More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

A man from eastern Iowa’s Johnson County was sentenced last week to serve 268 months (22-years) in prison, after being found guilty by a jury, of three counts of child sex trafficking, two counts of distributing methamphetamine to children, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

During his trial, the government presented evidence 53-year old Kendall Andrew Streb, of Hills, Iowa, trafficked three teenagers in Iowa City, Coralville, and Cedar Rapids, primarily from November 2018 through February 2019. Streb solicited the three minors, aged 15 through 17 years old, by paying them in cash and methamphetamine in exchange for sex acts. Streb, at times, transported the teenagers to hotel rooms where he engaged in commercial sex acts with them. The evidence at trial showed that Streb knew one or more of the girls was under 18 years old, and he was otherwise was in reckless disregard of the fact that they were under the age of 18.

Sex trafficking of a child is punishable by a minimum of ten years in prison, and up to life imprisonment. United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum stated, “Kendall Streb will spend the next two
decades in federal prison because he knowingly exploited teenage girls by paying them for sex. This sentence should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who believes he can escape serious criminal consequences if he is ‘just a john.’ We will continue to aggressively prosecute both buyers and sellers who sexually abuse children.”

Human trafficking is defined as a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely.

Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Hills’ case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department, with assistance from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Coralville
Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Two people were arrested on separate charges Monday afternoon, in Creston. According to Creston Police, 30-year old Alex Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Harassment in the 1st Degree. He was additionally charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana-1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Cunningham was later released from the Union County Jail, on a $3,300 bond.

And, 50-year old Tony Fizer, of Creston, was arrested Monday for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana-1st offense. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Vice President Mike Pence will visit sites in Carter Lake and Des Moines, Thursday. According the Trump-Pence campaign, The V-P in Carter Lake is expected to “deliver remarks highlighting the historic accomplishments of the Trump administration at Noon, during a Make America Great Again! Event” at Owen Industries, Inc. (501 Avenue H) (Register for tickets here.) Doors will be open for the event beginning at 10-a.m.

In Des Moines, Pence will deliver remarks on the importance of faith in America at Faith in Leadership: The Need for Revival.” No further information was released.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) – In the year since Logan’s Law went into effect in Iowa, almost three-thousand people signed up as organ, eye and tissue donors when getting a hunting, fishing or fur harvester license through the D-N-R. Heather Butterfield, spokeswoman for the Iowa Donor Network, says they couldn’t have hoped for a better response. “When Logan’s Law first went into effect, we really didn’t know what to expect,” Butterfield says. “There weren’t a lot of states to model after with this, so we are thrilled with the impact Logan’s Law has had in the first year — 2,900 new registrants have joined Iowa’s Donor Registry, which is really incredible.”

The law passed the Iowa legislature in the spring of 2019 and took effect that September. While most people register as donors when they renew their driver’s license, backers of Logan’s Law wanted to reach out to a different audience. “This is just another opportunity for people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors,” Butterfield says. “Most people do register at the DMV but now, with a lot of the changes they’ve made, people may go five, six or seven years in between the time they have to renew their license, whereas, when someone’s getting a hunting or fishing license, they’re typically doing that every single year.”

Logan’s Law is named after Logan Luft of Charles City. He died in 2017 at the age of 15 and saved many lives as he was an organ and tissue donor. “Logan just loved the outdoors, he loved hunting, he loved fishing,” Butterfield says. “Logan’s family were really the ones that championed the passage of this law. They were in Des Moines, working with legislators to get this bill passed and they are just so thrilled with the impact that it has had.”

More than one-point-eight million Iowans are registered as organ, eye and tissue donors. Nationwide, there are about 112-thousand people on transplant waiting lists, including about 600 in Iowa. Butterfield says a single organ donor can save up to eight lives, while a single tissue donor can enhance as many as 300 lives.

Learn more at iowadonornetwork.org/

BEIJING (AP) — The departing U.S. ambassador in Beijing is defending a tough approach to China that has riled relations between the world’s two largest economies. Terry Branstad says the Trump administration has made progress on trade and that he hopes it will extend to other areas including China’s treatment of diplomats and journalists. Branstad downplays the strained relationship, noting it has weathered ups and downs in the past. He concedes, though, that there is concern that pressure on China could lead to a downward spiral of growing restrictions.

U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad speaks during an interview at the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. The departing U.S. ambassador on Tuesday defended a tough approach to China that has riled relations between the world’s two largest economies, saying the Trump administration has made progress on trade and that he hopes it will extend to other areas. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

The longtime former Iowa governor is returning to Iowa this weekend after three years and three months as ambassador. No successor has been named.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa farmers had nearly seven days suitable for fieldwork last week and made the most of it. The U-S-D-A reports says 12 percent of the corn has been harvested — up from four percent — and almost three weeks ahead of last year and nine days ahead of average. The soybean harvest was at 30 percent complete — up from seven percent last week. The bean harvest is 19 days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of average.

It is the largest percentage of soybeans and corn harvested by September 27th since 2012 when 48 percent of the corn and 41 percent of soybeans been harvested. Farmers in the northwest and west-central Iowa continue to lead the way with almost half of their soybean acreage harvested.

(Radio Iowa) Republican Senator Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield engaged in a combative debate last (Monday) night on Iowa P-B-S. The candidates disagreed on taxes, immigration, infrastructure, the minimum wage and when the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court should be filled. Ernst, who described herself as “proudly pro-life,” downplayed the idea confirming President Trump’s nominee will get the ultimate result abortion opponents have long sought.

“I think the likelihood of Roe v Wade being overturned is very minimal,” Ernst said. Greenfield called the decision “settled law.”  “I will always defend a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions with the guidance of her doctor,” Greenfield said. Tens of millions of dollars is being spent by outside groups on this Senate race and each candidate accused the other of being beholden to special interest money.

“Senator Ernst has taken $2 million in corporate PAC donations and folks, there’s too much money in our politics. I put a plan together. She doesn’t have one.” Ernst responded: In one hand, she’s saying: ‘Oh, we’re not going to have dark money in this campaign.’ She’s got the other hand behind her saying: ‘Please hand me some dark money.'” Neither candidate ruled out the idea of raising new fees to supplement the per-gallon gas tax, but their views of the federal minimum wage diverged. Ernst said it may be time to “index” the minimum wage, so it automatically goes up based on inflation.

“There are a lot of solutions out there,” Ernst said, “but overall I do believe that this should be a state-based issue as well.” Greenfield expressed support for doubling the federal minimum wage. “No one can feed a family on $7.25 an hour,” Greenfield said. “…I believe we need to move it up to $15 over time.” Due to the pandemic, the debate was held in an empty auditorium and the candidates were separated by plexiglass.

Ernst mentioned she wears a face mask, but she said requiring face coverings in public doesn’t appear to be enforceable. Greenfield cited the recent increase in Covid cases and pointed to the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommendation that Iowa have a statewide mask mandate.