Filming starts this weekend in Iowa on a documentary that tackles the topic of how society viewed unplanned pregnancies a century ago. Filmmaker Colleen Bradford Krantz, of Des Moines, says the documentary will be called, “Unintended 1900: Unlocking Myrtle’s Century-Old Secret.” “The main story I’m anchoring the documentary with is the story of a girl in 1913 in Hopkinton, Iowa,” Bradford Krantz says. “I’d heard her story probably three years ago when I was filming ‘West By Orphan Train’ and it stayed on my mind and I finally decided I’d better do some research and see if there was a film there.”

The director says she’ll be using a large cast of Iowa actors and they’ll shoot both in northeast and north-central Iowa. Bradford Krantz says, “We’ll be filming this coming weekend in Hopkinton and also in Webster City and a couple of other locations where we could find the right settings to recreate that time period.”

One of those locations will be the former Hamilton County Courthouse in Webster City as it has many features that’ll allow it to stand in for the Floyd County Courthouse in Charles City, which burned down decades ago. “This girl from eastern Iowa had died after her parents arranged an abortion, which would have been illegal at the time,” Bradford Krantz says. “The surgery ended up causing her death. The doctor was charged with murder and I was trying to recreate some scenes from the criminal trial.”

She hopes to finish filming by the end of this summer and may have the documentary ready for the screen by year’s end. Bradford Krantz also wrote and co-produced the documentary “Train to Nowhere” about the deaths of 11 undocumented immigrants in Denison in October of 2002.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Legislature approved a medical marijuana oil program in the final hours of the session, but advocates remain skeptical the expansion of an existing program will have a large impact. The Republican-controlled chambers approved a bill that would allow the oil to treat nine conditions, including cancer and multiple sclerosis. The expansion builds off an existing program for epilepsy patients.

Some medical marijuana advocates say a cap on the strength of the oil used is arbitrary and limits the benefit. Rep. Jared Klein, the bill’s manager, says lawmakers may consider broadening the program in future sessions if medical professionals advise it.

The program would continue to prohibit smoking, vaporizing or eating food containing marijuana. Despite questions raised about the program, some argue that small steps are better than none.

PEOSTA, Iowa (AP) – An eastern Iowa man accused of padlocking a weighted chain around his 14-year-old nephew’s waist has pleaded not guilty. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports Jeffrey Merfeld and the boy’s parents are charged with child endangerment causing injury. Merfeld’s plea was submitted Tuesday.

Court records don’t show whether Michael and Cynthia Kobusch have submitted pleas. All three defendants live in Peosta. Court documents say Cynthia Kobusch told an investigator that she had been searching for a way to attach a GPS to her son – a frequent runaway – and had asked her brother to “make a chain” and fashion it so the boy couldn’t cut it off.

The Griswold School Board will hold a Special Meeting Friday afternoon in the Central Office at the Middle School/High School Building. During their 4-p.m. session, the School Board will act on Personnel matters and, approval of:

A Reduction in Force; Cash in Lieu of Insurance; Changes to the Professional Salary Range; Placing limits on the number of paid coaches; approval also, of Master Contract agreements with the Griswold Educational Association (Certified staff) and Non-Certified Personnel, as well as contract renewals for Certified staff, non-certified coaches/sponsors, administration, Quasi-Administration, and Support Staff.

The final action item is the setting of Contract Issue and Return dates.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting 8:30-a.m. Friday, in their Boardroom at the courthouse in Atlantic. On their agenda is a Public Hearing on an amendment to the Flood Plain Management Ordinance, followed by action on approving the Ordinance after the final reading.

The Board will also act on approving a Resolution to enter into a RISE (Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy) agreement with the Iowa Dept. of Transportation (in an amount not to exceed $2,119, 978 or, 50-percent of the eligible items – which is the smaller amount). They’ll also act on approving the “Fifth amendment to the Cooperative Reimbursement Agreement” (with regard to the Child Support Recovery Office), for changes to confidentiality and privacy sections, and incorporating the Program Budget for State Fiscal Year 2018.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors will act on approving a Resolution to increase the number of assistant County Attorneys to two, from May 1st through June 30th (with the number to be set back to one, on July 1st), and approve the appointment of an additional Assistant County Attorney.

The final action item on their agenda, is a Permit for display of fireworks for an unincorporated area – per Iowa Code – pertaining to the Lewis Celebration Committee.