AMES, Iowa (KCCI) -The FBI is now joining in the investigation into a missing five-year-old girl in Iowa. KCCI reports that Avery Doherty of Ames has been missing since October. Police believe her mother, Esther Bender, took her. She does not have custody of her daughter. Avery is 4′5″ and weighs 45 lbs. She has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who’ve resolved to lose weight in the new year might need a little help in reaching their goals. Rebecca Cripe, a registered dietician and nutritionist with Gundersen Health System, says it’s not an easy task to change our eating habits and consulting with a professional will increase the chances for success. “We are trained to look at health from a medical standpoint and how food, exercise, hydration and proper self care fit into that,” Cripe says. “We’re always going to do an assessment to see what’s inconsistent, is there too much of one thing, not enough another thing, and what that individual’s goals are and how we can start creating some balance with that.”

If you want to make the change and drop some pounds, Cripe says don’t wait until March, find a registered dietician now, as she says their primary goals are education and problem solving. “I might have a patient at the end of an initial appointment that will say, ‘Gosh, there’s a lot that I want to work on,’ and I’ll say, ‘Absolutely, but we’re going to have time to do that,'” Cripe says. “The average time to make a good lifestyle change is at least six months, so we’re going to take small steps. We might meet every two to three weeks, maybe four weeks, and implement small goals that are realistic.”

Especially with the new year, there’s a lot of messaging with fad diets that there’s a problem with the individual if weight loss goals aren’t met, and that’s not right, according to Cripe. She says we need to go into the process with realistic expectations. “Managing health, weight specifically, is multi-factorial. That means there’s many factors that go into that,” Cripe says. “It’s somebody’s genetics, it’s somebody’s other health issues, it’s our environment, it’s a lack of support, it’s the readiness to change. There’s so many little areas, so seek the help to individually see what’s going to fit for you and seek that support to help.”

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is facing a shortage of attorneys, and prosecutors in one northwest Iowa county are working harder to keep up. Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis says his office needs five more attorneys to be at the full capacity of 18, so he and his staff are working longer hours to cover an increasing criminal caseload. “So, it’s lent itself to many challenges,” Loomis says. “My day usually starts at six o’clock in the morning, and it usually ends around midnight, and then, I get up the next day and do it all over again.” The county recently approved higher salaries to try to entice people to apply.

The president of the Iowa State Bar Association, Ian Russell, says there is a need for lawyers in all areas of the profession, especially in smaller communities and for indigent defense work. “If there was a single reason why,” Russell says, “I would address that reason and do my best to fix it.” Russell says it’s a combination of factors that are keeping some from pursuing a career in law. “Some of it’s just the aging population, some of it’s people not interested in law,” Russell says. “Some if it’s people not interested in being in Iowa.”

From 2014 to 2022, the number of licensed lawyers who live and practice in the state has fallen by more than 260, or about 3.5%.

(Radio Iowa) – State lawmakers are being urged to provide incentives to attract much-needed first responders. Woodbury County Emergency Services Director Scott Mitchell says many small towns and cities across the state struggle with finding enough people to serve as firefighters, ambulance drivers, and E-M-Ts. “The volunteers aren’t there anymore, and I don’t know if it’s not the community dedication is like it used to be, but it’s becoming a very, very large issue,” Mitchell says. Mitchell is the mayor and volunteer firefighter for the small community of Hornick. He says there needs to be something that gives new recruits a reason to volunteer.

“You got to put in the training. There’s no incentive whatsoever for younger people to do it. And why would they want to give up their time if there’s nothing, they’re gonna gain?,” he says.

Mitchell made his comments during a recent legislative forum in Sioux City, where county supervisors and city clerks challenged lawmakers to find creative ways to attract recruits. Some suggestions include providing state-issued health insurance, access to the state retirement plan, and training grants.

(Radio Iowa) – State Climatologist Justin Glisan says Iowa had a bit of a snow drought last month. “Climatologically December is the snowiest month for Iowa,” Glisan says. “The preliminary statewide average is 1.4 inches. That’s 6.5 inches below average.” Despite the lack of snow, December was one of four months out of 2023 that wound up with ABOVE average precipitation.

“A majority of our precipitation was rainfall and that rainfall was gradual over several days and it was able to soak in,” Glisan says. That’s because December temperatures were above average, keeping the ground from freezing solid. Glisan says there is a storm system in the Pacific Ocean that’s headed east. The long-term forecast indicates it may bring rain AND snow to Iowa as early as this weekend. Glisan cautions, though, that the storm system could weaken as it makes landfall on the west coast and moves across the Rockies.

(Radio Iowa) – A local official is calling for changes at the State Training School for Boys in Eldora. Hardin County Supervisor B-J Hoffman says the school should no longer be part of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. “We’ve asked that the state of Iowa transition the State Training School to the auspices of the Department of Corrections and put some actual security out there,” Hoffman says, “where they can stand up and not take a beating from these young men and there’d be some consequences.” Hoffman says Hardin County taxpayers are footing the bill for the response when juveniles at the facility get violent.

“It’s just a revolving door of charges and law enforcement presence at that facility,” Hoffman says. Minors who’ve committed crimes and declared delinquent in juvenile court are placed in the State Training School for Boys. In 2020, a federal judge ordered staff to quit using extended periods of solitary confinement and a full-body canvas wrap as discipline. A 2021 consultants report found mental health treatment and behavior modification had improved at the facility, but student assaults on other students continued to escalate. Hoffman, the Hardin County supervisor, says a number of violent offenders has jumped dramatically.

“That amount of violence has caused the Hardin County Attorney’s Office to be significantly more engaged than we ever have before,” Hoffman says. Hoffman says it’s interfering with the day-to-day operations at the Hardin County Attorney’s Office. According to the county’s website, there are two attorneys, a legal secretary and a paralegal working in the county attorney’s office.

(Sidney, Iowa) – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests:

Daniel Jay Kitchens

On Jan. 1st, deputies arrested 65-year-old Daniel Jay Kitchens, of Thurman, for Burglary 3rd Degree and Violation of a No Contact Order. Kitchens was being held at the Fremont County Jail on a $10,000 cash/surety bond. Authorities say Kitchens was previously released on Dec. 7, 2023 after posting a $5,000 cash/surety bond on a charge of Extortion. He was also released Nov. 16, 2023, after posting an $18,000 cash bond for an incident involving the discharge of a firearm during an altercation.

Justin Kase Moore

On Tuesday, Jan. 2nd, 39-year-old Justin Kase Moore, of Council Bluffs, turned himself into the Fremont County Jail on an active warrant for Eluding. It is alleged that in July of 2023, Moore lead Fremont and Mills County Deputies in a pursuit while operating a motorcycle on Interstate 29. The pursuit was terminated upon entering Nebraska and a warrant was issued in the case. Moore was released after posting a $1,000 cash/surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says the 2024 Iowa legislature should focus on improving access to child care and affordable housing rather than another round of tax cuts. “What does an Iowa family of four who’s a middle class family just trying to make their way in the world, what does their budget look like on July 1 versus June 30 and what have we done in the legislature to address in a way that’s truly meaningful and not just headline grabbing?” Konfrst asks. The state income tax accounts for about 46 percent of current state revenue. Republicans are considering getting rid of the state’s personal income tax and Konfrst says that’s a non-starter with Democrats.

“What really lowers costs for families? The past tax cuts that Republicans have passed have really been great for special interests, for big corporations and for the richest Iowans,” Konfrst says. “500,000 Iowans haven’t seen a dime from the tax cuts, so if there are going to be tax cuts, we need to make sure they’re targeted at middle and lower income families.” Konfrst says the latest data shows Iowa will be short 25-thousand housing units by the end of the decade and it’s time for the state to be more creative in supporting affordable housing.

“What can we do in small communities to ensure that existing housing stock can be rehabilitated in a way that lets families move in and have starter homes in these communities? What can we do to provide incentives for (home) building?” Konfrst asks. She says Democrats also support zoning changes and incentives that would help convert vacant commercial space into housing.

The 2024 Iowa legislature convenes Monday.

(Radio Iowa) – A man was found dead following a fire at a rural Dallas County home Monday. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department reports getting a call about the fire in rural Dallas Center at 9:42 p-m Sunday. Deputies found the home engulfed in flames and a woman outside who told them her husband was still inside.

Firefighters located 80-year-old Dennis Felt dead inside the home. An autopsy is planned on his body. The Sheriff’s Department says the fire appears to be accidental.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports three recent arrests:

On New Year’s Day, 51-year-old Bret Samuelson, of Glenwood, was arrested on a warrant out of Colfax County, NE. No bond was set. And, 29-year-old Cierra Van Scyoc, of Glenwood,was arrested on a Mills County warrant. She posted bond, and was released.

On Saturday, 43-year-old Barbara Riley, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Barred. She posted bond, and was released.

And, the Glenwood Resource Center reported to police on Dec. 28th, an incident of vandalism.