WEST UNION, Iowa (AP) — Another nursing assistant accused of sexually abusing patients at a northeast Iowa mental health facility has pleaded guilty. Fayette County District Court records say 31-year-old Jamie Pagel, of Sumner, entered the plea Monday to sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. She was given two years of probation and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Pagel also was granted a deferred judgment, which means the conviction can be cleared from her record if she abides by the terms of her probation.

Pagel was one of five nursing assistants arrested earlier this year after an investigation of sexual assaults at Prairie View Residential Care Facility in Fayette. The facility provides services for adults with chronic mental illness.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (July 25, 2018) — Thousands of people have responded to the emergency call for blood and platelet donations issued by the American Red Cross in early July. Still, there continues to be an emergency need for donors of all blood types, especially type O, to give now to address a severe blood shortage. Red Cross blood donations are being distributed to hospitals faster than they are coming in, and right now there is less than a five-day blood supply on hand. The Red Cross strives to keep a five-day supply of blood to meet the needs of patients and to be prepared for emergencies that require significant volumes of donated blood products. There is a particular need for type O blood, which plays an important role in ongoing patient care and emergencies. Type O positive is the most transfused blood type and can be given to patients with any Rh-positive blood type. Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be given to any patient. It’s what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations.

In thanks, all those who come to donate blood or platelets July 30 through Aug. 30, 2018, will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.) Donors of all blood types are urged to make an appointment to give now using the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 25-Aug. 15

American Red Cross Blood Donation Center: Loess Hills Blood Donation Center, 705 N. 16^th St. Council Bluffs.

Adair County: Greenfield, 8/15/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Methodist Church, 108 SW 5th Street

Audubon County: 8/8/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Patrick’s Parish Center, 2050 Hwy 71 N

Carroll County: Arcadia, 8/7/2018: 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., American Legion Hall, 210 Head Street; Manning, 7/27/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, 203 Sue Street

Cass County: Atlantic, 8/15/2018: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Atlantic High School, 1201 East 14th Street.

Crawford County: Denison, 8/7/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., United Methodist Church, 113 South 14th Street; Manilla, 8/9/2018: 12:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 537 3rd Avenue

Harrison County: Logan, 7/31/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Center, 108 West 4th Street

Mills County: Glenwood, 8/13/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 512 2nd St.

Montgomery County: Red Oak, 8/6/2018: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Montgomery County Hospital, 2301 Eastern Ave; 8/8/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Red Oak YMCA, 101 E Cherry St

Page County:  Clarinda, 7/27/2018: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Clarinda Academy, 1820 North 16th Street; 8/10/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, 322 N 16th

Pottawattamie County: Carson, 8/6/2018: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Carson Community Center, 316 South Commerical St; Council Bluffs – 7/28/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.,  7 S 4th St; 8/3/2018: 6 a.m. – 12 p.m., Mid-America Center, One Arena Way; 8/3/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Mid-America Center, One Arena Way; 8/12/2018: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Queen of Apostles Campus, 3304 3rd Avenue; 8/12/2018: 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Community of Christ, 140 Kanesville Blvd; Shelby, 8/11/2018: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Shelby Community Building, 500 East Street

Shelby County: Earling, 7/30/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Joseph’s Hall, 118 Main Street; Harlan, 8/7/2018: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., CDS, 3107 Shelby Street

Taylor County: Bedford, 7/27/2018: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Legion Hall, 301 Main St; Lenox, 7/31/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Center, 210 E. Dallas St

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Nebraska man died when a train moved as he was crawling underneath it in northwest Iowa. Sioux City police say the accident occurred just after 11 p.m. Monday. Police say the train had stopped in downtown and the man tried to crawl under it to continue on his way. But it moved, running over him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have identified him as 45-year-old Kalmer Crowe. He lived in Winnebago, Nebraska.

The Cass County Fair opens today (Wednesday), here in Atlantic, with a light schedule: From 9-a.m. until 2:30-p.m., there is 4H Static Exhibit Judging; 9-a.m. until Noon is the Clover Kids Showcase entry; The Food Sale takes place at the Community Center beginning at 10-a.m., and Fairgrounds set-up is this evening, beginning at 6.  There’s lots more going on tomorrow through the end of the Fair next Tuesday, at the Cass County Fairgrounds. Some highlights tomorrow night include: The “Little Miss and Mister” contest, at 7; King and Queen contest at 7:30; Senior Recognition at 8-p.m., and a movie in the Outdoor Show Ring, beginning at 8:45-p.m., Thursday.

For more on the Cass County Fair Schedule, go to www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, or look for The Cass County Fair (IA) on Facebook.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — The Marshalltown mayor says the Marshall County Courthouse may be closed for up to a year for tornado repairs. Last week’s tornado caused severe structural and water damage throughout the building and knocked down the cupola. Mayor Joel Greer toured the courthouse Tuesday and told station KCCI that “it’s going to take a lot longer than they thought to fix it, and so we will be looking for temporary quarters that will have to last a year.”

The courthouse operations are being moved elsewhere in town, except for civil courts. They’re being relocated to Nevada in Story County.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Cass County was arrested Tuesday evening on an assault charge, in Elliott. 43-year old Levi Darrel Stroup, of Atlantic, was taken into custody at around 7:40-p.m. in the 500 block of 5th Street. Stroup was charged with Aggravated Domestic Violence using a weapon. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 cash only bond.

A collision between a car and a pickup truck Tuesday afternoon in Ringgold County, resulted in a man being flown to a hospital in Des Moines. The Iowa State Patrol reports 20-year old Chase Shiltz, of Creston, was driving a 2008 Nissan Altima westbound on Highway 2 at around 4:30-p.m., when for reasons unknown, the car crossed the centerline of the road and crashed into an eastbound 1999 Dodge RAM 3500 truck.

Shiltz, who was wearing his seat belt, suffered serious injuries and was flown by Life Net to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. The driver of the pickup, 59-year old Ivan Stoltzfus, of Leon, was not hurt in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Deputies with the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office assisted the ISP at the scene.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Many farmers are critical of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the damage done to commodity prices and markets, but say they are appreciative that he has offered to provide cash to help make up their losses. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Tuesday a $12 billion plan to borrow money from the U.S. Treasury to pay producers of commodities including soybeans, corn and wheat to compensate for losses due to trade disputes.

BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — State and federal agents are investigating the disappearance of a 20-year-old University of Iowa student who has been missing for nearly a week in eastern Iowa. KCRG TV reports that Mollie Tibbetts was staying at her boyfriend’s home in Brooklyn last week. A neighbor reported seeing Tibbetts jogging Wednesday evening. She was reported missing Thursday. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt says the FBI is using computer forensics to pinpoint her location.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Donald Kaul, a longtime columnist for the Des Moines Register and a Pulitzer Prize finalist twice over, has died. He was 83. His son, Chris Kaul, tells the Register that his father died Sunday at his home in Washington, D.C., following a long battle with prostate cancer that spread to his skeleton. At his height, Kaul’s “Over the Coffee” column was syndicated in 150 newspapers.

PLEASANT HILL, Iowa (AP) — Iowa natural resources officials are investigating a fungicide spill and subsequent fish kill in a central Iowa creek. The state Department of Natural Resources says an estimated 180 gallons of fungicide spilled Monday when a 250-gallon container fell from a Landus Cooperative truck Monday afternoon at the intersection of state Highways 163 and 316. Some of it reached Camp Creek, where department staff found dead minnows and chubs downstream of the spill site.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, Tuesday, said 2100th Street over Snake Creek, in the 1200 block of 2100th Street, is closed for the next six weeks or so, weather permitting, due to a bridge replacement project. The bridge is located between Greeley Township Sections 19 and 30, between Linden Road and Maple Road.

Emergency responders and residents in the area should plan to take alternate routes. If you have any questions, call the Shelby County Engineer’s Office at 712-755-5954.

Map of the affected area

In early 2018, Healthy Cass County received one of six community grant awards from the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health. Healthy Cass County used these funds to develop an initiative titled “Walk Cass County.” The project is to encourage walking as a way to connect families and friends while gaining countless health benefits.

The grant helped Healthy Cass County develop, print and distribute walking maps with routes of varying lengths in each of the eight Cass County towns. Hotch Studios, located in Atlantic, designed a new Healthy Cass County logo and all eight maps for the group.

You can get any of the eight maps by:

• Stopping by Cass County Public Health during business hours
• Locating maps throughout each community
• Visiting Healthy Cass County’s webpage to print the map of your choice http://www.atlanticiowa.com/relocate/health-wellness-2/healthy-cass-county/
• Downloading the ‘Map My Walk’ app and searching for the Healthy Cass County routes in any Cass County town.

Beth Olsen, Director of Public Health for Cass County and Healthy Cass County Coordinator, says “We have been making great strides here is Cass to improve our county health rankings and statistics. Walking is easy and best of all FREE. We hope these maps would engage community members and families by encouraging active lifestyles and togetherness by the simple act of walking.”

Like and follow the Healthy Cass County Facebook Page for more information on local health and wellness events or resources. If you would like to be part of Healthy Cass County, the group currently meets the second Monday of the month at noon. They invite Healthy Cass County partners around the table to discuss health and wellbeing initiates countywide. Call 712-243-7552, for monthly meeting locations. All are welcome to attend!