(updated 11/29: The charge was dismissed by the court on Nov. 22nd)

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Villisca man on Friday afternoon on theft charges. At 3:20pm Deputies arrested 40-year-old Jason William McCollum of Villisca on a Montgomery County Warrant for Theft 5th Degree. He was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $300 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The parents of a 14-year-old Iowa girl are suing a county prosecutor to try to stop him from filing criminal charges against the teen after she sent suggestive photos of herself to a boy.

Marion County Attorney Ed Bull has threatened to charge the Knoxville girl with sexual exploitation of a minor or child pornography. Bull has said she can avoid the charge if she signs an admission of guilt, performs community service and temporarily gives up her laptop and cellphone.

The lawsuit was filed in September and amended Thursday to add new arguments and to add the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa as attorneys for the girl. The ACLU says it’s seeking to protect the girl’s rights to free speech and freedom of expression. The ACLU says the photos don’t show nudity and are not obscene.

Bull has asked the federal court not to intervene in a state prosecution.

Clarinda Police Cheif Keith Brothers says the Clarinda Police Department will begin Operation Blessing 2016, Monday, November 28th. This community project embodies the spirit of Christmas by helping to make sure every child in Clarinda receives a gift on Christmas day. Retired Police Chief Joe Newton and retired 911 Communications Supervisor Diane Newton will be managing the program again this year.

Children may be signed up for involvement in the program by calling the police department records office at 712-542-2194, extension 203, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Administrative Assistant/Records Clerk Tara McComb will take the child’s name, age, sex, address and two gift requests per child. Names of children can be submitted beginning Monday, November 28^th and will be accepted through Wednesday, December 21^st.

Cash donations in c/o of Operation Blessing 2016 can be dropped off at the office of Chief of Police Keith Brothers, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.  or mailed to the Clarinda Police Department, 200 South 15th Street, Clarinda, Iowa 51632. Cash donations will be used by the Clarinda Police Department to purchase gifts for the children. If you wish to purchase a specific gift for a child, please contact the Clarinda Police Department and ask to speak with Joe and Diane Newton regarding purchasing a specific requested gift item(s).

Families will be contacted by the Clarinda Police Department when the gift items are ready to be picked up. If a family is unable to pick up the gifts, uniformed officers of the Clarinda Police Department will deliver the gifts.

Officials with the Cass County Health System Foundation have announced their 2017 Campaign to purchase a 3D Mammography Unit for Cass County Memorial Hospital. Foundation Director Dawn Marnin says “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, and we all know someone who has been affected by it. Having this new diagnostic tool available right here in Cass County will allow women to be diagnosed up to 15 months earlier. Early detection remains the key to the successful treatment of breast cancer, which makes this campaign so vital.”

At a cost of $450,000, the 3D Mammography technology is a big investment, and the Foundation is busy planning a direct mail campaign, employee and community campaigns, spring gala, and golf tournament – all aimed at helping raise the needed funds. Once purchased, the 3D unit will completely replace the current equipment, and it will become the standard technology for all patients who receive an annual screening mammogram.

Carrie Schmitt, Director of Diagnostic Imaging, says “This technology provides greater detail and visibility than previous units.  It not only provides earlier diagnosis, but it will reduce the number of call backs for additional imaging, which means less radiation exposure for those patients as well as much less stress.”

A 3D mammogram is conducted in a manner very similar to a traditional mammogram, with a technologist positioning the patient and taking images from different angles. The images produced from 3D Mammography provide a radiologist with greater visibility of breast tissue than ever before, allowing for a more thorough assessment of the results.

In recent studies, 3D mammograms not only were able to find cancers that remained undetected by traditional mammograms, but also were able to significantly reduce the number of false results – cutting back the number of callbacks for unnecessary additional screenings. Overall, 3D Mammography has shown a 41 percent increase in the detection of invasive breast cancers compared to traditional technology, and a reduction in reported false positives of up to 40 percent.

To make a donation or learn more about this campaign, contact Dawn Marnin at mardd@casshealth.org or 712-243-7409.