IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a gay pastor in Iowa City will request a leave of absence as part of a settlement of complaints that her sexual orientation violates United Methodist Church law. The Rev. Anna Blaedel had been director of the Wesley Center at the University of Iowa but stepped down in May because of a church complaint filed in 2018. She’s been the subject of three complaints since she publicly disclosed in 2016 that she was gay.

Blaedel has since been working 10-15 hours a week leading the center’s Table Tuesday program, in which college students gather to discuss spirituality and social justice. The Rev. Tyler Schwaller has been representing Blaedel, and he told The Gazette that Blaedel will retain her pastoral credentials. Blaedel has declined to comment. Delegates at a United Methodist Church conference in St. Louis voted in February to strengthen a ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report four recent arrests. On Wednesday, 25-year old Amber Nicole Ross, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a warrant for Violation for Probation. Her bond was set at $20,000. 45-year old Stacey Lynn Barrett, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Barred, Wednesday (bond set at $2,000), and 58-year old Darrell Adam Klahn, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $1,300.

On Tuesday, 36-year old William Joseph Bullock, of Omaha, was arrested in Mills County, for Eluding, Driving While Revoked, and preventing apprehension. His bond was set at $8,000.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation have issued a follow-up to an incident on May 30th, that damaged a bridge in downtown Sioux City. Following the initial analysis on the fire-damaged, northbound bridge over Perry Creek, the Iowa DOT has determined to establish two northbound Interstate 29 lanes through downtown. Much of the work to establish the two-lane configuration will occur during the weekend. The contractor will then work toward establishing two southbound lanes through the area with a target completion time of 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22.

Earlier, the DOT said heat from fire that began in a homeless camp, damaged the bridge to the point where some of the concrete pulled away from the structure. Authorities said they believe the fire was likely started by people using propane.

Deputies in Page County conducted a traffic stop at around 12:20-a.m. Wednesday, in Clarinda, and arrested 30-year old Christian David Hull, of Clarinda. Hull was taken into custody for Driving Under Suspension. His bond at the Page County Jail was set at slightly more than $566, pending further court proceedings.

The Union County Sheriff’s Department reports 21-year old Wade Dwight Hiatt, of Truro, was arrested Wednesday night, at the Marion County Jail. Hiatt was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for failure to appear on the original charge of criminal mischief 3rd degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — A judge won’t consider written testimony from a man who claims he was unaware of his legal rights when he allegedly confessed to killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. Judge Joel Yates ruled today (Thursday), that he will not allow lawyers for Cristhian Bahena Rivera to submit a written affidavit from their client unless he agrees to submit to cross-examination by prosecutors.

Lawyers for Rivera, who is charged with murder, say they won’t allow him to testify. Yates rejected the affidavit. Yates is considering a defense motion to suppress statements Rivera made during an interrogation in August 2018 in which he implicated himself in Tibbetts’ death. She disappeared a month earlier while running.

Rivera says in the affidavit that he was unaware of certain rights and scared to invoke others.

(Radio Iowa) — A central Iowa man is jailed on charges he fatally stabbed his wife. The Story County Sheriff’s Office got a 911 call Wednesday evening from a Zearing resident who said a neighbor had just confessed to killing his wife after a domestic dispute. Deputies responded and found the body of 62-year-old Betty Jean Pillman outside the home. She had severe lacerations to her upper body.

Deputies also found 70-year-old Gary Pillman suffering from cuts on his arm. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, then arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.

(Radio Iowa) — A new report from the American Lung Association shows Iowa has one of the lowest survival rates for lung cancer in country. The association found 19 percent of lung cancer patients survived five years after their initial diagnosis. That’s more than three-and-a-half percent worse that the national average. Alyssa DePhillips is a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association. “Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of men and women, but it just doesn’t get the same attention as other cancers because other cancers may be more common, but they’re more curable.” Lung cancer is often diagnosed at later stages of the disease when surgery is not an option. “That’s usually the best way to get rid of the cancer,” DePhillips says.

The American Lung Association is recommending that Americans over the age of 55 who are current tobacco users or who have quit in the past 15 years get their lungs scanned to check for cancer. “Iowa has just a little bit higher smoking and tobacco rates than the rest of the national average of the US because Midwestern states have higher tobacco use rates,” she says. “Rural areas have higher tobacco use rates.”

Iowa’s lung cancer rate is impacted by radon levels, too. “Iowa has the highest radon levels across the US and radon counts for a little less than 10 percent of lung cancer cases,” DePhillips says. “so 90 percent of lung cancer cases in Iowa are due to smoking or being around second-hand smoke and the the majority of the rest of the cases are from radon.” Less than one percent of lung cancer cases in Iowa are linked to poor air quality or exposure to pollution. This is the second year the American Lung Association has issued its “State of Cancer” report.

Former Iowa 3rd District Republican Congressman David Young is stepping-up efforts to win re-election in November, 2020. Young launched his campaign in May to try and recapture the District in the U.S. House of Representatives from Democratic Representative Cindy Axne. He says he’ll run on his record of being a voice for southwest and parts of central Iowa. He says Axne’s record “has not been very good for Iowa.”

David Young at the KJAN Studios 11-14-19

Young says the nation is bogged down with partisan politics (the impeachment proceedings), and issues important to Iowans aren’t getting taken care of. For instance, the USMCA trade agreement, he says “Should have been done 6 months ago. It’s just sitting there gathering dust, and Iowa needs that.” The lack of an agreement with China, and the RFS, is also hurting Iowa’s economy. Young said he’s disappointed the Trump Administration “Isn’t quite yet understanding the need to fulfill the law of the 15-million gallons a year for ethanol to be blended.”

Young says “the Left…The Democrats…are fixated on overturning the 2016 elections, and impeaching this President.” He says “There are no Articles of Impeachment. It’s almost like they’re looking for them. Meanwhile, I think Iowans are saying ‘Hey, just trust us. We’ll figure it out in 2020. Young who was a two-term representative of the 3rd district, says if he’s elected next November, he’ll work to bridge the partisan divide, just as he did when he was in office before the 2018 election was held.

After his announcement in May, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released a statement on Young’s decision to run. The DCCC said “Iowa voters rejected David Young because he broke his promise to lower heath care costs and protect coverage for Iowans with pre-existing conditions. Young can run for Congress, but he can’t run away from his Washington record of putting special interests ahead of the needs of hardworking Iowans.”

As for his opponent in the upcoming elections, Young says “There are high expectations for her, primarily set from herself, but very low deliverables.” Young said “I’m very principled, and I will fight for my principles and I will fight those who I represent.” Young, who resides in Van Meter, is a graduate of Johnston High School and Drake University. Before being elected to Congress, he served at the chief of staff for Sen. Chuck Grassley.