A U-S District Court Judge in Council Bluffs, Thursday, sentenced 49-year old Glen S. Davis, of Las Vegas, Nevada, to one year and one day in prison for interstate communication of a threat. United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum says following his prison term, Davis will serve three years of supervised release.

Davis pleaded guilty for sending emails that contained threats to injure another person. Davis sent the threatening e-mails to an individual who ordered the repossession of a vehicle leased by Davis, due to non-payment.

The matter was investigated by the Carter Lake Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said Friday (today), 51-year old Robert W. Bennett, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced to prison, May 11th, on a child pornography charge. United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose  sentenced Bennett to 121 months (a little more than 10-years) in prison, for receipt of child pornography. Bennett was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term.

Bennett pleaded guilty to the charge on January 2, 2018. The plea was the result of an investigation that began with a tip received by the Council Bluffs Police Department from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Bennett’s cloud storage system contained child pornography. A search warrant served on Bennett’s residence located a computer, cell phones, tablets and numerous storage devices that contained images of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A fight among House Republicans led to defeat of the Farm Bill when the legislation came up for a vote today (Friday). Democrats had criticized the proposed Farm Bill because it includes new work requirement for food stamp recipients who are in their 50s or the parents of school-aged children, but it was conservative Republicans in the U.S. House who defeated the bill for another reason. They were demanding an immediate vote on an immigration crack-down. Enough of them then voted against the Farm Bill crafted by some of their fellow Republicans that the bill fell 15 votes short of passing. The current Farm Bill expires September 30th.

Senator Chuck Grassley is urging his fellow Republicans in the U.S. HOUSE to go back to the drawing board and fix the Farm Bill they’ve crafted. Senator Grassley says his fellow Republicans in the House now need to come up with “better” Farm Bill.

Grassley says the bill should deny federal farm subsidies to people who are not farmers, but people who’ve merely invested in farmland. Democrat Dave Loebsack of Iowa City was the first member of Iowa’s U.S. House delegation to release a statement about the Farm Bill’s failure.

Loebsack says House Republicans have shown “they care more about being partisan than passing a farm bill to support Iowa’s farmers.” Loebsack, who says the bill didn’t provide enough of a financial safety net for farmers, suggests the debate over federal farm policy “has devolved into a partisan food fight.”

(Radio Iowa)

BELLEVUE, Iowa (AP) — Police in northeastern Iowa have announced an arrest in the Christmas Day 2016 stabbing death of a Bellevue man. Bellevue police say an arrest warrant was issued Thursday for 23-year-old Drew Alan Mangler, of Dubuque, in the death of 59-year-old James Remakel. Police say Mangler was arrested Friday and has been charged with first-degree murder.

Police found Remakel’s body after being called to a house in Bellevue on Dec. 25, 2016. An autopsy showed Remakel had been stabbed multiple times.

Police declined to release other details about Remakel’s death and Mangler’s suspected involvement. Mangler was being held in the Jackson County Jail.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said Friday (Today), a woman riding a motorcycle was injured during an accident Wednesday afternoon. 60-year old Dana Johnston, of Glenwood, was driving a 2013 KYMCO Motorcycle westbound on Ellington Avenue at around 4:20-p.m., when she lost control on loose gravel near 221st Street.

Johnston laid the cycle on its side. She was transported to Jennie Ed Hospital by Glenwood Rescue. The extent of her injuries was not released.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration is encouraging businesses not to use an Iowa company’s service or any other that promises to hide information about safety violations. The FDA said this week that it’s aware of Tin Moon., a Dubuque marketing company founded by U.S. Rep. Rod Blum and his business partner in 2016.

Tin Moon has solicited business from companies who have received FDA letters warning them to correct safety violations. Tin Moon says FDA letters are derogatory and hurt business, and that its “reputation management service” can remove them from page one of online search results.

FDA says companies should focus on correcting violations rather than “on ways to hide these warnings from the public.” The FDA says it’s important for citizens to have access to accurate information when searching for a product or company.

Tin Moon has been under scrutiny since February, when The Associated Press reported that Blum failed to disclose it on his annual financial disclosure.
Tin Moon’s Monty Alexander declined comment Friday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court says a former Deere & Co. factory manager cannot sue the company under the Iowa Civil Rights Act because he worked and lived in China when he was disciplined for having sexual relationships with younger Chinese women who also worked at the factory. The ruling Friday establishes for the first time that the Iowa Civil Rights Act doesn’t apply to circumstances occurring outside the state.

The decision means Matthew Jahnke’s lawsuit will be dismissed. Jahnke sued Illinois-based Deere alleging discrimination for demoting him and moving him back to Iowa from China after concluding the sexual relationships violated company policy. Jahnke was 60 and the women were ages 28 and 36. He alleged he was disciplined more harshly than the women and claimed age and sex discrimination.

A toddler, reported missing in South Carolina, has been found safe in northeast Iowa. A statewide alert was issued for the parents of the Dakota Ray after they were caught on surveillance cameras, with the two-year-old child, at a hospital in Le Mars on Monday. Police in Camden, South Carolina said they were concerned about Dakota’s wellbeing because her parents are believed to be “heavy methamphetamine users.” William and Jessica Ray do NOT have custody of the girl.

Dakota Ray

On Thursday, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that the couple was spotted near Decorah. A deputy arrested the pair a short time later on a variety of charges. The girl is now in the custody of the Department of Human Services. William and Jessica Ray will be sent back to South Carolina, where they’ll face kidnapping charges.

(Radio Iowa)

ATLANTIC – Cass County Memorial Hospital and Atlantic Medical Center turn 50 years old in 2018, and as part of the celebration, Cass County Health System is issuing a challenge to the community – a 50 Mile Challenge, to be exact. According to Dr. Ben Howard, “Physical activity is really a central part of leading a healthy, happy life. We want to get people and families excited about getting outside and walking, and then to reap the benefits that regular physical activity brings.”

Beginning June 1st, participants will start keeping track of their miles walked on a log sheet. You can sign up to receive a log sheet via email at casshealth.org, or you can pick one up from any CCHS medical center (Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, Massena), Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Anytime Fitness, Anita Health & Wellness Center, Suns Out Yoga & Fitness, or 712 Fitness. Dr. Howard says “50 miles sounds like a lot at first, but when you break it down, it’s less than 2 miles per day. Overall, adults should get in 30 minutes of physical activity a day, and kids need about 60 minutes. Participating in the 50 mile challenge will help folks meet those goals.”

To cap off the month, community walks are planned for Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, and Massena. All of the walks will be two miles long and held at 9-a.m. Saturday, June 30th. The public is encouraged to RSVP via Facebook, or by calling 712-243-7405. Details about each can be found on Facebook or casshealth.org. Walkers who complete the log and participate in the community walks will each receive an incentive gift. All completed log sheets that are turned in at the community walks or at the Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, or Massena Medical Centers, by Monday, July 2nd will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card to Brown’s Shoe Fit Company.

Officials with the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency have ended their local Fire Danger advisories. All participating agencies (Local fire departments and/or businesses) in the County may place their Fire Danger signs in the LOW category. The bi-weekly monitoring of extreme fire conditions will resume this fall. Officials say the project has paid dividends in terms of reducing unnecessary fire dispatches, and in the way controlled burns are planned, in a safer, more knowledgeable environment.