MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have confirmed the body of a child recovered the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa is that of a child who fell into the water upstream on the Illinois side. Authorities say dental and other records, video recordings and interviews with family were used to establish that the body of 2-year-old Hawk Newberry had been found. He fell into the river July 24 while with family members at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Rock Island, Illinois.

A fisherman discovered his body Sunday, and it was pulled from the water near Brown’s Island at Riverside Park in Muscatine, Iowa. The little boy’s home was in Moline, Illinois.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque woman tied to two drug overdose deaths has pleaded guilty. Court records say 24-year-old Brianna Martin pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids to distribution of heroin. Her sentencing date hasn’t been set yet. The records say Martin helped one person who died buy heroin and sold her prescribed methadone to other people, including one who died from an overdose.

(Radio Iowa/KCRG-TV) — The mother of a northeast Iowa autistic teenager who went missing in April says she doubts her son will be returning home. But, Megan Richter-Neiswonger told KCRG-TV she isn’t giving up on the thought of her son, Jake Wilson, turning up safe. Richter-Neiswonger and about a dozen other people spent Tuesday night replacing blue ribbons around businesses in La Porte City. “The ribbons are starting to fade a little due to the weather so were replacing them,” Richter-Neiswonger said.

Jake Wilson

Tuesday marked exactly four months since Jake disappeared. The 16-year-old boy often walked to Wolf Creek, just a couple blocks from his home. That’s what Jake told his step-dad he was doing on the evening of April 7. There’s been no sign of Jake since, despite intense searches of the area by police and volunteers. Four months later, Richter-Neiswonger still struggles to sleep at night. “I sit out on my front porch with my blue light on and I wait…for him to walk back, or someone to drop him off. That hope, that hope that he does come home,” Richter-Neiswonger said.

If anything, her fears have broadened. Jake’s mother is afraid an accident happened and he may’ve fallen in the creek. “My other fear is somebody has taken him,” Richter-Neiswonger told KCRG. “I just…motherly instinct, gut instinct – I don’t believe he’ll be coming home.” The fresh ribbons spread throughout La Porte City are blue — Jake’s favorite color and the color of autism awareness.

Two people from Council Bluffs were arrested Tuesday night on drug charges, in Glenwood. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year old Stevee Marie Carter was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and 23-year old Mitchell Stephen Waller was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, along with Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance (motor vehicle-related). Their bonds were set at $300 and $1,000 respectively.

41-year old Gabriel Angel Rodriguez, of Omaha, was arrested Tuesday afternoon at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office. Rodriguez was taken into custody on four counts of being a Fugitive from Justice. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. Also arrested Tuesday, was 43-year old James Lee Ebeling, of Omaha, for Public Intoxication. Bond was set at $300.

(DES MOINES) – Registration is now open to attend Future Ready Iowa Regional Summits in four additional locations throughout the state, increasing the span of opportunities for collaboration among local stakeholders on workforce solutions. The day-long summits are scheduled for late September and early October in the Iowa communities of Ames, Centerville, Creston and Sioux City. The events will bring together key stakeholders in education, business, economic development and community organizations to create local strategies that ensure all Iowans are future ready. Summits were announced last month in Atlantic, Burlington, Davenport, Denison, Fort Dodge, Muscatine, Pella, Sheffield and Spencer.

“The Future Ready Iowa Regional Summits will provide an opportunity for local and regional partners to come together and discuss potential solutions based on their area’s workforce needs and challenges,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said of the initiative, which has a goal of 70 percent of Iowa’s workforce having education or training beyond high school by 2025. “A high number of registrants is a clear indication that Iowans everywhere are ready to step up and work together to solve this problem.”

“We are pleased that leaders across Iowa are reaching out and volunteering to host summits,” Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said. “Our IowaWORKS Centers statewide are ready to partner with local leaders to create and adapt future ready strategies in meet local workforce needs.” Using a localized lens, the summits will provide a platform to develop local strategies following the recommendations made by the Alliance. Earlier this year, the legislature passed the Future Ready Iowa Act unanimously with bipartisan support. Each summit will provide tailored discussions on how to find, use and talk about a community’s occupation, income, education and demographic data in order to create data-driven strategic plans to meet local workforce needs. Stakeholders will also discuss ways to engage and include underrepresented populations. Engaging business, community and other regional partners in a grassroots strategy is an action item recommended by the Future Ready Iowa Alliance, a cross-sector collaboration of 58 leaders across the state.

“The summits will be working summits and highly interactive,” Future Ready Iowa Policy Adviser Kathy Leggett said of the agenda, which includes group discussion and a toolkit takeaway. “We want to help channel and align efforts and conversations that leaders in workforce, business and education are having around the state, so that we can ensure Iowa meets the 70 percent goal.”

Learn more at FutureReadyIowa.gov and register to attend a summit at FutureReadyIowa.gov/Summits.

Newly Announced Future Ready Iowa Regional Summit Dates and Locations

• Ames – REGISTER
  Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Iowa State University Research Park, 1805 Collaboration Place, Suite 1250
• Centerville – REGISTER
  Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Continental Hotel Majestic Ballroom, 217 North 13th Street
• Creston – REGISTER
  Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Southwestern Community College, 1501 West Townline Street, Room 108
• Sioux City – REGISTER
  Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Career Academy, 627 4th Street

Additional summits are being planned. Information regarding those will be released as soon as confirmed. For more information about those planning efforts or to inquire about planning a summit in your area, contact Kathy Leggett at kathy.leggett@iwd.iowa.gov.

Four remarkable women will be inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, and one outstanding individual will receive the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice on Saturday, August 18, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. at the State Historical Building (auditorium), 600 E. Locust Street, Des Moines. Among the inductees is Dr. Peggy A. Whitson (Ph.D), of Houston, TX. Whitson was born in Ringgold County, near the town of Beaconsfield. She served many missions in space as an astronaut and International Space Station (ISS) Commander.

To celebrate the honorees and their families and friends, the Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women will host a reception immediately following the ceremony in the atrium of the State Historical Building.  The ceremony and reception are free and open to the public. No registration required. The Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame is held around Women’s Equality Day, August 26, which commemorates the day in 1920 when American women first obtained the right to vote. The Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW).  Awards will be presented to the recipients by Elizabeth Coonan, chair of the ICSW; Sherill Whisenand, chair of the 2018 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee; and Sean Bagniewski, commissioner.

As of 2018, 176 women will have been inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame and 31 individuals will have received the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice.

Dr. Peggy Whitson

Peggy Whitson bio:

Dr. Peggy A. Whitson was born February 9, 1960 in Mt. Ayr, Iowa, on the family farm near Beaconsfield. She graduated from Mt. Ayr Community High School in 1978 and then went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1981 and a Doctorate in Biochemistry from Rice University in 1985.  Following her work at Rice University, she began her scientific career at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Texas, as a National Research Council Resident Research Associate. From there, she went on to serve as the Supervisor for the Biochemistry Research Group at KRUG International; Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas; Adjunct Assistant Professor at Rice University in the Maybee Laboratory for Biochemical and Genetic Engineering; Research Biochemist in the Biomedical Operations and Research Branch at NASA’s Johnson Space Center; Technical Monitor of the Biochemistry Research Laboratories in the Biomedical Operations and Research Branch; and Deputy Division Chief of the Medical Sciences Division at Johnson Space Center.

In April 1996, she was selected as an Astronaut Candidate and started training in August 1996. Upon completing two years of training and evaluation, she was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Operations Planning Branch and served as the lead for the Crew Test Support Team in Russia from 1998 to 1999. In 2002, with Dr. Whitson aboard, the Expedition 5 crew launched aboard the Shuttle STS 111 and docked with the International Space Station. She was named the first NASA Science Officer during her stay and conducted 21 investigations in human life sciences and microgravity sciences as well as commercial payloads.  She performed one spacewalk in the Russian Orlon space suit. Completing her first flight, Dr. Whitson logged 184 days in space.

During Dr. Whitson’s second six-month tour of duty aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 16, she served as the first female Commander in 2007-2008.  Dr. Whitson has also performed five space walks, with a career total of 39 hours and 46 minutes. From October 2009 to July 2012, Dr. Whitson served as Chief of the Astronaut Corps and was responsible for the mission preparation activities and on-orbit support of all International Space Station crews and their support personnel.  She was also responsible for organizing the crew interface support for future heavy launch and commercially-provided transport vehicles. Dr. Whitson was the first female, nonmilitary Chief of the Astronaut Office.

Dr. Whitson’s third long duration mission launched on November 17, 2016.  Originally planned for six months in duration, the mission was extended, and she returned to Earth on September 3, 2017.  During the mission she contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science, welcomed several cargo spacecraft delivering tons of supplies and research experiments, and conducted an additional four spacewalks for maintenance and upgrades to the station. Dr. Whitson participated in four spacewalks, bringing her career total to ten, more than any other woman in the world. With a total of 665 days in space, Dr. Whitson holds the U.S. record (male and female), placing eighth on the all-time space endurance list.

Dr. Whitson is married to Clarence F. Sams, Ph.D.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport school district officials will be reviewing new procedures for suspensions, removals and use of rooms for both general-education and special-education students. The Quad-City Times reports that the review on Friday comes after an audit by the Iowa Department of Education. The audit conducted earlier this year found the district special-education program in “systemic non-compliance” with several parts of the federal law that governs education of students with disabilities.

State officials instructed the district’s officials to reconvene Individualized Education Program meetings for some special-education students. The district is collaborating with the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency and the Iowa Department of Education to develop procedures for student suspensions, removals and the use of rooms. The new procedures will be shared with district staff at an Aug. 28 meeting.