(Radio Iowa) — The family of an Eastern Iowa girl who lost her sight because of the flu says she has recovered her sight and the they are still working through all that happened in the past couple of months.

Jade DeLucia & her mom Amanda Phillips.

Four-year-old Jade DeLucia made national news headlines this winter when she got a severe case of the flu before Christmas and complications caused her to go blind. Jade’s mom, Amanda Phillips, told K-C-R-G T-V from Parkersburg that it was almost a fatal case. “It was terrifying. It was awful,” Phillips recalled.

University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital Doctor Theresa Czech (Check) met Jade when she was on full life support in the pediatric I-C-U. She says Jade had something that they doesn’t happen very often. “It’s a rare complication of a essentially rare complication,” Doctor Czech says. After each low point though, Jade would bounce back. A few weeks after leaving the hospital, Phillipps says she regained her sight.  “It’s just amazing what the brain could do to heal that kind of damage so she could see again — it’s just amazing,” Phillips said.

At a recent checkup, Czech saw Jade’s transformation from a critically ill four-year-old patient, to a regular four-year-old. Jade and her family are hopeful for a healthy future for little Jade and are looking forward to being able to celebrate Christmas that Jade can see for herself. Jade has an appointment with an eye specialist to find out what’s next in her healing process. Czech said as Jade starts kindergarten, doctors will continue to monitor her development.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst is criticizing the Senate’s Democratic leader for comments he made at a rally outside the Supreme Court. Last week, Senator Chuck Schumer told protesters the two justices President Trump has appointed to the Supreme Court would face repercussions if they uphold a Louisiana law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital. “You know, he’s awfully good at pointing the finger at other people whether in the administration or congress for their lack of self control,” Ernst said, “and here is the same thing coming from the Democratic leader of the United States Senate.”

Republican Congressman Steve King says Schumer’s speech outside the Supreme Court was “an awful thing.” “He was sending the harshest message I have ever heard from a member of congress to two members of the Supreme Court,” King says, “on the presumption that they were going to make a decision that he disagreed with.”

Schumer last Thursday accused Republicans of quote “manufactured outrage” about his remarks, but Schumer also said he should not have used the words he used in reference to Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. Saturday night, 35-year old Tyler Blake McCreary was arrested in Council Bluffs, following a reported disturbance. McCreary booked into the Pott. County Jail for Interference with Official Acts and later released. At around 12:10-a.m., Saturday, 22-year old Brittnee Marie Chase was arrested following a traffic stop at Highway 92 and 220th Street, near Council Bluffs. Chase was pulled over for failure to have her vehicles’ rear license plate lamp illuminated. She was arrested for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender, and later released from custody.

And, at around 10:40-p.m. on March 4th, 21-year old Wyatt Dean Baldwin, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for a Sex Offender Registry Violation, stemming from an incident on March 3rd. Baldwin remained in the Pott. County Jail at last report.

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office reports 56-year old Thomas Scott Kinton, from Ellston, was arrested Friday night after authorities received a 9-1-1 call about a man with a gun at Mount Ayr High School. Deputies arrived at the school shortly after the call.

Baylee Stark

Thomas Kinton

Kinton was subsequently arrested for carrying weapons on school grounds, possession of a dangerous weapon while intoxicated, and consumption of alcohol in a public place. He was being held at the Ringgold County Jail until seen by the magistrate.

And, a woman from Kellerton was arrested Friday night for Domestic Abuse Assault-1st Offense. 23-year old Baylee Kolene Stark was booked into the Ringgold County Jail and held without bond until seen by a magistrate.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The former top judge at Iowa Workforce Development says he’s pleased to settle a long-running lawsuit alleging that his 2013 layoff was retaliatory and unlawful. Joseph Walsh said the $99,000 payment recently approved by the state to settle his lawsuit could have been higher had he not been able to return to state employment shortly after his layoff. Iowa Workforce Development eliminated Walsh’s job shortly after he opposed an attempt to make his position a political appointment.

Walsh contended, correctly, that federal law required his position to be merit-based and insulated from politics. The agency’s then-director Teresa Wahlert withdrew that plan but then abruptly laid him Walsh weeks later.

Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Monday) released an agreed-upon procedures report on the City of Griswold, for the period covering July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. The agreed-upon procedures engagement was performed pursuant to the Code of Iowa. Sand reported eight findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. The findings address issues such as a lack of segregation of duties, the Fire Department bank account held outside of the City’s control, Fire Department questionable disbursements and moneys provided to non-profit corporations in violation of Article III, Section 31 of the Constitution of Iowa.

Sand provided the City with recommendations to address each of the findings. Six of the eight findings discussed above are repeated from the prior year. The report noted the City Council has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the City’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity.

A copy of the agreed-upon procedures report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s web site at https://auditor.iowa.gov/audit-reports/

(Radio Iowa) — Many Iowans will get cards from the U.S. Census Bureau in their mailboxes this week, urging them to take part in this year’s population count. The results will be used to redraw political boundaries and distribute federal funding for everything from roads to health care. Gary Krob, coordinator of the State Data Center of Iowa, says this is the first time most people will be asked to report the information online. “The Census Bureau is really pushing the online response if at all possible because it saves the federal government a lot of money,” Krob says. “That’s gonna be the big push for the next month or two, really just getting people to participate.”

Krob says the online form will not be the only way to respond. People can also provide information over the phone and paper forms will be sent out in April to anyone who hasn’t responded by then. Krob says census figures are used in redistricting and play a role in federal appropriations. Krob says, “In 2016 alone, Iowa received $8.7 billion based on federal funds based on that population number.”

Most census invitations will be in English but will include messages in 12 other languages about how to participate. Areas with a high numbers of Spanish-speaking residents will receive bilingual cards.

(Reporting by Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — Federal authorities are taking over monitoring of contamination from a carcinogenic chemical that’s spread from a factory site in the eastern Iowa city of Maquoketa. The Telegraph Herald reported that the contamination stems from the operations of Clinton Machine Co., which built small engines in Maquoketa from 1950 into the 1990s. The factory used trichloroethene, commonly known as TCE, as a degreasing agent.

Federal authorities have since determined that TCE is carcinogenic. Authorities have said TCE in groundwater also creates the potential for indoor contamination.

Three people were arrested on separate charges, Saturday, in Creston. Authorities say 28-year old Christopher Keller, of Creston, was arrested Saturday afternoon at the Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC), on the charges of Interference with Official Acts, Theft in the 4th Degree, and Driving While Barred. Keller was later released on $3,300 bond. 24-year old Shelby Fetters, of Altoona, was arrested at the Union County LEC Saturday afternoon, for Driving While Suspended and Theft in the 4th. She was later released on $1,300 bond.

And, late Saturday night, 43-year old Jeffery Johnson, of Creston, was arrested at the LEC for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He was later released on a $300 bond.