NEW HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of helping to fatally beat a Decorah resident has told a jury that he was defending himself and didn’t intend for the other man to die. Nineteen-year-old Dalton Adam is charged with first-degree murder in the July 2018 attack on 46-year-old David Hansen.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Adam said during his testimony Thursday in New Hampton, where the trial has been moved, that Hansen punched him after punching his friend Jacob Seelinger. Prosecutors say Hansen confronted the pair as they damaged property outside his home. He died Aug. 30 last year. Hansen was the boyfriend of Seelinger’s mother.

Adam testified that he punched back and knocked down Hansen, who cracked his head on concrete. Adam acknowledged that he and Seelinger kicked and punched Hansen as he lay helpless. Seelinger’s been convicted of second-degree murder has been sentenced to up to 50 years in prison.

A Council Bluffs man held in the Pottawattamie County Jail, was served with a warrant, Thursday afternoon. 30-year old David John Kauai, of Council Bluffs, was presented with the warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree (for larceny ranging from $1,500 to $10,000). The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office said also Kauai has a non-extraditable warrant out of Adams County. After being read the warrant, Kauai was returned to the custody of Corrections Staff.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — The Easton Valley School District, with schools in Preston and Miles, has cancelled classes for today (Friday) after a threat on social media last night. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department reported the school district administration notified them about a threat posted on social media posted by a Easton Valley student. The Sheriff’s Department reported they were able to identify the student through their Snapchat information and input from other concerned citizens.

Officers went to the student’s home and took the student into custody along with other evidence. The suspect was taken to the Jackson County Regional Health Center.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report says an October survey of business supply managers suggests a bump occurred in economic growth for nine Midwest and Plains states. The report issued Friday says the Mid-America Business Conditions index rebounded to 52.6, compared with 49.1 in September. The August figure was 49.3. The index had remained above growth neutral for 32 straight months. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says trade disagreements and the global economic slowdown have slowed regional growth.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

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

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The proposal to end Sioux City’s ban on pit bulls has been delayed. The third and final vote on the proposal was expected to be held at the coming Monday meeting. It’s been put off until animal control chapters of the city code have been reviewed and revised. A date for the third vote hasn’t been set.

The proposal would remove the ban adopted in September 2008. It came after pit bulls or mixes accounted for a high number of dogs in the city that had been declared vicious or at risk. The current ordinance describes a pit bull as an American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier or any dog that looks like or has characteristics of being one of those breeds.

City staff research says animal control regulations across the country are moving away from breed specific provisions.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A former Tama County day care director has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $5,000 in federal funds. The Gazette reports that 48-year-old Kristine Daniel, of Grinnell, entered the plea Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. The charge: federal program theft. The court records say Daniel took more than $5,000 from Tama County Day Care Inc./Kids’ Corner between December 2009 and April 2016. Kids’ Corner was receiving federal money at the time.

Daniel already has pleaded not guilty to state charges of theft and other crimes. The state auditor’s office says auditors identified nearly $279,000 in improper and unsupported spending, undeposited collections and forgone grant revenue involved in the finances of Kids’ Corner. The audit covered December 2009 through May 31, 2016, when Daniel was working for Kids’ Corner.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Thursday morning, in Atlantic. Board Secretary/County Auditor Dale Sunderman said during their session, the Board heard from representatives with the Cass County Library Association, representing the six city libraries in the county. Those representatives presented a report on services provided in FY2019 for each and all libraries in the County. They also requested that the current county funding ($85,800) be increased by a total of $13,000 (divided based on library size) for FY2021. Their request was taken under advisement.

Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation (CADCO) Director Jennifer McEntaffer announced during the meeting, that their Economic Development proposal to bring an unnamed east coast light industrial manufacturer to the County, was moving forward. Previously, it was announced during a Supervisor’s Board meeting, that the company was looking to expand in the Midwest, and had some specific parameters they were looking for, such as a population center of about 7,000 that was within 10 miles of four-lane highway system, within 60 miles of major airport, had rail access, and a local airport that could handle a private jet would be a plus. The company would employ 25-30 people with wages in the $18 to $22 per hour range. How far the proposal advances now, depends on the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA).

County Veteran Affairs Executive Director Mitch Holmes gave report of 1st quarter FY20 activity. He said during the quarter 158 veterans were assisted: Federal VA benefits and/or local general assistance. Holmes mentioned also, that they received two donations to help Veterans: one from the Iowa Interstate Railroad and one from the Griswold American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, and that Hy-Vee is doing a red bag program to benefit Cass County Veterans, as well. Customers can buy a red reusable bag and Cass County Veterans will get $1 per bag sold.

County Attorney Vanessa Strazdas reviewed current legal activity. Strazdas spoke about a jury trial that was held over the past couple of days for Joshua Chapalonis of Atlantic. Shes said they started with eight counts of Class B Sex Abuse of a Child under the age of 12, with seven counts made it to the jury. The jury found him guilty on all seven counts, each of which carries a mandatory minimum of 17 ½ years with a maximum of 25 years. Sentencing is set for January 6th.

And the County Engineer reviewed current road projects. He said the Olive Street and Lewis road projects are almost completed.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowans who have diabetes are waging a campaign with emails, calls and letters to members of Congress, urging them to pass what’s called the Special Diabetes Program. Aryn Lloyd, a volunteer advocate for the Eastern Iowa Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, says the program pumps 150-million dollars each year into vital research at the National Institutes of Health.

“Renewal of the Special Diabetes Program is JDRF’s top legislative priority and it will ensure that promising research can continue delivering results toward better treatment, therapies and ultimately cures for type 1 diabetes,” Lloyd says. “Thanks to the Special Diabetes Program, there’s been pretty incredible progress over the years.”

Funding for the program actually would have expired in September but it was extended through the end of November. Lloyd, a Davenport native who has type 1 diabetes, says members of Congress are typically overwhelmed with requests to support various initiatives as the year’s end nears and she hopes this important program won’t be lost in the fray.

“We have worked hard to gain support within Congress so we do know that we have very strong bipartisan support of this program,” Lloyd says. “It’s just a matter of depending on how this bill is grouped. We don’t know how it’ll come into play so we’re just trying to be patient.”

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley chaired a hearing in February that called executives from seven large pharmaceutical companies as witnesses to discuss bounding prescription drug costs. The price of insulin, used in treating diabetes, has jumped 500-percent or more in recent years. Lloyd says there’s been little in the way of a resolution. “We’re starting to see some movement in some states but the ultimate problem is definitely not fixed yet,” Lloyd says. “They’re working on possibly creating some bills but nothing’s in place. We’re just watching that.”

More than one-and-a-quarter million Americans have type 1 diabetes, while in Iowa, it’s about 262-thousand people. (more info. at www.jdrf.org)