations may reveal and we’ll do what’s necessary to protect our people. Nothing is more important than that,” Reynolds says. “Changes may require additional investment, something that I am fully committed to doing, and this includes making sure that the department and its facilities are adequately staffed.”

Last week, House Republicans proposed a 20 MILLION dollar increase in the prison system’s budget. Last month, Majority Leader Jack Whitver announced SENATE Republicans were proposing a four MILLION dollar increase and he discussed the budget decision on Friday, before OSHA’s August report was publicly released. “We rolled out that number the day after the incident happened, so that process of figuring out how much we need, if there are safety concerns, has not been vetted,” Whitver said. “The House rolled their number out maybe two weeks later to where they had done a little bit more work. Obviously, it’s going to come somewhere in between there, after talking with both the governor and the director of corrections.”

Whitver made his comments during an appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County, today (Monday), reported three arrests. At around 2:10-a.m. Sunday, 50-year-old Vincent Duane Wilson was pulled over for speeding 44 mph in a 25 mph zone, northbound through Crescent. Upon further investigation, Wilson was arrested for OWI/2nd offense. At around 1:10-a.m., Sunday, 26-year-old Brady Paul Johnson was arrested in Council Bluffs, after a deputy went to check on a motorist in need of assistance at 205th and Railroad Highway. Johnson was subsequently arrested for OWI/2nd offense.

And, at around 2:15-p.m. Saturday, 39-year-old Damien Joseph Keairns appeared at the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office to turn himself-in on a warrant. Once the extraditable warrant out of Woodbury County was confirmed, Keairns was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail and held on the Woodbury County warrant.

(Radio Iowa) – A new phone scam is surfacing in central Iowa where the caller claims to a be from Amazon-dot-com. The caller starts by saying you’ve made a purchase, of say, 500-hundred to 15-hundred bucks. The supposed Amazon rep then threatens to turn you over to the fraud division of the Federal Trade Commission if you don’t pay up. Don’t pay up! It’s a scam! Amazon will email you personally, with your name, if there is a problem with your account. Don’t wire or mail money to someone you don’t know. Don’t deposit a check from someone you don’t know and wire the money back, no matter how good a tale they tell. If anyone calls you about that, or wanting any personal info, just hang up and contact the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

If you think you’ve been scammed, call your local police department and let them know.