Ryan Selected To Head Public Safety Commission
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad has appointed Roxann Ryan to serve as commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
Branstad announced Wednesday that Ryan will fill the job. She has been serving as acting commissioner for nearly a month.
Ryan joined the department in 2006 and previously served as the in-house legal counsel. Branstad called her an “ideal choice” for the job.
Former Commissioner Larry Noble retired last month, about 16 months after he returned to lead the agency amid turmoil. He served as commissioner under Branstad from January 2011 until retiring in July 2012.
Noble returned in September 2013 after a series of problems during the 11-month tenure of Commissioner K. Brian London.
Lost ACT Score Sheets Now Found
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials have located nearly 200 missing ACT college entrance exams at an Iowa grocery store, just days after notifying students they wouldn’t receive their results.
Johnston County Community School District spokeswoman Laura Sprague says Johnston High School’s principal picked up the test packets Wednesday morning at a Dahl’s store in Johnston. The ACT organization sent an email Monday night to 195 students who tested at the high school Dec. 13 notifying them their answer sheets never arrived at headquarters in Iowa City and therefore could not be scored.
Sprague says there was a mix-up with shipments after an ACT-hired testing coordinator dropped off the packets for mailing. She says the tests will be sent overnight.
ACT spokeswoman Katie Walker says the exams are valid and scoring will be expedited.
House Panel Looks At Approving Licenses For African Hair Brading
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A House panel has approved a bill aimed at helping people who do African-style hair braiding in Iowa receive a license.
Members of a state government subcommittee agreed Wednesday to approve the bill with some changes, though it’s unclear what they will be. It will move to a full committee for consideration.
The bill as written would exempt African-style hair braiding from the definition of cosmetology. Kent Hartwig, a lobbyist for the Iowa Cosmetology Schools Association, says the language would prohibit licensed hair stylists from doing such braiding.
Bill co-sponsor Rep. Dawn Pettengill, a Republican from Mount Auburn, says she will work on an amendment that removes that confusion and clears a way for African-style hair braiding stylists to become licensed without completing 2,100 training hours at a cosmetology school.
Patrol Troopers Discipline Did Not Affect Pay Scale
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Any disciplinary action taken against two Iowa State Patrol supervisors for highly publicized missteps while off-duty did not affect their pay.
Iowa Department of Public Safety spokesman Alex Murphy said Wednesday the internal investigations into Lt. Kelly Hindman and Capt. Ken Clary have been concluded.
Hindman — who leads the Fort Dodge office — faced scrutiny after joking on Facebook that he wished a sniper would shoot ESPN basketball announcer Dan Dakich in the head.
Clary was investigated after being pulled over by a trooper for driving 92 miles per hour in a 70-mph zone and initially let go without a ticket.
Murphy said both matters were addressed, but that he couldn’t elaborate because they’re confidential. He confirmed their pay wasn’t cut.
Clary earned $97,000 while Hindman earned $94,000 last year.
Apartment Peeping
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – A 24-year-old Cedar Falls man has been accused of peeping on women and making videos of them taking showers.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Zachary Carstensen was arrested on Jan. 22 and charged with three misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy. His attorney didn’t immediately return a call Wednesday from The Associated Press.
Court records say a woman noticed a suspicious object poking through the ceiling of her Cedar Falls apartment in early January. Police determined that it was a camera and traced it to Carstensen’s bedroom, which was above the woman’s apartment.
Officers say they seized a camera, drill and computer equipment from his apartment and found several videos of women showering.
Powerball Jackpot Rising
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – It’s been a while, but there’s a giant Powerball jackpot that’s expected to have a prize of $317 million by Wednesday night’s drawing.
The total is a return to form for Powerball, which has been known along with Mega Millions for its record-breaking jackpots in recent years. But there’s been something of a drought, with nearly a year passing since the Powerball total climbed above $300 million.
Lottery officials say there’s no particular reason for the lull.
Terry Rich, president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, says lottery jackpots are inherently random. He says the game is expected to have slow periods based on projection models.
