An event designed to combat human trafficking is scheduled for today (Friday) at Des Moines University. The panel discussion aims to educate the public on recognizing and combating the enslavement of people for the purposes of forced labor or sex work. One of the panelists is Cathy O’Keefe, director of the Quad Cities-based Family Resource’s “Braking Traffik” program. She says human trafficking exists in all forms in Iowa.

“It can target adults and children, men and women, people of any race or ethnicity. It targets citizens and noncitizens,” O’Keefe says. “There are no bounds to this crime and there’s no community that’s immune to this crime. Until we really start to understand that, we are going to continue to miss identifications.” Earlier this year an anti-human trafficking office was established within the Iowa Department of Public Safety. O’Keefe hopes it will help curb such the trafficking.

“We have human trafficking through the agricultural industry, through factories, so those could be in rural communities,” O’Keefe says. “We also have to remember that there’s a demand for prostitution, a demand for sex trafficking everywhere, in all of our communities. And because a lot of sex trafficking is advertised online, really it’s everywhere.” O’Keefe says it’s difficult at times to identify trafficking. But when it comes to labor trafficking, immigrants can fall victim when they are underpaid or denied healthcare. The event at DMU is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.

(Radio Iowa)

A Native American casino in northwest Iowa is now offering a “non-smoking” gaming room. Travis Morgan is a spokesman for the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan. “So many people out there love to gamble and hate cigarette smoke,” Morgan says. A state law that went into effect July 1st of 2008 bans smoking in public places, but Iowa’s casino industry got an exemption that has allowed smoking to continue on the gaming floors. Officials with the state-licensed casinos say banning smoking would put them at a competitive disadvantage and they have opposed efforts in the legislature to start enforcing the smoking ban inside the casinos.

The Native American casinos in Tama, Onawa and Sloan are not state licensed. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska operates the casino in Sloan. “We’ve given WinnaVegas a big room — 70 slot machines — where you can come, gamble and not have to worry about cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, pipe smoke, nothing,” Morgan says. “It’s just an option that you have now at WinnaVegas that we hope is going to bring a core group of people to us because we’re the only ones that have something like this.”

Morgan says many customers consider the smokey casino floors to be a “downside” to their gambling experience. “We’ve just eliminated that problem,” Morgan says. The casino is about 20 miles south of Sioux City. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska operates the Blackbird Bend Casino in Onawa, Iowa. The Meskwaki Tribe’s casino near Tama opened in 1992.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Utilities Board has denied landowners’ request to halt construction of an oil pipeline beyond this week. The three-member board voted Thursday afternoon against a lengthy stay of construction of the Dakota Access pipeline on parcels of 14 landowners while a court considers a lawsuit they’ve filed. Chairwoman Geri Huser says the board concluded landowners have little likelihood of success in court case and that Dakota Access would be financially harmed by construction delays.

ELKADER, Iowa (AP) — Volunteers scrambled Thursday to erect sandbag walls around businesses and some homes as the rain-swollen Turkey River threatened to breach protective levees in northeast Iowa. Authorities say the flooding already occurring in Clayton County’s Elkader and elsewhere is expected to worsen as the river is forecast to hit 27 feet Friday morning in Elkader. That’s 15 feet above flood stage and just three-quarters of a foot under the record crest of more than 27.75 inches in 2008.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Five counties ravaged by storms and flooding in northeastern Iowa will get disaster assistance. Gov. Terry Branstad issued a disaster proclamation for Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties. Under the declaration, the counties can use state resources to recover from the disasters.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Trial has been set for a former Iowa City dog groomer accused of kicking a dog while it was in his care. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that 22-year-old Lucas Van Orden V is set to stand trial on Nov. 1 on an aggravated misdemeanor charge of animal abuse. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison.

Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns, Thursday, reports two more candidates have filed nomination papers in advance of the November 8th General Election. Republican Keith W. Nelson, of Massena, filed his papers Thursday for the Edna Township Trustee position. And, Incumbent Republican Curt Behrends, of Wiota, filed papers Wednesday, for one of three seats on the Cass County Soil and Water Conservation Commission.

Persons interested in having their names on the Nov. 8th ballot for various County Offices, have until Aug. 31st to get their nomination papers with the proper number of signatures on them, in to the Cass County Auditor’s Office.

The Glenwood Police Department, Thursday, said a Glenwood man was arrested Wednesday on a Mills County warrant for Harassment in the 1st degree. 37-year old Christopher Brown, was being held in the Mills County Jail, on a $5,000 cash only bond.

Several, recent reports of residential and vehicle break-in’s and thefts in Harlan have authorities reminding residents to lock their homes, garages and cars. The Harlan Police Department says many houses and cars have been broken into, and items stolen. Each case remains under investigation.

Harlan Police also issued their latest arrest and incident report, Thursday afternoon. Officials said last Sunday, 40-year old Chad Petersen, of, Harlan, was taken into custody when officers were called to the 1100 block of Farnam Circle for a male subject trying to break into a house. Petersen was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with intoxication in public.

Saturday, 26-year old Carlos Fonseca-Triminio was taken into custody, when officers were called to a possible domestic situation. As a result of the investigation, Fonseca-Triminio was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault, criminal mischief 4th degree, and trespassing.

August 18th, 50-year old Jeffrey Rowland was arrested following a traffic stop, in Harlan. Rowland was charged with driving a motor vehicle while suspended. He was cited, given a court date, and released.

On August 14th, 33-year old Bradley Robinson, of Harlan, was arrested when officers were called to the 1000 block of 7th Street for someone who was asked to leave the establishment and would not leave.  Robinson was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with trespassing. That same day, 22-year old Dustin Marchant, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Marchant was charged with driving a motor vehicle while suspended and cited for failure to prove security against liability.  He was given a court date, and released.

On August 13th, 24-year old Dillon Lorentzen, of Harlan, was arrested when officers were called to an unconscious person in the alley in the 1000 block of 7th St. Lorentzen was checked out by the Medivac ambulance personnel and Lorentzen refused treatment. Lorentzen was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with intoxication in public.

On August 12th, Harlan Police were notified at around 3-a.m., that a 13-year-old male had not returned to his residence. Later that morning, after an extensive search was conducted, the male juvenile was found in the company of a second male juvenile. Both subjects were cited for curfew violations and released to their guardians.

And, on August 9th, 19-year old Trever Richter was arrested following a traffic stop in Harlan.  Richter was charged with driving a motor vehicle while suspended.  He was cited for the offense, and released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Utilities Board has declined to take immediate action on a request by 14 landowners to halt construction of a four-state oil pipeline. There is temporary stop on construction until Monday but the board met Thursday to hear two hours of arguments from Texas-based Dakota Access and the landowners on whether to order a more permanent delay.

The landowners have filed a lawsuit that challenges the board’s authority to allow eminent domain of their land for a privately owned pipeline project. That suit has not come before a court yet. The $3.8 billion pipeline has generated legal challenges and protests in North Dakota and Iowa.

The board adjourned until 4:30 p.m. Thursday, and will meet again Friday afternoon. It gave no indication when it would vote.