CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors for Iowa say a 35-year-old Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child and for having child pornography.

John Hunt was sentenced Tuesday in Cedar Rapids’ federal courthouse. Prosecutors say Hunt pleaded guilty in October to the two counts.

As part of his plea agreement, Hunt admitted that, between 2015 and 2017, he persuaded a minor send him sexually explicit images, then threatened to distribute the images in an effort to get more such images. Investigators say Hunt also had child pornography that included images of prepubescent children.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former state executive unexpectedly asked to resign by the governor last month says he had objected to the governor’s request that he continue paying the salary of a woman moving from his department to the governor’s office.

Jerry Foxhoven, who gained national attention last week after The Associated Press reported on his admiration for the late rapper Tupac Shakur, says Wednesday he declined to approve paying the salary of Elizabeth Matney. She left DHS on May 17 to accept a job as Gov. Kim Reynolds’ adviser on health policy.

Documents obtained by the AP from the governor’s office show a memorandum of understanding was signed on June 19, two days after Jerry Foxhoven was asked to resign. His name appears on the document but is crossed out and replaced by interim director Gerd Clabaugh, who signed it.

A Reynolds’ spokesman says Foxhoven never raised such objections to her office.

Foxhoven was asked to resign on June 17. He declined to specify that it was the reason for his departure but confirmed he objected to paying Matney out of DHS funds.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education held about two-hours of sometimes passionate discussion with regard to the District’s Athletic Facilities, the costs for which, as it currently stands, is running over budget. The Board met with Tom Wollan from FRK Architects, who discussed issues regarding the topography of the Trojan Bowl, and other facilities’ matters. Following the discussion, Board members Ali Bruckner said “I think we asked them to look at cost savings if the removed some retaining walls and slopes….” Board President Josh McLaren chimed in with “The potential for cost savings,” and Vice President Kristy Pellet said “The cost is…the overall project (cost) is high, and we’re making our way to ‘value engineer'” the project. She said they’re not looking to make major changes to the Trojan Bowl itself.

As it stands now the timeline is for a pre-bid meeting to take place Aug. 31st, with a bid date of Sept. 19th, a Public Hearing and awarding of Project on Sept. 23rd. Demolition with regard to certain aspects of the Trojan Bowl would begin in October or November, following the football season, and occupancy by Sept. 2020. The High School Track project would begin in May or June 2020, along with the field and all other elements, with occupancy by April, 2021. That timeline is subject to change, depending on the final decisions made with regard to the Atlantic Athletic Facilities, as it relates to cost.

The Board, Wednesday, approved of a bid for Middle School Chromebooks and peripheral tools in the amount of $137, 742.50 from 2ndGear. The price includes 350 Dell 3100-series laptop computers, carts, cases and licenses. The cost will come out of the District’s SAVE fund.

The Board will approved Contract Recommendations for: Henry Hallgren, HS Government Teacher; Mandi Bauer and Emma Bireline, TLC Mentors; and Alex Bales, Drama/Fall Play Co-Sponsor along with the late addition of Brian Guy as custodian. They also approved two resignations: Andrea Halterman, WA Para, and Nick Sandbothe, Mechanic.

Sheriff’s deputies in Adams County arrested a woman on an assault charge at around 4:50-p.m., Wednesday. Authorities say 30-year old Katherine Coleman, of Corning, entered the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and said that her mother was dying at their residence.

Deputies then responded to 406 10th Street in Corning, and upon further investigation, found no one was dying, but that an assault had occurred. Coleman was arrested on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault. She was transported to the Adams County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

(Radio Iowa) — Parts of southwest Iowa’s Fremont County remain off limits to residents and motorists months after the region was first hit by Missouri River flooding. The Fremont County Board of Supervisors is opting to maintain evacuation orders for several areas. County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Crecelius says many roads damaged by flooding still aren’t suitable for traffic.

“We’ve got places where there’s no roads out there,” Crecelius says. “There’s still some water out there in places. The county doesn’t want to be responsible if they lift the evacuation order and somebody goes out there and gets themselves hurt.” While contractors are continuing their work to fix the roads, Crecelius says those repairs will take more time.

“The road department’s out there in a lot of places north and south of Highway 2 trying to fix the roads,” he says. “They’re hauling a lot of dirt and a lot of sand and a lot of rock out there trying to fill up the holes we’ve had out there, and trying to put roads back where they’re no longer there.” Crecelius knows it’s an inconvenience and he’s asking residents to be patient as the repair work is underway.

“It’s going to take a lot of time and people have got to understand that,” Crecelius says. “They (road crews) can’t be everywhere all the time. We have a limited amount of resources and equipment here, so it’s going to take time, and people need to be patient to let these guys get a chance to get this stuff done.” Likewise, he asks residents who are complaining about the temporary repairs to Missouri River levees to maintain their patience, as well.

“Those temporary repairs are to stop the water from flowing in,” he says. “They’re nothing permanent. However, that temporary repair is the platform from which the Corps of Engineers will be doing the repairs to bring it up the 25-year level by March. That is the same platform they will be using to bring the levee back to its original height prior to the flood.”

As of last week, nine of the 51 damaged levees in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Omaha District have been temporarily repaired. Corps officials recently indicated it could be next spring before every breach in the system is plugged.

(In an update to our earlier report) A student that absconded from the Clarinda Academy earlier today (Wednesday), was captured after a brief foot pursuit at approximately 1-p.m.. The student was apprehended in the commercial business area of 15th & Page Streets. He was taken into custody by Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office and the Clarinda Police Department.

The student has been returned to the custody of the Clarinda Academy. A tip from the public was helpful in the apprehension of the absconded student. The Page County Consolidated Comminations Center also assisted with the activation of the Wireless Electronic Notification System (WENS).

(Original story): — Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a student had absconded from the Clarinda Academy early this (Wednesday) afternoon. Brothers said the individual was a 16-year old white male, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He stands five-feet 10-inches tall, and weighs 160-pounds. He was wearing black shorts with hoodie. The teen ran from the Academy gymnasium, and was last seen running in a westerly direction from the Clarinda Academy Complex. If you a teen matching that description, call 9-1-1 or the Clarinda Police Department at 712-542-2194.

The Clarinda Academy is a residential academic and behavioral health treatment facility for at-risk youth.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a student had absconded from the Clarinda Academy early this (Wednesday) afternoon. Brothers said the individual was a 16-year old white male, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He stands five-feet 10-inches tall, and weighs 160-pounds. He was wearing black shorts with hoodie. The teen ran from the Academy gymnasium, and was last seen running in a westerly direction from the Clarinda Academy Complex. If you a teen matching that description, call 9-1-1 or the Clarinda Police Department at 712-542-2194.

The Clarinda Academy is a residential academic and behavioral health treatment facility for at-risk youth.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests occurred between July 13th and 18th. On July 13th, deputies arrested 20-year old Korey Linn Cassady, of Panora, on a Cass County District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Cassady was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $5,000 bond.

The following day, 55-year old Ronnie Robert Larkin, of Marne, was arrested on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Sex Offender Registry Violation. Larkin was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance. On July 15th, Cass County deputies arrested 40-year old Michael Shane Trotter, of Atlantic, on Felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine (B Felony) and Drug Tax Stamp Violation (D Felony). Trotter was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $30,000 bond.

And, on July 18th, 41-year old Atier Lawes Yak, of Des Moines, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Violation of Probation. Yak was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $2,000 bond.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Midwest wildlife officials gathered Wednesday to discuss how they might better combat chronic wasting disease, which has been spreading among the region’s deer herds. Among those at the two-day conference in Madison were wildlife officials from Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and two Native American tribes — the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Forest County Potawatomi.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole kicked off the meeting by imploring the attendees to collaborate with one another. “We’ve all been working trying to stop it on our own. That has to change,” Cole said. “It is our region that is at stake. We have a great opportunity to show the public at large that we are on it.” He told reporters that the conference is “unprecedented” and that states need to make sure they’re not spending money on the same research.

The agenda calls for group discussions on the state of research on the disease, the creation of a common platform for interstate communication on it and the best management practices.
State conservation officials from Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin were slated to make presentations today (Wednesday). The group is expected to conclude the conference on Thursday by making recommendations on how to improve regional management of the disease, which attacks the brains of deer and causes the animals to grow thin, act abnormally and eventually die. The disease threatens the deer hunting industry throughout the Midwest.

The disease had been found in at least 24 states in the continental U.S. as well as two Canadian provinces as of early June, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s also been reported in reindeer and moose in Norway, Finland and Sweden. The disease was first detected in Wisconsin in 2002. Infections have since been detected in 35 of the state’s 72 counties.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have release the names of two people whose bodies were found in a Burlington apartment. A Burlington Police Department news release identified them as 59-year-old Kevin Shavers, who lived in the apartment, and 33-year-old Marlo Pilkington, who lived in Fort Madison. The release did not describe the nature of their relationship.

Police also didn’t disclose the causes of the deaths, saying toxicology test results have not yet been received. The news release did say the department doesn’t think there is any ongoing risk to the community. Neighbors called police July 17 to report that they’d not seen the man for several days.