WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee is demanding answers from federal immigration officials about the Trump administration’s separation of migrant children from their families and its struggle to reunite them, a fraught effort that’s drawn election-year criticism from both parties. But a hearing scheduled for today (Tuesday) on the topic, may have a wider focus after the committee’s bipartisan leaders asked federal investigators to probe reports of sexual and other abuse of immigrants at government detention facilities. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and top panel Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California asked late Monday for an examination of alleged sexual, physical and emotional mistreatment of immigrants held at agency facilities, saying the problems may have been occurring since 2014 or earlier. The AP reported last month that children held at an immigration detention facility in Roanoke, Virginia, said they were beaten while handcuffed, locked in solitary confinement and left nude and cold in concrete cells.

A civil rights lawsuit has been filed alleging mistreatment at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center from 2015 to 2018. The alleged victims, Hispanic youths held for months or years, have submitted sworn statements in the case. Lawyers for the facility have denied the alleged abuse. Many of the children have been accused by immigration officials of belonging to MS-13 and other violent gangs, an activity Trump has used to justify his “zero tolerance” policy of prosecuting immigrants caught entering the country without permission.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman said agency officials perform their duties “professionally and humanely” and that the agency “is abiding by the intent and letter of law and maintains the highest standards care for individuals in our custody.”

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Mills County woman who authorities say gave unprescribed antidepressants to her 8-year-old daughter has been found guilty of child endangerment causing death.
A judge who handed down his verdict Monday to Misty Frazier, of Glenwood, found her not guilty of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter or of a prescription drug violation. Her sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23.

Prosecutors say an autopsy showed the girl, Kathleen Tafta, died in October 2016 of an overdose of the antidepressant amitriptyline, commonly sold under the brand name Elavil.
Police say the child did not have a prescription for that medication.

The 2018 Cass County Fair concludes today in Atlantic with a big event: The Livestock Sale, which gets underway at 8-a.m. Also happening at 8-a.m, is the release of Static Exhibits. You can catch breakfast this morning on the fairgrounds, at the Foodstand. Serving is from 6:30-until 10-a.m.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports two arrests took place last week. On Wednesday (7/25), 26-year old Dalton James Cormeny, of Creston (and formerly of Murray), was arrested at his sister’s home in Fontanelle, on warrants out of Adair and Clarke Counties, for Violation of Probation.

Authorities say while being taken into custody, Cormeny attempted to discard a small back bag by giving it to his girlfriend. She then attempted to hid it in the home’s laundry room. Inside the bag was a methamphetamine pipe. Cormeny admitted after being read his rights, that the pipe belonged to him. In addition to the warrants, Cormeny was subsequently placed under arrest for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His cash bond was set at $2,000.

And, on July 28th, 30-year old Wichang Gach Chawech, of Des Moines, was arrested by the Iowa State Patrol, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. His cash only bond was set at $1,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — A prominent Iowa brewery is pseudo-suing its former head brewer. A legal action filed by Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. seeks to stop Chris Flenker from helping run a new brewery in Cedar Rapids, alleging he is violating a non-compete agreement. Toppling Goliath is known for its popular Pseudo Sue pale ale and other beers that have made it one of the nation’s top ranked breweries

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — The state medical examiner’s office says a 5-year-old southeast Iowa girl found unresponsive in her home was strangled. The office also said in a news release Monday that Cloe Chandler’s death was a homicide. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has said that 22-year-old Kelsie Thomas told investigators that she killed her daughter. Thomas has been charged with first-degree murder.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of the Iowa Board of Medicine has abruptly retired following a personnel investigation in which he says he was treated unfairly by state administrators. Mark Bowden announced his retirement Monday, following the board’s decision to reinstate him to his position on Friday. He had been on leave during an investigation into unspecified allegations.

DENVER (AP) — A recently released undercover video showing pigs being abused at a supplier to meat giant JBS highlights practices that are still common but slowly being changed in the pork industry, like keeping pregnant pigs in cages barely bigger than their bodies. Ten states have passed laws that either ban the use of or phase out the use of gestation crates or stalls. Among them is California, where voters this fall will be asked to ban the sale of pork from confined pigs or their offspring.

(Update) – In an update to our earlier reports, Police in Council Bluffs have made an arrest in connection with an incident that took place Sunday afternoon. 26-year old Casey Dean Mazanares, of Council Bluffs, was arrested without incident and booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a charge of Willful Injury/Serious Injury.

Earlier, Police in Council Bluffs said that on Sunday that a transient man was attacked by another transient Sunday afternoon, who fled the scene. Officers were called at around 3-p.m. to assist the medics at the Joshua House (1435 N 15th St). When officers arrived with medics they located a victim, 57-year old Douglas E. McCall, of Council Bluffs, who was bleeding from his head and hands.
McCall was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital and treated for his injuries. The man told police he was sitting in a chair in the 1700 block of N. 15th Street in a wooded area when the suspect attacked him with a sharp object. The suspect fled the scene prior to officers’ arrival.

None of McCall’s injuries appeared to have been life threatening.

(Radio Iowa) Unity Point Health is sending out letters to patients about an email “phishing” attack that may have compromised their personal information. Unity Point says the fraudulent emails were disguised to appear to have come from a trusted executive within the organization.

The phishing emails tricked some employees into providing their confidential sign-in information which gave attackers access to their internal email accounts between March 14th and April 3rd of this year. Those email accounts contained various information on patients that included their Social Security numbers and may have included credit card and bank information as well.

Unity Point says it has had not reports of misuse of the information, but they are offering free credit monitoring to those impacted by the information breech.

A passenger in an SUV was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Omaha following a crash late Sunday night, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Isidro Topete-Topete, of Orange City, was flown by LifeNet to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) after the 2016 Jeep, driven by 24-year old Daniel Cortes Curiel, of Hawarden, left the road and flipped end-over-end into a ditch at around 11:15-p.m.

The accident happened near 190th Street and Highway 34. Cortes-Curiel was arrested for suspicion of operating while intoxicated, and driving while barred.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports several recent arrests. On July 26th, 57-year old Jeffrey Allen Hallman, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance; 47-year old John Russell Bainter, of Malvern, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault with Intent or Displays a Weapon, Reckless use of Firearms w/Damage. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail; and, 34-year old Casey Dean Freemyer, of Tabor, was arrested for Failure to Report an Accident, Operation of a vehicle without Interlock, DUS, Failure to Maintain Control and Use of Electronic Communication Device.

Last Friday, 39-year old Andrew Eric Main, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on I-29 in Mills County, for Driving while Barred; 51-year old Tashia Ann Veteto, of Sidney, was arrested on a warrant for Wanton Neglect of Health Care Facility Resident.

On Saturday, 42-year old Joseph Lee Hastie, of Glenwood, was arrested for being a  Fugitive from Justice. And on Sunday, 24-year old Daniel Curiel-Cortes, of Hawarden, was arrested for Possession of Contraband in Correctional facility, OWI 2^nd, Driving while Barred, Other Violation or Chapter, Failure to Maintain Control and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — The state medical examiner’s office says a 5-year-old southeast Iowa girl found unresponsive in her home was strangled. The office also said in a news release Monday that Cloe Chandler’s death was a homicide. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has said that 22-year-old Kelsie Thomas told investigators that she killed her daughter. Wapello County court records say Thomas has been charged with first-degree murder. Her bail originally was set at $100,000 but has been raised to $500,000, cash only.

Police and medics were sent July 19 to Thomas’ home in Ottumwa. The child was pronounced dead later at a hospital. Her mother was arrested Thursday.