A commission comprised of two attorneys from Cass County and three lay persons, along with Fourth District Court Judge James Richardson, approved the appointment of Justin Hockenberry, as Magistrate Judge. Hockenberry, who works with the Cambridge Law Firm in Atlantic, will join Karen Mailander presiding over local cases. He succeeds retiring Magistrate Judge Steven A. Heckenbach, who was appointed to the seat in 1991. Hockenberry will begin his duties on the bench, immediately.

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — Motorcyclists have rallied in an eastern Iowa town to honor two cousins who were abducted and killed three years ago. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier says the third annual “Memorial Ride and Drive for the Girls” drew supporters Saturday to mark the anniversary of the day 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins were taken.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department say the Council Bluffs Police and Fire Departments along with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office will be offering the public a Fireworks Amnesty on Saturday, July 18th. The program is designed to provide the public with a safe alternative for the disposal of unused fireworks following the Holiday weekend.

The drop off location is the Family Dollar/Auto Zone parking lot at 28th & West Broadway and the fireworks can be dropped off between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Cass County Democratic Part Chair Sherry Toelle says Desmund Adams, candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Iowa’s 3rd District, will be at Atlantic’s Family Table Restaurant for a “Meet & Greet” on Monday, July 20th, from 3:15-until 4-p.m.

Desmund Adams

Adams will be available for questions and will also discuss his platform.

Adams, who dropped out of high school and later moved to Iowa to pursue his education after earning his GED, went to Drake University,  where he earned both a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and, in 1999, a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the Drake University Law School. He is an award-winning entrepreneur, public speaker, community activist, and business leader who built his executive recruiting firm Adams Douglas.

In 2009, he received the State of Iowa House of Representative’s Certificate of Achievement for business and civic leadership. He was selected as a Forty Under 40 honoree by the award-winning central Iowa publication Business Record in 2013. He is a member of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the former President of the Grubb YMCA Board of Managers, and is a Board Member of the Mercy College of Health Sciences.

Desmund Adams resides in Clive with his wife and their two sons. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the “Meet & Greet”