Iowa News

FISCAL CLIFF-IOWA        Iowa GOP chairman: Oppose fiscal cliff bill        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Republican Party Chairman A.J. Spiker is urging the state’s two GOP congressmen to vote against the fiscal cliff bill approved by the U.S. Senate.        The Des Moines Register reports that Spiker released a statement Tuesday asking U.S. Representatives Tom Latham and Steve King not to support the measure.        Spiker argues that the proposal would raise taxes without meaningful spending cuts. He also praised Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley for his vote against the legislation.        Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Harkin also voted no on the fiscal cliff budget package, saying it helps the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.        U.S. Representative Bruce Braley, a Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday that he’ll support the measure in its current form.

2013-FIRST BABIES        Waterloo baby among 1st of the year born in Iowa        (Information in the following story is from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com)        WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – A baby boy who was scheduled to be born last year arrived late and was born early this year in Iowa.        Little Jaycob Ryan Weber Jr. was delivered at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo.        His mother, 22-year-old Raven Vicchio, told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that doctors had scheduled a delivery on Monday in part because she had developed gestational diabetes and partly because Jaycob’s father was leaving Thursday for military service.        Vicchio’s labor took most of the day and night, and Jaycob wasn’t born until after the new year arrived.        She says he’s perfectly healthy and weighed in at 6 pounds and 11 ounces.

OLDEST VETERAN DIES        Iowa’s oldest veteran dead at age 106        (Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com)        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s oldest veteran has died at age 106 at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.        A spokesman for the home says Floyd Teske died Monday morning.        Mike Hines, staff assistant to the home’s commandant says Teske had lived there since 2007.        Teske’s death was first reported Monday by the Des Moines Register.        A photo of Teske hangs in the Iowa Gold Star Memorial Museum at Camp Dodge in Johnston among 40 notable Iowa veterans.        Teske was born July 10, 1906, on a farm north of Decorah.        He was married to Helen Holze for 32 years. They had no children.        Teske entered the U.S. Army in May 1942 at age 36 and was discharged in October 1945.

ALDERMAN CHARGED        Ex-Davenport alderman wants charge dismissed        (Information in the following story is from: KWQC-TV, http://www.kwqc.com)        DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A former Davenport city alderman accused of threatening his neighbor is trying to get an assault charge against him dismissed.        Davenport television station KWQC reports that 71-year-old Keith Meyer was charged with assault while displaying a weapon. Police say he threatened a neighbor with a gun.        A hearing is set for January 3rd on his motion to dismiss that charge.        Meyer served as Davenport’s third ward alderman for several terms. He lost his re-election bid in 2007.

IOWA LOTTERY-INTERNET GAMBLING        Lottery chief opposes online gambling proposals        (Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com)        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Lottery is urging Congress to reject proposals to authorize federal regulation of Internet gambling.        The Des Moines Register reports that Lottery CEO Terry Rich recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby on the issue with the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. Rich detailed his efforts in a report to members of the Iowa Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee.        Rich says the lotteries emphasized that the federal government should not infringe on states’ rights to implement and regulate internet gaming.        The Iowa Lottery has no immediate plans to offer Internet gaming, but Rich says he’s concerned about an Internet gambling proposal recently circulated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

IOWA CITY-ROBBERIES        Suspect arrested in 3 armed robberies in Iowa City        IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa City man has been charged in connection with three recent armed robberies of local businesses.        Police said that 27-year-old Marvis Jackson and 24-year-old Wesley Turner were arrested early Monday at an apartment where they allegedly fled after robbing Gumby’s Pizza at gunpoint.        An employee told police that two men entered the store early Monday. One of them pointed a handgun at his head and demanded money. The employee complied, and the suspects fled the area on foot.        Responding officers say a witness linked the men to an apartment, where a search warrant was served and resulted in their arrests.        Police say their investigation later linked Jackson to armed robberies at two nearby gas stations in November.        Jackson and Turner were being held Monday at the Johnson County Jail.

OTTUMWA TRAILER FIRE        Fire destroys trailer home in Ottumwa        (Information in the following story is from: The Ottumwa Courier, http://www.ottumwacourier.com)        OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) – A fire that destroyed a trailer has left an Ottumwa man homeless.        The Ottumwa Courier says the fire was reported just after 1 p.m. Monday at the Golden Arrow trailer park in Ottumwa.        Assistant Fire Chief Mike Craff says the trailer was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Craff says two firefighters went in the trailer to fight the flames while two others looked for a resident. But the resident wasn’t home.        No injuries to the firefighters have been reported.

DUBUQUE BLAZE        Dubuque house fire damages neighboring homes        (Information in the following story is from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com)        DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – A fierce house fire has damaged neighboring structures in Dubuque.        The Dubuque Telegraph Herald says no injuries have been reported in the fire, which was reported at 5:20 a.m. Monday. The occupant and his dog escaped unharmed.        Assistant Fire Marshal Mike McMahon says flames and heat that escaped from the brick structure broke a window on one neighbor’s house and damaged siding on another neighbor’s house.        The fire cause is being investigated.

FORMER COUNCILMAN CHARGED        Former Marshalltown councilman faces new charge        (Information in the following story is from: Times-Republican, http://www.timesrepublican.com)        MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) – A former Marshalltown City Council member already charged with harassment has been charged with violating a no-contact order.        The Marshalltown Times-Republican reports that 32-year-old Patrick Stansberry was charged last week, accused by police of making several calls to a woman who made the original harassment complaint in July.        Stansberry, who now lives in Ames, has pleaded not guilty to the harassment charge and is scheduled for trial on February 28th.        Stansberry was elected to the City Council in 2010 and served a year before deciding not to seek re-election. He spent five years as an elementary teacher in Marshalltown, resigning in January 2012 to take a training job.        A phone listing for Stansberry could not be found. His lawyer didn’t immediately return an Associated Press call on Tuesday.

ANIMAL SHELTER        Western Iowa animal shelter finds a new home        (Information in the following story is from: KTIV-TV, http://www.ktiv.com)        HAVELOCK, Iowa (AP) – An animal shelter in northwest Iowa has found a comfortable new home, thanks to donations from pet lovers and community members.        KTIV-TV in Sioux City reports the Safe Haven Animal Shelter in Havelock successfully relocated after it was given a choice: move, or get rid of all its animals.        Shelter co-director Pam Orr says the facility was told in June to remove animals from the property, because neighbors were complaining about the odor. In August, shelter officials were told they had to move.        Orr says the shelter found a new location in September.        The new space had no lights or indoor plumbing. But as word spread about the shelter’s troubles, donations began to pour in. Some people gave cash, while other supplied paint to improve the new shelter space.

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