An Iowa State University researcher will travel to Seattle this week to discuss a promising study about memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Auriel Willette will present his findings at an annual meeting of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society. Willette has found evidence that an elevated presence of a certain protein, neuronal pentraxin-2, may slow cognitive decline and reduce brain atrophy in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Auriel Willette

“I think this could give us, as researchers, a new insight into why some people might go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease or perhaps why their disease progression might more marked than those with a kinder profile,” Willette said. The protein neuronal pentraxin-2 is naturally produced in the body and regulates connections between nerve cells or neurons. Both physical and mental exercise can help induce more activity between neurons, which could in turn boost a person’s level of neuronal pentraxin-2.

“One venue of research I would like to pursue with this is looking to see if being more mentally active perhaps raises these (protein) levels, because being more mentally active tends to cause more of these connections between neurons, between these brain cells,” Willette said. The Alzheimer’s Association predicts that by 2050, nearly 14 million Americans over 65 will have Alzheimer’s.

(Radio Iowa)

An AMBER ALERT issued early this (Monday) morning for two children missing from Jefferson has been cancelled, after both children were located at a Des Moines hotel with the suspect, 21-year old Allison Tucker.

Allison Tucker

Tucker was arrested and taken into custody without incident. Both children were found safe and unharmed.

The Jefferson Police Department at 3-a.m. had issued the AMBER ALERT in connection with the disappearance of two Native American children identified as 4-year old Reed Day, and 2-year old Rheea Lee Ann Day. The children belong to a good friend of the suspect, who was allowed to leave with them Sunday afternoon when they travelled to Des Moines to look at a dog. Tucker did not return with the children and had no contact with the mother.

Reed Day

Rheea Day

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating separate incidents of burglary and shots fired. Authorities say at around 10-p.m., Sunday, officers were called to 2724 North Broadway Street for a reported Burglary in progress, with possible shots fired. An initial investigation has determined 34-year old Shawn DeShane and 32-year old Georgetta Bothwell, both of Council Bluffs, were at home, when they saw two white male suspects attempt to kick-in their back door. DeShane and Bothwell retreated to another part of the house where they heard the suspects enter the residence.

The unknown suspects were seen taking property out of the home, and as they fled in a white Dodge truck with the front bumper missing, one of the suspects allegedly fired several shots from a semi-automatic handgun toward the residence. No injuries were reported.

The second incident happened at around 5:47-p.m. Council Bluffs Police were called to the area of 6th and Mill Streets, for a report of shots fired. The initial investigation determined 31-year old Rodney L. Koehrsen, of Council Bluffs, got into a verbal altercation with a white male, who pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and continued to argue with Koehrsen.

The suspect, who was described as having brown hair, about 5-feet 9-inches tall and weighing 140-pounds, allegedly pointed the gun at Koehrsen, as the argument continued. As Koehrsen backed-away from the suspect, the man fired a shot at Koehrsen’s feet. No injuries were reported. The suspect then left the home and took off in a possibly silver-colored Buick sedan with Dealer plates.

Both incidents remain under investigation.

Two people from Pottawattamie County were arrested Sunday afternoon on Child Endangerment charges, in Red Oak. Authorities say 27-year old Matthew Edwin Kaufman, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at around 3:20-p.m. in the 300 block of South 2nd Street on a valid Council Bluffs felony warrant for Child Endangerment with Bodily Injury. And, at around 3:27-p.m., 29-year old Trisha Marie Agee, of Carter Lake, was arrested in the 400 block of East Senate Avenue on the same charge.

Both suspects were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $7,500 bond each, while awaiting extradition to Council Bluffs.

JEFFERSON, Iowa – UPDATE 5:26-A.M. AMBER ALERT CANCELLED (Suspect & children found safe) The JeffersonPolice Department at 3-a..m. today issued an AMBER ALERT to law enforcement agencies across the state, in connection with the disappearance of two Native American children identified as 4-year old Reed Day, a male, and 2-year old Rheea Day, a female. Police are searching for a blue 1987 Chevrolet R-10 truck with Iowa plates reading 734-RAS. The children were apparently taken around 2:30 p.m. Sunday by 21-year old Allison Tucker.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The new pork processing plant planned for Sioux City is two years away, but area schools have already started planning for the possible surge in enrollment. The Journal reports the $264 million Seaboard Triumph Food plant is expected to employ more than 1,000 people when it opens in 2017.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — The high price of flood insurance makes it difficult for some Iowa residents to sell their homes. The Quad-City Times reports Duane Randleman has been trying to sell for a year-and-a-half and showed his house to more than 60 families. But prospective buyers don’t like the idea of paying $200 a month in flood insurance for the Bettendorf home.

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — Top advisers from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign are speaking with substance abuse prevention advocates in Iowa and New Hampshire as they develop campaign policies around drug addiction and treatment. Ann O’Leary and Maya Harris, two top policy advisers to the campaign, held video conferences last week with leading advocates in both early voting states, campaign officials said.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa courts are now being asked to clean up a messy neighborhood dispute over a dog that included one couple sending a quart of cow manure in the mail to another couple. The Hawk Eye reports that Kimberly and Carlos Capdevila filed a lawsuit claiming that Mary Eipert and Steven Rowland are defaming them and interfering with their insurance business.