A reward is now being offered after last week’s hit-and-run accident in southwest Iowa that critically injured a child. Nine-year-old Jayden Anderson was struck by a vehicle while walking along Highway 92 in Treynor at about 8:45 Friday evening. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says the vehicle that struck Jayden fled the scene, and the driver failed to report the accident. The vehicle is described as a red car with a black stripe, and was occupied by three-or-four subjects. Peyton Livengood says she and two others were walking with him at the time of the accident near Treynor school. Livengood says as Anderson ran across the road, the car sped up and hit the boy, causing him to fly into the air, then the vehicle raced away. Pottawattamie County Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver. Anyone with information on the incident should call Crimestoppers at 1-800-247-0592.
Reward offered in Southwest Iowa hit-and-run case
Iowa mayor calls on President to back general aviation
A central Iowa mayor is joining about 70 other mayors nationwide in calling for President Obama to back general aviation — the use of small private airplanes. Some fear the administration will enact new rules that would greatly restrict non-commercial aircraft.
Ankeny Mayor Steve Van Oort has signed a letter asking Obama to recognize the importance of general aviation to America’s small town economies. “I want him to respond in a positive way when remarks are made about general aviation and I want him to visibly show support for general aviation to keep it strong,” Mayor Van Oort says.
The Ankeny Regional Airport, north of Des Moines, is 15 years old but is the third-busiest airport in Iowa, behind those in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. He says 120 planes are hangared at Ankeny. Van Oort says small aircraft are key to a community’s economic development.
Van Oort says, “An infrastructure of the 21st century includes transportation, it includes general aviation and that’s why it’s so vitally important that we continue to reinforce to the president and anyone that will listen to us the importance of continuing to strengthen general aviation.”
Aviation industry supporters say more than five-thousand communities nationwide have little or no commercial air service and depend on general aviation for economic development.
One new rule reportedly being discussed by the Obama administration would require all general aviation pilots to undergo F.B.I. background checks and to get new I-D cards though the federal government along with other restrictions on pilots and their planes.
Better Business Bureau warns of virus scams
With all the news about the H1N1 flu, Iowans are warned to be on guard for an outbreak of scammers who are capitalizing on people’s fears. Jim Hegarty, of the Better Business Bureau, says anytime there’s a situation like this, thieves come out of the woodwork. He says the latest crop of con artists offer miracle medications and prevention techniques.
"It doesn’t take long for the scammers to try to take advantage of a vulnerable situation," Hegarty says. "We’ve got a full alert posted on our website with information on how you can access the legitimate sites that gives you legitimate information about how to combat this." He says Iowans need to first consult the state’s Better Business Bureau website before buying any products being offered in association with the flu.
"What we find is that in many of these cases, these sites originate offshore," Hegarty says. "They’re kind of hit and miss and they’re really moving targets. I think historically, while there have been legitimate efforts to really defraud people, take advantage of people, I think most of these sites probably do offer a product, it’s just that it’s worthless."
One website offers shampoo, lotion, conditioners and soap that are laced with silver, which the site claims can help protect against the swine flu. The F-D-A says that’s simply untrue. Hegarty says legitimate medical advice on how to stave off this bug is free and abundant, yet the con artists are trying to sell you that same information.
"There’s a site where you can order a book on how to prevent the swine flu from affecting your family, a prevention guide for $19.95, so while they may not be breaking the law, certainly what they’re doing is extraordinarily unethical." He says Iowans should not believe online offers for vaccinations against swine flu, because a vaccine doesn’t exist.
Grassley meets with Obama in White House
Senator Chuck Grassley had an hour-long lunch today with the president, vice president and another key senator involved in behind-the-scenes discussions on health care reform. It was just the four of them, as Grassley says no staff were present.
"We were in a small room that presumably is where…three or four people meet to have lunch. I had a hamburger. I’m not going to tell you what other people had, "Grassley said with a chuckle, as he spoke by phone with reporters from Radio Iowa and The Des Moines Register, "…except they’re more conscious of eating right than I am."
According to Grassley, he had "more than ample opportunity to make the points that (he) wanted to make," and Grassley stressed the importance of President Obama’s involvement in the process.
"The implication was that the president needs to be in the center of this thing to move things along," Grassley said.
Grassley is the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee and he’s been working with Senator Max Baucus, the Democrat who chairs the panel, on the issue of health care reform. Grassley and Baucus discussed the idea of a broad, publicly-funded health insurance plan with Obama and Biden, but Grassley made clear his objections.
"There was no indication of any line being drawn in the sand," Grassley said, "…although I indicated it was a major problem."
Grassley believes meetings of this sort will only occur again if the health care reform plan that emerges in congress is bipartisan — getting support from Republicans and Democrats.
"I would say that I got a great deal of confidence that the White House prefers a bipartisan agreement," Grassley said.
But Grassley fears Democrats may choose to pass their own plan and if that’s the path Democrats take, Grassley vows to create a Republican alternative to present to the American people. According to Grassley, Obama’s four years as a United States senator gives the president a perspective on the "uniqueness" of the senate and what it takes to get things done.
Listen to all of what Grassley had to say about today’s White House meeting by clicking on the audio link below.
Adair County supervisors demand statewide vote on gay marriage
The Adair County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution demanding that the Iowa Legislature take action to either end same-sex marriage in Iowa, or let the public vote on the matter.
Chairman Clifford Sheriff read the resolution before the board’s vote this morning.
"Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Adair County Board of Supervisors demand that the Iowa (Legislature) resolve this issue by either passing legislation that will lead to a public vote to amend the Iowa Constitution or by passing legislation to confirm Iowa Code Section 595.2 to the Iowa Supreme Court (decision) in Varnum and Brien," Chairman Sheriff read aloud.
The section of law Sheriff referenced is the 1998 "Defense of Marriage Act" which most legal scholars argue has been voided by the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision. The five-member Adair County Board of Supervisors passed their resolution, without debate.
"I’ll move we approve the resolution for review of the Defense of Marriage Act," one of the supervisors said.
Another quickly added his "second" to move the process forward.
"We have a first and a second to approve the resolution," Chairman Sheriff announced. "All in favor signify by saying, ‘Aye,’" Sheriff advised and all five replied in the affirmative.
The supervisors then continued with their board meeting.
A few Iowa city councils and county boards of supervisors have pondered similar resolutions against gay marriage. In February — two months before the Iowa Supreme Court ruling legalized gay marriage — the Sioux City City Council passed a resolution urging state legislators to set the date for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage.
On Monday, April 27, the three-member Jefferson County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking legislators to take action against gay marriage. That’s the same day the Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling took effect and same-sex couples began applying for marriage licenses in Iowa.
Mt. Pleasant officer cleared in fatal shooting
A state investigation says a Mount Pleasant police officer was justified in the fatal shooting of a man at the local hospital. The investigation by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Henry County Attorney’s office determined that the actions of officer Rich Martin were justified and performed within the scope of his employment as a police officer and were intended as defensive tactic to protect himself and others from the actions of Michael Harris. The statements from witnesses confirm that Harris was exhibiting irrational, threatening and violent behaviors and that Harris was the aggressor in his confrontation with officer Martin. Officer Martin attempted to use verbal directives to control Harris. Harris ignored the officer’s verbal directives and charged at the officer. Officer Martin then attempted to use a taser to control Harris, but the taser had no effect. Officer Martin broke free and backed away from Harris, drew his weapon and again gave a verbal directive for Harris to stop. Harris again charged officer Martin and started to choke the officer. Martin shot Harris once through the chest. Harris then went to an examination table where emergency procedures were performed on him, but he died a short time later. No criminal charges will be filed.
Loras College locked down after robbery
Loras College in Dubuque was placed on lockdown Tuesday after an armed robbery of a gas station. The robbery was reported at 4 p.m. at a B.P. station on Loras Boulevard. Police say the suspect, who was wearing a ski mask, displayed a gun and robbed the store of an undetermined amount of cash. He left on foot and remains at large. The incident prompted Loras College officials to place the campus on lockdown for roughly 45 minutes. No one was hurt in the robbery. Police describe the suspect as a white male, 5-8, 170 pounds, wearing a blue or dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, dark jeans, skateboarder shoes, a dark ski mask and carrying a white laundry bag.
