The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said today (Friday), a western Iowa man was sentenced Thursday to prison for Possession of Child Pornography. 33-year old Steven Robert Hill, a a former Missouri Valley resident, was sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey, to 54 months (4 1/2 years) in prison to be followed by fifteen years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.

Hill entered a guilty plea to the charge on June 9th, 2016. The investigation began with a report of a domestic assault involving Hill as a victim. During the investigation, law enforcement learned Hill was in possession of child pornography. A search of Hill’s residence located data storage devices that contained child pornography images. Shortly after law enforcement obtained the images, Hill moved to the State of Washington.

The investigation was conducted by the Missouri Valley Police Department, the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Red Oak Police are asking for your help in finding a vehicle that struck a legally parked car earlier this week. Officials say Shelley Ann Walston, of Red Oak, had legally parked her 2002 Jaguar XTY alongside the alleyway in the 400 block of Hammond Street, Tuesday night. When she came out to go to work the next morning, she discovered an unknown vehicle had side-swiped her Jag, causing about $2,600 damage to the passenger side of the vehicle. Anyone with information pertaining to the incident, is encouraged to contact Red Oak Police at 712-623-6500.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – As many as 150 juveniles in Iowa prisons for felonies including kidnapping and attempted murder will get their sentences shortened by years as a result of an Iowa Supreme Court decision. The court ruled Friday that juveniles convicted of forcible felonies who had been resentenced from mandatory minimum terms to sentences with a set period of years should be given credit for good behavior at a much faster pace.

It’s tied to a 2014 decision in which the court struck down as unconstitutional mandatory minimum sentences for juveniles.  Inmates serving mandatory minimum sentences for forcible felonies must serve at least 85 percent of their sentence even when time is credited for good behavior. The court’s ruling means juveniles who can’t serve mandatory sentences get accelerated time for good behavior and can get out after serving 45 percent of their original sentence. For example, a juvenile sentenced to 10 years for robbery could be released after 4 1/2 years, while an adult must serve 8 1/2 years.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in October to 4.1 percent but an official warns the decline could be temporary. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend says the unemployment rate drop announced Friday came despite layoffs in construction and manufacturing companies. She says that could make the decline “only a temporary reprieve.”

Townsend notes, however, that Iowa has jobs available so those affected by layoffs should be able to find other work. During October, the number of unemployed residents dropped to 70,300. The total number of Iowa workers climbed to 1,655,200. Iowa’s unemployment rate compares to a national rate of 4.9 percent. A year ago, Iowa’s unemployment rate was 3.5 percent.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Health officials are puzzled by an outbreak of the mumps among Dubuque County students that has now climbed to 30 cases, which is more than one-third of all cases statewide. According to Dubuque County Health Department executive director Patrice Lambert, the source of the outbreak has not yet been determined. Lambert says this is the worst outbreak in 10 years in the county.

Dubuque Community School District’ health services coordinator, Rhonda Ramler, says officials haven’t seen a pattern to the students who have been affected. The Telegraph Herald reports that precautions are being taken to try and halt the spread of the disease, which can cause fever, headaches and swollen salivary glands.