DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque woman accused of stealing from her elderly mother has pleaded guilty. The Telegraph Herald reports that 55-year-old Susan Shea pleaded guilty to felony abuse of a dependent adult. Her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 16.

Court documents say Susan Shea had been the caretaker for her mother when authorities began investigating reports of elder abuse. One document says investigators estimate that around $140,000 or more had been taken from Shea’s mother from December 2016 through January 2018.

(Updated 10:30-a.m.) PERCIVAL, Iowa (AP) — A third bout of flooding and cleanup is taking a toll on people who operate some small businesses along Iowa Highway 2 in southwestern Iowa. They heavily rely on north-south traffic from nearby Interstate 29 and on westbound travelers being able to cross a Missouri Bridge over to Nebraska. The mercantile community first flooded in 2011. The businesses again were inundated and the roadways closed in mid-March after levees gave way. They were flooded again in late May, following heavy rains and the upstream water releases by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Kelly Wise, of Atlantic, who, with his wife, Tammy, owns a Motel 6 along the highway a few miles south of Percival, says “It’s pretty discouraging.” Wise told the Lincoln Journal Star that, after this year’s first flood, they cleaned up and started replacing first-floor furniture. After the second, he’s ready to cut his income by more than half by closing off the ground level and surviving on the income from the 25 rooms upstairs. He and his wife already have suffered nearly $500,000 in damage, he said. And authorities have given him no reason to believe he’s protected from future floods. “I don’t want to do this again,” he said. “I’m getting too old.”

Mark O’Brian bought an empty strip mall on the north side of Highway 2 late last year. He was searching for tenants or buyers and was close to selling to a church when the March flood hit. He cleaned up the property. It flooded again in late May. “We firmly believe this could happen time and time again,” O’Brian said.

The flooding has taken too much away from Alicia Chrastil, she said. It took her business, Finders Keepers Antique Mall, which offered antiques from 75 dealers. She also said the flooding took away her future. The property was supposed to serve as her retirement account: It was valued at nearly $600,000 before the flooding. Now she’d be surprised if she could sell it for $25,000, she said.

She doesn’t see herself returning to Highway 2. “You can get flooded once,” she said. “You can get flooded twice. The third time, I’m out.”

(Radio Iowa) Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says his party must quit giving President Trump the power to change the subject with a tweet. “At every turn, he’s got us talking about him more and talking about us less,” Buttigieg said. Buttigieg made his comments about 12 hours before President Trump’s tweets attacking a black congressman from Baltimore for not doing enough to improve what Trump described as a “dangerous and filthy place.” According to Buttigieg, Trump’s Twitter attacks on a group of House Democrats earlier last week diverted attention from the push to raise the minimum wage, which Buttigieg supports. Buttigieg says Democrats have to respond to Trump’s “wrong doing” and promote the party’s agenda at the same time.

“We’re the ones trying to get you a raise. We’re the ones trying to protect you in the workplace We’re the ones trying to make sure that your health care is not taken away. We’re the ones who are going to actually deliver things like paid family leave,” Buttigieg said. “If you look at this from the perspective of how your life will change, there is no question that the Democratic agenda is the better one. It’s exactly why he needs us talking about his latest offensive tweet, so that we’re not talking about that.”

Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro also campaigned in the state this past weekend. He accused Trump of stoking “division, fear and bigotry” with tweets Castro described as “disgusting.”  “This is more of the race-baiting and racial-priming that this president loves to do,” Castro told reporters, “and that is wrong for this country.” Castro spoke Saturday morning to the Iowa Latino and Asian Coalition. “The question that we face in this election is whether we’re going to continue to be a country that expands opportunity for everybody no matter what you look like or how much money you have or don’t have or where you live in our country — in a big city or a small town — or whether we’re going to give in to a dark call from this Administration,” Castro said.

Castro visited the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama Friday, promising to address housing, policing and economic issues in tribal communities. Buttigieg spoke to a crowd of about 900 in Ankeny Friday afternoon, outling ideas for expanding union bargaining rights. He also says Americans in the so-called “gig economy” who work as a freelancer or contractor rather than a full-time employee should get benefits like sick leave. “It comes down to this basic idea that a contractor is a worker and a gig is a job,” Buttigieg said.

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet campaigned in the state Saturday, emphasizing his call to keep private insurance, but add a “public option” to the Affordable Care Act so Americans could buy into the Medicare system.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowans who are fascinated by footwear will want to direct their feet to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art for an exhibit called “Kick Up Your Heels: The Fine Art of Shoes.” Museum curator Kate Kunau says high-heeled shoes were originally created in ancient Egypt to denote higher social class, but they’re everywhere in today’s society. “The exhibition focuses mainly on contemporary shoe design,” Kunau says. “So, it’s Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, lots of fun people like that.”

Ever since the Persians introduced the high-heeled shoe to Europe in the 17th century, high heels have been both a fashion statement and status symbol. Kunau calls herself an “avowed flats-wearer” and says the display features some high-heels that are truly a step above. “Some of the shoes in the exhibition,” Kunau says, laughing, “There’s a whole class of shoe that I didn’t know existed, it’s kind of like a heel-less high heel. You’re just completely balancing on the balls of your feet. Some people think that totally looks feasible and is something they could wear, which is deeply impressive to me.”

The exhibition highlights the unique design elements that make each shoe a distinct work of art, including: unusual heels, delicate cut-outs, intricate leatherwork, flashy color or material combinations, and more. “People have a real response to it and it’s really fun to watch people in the exhibition,” Kunau says. “It’s so natural to want to pick out your favorite pair or the pair you think you would wear that you never could have imagined, so it’s really fun to watch people interact with the shoes.”

The museum is celebrating its tenth year of free summer admission. The exhibition is on display through September 1st.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports four arrests took place over the past two weeks. On July 17th, as a result of a search warrant, 30-year old Mark Thomas Holland, of Audubon, was arrested on charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Holland was transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate. On July 20th, 40-year old Joshua Robert Saunders, of Audubon, was arrested on charges of Burglary in the 2nd degree, and Violation of No Contact Order.  Saunders was transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate.

July 24th, Audubon Police arrested 63-year old Ronald Allen Siedelmann, of Audubon.  Siedelmann was taken into custody on a Harrison County arrest warrant and transferred to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. And, last Friday (July 26th), 71-year old Ruby Louise Donahue, of Audubon, was arrested for allow a Dog to run at Large.  Donahue was issued a citation on scene, and subsequently released on promise to appear in court.

The Creston Police Department reports a Ringgold County woman was arrested Friday afternoon. 34-year old Tashina Martwick, of Redding, was arrested at the Union County Courthouse on a Union County Warrant for the charge of Controlled Substance Violation. Martwick was additionally charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Offense. She was being held in the Adams County Jail, on a $27,000 cash-only bond.