IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Government statistics significantly understate the number of children in the U.S. who were killed by unintentional gun discharges last year. The Associated Press and USA TODAY Network found 141 deaths of minors were attributed to unintentional or accidental shootings in 2015. That’s 83 percent higher than the 77 deaths that the Centers for Disease Control reported Thursday.

Advocates for stricter laws and new technology meant to keep guns away from children argue that the deaths are largely preventable. They say the undercount is significant because it informs the policy debate.

CDC officials say their statistics are low because they rely on death certificates. Some coroners list deaths in which one child unintentionally shoots another as homicides. The AP and USA TODAY Network relied on determinations made by investigating agencies.

Police in Council Bluffs say a Nebraska man was arrested this (Friday) morning, in connection with the theft of a car whose owner left the engine running to warm-up the vehicle. 36-year old Brian James Johnson, of Omaha, was apprehended following a short, two-block foot pursuit that began as Officers began to question him about the incident. Johnson was arrested for Theft in the 2nd Degree, Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Methamphetamine, and Eluding. The drug charge was added after Officers found a quantity of meth in Johnson’s possession.

The incident leading up to his arrest began when authorities were notified at around 9:10-a.m., that at Buick LeSabre reported stolen earlier in the morning had been located by the owner, at the Days Inn parking lot at 3619 9th Avenue. GPS tracking allowed the victim to find her vehicle at the hotel. She met with law enforcement at scene and identified the vehicle as being hers.

The Council Bluffs Police Department thanks the citizen(s) who assisted in locating and apprehending the suspect. The incident they said, “Further highlights the dangers of leaving the keys in the ignition when warming up your vehicle on cold mornings.”

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the monthly winner of the Shop Local Passport Program. The November winner is Kevin Garrett, who shopped local at Cappel’s Ace Hardware. He received $50 in Passport Bucks, only to be used at participating businesses.

Kevin Garrett

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with First Whitney Bank and participating Chamber Members kicked off the passport program at the beginning of June.  Thes shopping incentive rewards shoppers for shopping local and keeps dollars in our community supporting families, employees, business owners and benefiting local schools and community projects. Small businesses have created over 8 million jobs since 1990 and donate 250% more than big business to non-profits and community causes.

The Shop Local Passport campaign has 24 participating businesses allowing shoppers to get everything they need right here in Atlantic. Since the campaign kicked off, 2,431 passports have been entered into the contest. That’s a total of $425,425.00 spent just at participating businesses, helping to increase L.O.S.T (Local Option Sales Tax).

How it works:

1. Passports are available for pick up at the Atlantic Area Chamber of commerce or participating businesses.
2. You receive stamps in the amount of purchases.
3. Once your passport is complete, you have the option to return the completed passport to the Chamber or participating businesses to be entered into a monthly drawing to win Passport Bucks, only redeemable at participating businesses.
4. At the end of the year, all the completed passports will be eligible for a Grand Prize drawing! Prizes will include AtlantiCash and items provided by participating businesses.
5. To learn more and how to be a winner, please visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports 31-year old Laurel Curtis McDonald, of Exira, was arrested Thursday, on an outstanding warrant charging him with OWI/1st Offense, and three-counts of Child Endangerment. The charges are the result of an investigation into an accident that occurred Nov. 2nd on Littlefield Drive, near Pheasant Avenue.

McDonald was brought to the Audubon County Jail and released after appearing in front of the magistrate. His preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 29th.

The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the rezoning of land around the Field of Dreams movie site near Dyersville. The Dyersville City Council voted to rezone the area that contained the site where the movie was filmed from agricultural to commercial so a developer could build a multi-field baseball and softball complex. Several community members challenged the rezoning arguing the city council was not impartial and the move was contrary to the city’s comprehensive plan.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says the council made the decision to rezone the Field of Dreams site in consideration of the best interests of Dyersville. It says the city council considered the economic impact of increased tourism and investigated any traffic, crime and other issues the rezoning could create, while keeping the overall zoning scheme of the city in mind.

(Radio Iowa)

A non-profit traffic safety group is getting a 25-thousand dollar grant to launch a new initiative after a southwest Iowa teen was hit and killed while jogging on a rural road east of Council Bluffs last year. Tom Everson is founder and executive director of the Omaha-based organization, “Keep Kids Alive Drive 25.” Everson says the effort is in memory of Tristan White of Treynor. “He was 14 years old and he was running with his wrestling team for practice in November of 2015 when he was struck,” Everson says. “He died as a result of his injuries from being hit by a pickup truck.”

Everson is working with members of the Junior Optimist Club at Treynor High School and the students have helped develop a course of action to remember Tristan. “His family connected with our mission which is to help make streets safer for all who walk, cycle, play, drive and ride, so, essentially, that’s all of us,” Everson says. “We’re concerned about traffic safety on and along roadways.”

The traffic safety education campaign is being called “A License To Drive” and it targets everyone. Pedestrians, cyclists and others need to actively work to prevent themselves from becoming a hazard for motorists. “As a motorist, that includes paying attention to speed, putting our cell phones away, throwing them in the trunk if we need to so we can concentrate on the task of driving, not following too close, observing stop signs and traffic signals,” Everson says, “doing things the correct way.”

The grant comes from State Farm, the largest auto insurer in Iowa and Nebraska. Everson founded Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 in 1998 as he and his wife were concerned about the safety of their kids, who ranged from age 4 to 10 at the time. He’s since worked with more than 16-hundred communities in the U-S, Canada and Australia.

(Radio Iowa)