DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Human Services is on the verge of taking a less-confrontational approach toward adults accused of minor acts of child neglect.

The state Legislature has approved a bill creating the new process, and it’s now awaiting Gov. Terry Branstad’s signature.

The new approach allows for “family assessments,” in which caseworkers can work with families and let them describe their situation without fear of being placed on the state child abuse registry.

Agency spokesman Roger Munns says the change would better balance the rights of adults with the need to protect children. Cases involving sexual, physical and substance abuse will still require a traditional investigation.

Some child advocates back the change but say the state needs to ensure quick evaluations if there is any risk to a child.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – MidAmerican Energy Co. is seeking permission from the Iowa Utilities Board to increase electricity rates, saying it’s the first base-rate increase the utility has sought since 1995.

The Quad-City Times reports that if approved, the rate would go into effect in August. MidAmerican says the increase would cost the average residential customer an additional $2.73 a month in 2013 and continue to rise over the next few years. By 2016, the average residential customer would be paying about $8 more a month than the current rate.

MidAmerican spokeswoman Tina Potthoff says the rate increase request is not related to the utility’s announcement Wednesday of a $1.9 billion wind energy project.

The Audubon Police Department reports three recent arrests. On Saturday (May 11th), 74-year old Bille Jean Rustvold, of Audubon, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Rustvold was transported and held at the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office. On May 5th, police officers in Audubon arrested 20-year old Dalton Levi Jacobsen of Audubon, for Simple Assault. His arrest was the results of an investigation into an incident that occurred on February 18th, 2013. Jacobsen was cited and released on promise to appear.

And, on May 3rd, 20-year old Aaron Michael Tesdal, an escapee from the Ottumwa Correctional Facility, was apprehended by Audubon Police. Tesdal was held at the Audubon County Jail until released to the Oakdale Department of Corrections.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports an incident in the 100 block of E 2nd Street in Villisca on Friday night (5/10) at approximately 9:29pm resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old woman.  Chelsie Lorraine Westerhausen of Villisca was arrested for simple domestic assault and was taken to the Montgomery County Jail.  She was being held on no bond pending an appearance before a magistrate.

The Red Oak Police Department reports an accident occurred in the 900 Block of Broadway in Red Oak Friday (today). A 1995 Chevy 1500 owned by James Leroy Bentson of Red Oak was being operated by 16-year old Mackenzee Leigh Benston of Red Oak was traveling Southbound on Broadway. A 1993 Chevy S10 owned by James Jayson Davis of Essex, was being operated by 33-year old Morgia Jane England of Essex, who was also traveling Southbound on Boundary, following Bentson.

According to the parties involved, Bentson began to slow for traffic either stopping for the light at Broadway and Corning Street or was slowing for traffic turning into Fareway. England said she looked down for a moment and upon looking back up saw that Bentson had slowed or stopped. England attempted to brake but struck Bentson’s vehicle in the rear causing approximately $1,500 damage.  England’s vehicle sustained approximately $2,000 damage.

England was issued a citation for following too closely. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Red Oak Fire and Rescue assisted the Red Oak Police Department at the scene.

A 59-year old southwest Iowa man was sentenced Thursday to spend six-months in prison for possessing child pornography. Following his imprisonment, Danny Joel Hummel, of Essex, must serve ten years of supervised release.  Hummel pled guilty to the charge of possession of child pornography on February 15th, 2013. The charge was the result of an investigation conducted by law enforcement agencies who were advised by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an Essex resident was in possession of child pornography.

Based on the information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, law enforcement located several computers in Hummel’s residence upon which numerous images and videos containing child pornography were found. While on supervised release, Hummel’s activities will be monitored by officers of the United States Probation Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Cyber Crimes Unit, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a former Pottawattamie County resident was sentenced Wednesday to seven-years in prison on a child pornography charge. 26-year old Edward S. Robertson, a resident of Spirit Lake, received his sentence for receipt of child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Robertson will be placed on ten years of supervised release, during which he will be monitored by the United States Probation Office for compliance with conditions of release set by the Court at the time of sentencing.

Robertson was found guilty by a jury of receiving child pornography on January 15th, 2013. The guilty verdict was returned after the jury heard evidence showing that Robertson, while residing in Neola, was obtaining images along with videos of prepubescent and adolescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct over the internet from October of 2008, until March 24th, 2009.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Cyber Crimes Unit; the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, and Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A Council Bluffs man was sentenced Tuesday, to two and a-half years in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  32-year old Jason Lee Garza received his sentence in United States District Court by Judge Stephanie M. Rose, to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.  Garza pled guilty to the charge of a felon in possession of a firearm on February 8th, 2013.

The charge was the result of an investigation conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, after the officers heard gun shots being fired in the area of 1200 block of Sixth Avenue and responded to that area on October 24th, 2012. Officers located several people who reported being shot at by Garza before he had fled the scene. A short time later, officers located Garza in a nearby residence, and the firearm used by Garza was found hidden in a wall of the residence.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Poice Department, the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on of a Griswold woman Tuesday, on drug charges. 45-year old Lisa Marie Bruning, was taken into custody on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bruning was brought to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $1000 bond.

Deputies in Cass County also arrested 69-year old William Henry Scanlan, of Massena, Tuesday, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault Simple. Scanlan was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled not guilty before the magistrate the next day and was released on his own recognizance.

And on Friday (today) 28-year old Daniel Marc Chevalier,  of Hancock, was arrested in Cass County on a State of Iowa warrant for Parole Violation. Chevalier was taken to the Cass County Jail where he is being held without bond.

GRAND JUNCTION, Iowa (AP) — Crews repairing a train derailment in central Iowa have reopened one of two affected tracks. Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis says the track was reopened at 11 a.m. today (Friday) and trains are operating on it. The other track was expected to open this (Friday) afternoon.

Davis says an eastbound coal train on its way from Wyoming to Crescent, Ill., derailed Thursday morning into a westbound cargo train going from Chicago to Oakland, Calif. The impact derailed 13 of the 135 cars on the coal train and 22 of the 106 cars of the intermodal cargo train. Davis says a team is investigating what caused the derailment. The crash shut down a section of the company’s mainline tracks near Grand Junction about 60 miles northwest of Des Moines. No injuries were reported.