WINDSOR HEIGHTS—Heavy rainfall and extensive flooding throughout most of the state makes many Iowa streams unsafe for recreation. While fast stream currents are the biggest risk for people, high waters can also carry dangerous debris and bacteria. “For their own safety, we’re recommending people stay out of the water until several days after streams return to normal,” said Ted Petersen, supervisor of DNR’s Windsor Heights field office.

“Following heavy rains, almost 100 communities from Keokuk to Waterloo, from Dubuque to Clarinda have reported wastewater discharges since October 1,” he said.

“Widespread heavy rainfall overwhelmed city treatment plants and a number of livestock operations have reported overflowing manure storage systems,” Petersen said. “Most of these facilities have national pollution prevention discharge elimination system or NPDES permits.” Put simply, an NPDES permit allows them to overflow due to heavy rains.

One discharging livestock facility, Cyclone Cattle near Macedonia in Pottawattamie County, has an expired NPDES permit. “Its lagoons have recently been pumped out and there are no animals in the facility.”

Managers of city and industrial wastewater treatment plants, and livestock facilities that are discharging or expecting to discharge should contact their local DNR field office. “We’ll work with them to identify solutions and minimize impacts to nearby streams,” Petersen said.

After hours, facilities can call the DNR emergency spill line at 515-725-8694. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man has been given 50 years in prison for stabbing to death a woman a woman in her northeast Iowa home. Court records say 54-year-old Garry James was sentenced Wednesday in Dubuque. Authorities say he killed 53-year-old Michelle Kinney on July 21. Friends found her body two days later on the floor of her blood-spattered kitchen in Dubuque. James pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after prosecutors reduced the charge from first-degree murder.

(Radio Iowa) — Jake Porter, the Libertarian Party’s candidate for governor, was near the stage — in the audience — for last (Wednesday) night’s televised debate between Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Fred Hubbell. “Criminal justice reform, mental health also things with the budget are just things that I would have talked about — in a very positive way,” Porter says. “We wouldn’t go negative against any one of the candidates or anything like that.” Porter says criminal just reform deserves more than just a passing mention in the 2018 campaign.

“There’s about 40,000 to 50,000 Iowans that have served their time, paid for their crime. They need to have their voting rights restored,” Porter says. “At one point they did, now they no longer have their voting rights restored.” In 2005, Governor Tom Vilsack issued an executive order that automatically restored voting rights to felons who had completed their prison time, probation and parole. In 2011, Governor Terry Branstad cancelled that. Felons who’ve completed their sentences must apply — now — to Governor Reynolds and prove fines and restitution have been or are being paid to get their voting rights restored. Porter says just because he and the other candidates for governor aren’t impacted personally by criminal justice issues doesn’t mean the issue should be ignored.

“Currently our prisons are over-capacity. In like seven to eight years, they’re going to be at 142 percent of capacity. The state doesn’t have money to build new prisons, for example, so we have to make decisions: ‘Who are we going to let out?’ It costs $32,000 or so a year to put somebody in prison when it’s a lot cheaper just to treat the addiction and then if we look at people who are addicted, a lot of time they’re afraid to get help,” Porter says. “They’re afraid their kids are going to get taken away from them. They could lose their jobs. They could go to jail for it.”

Porter says it’s time to classify addiction as a health issue rather than a crime issue. Porter runs a marketing and business consulting agency in Council Bluffs. A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll conducted last month found Porter had the support of seven percent of likely voters.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday. At around 3-p.m., 19-year old Saxztihn Richard Donaldson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug, and Operating vehicle without Owners Consent. His bond was set at $3,000. And, at around 11:30-p.m., 25-year old Nathan Thomas Case, of  Omaha, was arrested in Mills County for being a Fugitive from Justice, and Failure to Maintain or use Safety Belts. Bond was set at $5,000.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A prosecutor will request a review to determine whether an Iowa social worker should be charged with a crime for giving false testimony in child welfare cases. Cerro Gordo County Attorney Carlyle Dalen says he’ll refer the case involving former Iowa Department of Human Services employee Chelsie Gray to another agency for investigation. Dalen says he’s trying to determine which office should handle the inquiry to ensure “this potential criminal matter can be evaluated fairly and independently.” He says his office shouldn’t be involved since it uncovered Gray’s false statements and brought them to the court’s attention.

A judge in June found Gray told “lies and misrepresentations” during a proceeding in which parents were unfairly stripped of their rights to four children. She falsely claimed she routinely visited the family as required and spoke to the children’s teachers. Until The Associated Press reported the ruling Tuesday, Gray had apparently avoided any consequences. She resigned from DHS last month.