SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A prosecutor says a 27-year-old Sioux City man has rejected another plea offer and will proceed to trial for the death of his 2-month-old son. Michael Williams is charged with three counts of neglect of a dependent person, a count of child endangerment resulting in death and one of child endangerment resulting in injury. His trial is scheduled to begin July 7.

The Sioux City Journal reported Tuesday that County Attorney Patrick Jennings declined to discuss details of the plea deal. Williams also rejected a deal in October. Authorities have said little Leonard Williams was taken to an emergency room on April 29 last year. An autopsy later showed he died of malnutrition and dehydration.

The trial of his mother, 24-year-old Rebekah Williams-McCarthy, is scheduled to begin Aug. 4th.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Two workers at Sioux City’s wastewater treatment plant are no longer employed by the city.  Human Resources Director Bridey Hayes confirmed to KTIV-TV that superintendent Jay Niday and operations supervisor Pat Schwarte no longer work for the city. Hayes said she couldn’t comment further about their departure.

It’s unclear if the employees’ departure is connected to an ongoing investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The agency is investigating whether an employee changed chlorine levels in wastewater samples to meet standards outlined in a state-issued permit that allows treated wastewater to be discharged into the Missouri River. City officials have said they are cooperating with the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A unique sculpture created by the owner of a local iron works company will be featured during the parade for the Lewis Day Festival on June 27th, and in an international art competition. Duane Weirich, of Weirich Welding, in Lewis, said he started working on a steel sculpture of an Eagle, in January. He later learned of a contest that’s held in Grand Rapids Michigan called “Art Prize Seven,” (www.artprize.org/) which runs from Sept. 23rd through Oct. 11th. Wierich entered his project April 20th, and has a venue lined-up to display the piece, which is made entirely out of scrap iron.

The Eagle is 12-feet from wing-tip to wing-tip, eight-feet tall, and weighs roughly 400-pounds. The base alone weighs 2,200 pounds. When finished, it will sit on top of a metal globe that turns. The project is entitled “America, Come Together.” Weirich says the eagle will be clamped to a U-S map on top of a globe.

He says he has about 200 hours into the project so far. The Eagle has 2,000 individual pieces of metal that comprise the feathers.  Wierich says he will travel with the eagle this fall to Michigan for the contest Art Prize contest. Billed as the World’s Largest Art Competition, there were 1,500 entries from 46 countries and 41 U-S States.

The awards are based on “People’s Choice, and by professional judges. There are cash prizes for the top ten finishers. When the contest is over, the Eagle will be sold. Weirich says he already has two people interested in purchasing it.

The parade in which the eagle will be featured on June 27th in Lewis, is military-themed, and features members of last year’s Cass County Honor Flight, along with many other area veterans. Grand Marshall’s for the parade are Dula Thompson and John Robinson, two of the oldest residents of Cass County.

A ceremony dedicating the Cass County Freedom Rock at Pioneer Park in Lewis gets underway at 4-p.m. The Rock was painted by Ray “Bubba Sorensen,” of Greenfield. A salute to Veterans fireworks display rounds out the activities, at dusk.

For many Iowans, a highlight of summer is enjoying a margarita while taking in the sun. But, state health officials have a warning about a toxic reaction playfully referred to as “lime disease.” That’s L-I-M-E, not the tick-borne Lyme Disease spelled with a “Y.” State epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk says there’s a more technical term for the combination of citric acid and sun.

“The name of this is phytophotodermatitis and what it basically means is a combination of a plant or fruit juice, along with sun light, can actually cause your skin to burn,” Quinlisk said. Also sometimes referred to as margarita dermatitis, the skin rash or burn often happens when someone is outdoors mixing a drink and lime, lemon or another citrus juice splashes on their skin. Add some sun rays and it can turn painful.

“That sets up this reaction that can actually burn your skin and burn it to the point of getting blisters,” Quinlisk said. There’s a simple solution to avoiding “lime disease” – wash your hands and arms with soap and water after handling citrus juice. “There are interesting situations where a parent will have it on their hand and touch their child on the back…and the child will actually get a burn that looks like a hand on their back,” Quinlisk said.

(Radio Iowa)

Two Pottawattamie County men were sentenced last week to prison in connection with the distribution of methamphetamine. 20-year old Ruben Toledo Jr., of Council Bluffs, and 25-year old Oscar Arriaga Martinez, a citizen of Mexico who resided in Council Bluffs, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose. Toldeo received a seven-year prison sentence for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Martinez was ordered to serve 11-1/2 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Both men were also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victim Fund.

They pled guilty to the charges on January 8th. The charges were the result of an
investigation by law enforcement of drug trafficking that occurred in and around the Southern District of Iowa and the District of Nebraska. Beginning as early as February of 2014, continuing through September of 2014, Toledo and Martinez conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force and the
Drug Enforcement Administration. Their case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.