INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — A south-central Iowa woman who pleaded guilty last year to killing her boyfriend’s 7-month-old son has been released from prison on parole. Television station KCCI reports that 23-year-old Tori Bittner, of Indianola, was released Wednesday from prison on parole. She pleaded guilty last September to child endangerment resulting in serious injury and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, with credit for time served.

As part of her plea, Bittner admitted to fatally shaking 7-month-old Cody Seals in 2016. Indianola police found the baby unresponsive in an apartment, and the infant died the next day. Bittner was the girlfriend of the baby’s father at the time.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County report 23-year old Brandon Joseph Lee Tull, of Creston, was arrested Thursday night on Union County warrants for Possession of burglars tools, and two violations of no contact/protective order-contempt.  He was taken into custody at the Jasper County Jail and transported to Union County, where bond was set at $2,300.

The search for a missing missing from southwest Iowa has tragically ended with his body being found following a motor vehicle accident in Oklahoma. 80-year old Donald Eugene “Gene” Ripley was found in his van, which was located in a grove of trees, about 100-to 150-feet down a steep embankment off Interstate 35 north of Springer, Oklahoma, between mile markers 46-and-47. The van struck one of the trees. The accident remains under investigation by the Oklahoma State Troopers.

Gene Ripley

Ripley had been missing since the early morning hours of Sept. 3rd, when he left his son’s residence in Uvalde, Texas. His license plate was last recorded in Denton County, Texas, approximately 28 hours after he left Uvalde. Texas authorities issued a silver alert following the initial report of his disappearance. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says they were notified about the accident by authorities in Oklahoma, Thursday afternoon. The Oklahoma Trooper then verified that there was one elderly male deceased in the vehicle. The Trooper identified the deceased male as Donald Eugene Ripley. The Trooper said that notification of the family could be made. Death notification was made with the family given time to notify other family members prior to any release of information to the press from the Page County Sheriff’s Office.

During the missing person search the Page County Sheriff’s Office and PAGECOMM dispatch center worked closely with several agencies following up on leads that came into Law Enforcement agencies as well as agencies along the possible route that Gene would have traveled from his son’s residence in TX to his residence in Page County. The agencies and information sites include:  were the Texas Rangers, Texas Silver Alert Program, Texas Fusion Center, Denton County Texas Sheriff’s Office, Texas Highway patrol, Como County Texas Sheriff’s Office, Spring Branch Texas Police Department, Bulverde Texas Police Department, Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma State Patrol, Oklahoma Fusion Center, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, Kansas State Patrol, Kansas Fusion Center, Kansas Turnpike Authority, Clinton County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, United States Border Patrol, National Missing & Unidentified Persons system (NamUs), and the Missing Persons Cases Network.

(Radio Iowa) – Two northeast Iowans are charged with taking part in kidnapping. Oelwein police were advised of an alleged child abduction that took place in the 10 block of 6th Street Northwest around 8 p.m. Thursday. Following an investigation, authorities found the suspect vehicle in Black Hawk County.

A man and woman were then arrested for felony child stealing. Officials identified them as 31-year-old Raquel Bowser of Oelwein and 27-year-old Justin Green of West Union.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being encouraged to get their flu shots early this season as the upcoming flu season, coupled with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, could put a bigger strain on health care systems. Shelly Jensen is an immunization nurse clinician with the Iowa Department of Public Health.  “Health care systems could be overwhelmed treating both patients with flu and patients with COVID,” Jensen says, “so getting that flu vaccine this year is more important than ever.”

Jensen says it’s still too soon to predict how severe this flu season could be. She says it’s especially important for people with underlying conditions like diabetes, asthma or cancer to get vaccinated. Jensen says the vaccine is widely available, but distribution might look a little different this year because of the pandemic. “There may be more drive-thru clinics,” she says. “It may look a little different at your doctor’s office. They may not have as many walk-in appointments.”

The flu vaccine is recommended for anyone over the age of six months.