DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A jury has sided with an Iowa newspaper in a lawsuit brought by a former administrator of the state’s third-largest city. A Scott County jury on Friday ruled in favor of the Quad-City Times and its journalists. Former Davenport city administrator Craig Malin had sued, arguing the paper published false stories and opinion pieces about his official actions, forcing him out after 14 years with the city.

The newspaper’s reporting on Davenport’s handling of financial negotiations for a new casino prompted the mayor to call for Malin’s termination. The newspaper defended its coverage as accurate watchdog journalism protected by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.

The Quad-City Times reported that Malin had sought more than $1.5 million in damages. Judge Henry Latham ordered Malin to pay court costs.

• The Southwest Iowa Band Jamboree in Clarinda is cancelled.
• The outdoor showing of “Rudy” at the Trojan Bowl in Atlantic is postponed to Oct. 19th.

If you have any other cancellations, please e-mail: kjannews@metc.net.

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

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

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Atlantic, IA – The October session of Healthy U will be held Thursday, October 17th, at Cass County Health System. The program, “What is Medical Cannabis?,” will be presented by CCHS Pharmacy Director Crystal Starlin, PharmD. She will be discussing several areas of medical marijuana, how it works, therapeutic uses, and Iowa’s law for medical cannabis.

Crystal has served as the Pharmacy Director since joining CCHS in 2006; she along with her staff provide pharmacy oversight for all medications issued in the hospital for inpatients and patients receiving outpatient treatments.

Healthy U will be offered at noon on Thursday, October 17. Healthy U is a free educational series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as a meal is provided for all attendees. Call 712243-7479 to reserve your seat.

Two people from Nebraska and one person from Iowa were injured during a three-vehicle collision Friday afternoon on Highway 2, in Fremont County. The Iowa State Patrol reports at around 4:45-p.m., a 2013 Ford F-250 pickup driven by 54-year old Vernon Christiansen, of Nebraska City, Nebraska, was traveling east on Highway 2 at the one mile marker, when for reasons unknown, he failed to slow for traffic that was stopped in a construction zone.

The pickup hit the rear end of a stopped 2017 Subaru Outback, driven by 63-year old Maureen Fowler, of Lincoln, NE. Her vehicle then struck the rear of a 2014 GMC Acadia driven by 59-year old Teresa Hopkins, of Sidney (IA). Her SUV was pushed into the back of yet aa 2009 Ford F-150. During the crash, the Subaru spun around and came to rest in the opposite lane of Highway 2, facing sideways. The pickup crossed the center line and struck a westbound vehicle head-on, after the westbound vehicle struck the F-150.

Christiansen was transported by LifeNet to Bergan-Mercy Hospital. Fowler was transported by Nebraska City Rescue to St Mary’s Hospital, and Hopkins was brought to Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg, by Hamburg Rescue. The accident remains under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45-a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Trump administration says it plans to implement new rules that will increase demand for ethanol, reversing a decline caused by exemptions given to oil refineries. The proposal announced Friday follows months of complaints by Midwest farmers, politicians and the ethanol industry that the federal government’s granting of waivers to refiners had violated federal law and forced some ethanol plants to close. Roughly 40 percent of U.S. corn is used to produce ethanol.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee has filed yet another lawsuit against a major media organization, claiming he was defamed in a magazine story about his family’s Iowa dairy farm. Rep. Devin Nunes of California is seeking $77.5 million in the lawsuit filed Monday against Esquire publisher Hearst Magazines and former reporter Ryan Lizza, now a correspondent for Politico. Nunes filed similar lawsuits against Twitter and newspaper publisher The McClatchy Co. earlier this year.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A company has taken another step toward redeveloping the former Waterloo Greyhound Park. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the Waterloo planning and zoning commission voted Tuesday to endorse a special permit that would let Deer Creek Development fill 7 acres on the site to get it out of the 100-year flood plain. Deer Creek President Harold Youngblut says doing so will make the site more appealing to companies because they wouldn’t have to pay for costly flood insurance.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man has been convicted of video recording girls in the bathroom of his West Des Moines record store. Court records say 50-year-old Robert Kuhn was found guilty Wednesday of three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of invasion of privacy. His sentencing is set for Nov. 14. Kuhn was arrested in 2017 after a girl who had worked for him told police she found a video camera hidden on a shelf in the bathroom after Kuhn had asked her to try on dresses.

Atlantic Street Department Superintendent Kirk Knudsen said this (Friday) afternoon, South Olive Street, which was closed overnight through part of Friday, is now open from 22nd Street to Jasper Road.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of people crowded the streets of downtown Iowa City on Friday to demand action on climate change and welcome 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Thunberg told the crowds she was stunned by the number of people who had turned out, telling them, “This is the real hope — so many people gathering here on a weekday with such short notice.”

The teen reiterated the message she has spread around the world to act on science in addressing climate change. Thunberg spoke to world leaders last month at a United Nations summit in New York and has led students in global protests demanding action on climate change.

In Iowa City on Friday, she drew cheers when she said teens and children should have to take on such responsibility, “but right now, the world leaders keep acting like children, and somebody needs to be the adult in the room.”

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa high school science teacher has been placed on administrative leave after he made what appeared to be a threatening social media comment about 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The Waterloo Community School District said Friday in an emailed statement that the teacher, Matt Baish, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Baish’s removal followed a Facebook comment he purportedly posted about Thunberg’s planned appearance Friday in Iowa City for a student-led climate strike demonstration, asking “Who’s all going?” In response, a user named Matt Baish wrote,

“Dont have my sniper rifle.” West High School’s website lists Baish as a science teacher at the school.