ALTA VISTA, Iowa (AP) — Trial has been set for next year for the father of a 4-month-old baby whose maggot-infested body was found in a swing in his family’s Alta Vista home. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that trial for 28-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn has been scheduled for Jan. 3 in Chickasaw County. Koehn and 20-year-old Cheyanne Renae Harris, both of Alta Vista, have each pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and first-degree murder charges in the death of their son, Sterling Koehn.

Authorities say deputies and medics called to the couple’s apartment on Aug. 30 found Sterling dead in the swing. A medical examiner found maggots in his clothing and skin that indicated he hadn’t had a diaper change, bath or been removed from the seat in over a week.

Iowa smokers are being urged to try and quit just for today (Thursday) as part of the 40th annual Great American Smokeout, in hopes they may be able to quit for a week, for a month, and for good. Brian Ortner, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, says giving up cigarettes and other tobacco products can bring almost immediate results, in addition to the long-term improvements in health. “Within 20 minutes, there’s benefits to their body,” Ortner says. “Their heart rate and their blood pressure drop, which is a great thing and it keeps going as you continue without that cigarette or that tobacco, the positives that happen.” It’s often helpful for smokers to tell those around them they’re trying to quit but he says the important thing is to make an effort. Ortner says, “One of the keys to quitting the habit of smoking tobacco or even chewing tobacco is finding a date or making a plan that fits your need.”

If today isn’t “the” day, he suggests setting a date to quit and sticking to it. Ortner says he quit on Christmas Eve nine years ago and remains a non-smoker. The Smokeout effort began as a statewide initiative in California in 1976 and went nationwide the following year and Ortner says we’ve seen four decades of progress. “There’s been dramatic changes, obviously, in the way the public views tobacco advertising and its use,” Ortner says. “Now, many places are smoke-free because of the efforts of this campaign and others across the country.”

Lung cancer is Iowa’s top cancer killer. There were more than 2,400 new lung cancer cases diagnosed in Iowa last year and nearly 1,800 deaths.  More info. online at: www.cancer.org/smokeout

(Radio Iowa)

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 49,000 trucks worldwide to fix a fuel tank problem that increases the risk of a fire. The recall covers Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks from 2011 through 2015 with two fuel tanks. Documents posted Thursday by the U.S. government say that the low-fuel-level sensor in the front tank can stick, causing the rear tank to over-fill the front tank. That can make the front tank expand and touch the drive shaft, possibly causing a hole and a fuel leak.

GM says it has no reports of fires or injuries from the problem. Dealers will replace the rear tank fuel pump, update software and inspect the front tank. Owners will be notified starting Dec. 18 with parts available for repairs in February.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening approved an order to amend an 18-year old agreement between the City and the Cass County Public Safety Communications Commission. Cass County 9-1-1 Center/Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon explained to the Council, that the amended agreement added the description “28-E” and the word “Communications.” The original agreement in the 1970’s was updated in Oct. 1999 and hasn’t been changed until now. Councilman Gerald Brink asked why Griswold and Anita weren’t included in the agreement. Kennon said at one point in time, when they updated the agreement, Griswold and Anita had their own Police Officers and therefore didn’t feel the need for representation on the Board. Kennon disagreed with that assessment.

Only the City of Atlantic and Cass County are currently included in the agreement. Atlantic pays 23-percent of the cost. The County Board of Supervisors adopted changes to the agreement during their meeting last Wednesday. Mayor Dave Jones said years ago, the Board talked about upping Atlantic’s rate of contribution because of it’s population, but Jones said he won’t allow the rate to be updated anytime soon…and then not until the other cities start contributing.

In other business, the Council approved a cleaning contract with Melissa Johnson for the remainder of FY 2018, at an annual cost of $23,400. Johnson’s bid for the services was the lowest of three received by the City, for cleaning of the Library, City Hall and Police Department. A cleaning service was made necessary, after the Facility Maintenance Manager’s position was eliminated. City Administrator John Lund says going with a private company for the service, will save the City $38,407 per year.

The Council also approved the FY 2017 Urban Renewal Report, which is a standard, annual formality. The report is sent to the Iowa’s Department of Management. And, Police Chief Dave Erickson presented his first Department Head report since becoming Police Chief in January. The Mayor praised Erickson for how well an incident at the High School was handled Monday morning. Erickson said law enforcement and the school cooperated well, and as expected. Prior to adjourning for the night, the Council entered into a closed session to discuss with Legal Counsel, matters related to the Atlantic Municipal Airport.