COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — State prosecutors have requested a change of venue for the trial of a Council Bluffs doctor charged with sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl. Officials say in a motion filed Wednesday that it would be “difficult, if not impossible” to find a fair or impartial jury in Pottawattamie County because of Dennis Jones’ ties to the community. They also cited extensive media coverage of the case.

The Daily Nonpareil reports the Attorney General’s Office is handling the case because Jones served as an expert witness for the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office. Jones is accused of inappropriately touching a girl outside of his pediatrics practice and faces a second-degree sexual abuse charge. Court documents show authorities found child pornography during a search of Jones’ home. His attorneys maintain their client’s innocence.

The President of Casey’s General Stores today (Friday), recognized Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Shelby McCreedy for her selfless actions of stopping an attempted robbery at an Atlantic Casey’s convenience store, while off-duty.

Casey’s President/CEO Robert Myers presents a letter of gratitude to Special Agent Shelby McCreedy. (DPS Photo)

CEO Robert Myers presented Special Agent McCreedy with a framed letter of gratitude from Casey’s for what he says was “going above and beyond the call of duty.”

On January 29th, 2014, 22-year old Brady Thomas Salberg entered the Casey’s store and informed the cashier he had a weapon and demanded the money in the cash register.   Special Agent McCreedy noticed the incident unfolding, instructed people in the parking lot not to enter the store, and had her son call 911. Special Agent McCreedy entered the store and ordered Salberg to the floor and held him there until officers from the Atlantic Police Department arrived.

Salberg was taken into custody and charged with 2nd Degree Robbery, a Class C Felony.

A new health report finds nearly seven-percent of all Iowans have diabetes and the numbers are climbing every year. Chris Carmichael, national spokesman for the Tour de Cure, says the cause of diabetes is still a mystery, but both genetics and environmental factors like obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. “It’s a growing concern nationally,” Carmichael says. “Nearly 26-million people have diabetes and if this trend continues, by 2050, one in three adults will have diabetes.” In Iowa, the latest studies find six-point-nine percent of the population has diabetes, or about 207-thousand Iowans.

“Almost everybody has been touched by diabetes in some form, whether you have it yourself or a family member or a friend,” Carmichael says. “That’s why we need to get out, get active and raise some money to eventually find a cure that stops it.” Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Several bicycling fundraisers for diabetes research are planned in the coming months in Iowa and in the region.

“Go to diabetes.org/tour and you can find out all the information you need to know in order to get signed up and start fundraising for Tour de Cure events,” Carmichael says. Events include: May 31st in Omaha, June 7th in Clive, June 28th in Coralville and July 12th in Sioux Falls. Most have family-friendly rides as short as five or ten miles, with longer options of 20, 50 and 100 miles.

(Radio Iowa)

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says he’s confident the agricultural economy will remain strong despite an expected drop in farm income next year as corn prices lag and a pig virus reduces herds. Vilsack, in an interview Friday for “Iowa Press,” the Iowa Public Television program, says this year’s farm income is expected to be slightly under last year’s record but significantly above the 10-year average.

He says another record year of exports for beef, poultry and pork products will help keep the farm economy strong. Challenges include the pig virus, which can be deadly for new-born pigs. Vilsack says it is worrisome but efforts are underway to come up with a vaccine, and the department is working with farmers to minimize losses through herd management.

Iowa Republican  Senator Chuck Grassley will hold five town hall meetings in Iowa during the week of April 14th, as part of his annual 99-county tour. Grassley has held a meeting in each of Iowa’s 99 counties at least once every year since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate. On April 14th, 15th and 16th, Grassley will be in Corning, Hamburg, Woodbine, Harlan and Audubon. The town meetings are open to the public.

Grassley starts off his day April 14th with an Adams County Town Meeting at Boz’ Kitchen (613 Davis Ave.) in Corning, from 7:30-to 8:30-a.m.  Later that afternoon, he’ll hold a Fremont County Town Meeting in the dining room at the George C. Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg. The meeting takes place from 3:30-to 4:30-p.m.

On April 15th, a Harrison County Town Meeting will be held from 2:45-to 3:45-pm at the Main Street Station (303 Walker St.), in Woodbine.  An hour later (4:45-to 5:45-pm), he’ll be in Harlan for a Shelby County Town Meeting at Shelby County DevelopSource (1901 Hawkeye Ave.) in Harlan.  And on April 16th, Grassley will hold an Audubon County Town Meeting in the Community Room at Audubon County Economic Development (800 Market St.), from 8-to 9-am.

Iowa’s senior Senator says “Representative government is a two-way street. It’s strengthened by dialogue between elected officials and the people we represent.” He added “I appreciate the opportunity to hold town meetings, answer questions and take comments.”

The Atlantic Police Dept. reports the arrest on Thursday of 30-year old Daniel Duranceau. The Atlantic man was taken into custody on Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charges. Duranceau was booked into the Cass County Jail.

Authorities in Mills County report a Nebraska woman was injured during a collision Wednesday morning, nine-miles northwest of Pacific Junction. Officials say Dortha Frost, of Bellevue, NE, was transported by Pacific Junction Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, after her 2009 Ford hit the rear of a camper trailer being pulled by a 2012 Ford that was slowing to make a right turn.

 The driver of the other vehicle, Timothy Scheidle, of Council Bluffs, was not injured during the crash, which happened at around 9:15-a.m., on Highway 370. Frost told authorities afterward, that she had been feeling ill prior to the collision and didn’t see the other vehicle slowing to pull into a driveway.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday) released a report on recent arrests. Taken into custody early this (Friday) morning, was 29-year old Dustin Lee Lingerfelt, of Tarkio, MO. Lingerfelt was arrested in Pacific Junction on a Possession of Controlled Substance, charge. His bond was set at $2,000.

Thursday night, 37-year old Joseph Eric Funke, of Fontanelle, was arrested in Mills County, for Driving While Barred, and on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear at a Child Support Hearing. His bond was set at $5,000.

And on Wednesday, 22-year old Derek Edward Rodwell, of Glenwood, and 40-year old Larry Steven Hutchings, Emerson, were arrested in Mills County on separate charges. Rodwell was arrested at the Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond. Hutchings was arrested in Emerson, on a Possession of Controlled Substance charge. His bond was set at $1,000.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A rule going into effect May 1 will allow members of the news media to use laptops and cell phones in Iowa courtrooms with permission.  The Iowa Supreme Court on Wednesday approved updates to the rules governing news media coverage to address new technologies and social media.

In particular, it wasn’t clear under the old rules whether reporters could use computers and phones to report, blog and tweet live on courtroom proceedings. It also wasn’t clear how bloggers and others who do not work for traditional media outlets were treated. In the new rules, the news media is defined as anyone who regularly reports on matters of public interest “in any medium.”

The rules continue to require news media to obtain advanced approval from the presiding judge for such coverage.

Officers with the Atlantic Police Department participated in “Polar Plunge” of support for a young cancer patient this (Friday) morning . The 7-a.m. “Plunge for Landon” took place in a lake at the Schildberg Recreation Area. The “Plunge” was an attempt to show support for five-month old Landon Shaw from Tarkio, Missouri. Landon is battling cancer, and the Tarkio community came up with the “Plunge Challenge” as a way to show support and raise funds to help the family.

The Atlantic Police Department is also taking a collection among its staff to send to the Shaw family. If anyone in the community would like to donate to the family, the Police Department will gladly accept and send one group donation by the middle of next week.

The Atlantic Police Department has challenged the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic Fire Department, and Shenandoah Police Department to complete the “Plunge” as well.You can view a video of the local “Plunge for Landon” on the A-PD’s Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlantic-Police-Department/167902403383032)