(Radio Iowa) – A former licensed nurse practitioner and business owner in Ames has pleaded guilty to fifteen counts of sex trafficking, Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.

The Ames Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa is prosecuting the case.

Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Victims particularly susceptible to being trafficked include those with criminal histories, a history of physical or sexual abuse, uncertain legal status, and dependency on controlled substances.

Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

(Radio Iowa) – Those who find themselves in debt or experiencing financial stress might feel a little more pressure with all the talk of Black Friday and the start of the holiday shopping season. I-S-U Extension’s Carol Ehlers says holiday spending is about managing and being conscious about what you are spending. “And we do that best when we create that budget, make a list, and use cash,” she says. The National Retail Federation expects holiday spending to grow by up to three-and-a-half percent this year.

Ehlers says you can still participate in holiday giving and the spirit of the season. “The joy of being able to find something that’s special for a friend or a family member that’s very important too. But how important it is to be mindful of what we are spending.”

TransUnion’s Holiday Shopping Report shows more than half of Americans plan on spending the same amount as last year, with about 40 percent spending less.

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa bridge destroyed by flooding in June has been replaced and, after five months of detours, the new bridge opened to traffic last (Tuesday) night. In August, the flood damaged remnants of the bridge on U-S Highway 18 over Stoney Creek in Clay County, near the town of Everly, were removed. Construction crews were able to complete work on the new bridge about a month earlier than scheduled. Next spring, crews will plant grass around the bridge site and do some stabilization work on the riverbank and around the bridge.

Iowa D-O-T officials say all the bridges and roads damaged by the historic flooding in northwest Iowa this past June are now open to traffic.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), approved – by a vote of 4-to-1 – an agreement with Windstream for internet service. Auditor Mandy Berg said it’s not clear when it will be installed. The Board received a report from Adair County Attorney Melissa Larson with regard to personnel, and the status of the County Attorney position. She asked for and received permission to post, a job opening for a vacant Paralegal, and Legal Assistant position. She also asked the Board to consider a resolution designating her office as being full-time.

She said it’s been something she’s been mulling over for more than a year.

As a full-time County Attorney, Larson would be prohibited under Iowa law, from having a private practice. She said the County Attorney’s position won’t be up for election until the General Election in 2026, so there won’t be any interference with that process. There are both full-time and part-time County Attorneys in Iowa. Roughly two-thirds of County Attorneys are part-time and may handle private legal work in addition to their official duties. Larson said she would not be asking for a huge pay increase as County Attorney.

The Supervisors agreed to move forward with the request, a draft for which is already prepared. Larson was instructed to give the document to Mandy Berg with the budget numbers and pertinent information, so it can be acted upon during a Board meeting in December.

Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented various documents for Board approval and signing, including the awarding of a contract to Herberger Construction in Indianola, for the N7 Eureka (Township) bridge project, in the amount of $760,838.00

along with right-of-way contracts for the W-12 Harrison Culvert Project, and plans for the IN6 Summerset Bridge plans. Kauffman also gave a report on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

County Auditor Mandy Berg presented for Board approval, separate Transfer and Internal Advance Resolutions for the Capital Progress Fund, a TIF Indebtedness Certification, Urban Renewal Report, and an Information Technology (IT) assessment. The Board approved those items.

And, the Adair County Supervisors approved a Child Abuse Prevention Grant draw-down for Berg to sign, in the amount of $1,196.01.