(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University study finds a person who is sleep deprived may not give as much information during an interview with law enforcement, whether that person is a suspect or a potential witness. I-S-U psychology professor Zlatan Krizan says about 140 volunteers were questioned for the study, half got a regular night’s sleep while the other half lost up to eight hours of sleep over two days.

“What we saw is that sleep deprived individuals reported fewer pieces of that critical information regardless of whatever crime they disclosed about,” Krizan says. “If you count up those individual pieces, it ended up being about 7% less which, when you think of the numerous interviews conducted in the field, even for a single case, it really adds up to a significant amount.” As part of the study, participants were asked to disclose past criminal activity based on a list of 20 crimes, things ranging from transporting fireworks and trespassing to shoplifting and driving under the influence.

They were then questioned about the most severe crimes — underage drinking, experimenting with illegal drugs and driving under the influence were the most common ones. Those who had less sleep were not as motivated to recall information or found doing so required more effort. Krizan says the F-B-I provided a grant for the research. “There’s a branch of the Department of Justice that’s really interested in how can we effectively and ethically get accurate information,” Krizan says.

“Keep in mind, in a lot of contexts, it’s not about getting a confession, it’s about getting information that you can check, that you can verify, that you can act on.” The study is one of the first to look at how sleep affects behavior during interrogations or interviews. Krizan’s study is published in the academic journal SLEEP.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA, June 29, 2021 — With the goal of better serving the residents of the region, The Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region (SWIA MHDS) created a new website that features a tool that can provide immediate resource information.

“The region has continued its work with stakeholders to create systems that work,” said Suzanne Watson, CEO of the Southwest Iowa MHDS Region. “The new website, in particular, the Resource Connection allows immediate information for housing/shelters, disaster services, mental health/substance abuse, home health services and much more.”

The SWIA MHDS serves a nine-county area in the southwest corner of Iowa. The geographic area includes the Counties of Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby in the State of Iowa.

“Our plan is to improve health, hope, and successful outcomes for the adults in the region who have mental health disabilities and intellectual/developmental disabilities, including those with multi-occurring substance use issues, health issues, physical disabilities, brain injuries, and other complex human service needs,” said Watson.

Also featured prominently on www.SWIAMHDS.com is the HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line. Ginny Gohr, Director, HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line wants everyone to know that the HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line is available and can connect individuals in crisis to trained counselors who can guide the caller to various resources. The helpline is available 24/7. Gohr continued, “Seeking professional help when self-help efforts to improve your mental health aren’t working is a sign of strength, not weakness.”

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Shenandoah was arrested Tuesday (June 29), following the initial report of a reckless driver in the area of Highway 275 and 250th Street. Deputies were then called to the area of 190th Street and 370th Ave, north of Farragut, for a report of the same vehicle in the ditch.

Randall Jackson

Deputies located the driver, 38-year-old Randall Jackson, who was arrested for Operating while Intoxicated 2nd Offense.

The Atlantic Rotary Club is excited to announce that they will again host their Annual 4th of July Flight Breakfast featuring the Pancake Man. Cancelled last year due to pandemic restrictions, the event is back for 2021, and Rotary members invite the public to join them for this fun local tradition! The Atlantic Rotary 4th of July Flight Breakfast is scheduled for Sunday, July 4th, 2021 at the Atlantic Airport, located at 59706 Airport Road just west of Atlantic. Breakfast with The Pancake Man will be served by Rotary members from 7-11 AM, featuring $7 all you can eat pancakes with sausage and drinks.

Photos from the 2019 Pancake Breakfast (Submitted)

Pilots from across Southwest Iowa and beyond are invited to fly into the airport for breakfast as well, and all fly-in pilots will eat for free. The public will be able to enjoy watching the planes take off and land at the airport while enjoying a meal. All proceeds from the flight breakfast support the City of Atlantic Fireworks Show, scheduled to be held at the AMU Well Fields, by the Atlantic Little League Fields (across from KJAN), at dusk on JULY 4th!

INDIANOLA, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources, Tuesday, said a man found dead in Lake Ahquabi on Sunday, June 27, 2021 has been positively identified as 33-year-old Joshua Sweeden, of Indianola. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on Monday, June 28, on Sweeden but the official cause of death has not yet been determined, pending further investigation and autopsy results.

On Sunday, June 27, 2021, at approximately 10:15am, a body was spotted floating in Lake Ahquabi approximately 20 yards from shore in the beach/swimming area. DNR Parks staff, Warren County Sheriff’s Office deputies and other medical personnel responded to the scene, located the body and brought it ashore. The body was transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny.

(Radio Iowa) – The rocketry team from Webster City High School placed third in the country out of 615 teams in this year’s American Rocketry Challenge. The team competed against 99 other teams in the National Finals which took place at 10 regional launch sites earlier this month. The Webster City students and advisor Mark Murphy participated in the contest held in Dayton, Ohio. Students worked on how to safely carry a payload of one raw egg to three different altitude and time goals and to keep the egg intact when reaching the ground. The Webster City High School will received $14,000 in total prizes to be split between the team, the school and for the best in launch site at Dayton, Ohio.

Webster City High School will also receive an invitation to participate in NASA’s Student Launch initiative to continue their exploration of rocketry with high powered rockets and challenging mission parameters. The first place finisher was from Oregon Episcopal School in Portland.

Two other Iowa teams competed in the national finals — teams from Cedar Falls High School and Maharishi High School in Fairfield.

(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa man who sexually assaulted a woman after giving her methamphetamine will spend more than sixteen years in federal prison. Fifty-six-year-old Herman Lee Ronnfeldt from West Union pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Court information showed a search of Ronnfeldt’s apartment in West Union in late 2018 turned up more than 80 grams of meth.

Witnesses testified at sentencing that Ronnfeldt regularly distributed methamphetamine to people at his apartment — and in one case Ronnfeldt distributed meth to a woman that caused her to feel ill. He then sexually assaulted her. He was sentenced to 224 months in prison.