The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the sexual abuse conviction of a Fremont County man who argued his victim’s diary should not have been used in his trial. Thomas Ingram, of Farragut, was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse, assault and lascivious acts with a child after being originally charged with several counts involving sexual abuse of his then 12-year-old stepdaughter in 2014. Ingram appealed, arguing the girl’s diary entries that detailed the abuse should not have been used as evidence in his trial.

He also said his lawyer was ineffective for not objecting to the prosecution’s used of an expert witness to vouch for the information in the diary. The Appeals Court Ruled the use of the girl’s diary was not prejudicial because it showed her dislike of the abuse and desire for the abuse to end, allowing the jury to conclude Ingram sexually abused her by force or against her will.

The court said the testimony of the expert witness may arguably have “walked the thin line between proper expert testimony and vouching for the credibility of the victim” but did not cross the lines.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of Iowans could get pay cuts if legislation discussed in the Iowa House is approved. A GOP-led subcommittee Wednesday approved a bill banning local governments from increasing the minimum wage, a move that would reverse action taken by some of Iowa’s largest population counties.

The bill, introduced by Johnston Republican Jake Highfill, will be considered Thursday by the House Local Government Committee. The legislation would require cities and counties to abide by the state minimum hourly wage of $7.25. It would mean higher wages approved in Polk, Linn, Johnson and Wapello counties would be repealed.

Supporters of the bill say Iowa shouldn’t have a patchwork of wages, but others say local governments should be able to take action since the state hasn’t raised its minimum wage since 2009.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has signed into law a K-12 education funding bill that school officials argue is inadequate. Branstad signed the legislation Wednesday. It would add about $40 million to Iowa’s roughly $3 billion K-12 education budget for the spending year that goes into effect in July.

The Republican-controlled House and Senate voted along party lines to approve the bill. GOP lawmakers supported the bill after hours of debate in which Democrats argued the small increase would lead to bigger classroom sizes, delayed curriculum offerings and teacher layoffs.

Republicans say the amount is responsible spending as the state faces budget constraints. Branstad recommended about $78 million more for K-12 education last month, though he didn’t reference that fact in a press release announcing his decision.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A plan by Republican lawmakers to quickly pass a bill that would drastically cut collective bargaining rights for Iowa public workers has several similarities to Wisconsin’s signature 2011 law that led to massive protests in that state.

Labor experts say the 68-page bill introduced recently by Iowa GOP lawmakers has provisions that mirror Wisconsin’s law, which prohibited public sector unions from negotiating workers’ benefits such as health insurance and working conditions.

Republicans control the Iowa statehouse following the Nov. 8 election, and the GOP governor backs the measure. The Iowa bill was on track Wednesday to clear several procedural votes in the House and Senate. Full chamber debate could happen as early as Monday, less than a week after the legislation was introduced to the public.

Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) Director Jerry Bartruff today (Wednesday) announced his plan for adjusting the agency’s FY2017 budget by $5.5 million as required by law. Among the facilities being hit by the budget axe, is the Lodge Unit in Clarinda, which, along with Luster Heights Camp (at Harper’s Ferry) and the John Bennett Unit (in Fort Madison), and Residential Treatment Services (in Sheldon; community based corrections) are being forced to suspend services.

Director Bartruff commented on the adjustments by stating: “The Department of Corrections understands the fiscally challenging position that the state is in, and thanks the Governor, Lt. Governor, and legislature for enacting budget adjustments that allow the Department to strategically streamline services. The department has been studying the best way to implement these adjustments for weeks. We’ve worked collaboratively with all institutions and community based corrections districts to identify the most strategic way to implement these changes. The actions that we are taking meet the high expectation of safety in our facilities, while also ensuring that the Department does not have to close any of our institutions. While change is rarely easy, the Department of Corrections will make the necessary reallocation of resources to ensure the highest level of safety for the public, the staff, and the offenders under our supervision.”

The DOC says “In total, these adjustments in services comply with Senate File 130, result in an estimated reduction in staff positions of three percent, and ensure public safety remains the highest priority. The Department has begun to notify staff across the state that may be impacted by the consolidations, and many will have the opportunity to work in other units or institutions within the Department.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An appeals court has dismissed lawsuits against two school districts filed by former students who claimed they were sexually abused by educators. In a pair of decisions Wednesday, the Iowa Court of Appeals clarified that all injury claims against government agencies must be brought within two years under the Iowa Municipal Tort Claims Act.

The court rejected arguments that other laws give abuse victims up to five years to sue school employees or longer if the harm isn’t discovered until later. It says lawsuits against offenders can be brought later but those against the school district must be filed within two years of the abuse.

The rulings uphold decisions dismissing lawsuits against the Iowa City Community School District and the Dubuque Community School District due to the statute of limitations.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning to persons who use the social media site Facebook, with regard to “friends” and a government benefits scam. On Monday, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a citizen from Sidney about a possible scam that happened on Facebook. During the course of the investigation it appears that the victim received a friend request from someone she was already friends with.

The scammer posing as the friend, even with pictures and information from that friend, said that she could receive extra government benefits if she clicked a link. It appears that the link opened up her phone so it could be downloaded remotely. The victim gave some information to the scammer but became nervous and did not give any financial or vital personal information.

If you receive a friend request from someone that is already on your Friends List do not accept the request and contact the person you know to make them aware of the hacking. If you notify Facebook they can disable the fraudulent account.

Always be wary of any offers you receive from the internet. There are numerous scams going on at this time from counterfeit checks for payments of things being sold online and including individuals posing as Publishers Clearing House.