(updated to Clarify that ruling deals with unused glass pipes.)
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals is giving a legal victory to the owners of retail head shops. The court ruled Wednesday that unused glass pipes commonly sold in those stores are not drug paraphernalia under Iowa law and therefore cannot be subject to forfeiture by law enforcement. The court is ordering the return of glass pipes that were seized by agents during a warrant served at Day Dreams in Des Moines.

A three-judge panel says no drugs were found there, so there is no evidence suggesting the pipes “were used, or attempted to be used, in combination with a controlled substance” as required to be considered paraphernalia.

The court says adopting the state’s position would make selling glass pipes a federal felony and allow all such property to be forfeited.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst has condemned Facebook posts her husband made that included calling Hillary Clinton a “hag.”  The Des Moines Register reports that the Republican state senator from Red Oak says she was appalled by her husband’s remarks and says she’s talked to him about them. Her husband, Gail Ernst, said Tuesday that he wanted to “apologize for the inappropriate comments I have made on Facebook, which I deeply regret.”

In April last year he posted a photo of Janet Napolitano, then the U.S. homeland security secretary, calling her a “traitorous skank.” Then in May last year Gail Ernst said on Facebook that Clinton was a “lying hag” after she commented about the attack on a U.S. diplomatic installation in Benghazi, Libya.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A Council Bluffs pediatrician accused of sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl outside of his practice has surrendered his state medical license. The Des Moines Register says the Iowa Board of Medicine reported Tuesday that 69-year old Dennis Seaborn Jones had given up the license. Jones is charged in Pottawattamie County District Court with sexual abuse, accused of inappropriately touching the girl. He has pleaded not guilty.

Last month Jones pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. As part of a deal with federal prosecutors, Jones agreed to permanently surrender his medical license. Authorities say they found about 1.2 million images and 9,300 videos of child pornography during a search of Jones’ home.