SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Health officials say 95 cases of a contagious bacterial infection that causes diarrhea have been reported in northwest Iowa’s Woodbury County. The Siouxland District Health Department’s deputy director Tyler Brock tells the Sioux City Journal that the majority of those sick are children, but a number of adults have contracted shigellosis, too.

Most people who are infected with Shigella have frequent watery stools that could be bloody, as well as fever and stomach cramps, starting a day or two after exposure to the bacteria. Symptoms usually last several days. Woodbury County recorded a single case of shigellosis last year.

But on Friday, 95 cases had been reported. About 20 of those had been diagnosed in early November.

Two teens were injured Saturday afternoon during a crash off Interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2005 Chevy Malibu entered the median off of I-80 westbound at the Neola exit at around 1:10-p.m.  The vehicle slid across the westbound lanes, entered a ditch and struck a tree. The names of the 16-year old driver and a 15-year old passenger in the car, were not released. The teens were transported by Neola Rescue to Mercy Hospital. The Patrol says the passenger was wearing their seat belt, but the driver was not.

With KJAN New Director Ric Hanson…

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A collision Friday evening in Montgomery County caused $3,500 damage to a minivan, but no injuries were reported. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says a 2003 Chrysler Town & Country minivan owned and operated by 47-year old Kellene Sorensen, of Stanton, was traveling east on 270th Street at around 6:30-p.m., when the vehicle struck a black bull that was standing on the road.  The animal belonged to Max Hossle, of Red Oak.

The accident happened near the intersection with I Avenue, or about 7-miles southeast of Red Oak.

The City of Council Bluffs was recently recognized as being one of the nation’s 50 most affordable suburbs, by a national real estate blog. The Daily NonPareil, citing a blog by Movoto Real Estate, of San Mateo, Calif., says Council Bluffs came in 31st place, and it was joined by other adjoining cities to Omaha. Each city was ranked by low cost of living, which factored costs for houses, food, utilities and property and state income taxes.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers, Friday, released a report on his department’s recent arrests and incidents. Brothers said that on Friday (Nov. 22nd), 41-year old Donald Troy Rottinhaus, of Clarinda, was arrested on a Simple Misdemeanor Assault in a Domestic Relationship, charge.

Brothers reports also, his office took reports on the following incidents: A theft & burglary from a residence in the 300 block of East Logan Street, on Nov. 16th; Thefts at two separate apartments located at the Parkview Apartments on Nov. 17th & 18th; and, the theft of plumbing items from the McDonald’s Restaurant in Clarinda, on Nov. 20th. The loss to the restaurant was estimated at $1,500.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Rapids man faces an attempted murder charge in connection with a shooting. The Cedar Rapids Police Department says 26-year-old Delamar Williams was arrested yesterday following the morning shooting of 25-year-old Marneze McKnight. Williams was taken to Linn County Jail. McKnight remains hospitalized.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has disbarred a Davenport real estate lawyer who was convicted of helping buyers secure inflated mortgage loans before the 2008 market crash. The court on Friday revoked the law license of Marc Engelmann, who is serving a three-year prison term on fraud charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court says a dentist convicted of evading taxes must pay them back with penalties and interest. The court ruled Friday that a judge should have included those costs in a restitution order for former Waverly dentist Marc Hagen. The judge says he did not believe he had the authority to order the payment of civil penalties and interest to the Iowa Department of Revenue in a criminal case. Instead, he only required Hagen to pay back the amount of unpaid taxes, roughly $10,000.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Losing seasons and a chilly forecast have dampened the excitement for Saturday night’s game between Kansas and Iowa State. The Cyclones have won three straight in the series, but they’re also headed into tonight’s game in Ames on a seven-game losing skid.

CLARINDA, Iowa (AP) – Iowa officials say they’ve revised meal distribution policies at a state mental health institute after a patient fatally choked on food he shouldn’t have been served. The state Department of Human Services says food service procedures at Clarinda Mental Health Institute were not followed when a patient in the geriatric psychiatry program was given a peanut butter sandwich on Sept. 1 instead of pureed food. He was later found unresponsive and slumped over a dining table.

Officials say they began an internal investigation and at least one employee has been fired. DHS Director Charles M. Palmer says the incident was isolated. The Department of Inspections and Appeals surveyed the facility in early November. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also issued a civil penalty of more than $8,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad is downsizing his recent claims of job creation in the state.  Branstad – who pledged to create 200,000 new jobs in five years during his 2010 campaign – recently claimed he has added more than 160,000 jobs since taking office.  His administration now says the actual figure was 128,000 following new federal jobs data out Friday.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said via email that the change was simply due to calculations with revised data and the governor never sought to mislead Iowans.  The new figure has still drawn criticism because it counts only jobs added in Iowa, not jobs lost. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday shows the state has added 48,200 net jobs since Branstad took office.

A Harlan man won a good chunk of change from the Iowa Lottery Powerball drawing last month.  The Iowa Lottery says Wesley Clay checked his Powerball tickets from drawings held in October and discovered he won $10,000. Clay’s winning Powerball ticket was from the October 31st drawing. He told the lottery he normally throws the tickets in his car and then checks them all randomly.

Clay matched four white balls and the Powerball from the October 31st drawing to win the prize of $10,000. His ticket was purchased at the Taylor Quik-Pik on 23rd Street in Harlan. He claimed his prize Monday at the Iowa Lottery’s regional office in Council Bluffs. Clay and his wife Brianne say their lottery winnings will be put into a college fund for their children.

The estimated jackpot for this Saturday’s Powerball is $50 million.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)