A toddler, reported missing in South Carolina, has been found safe in northeast Iowa. A statewide alert was issued for the parents of the Dakota Ray after they were caught on surveillance cameras, with the two-year-old child, at a hospital in Le Mars on Monday. Police in Camden, South Carolina said they were concerned about Dakota’s wellbeing because her parents are believed to be “heavy methamphetamine users.” William and Jessica Ray do NOT have custody of the girl.

Dakota Ray

On Thursday, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that the couple was spotted near Decorah. A deputy arrested the pair a short time later on a variety of charges. The girl is now in the custody of the Department of Human Services. William and Jessica Ray will be sent back to South Carolina, where they’ll face kidnapping charges.

(Radio Iowa)

ATLANTIC – Cass County Memorial Hospital and Atlantic Medical Center turn 50 years old in 2018, and as part of the celebration, Cass County Health System is issuing a challenge to the community – a 50 Mile Challenge, to be exact. According to Dr. Ben Howard, “Physical activity is really a central part of leading a healthy, happy life. We want to get people and families excited about getting outside and walking, and then to reap the benefits that regular physical activity brings.”

Beginning June 1st, participants will start keeping track of their miles walked on a log sheet. You can sign up to receive a log sheet via email at casshealth.org, or you can pick one up from any CCHS medical center (Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, Massena), Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Anytime Fitness, Anita Health & Wellness Center, Suns Out Yoga & Fitness, or 712 Fitness. Dr. Howard says “50 miles sounds like a lot at first, but when you break it down, it’s less than 2 miles per day. Overall, adults should get in 30 minutes of physical activity a day, and kids need about 60 minutes. Participating in the 50 mile challenge will help folks meet those goals.”

To cap off the month, community walks are planned for Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, and Massena. All of the walks will be two miles long and held at 9-a.m. Saturday, June 30th. The public is encouraged to RSVP via Facebook, or by calling 712-243-7405. Details about each can be found on Facebook or casshealth.org. Walkers who complete the log and participate in the community walks will each receive an incentive gift. All completed log sheets that are turned in at the community walks or at the Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, or Massena Medical Centers, by Monday, July 2nd will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card to Brown’s Shoe Fit Company.

SABULA, Iowa (AP) — A car ferry from Iowa to Illinois could run in about a month as residents wait for the reopening of a bridge connecting the two states. Iowa Department of Transportation officials tell the Telegraph Herald that the department has found a contractor to provide ferry services from Sabula, Iowa, to Savanna, Illinois. The February closure of a bridge north of Sabula stopped access to the U.S. 52/Illinois 64 bridge over the Mississippi River. Drivers have since been making a 36-mile detour.

Transportation Department district engineer Jim Schnoebelen says officials are considering a car ferry as an option. He says services would operate during daylight hours and the ferry could accommodate about 500 cars daily. Schnoebelen says officials are also considering offering a passenger ferry. Officials aim to have the new bridge open by Labor Day.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The Scott County attorney says a court bailiff’s firing of his handgun was reasonable after a man wielding a wooden pole struck him in the face outside the courthouse. County Attorney Mike Walton said in a news release Thursday that bailiff Tim Hutcheson “believed his force was necessary to avoid injury or risk to his life or safety, or the life or safety of others.” Authorities have said Hutcheson, another bailiff and a Davenport police officer tried to subdue 29-year-old Adam Lafrentz on April 25 after responding to a report about someone being assaulted. The other bailiff used a stun gun on Lafrentz that seemingly had no effect on him. He ran away but was captured later. No one was hit by the gunshot

The Quad-City Times reports that Walton says the pursuit of charges against Lafrentz “has been deferred while mental health alternatives are explored” for him.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say a man walked into the Sheriff’s Office Thursday morning and turned himself-in on a warrant for Possession of Methamphetamine/1st offense. After the warrant for 36-year old Jeremy Guy Thomas, of Council Bluffs, was confirmed, he was transported to the Pott. County Jail.