COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Pottawattamie County man was sentenced to 40-years in prison, Wednesday, on charges associated with Child Pornography offenses. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports in addition to the 480 month sentence, 29-year old Michael Brandstrom, of Council Bluffs, sentenced to 30-years (360 months) imprisonment for Production of Child Pornography and 120 months to Possession of Child Pornography, to run consecutively. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with his prison sentence in Pottawattamie County State Court for Kidnapping in the Third Degree and Lascivious Acts with a Child. Brandstrom was ordered to serve fifteen years of supervised release to follow his prison term. He was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund and $10,500 in restitution to numerous victims.

The charges stem from an investigation initiated by local law enforcement after a mother reported her four-year-old child missing from their apartment in Council Bluffs on September 2,
2019. As Council Bluffs Police Officers searched the apartment complex, Brandstrom brought the missing child out to them. Brandstrom was nervous when questioned by the police, his story
was not consistent as to why he did not contact police when he located the child, and the child’s shirt was inside out. Brandstrom had taken the child into his apartment without the consent of her mother and the child disclosed that Brandstrom took pictures of her in his bathroom.

A search warrant was executed on Brandstrom’s apartment and a laptop and two cellular phones were seized for forensic analysis. The analysis of the devices revealed a large number of child pornography images and videos, including those of the child he kidnapped. The analysis of the laptop computer also located communications Brandstrom had with children from another country, where he attempted to sexually exploit them.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and United States Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the
Southern District of Iowa and the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office.

(Updated 12:25-p.m., Radio Iowa/KJAN) – Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa school districts given permission to conduct ALL classes online due to high COVID case counts may do so for 14 days. Districts will have to AGAIN get state officials’ permission for subsequent weeks. Reynolds held a news conference today (Thursday), emphasizing the importance of statewide standards for schools — and getting kids back in the classroom. “After six months of pandemic, there’s also mounting research that shows children are less likely to transmit and contract Covid-19,” Reynolds said.

State Epidemiologist Caitlyn Pedati says districts must notify the state if a child, teacher or school staff member tests positive – and public health officials will notify those who were in close contact to quarantine for 14 days.

The teachers union immediately pushed back, saying the lives of children and teachers are at stake and science not politics should guide decisions.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 27-year old Damion James Sadler, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Wednesday morning in Council Bluffs, for Felony Forgery by altering a financial document. His bond was set at $5,000.

And, 31-year old Jabon Allen Lee Dierks, transported from the Union County Jail to the Pott. County Jail, Wednesday, to address a warrant for Ongoing criminal activity, Credit card fraud (Over$1,500 but under $10,000) – ATM related, and Theft in the 2nd Degree/Larceny.

(Radio Iowa) – A state agency will take “additional steps” to enforce social distancing in Iowa bars and restaurants — and that includes shutting a business down for violations. The announcement from the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division includes a warning from its director that businesses need to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 — and bars and restaurants that choose not to will face consequences.

Businesses are to provide six-feet of social distancing between customers and patrons cannot roam, but must be seated to be served. A bar or restaurant that serves liquor faces a thousand dollar fine on a first offense — a business that just serves food will first get a warning. On a third offense, the state will revoke the operating license for the bar or restaurant.

UPDATE 9:42-a.m.:  The student has surrendered to the Academy Staff. He reportedly came out of the cornfield and turned himself-over to officials***

Original post follows:

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a student at the Clarinda Academy absconded from the facility at around 9:20 this (Thursday) morning. The student was last seen running into a cornfield near the Academy. Clarinda Police , Page County Sheriff’s Office and Page County EMA are responding to the area now to assist the Clarinda Academy staff in searching for the student. No additional information is available at this time.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Education Association says 36-thousand people have signed an online petition opposing Governor Kim Reynolds’ requirement that 50-percent of school instruction be in-person. Some districts planned to keep classes mostly, or completely, virtual to start the year to protect teachers and students from coronavirus. Davenport adjusted its plan so students are in-person five out of every ten days, but high school language-arts teacher Maggie Rietz says that means students will be packed in some buildings. “Many of our classrooms are small, like my husband’s classroom that is crammed with 32 desks with only enough space to scoot in between the aisle to get to a desk,” Rietz says, “and it also has no windows and poor circulation.”

Sioux City art instructor Lesa Banks is concerned that some teachers may leave their jobs if districts can’t decide locally. “We already have positions that we haven’t been able to fill,” Banks says. “If we try to keep the class sizes down, how do we do that if there’s not enough people?” The governor’s order also lowers the requirements for substitute teachers, something the ISEA is also against. Governor Reynolds has said she made the order requiring face-to-face classes because isolation could harm students’ academic progress and mental health. It also allows parents to choose an all virtual option.

(By Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Two Creston women were arrested on separate charges Wednesday, in Creston. 39-year old Jennifer Lynn Beard was arrested for Violation of a Protective Order. Beard was transported to the Adams County Jail and held without bond for Montgomery County, until seen by a Judge. And, 37-year old Casey Georgia Corkrean was arrested in Creston Wednesday, for Public Intoxication and Simple Assault. She was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $600 cash or surety bond.

And, a Creston woman reported to Police on Wednesday, that her 2000 Chevy Impala had been vandalized. The entire vehicle had been keyed, resulting in about $300 damage.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Sheriff’s officials in Madison County report an investigation into the July 21st shooting death of Jonathan Hoffman, of Des Moines, has culminated with the arrest of a man from Union County. Madison County Deputies, Wednesday, arrested 41-year old Gerald Parker, of Creston, on one count of Murder in the 1st Degree. Parker was booked into the Madison County Jail. An investigation into the incident is on-going.

Authorities say 39-year old Jonathan Hoffman was found shot to death in rural Madison County at the intersection of Grandview Trail & Macksburg Road at around 3:30-p.m. on July 21st, after a delivery driver found him face down in the intersection.

Gerald Parker (Madison County S/O photo)