The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled a Pottawattamie County man who was convicted of murder when he as a teen can challenge his life sentence as cruel and unusual punishment. Jefferey Ragland was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole for his involvement in a 1982 fight in the parking lot of a Council Bluffs store. During the fight, Ragland’s friend Timothy Sieff, struck Mathew Gill in the head with a tire iron and killed him. Ragland tried several appeals which were all rejected. His last appeal said giving him a life sentence was illegal as it was cruel and unusual punishment because he was only 17-years-old at the time of the crime. The district court and Iowa Court of Appeals rejected the cruel and unusual punishment appeal, saying it was a rehash of previous appeals made by Ragland in the case. The Iowa Supreme Court however ruled that the circumstances have changed with court rulings on the cruel and unusual punishment issue, and Ragland should be allowed to pursue that claim in district court. The High Court said however, the cruel and unusual punishment claim is the only avenue of appeal that can be considered in Ragland’s case.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

One person suffered apparently minor injuries during a rollover accident this morning on Interstate 80, in Cass County. According to dispatch reports from the Cass County Communications Center, a vehicle rolled into the median off of I-80 westbound, about a mile west of the Marne exit (Mile marker 52). The accident happened at around 8:35-a.m.

State Patrol Troopers on the scene reported the subject suffered from rib and shoulder pain. Atlantic and MarneFire and Rescue were responded to the scene.  The accident resulted in I-80 westbound being blocked for a little more than an hour.

No other details are currently available.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Friday) voted to appoint Cathy Downey, of Atlantic, to fill a vacancy on the County Veterans Affairs Commission. Downey will hold the position to fill the vacancy, for the remainder of a vacancy term created by the resignation on March 21st of VA Commissioner Jerald Putnam, of Griswold. Putnam had served on the Commission for more than 12-years. Downey will serve on the Commission at least until the term ends on June 20th, 2013.

The Board also voted to remove from the Local Emergency Planning Council James C. Wyman, of Griswold, and Chuck Kinen, who passed away last year. They voted to appoint to the LEPC, Kurt Reason (Marne Fire Dept.), along with Supervisors Gaylord Schelling and Mark Wedemeyer.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors tabled action on a revision to the County’s cellular phone policy, pending further discussion with the various County Department heads, who have not yet had a chance to review the current proposed policy.

One person suffered apparently minor injuries during a rollover accident this morning on Interstate 80, in Cass County. According to dispatch reports from the Cass County Communications Center, a vehicle rolled into the median off of I-80 westbound, about a mile west of the Marne exit (Mile marker 52). The accident happened at around 8:35-a.m.

State Patrol Troopers on the scene reported the subject suffered from rib and shoulder pain. Atlantic and MarneFire and Rescue were responded to the scene.  The accident resulted in I-80 westbound being blocked for a little more than an hour.

No other details are currently available.

An Atlantic woman accused of taking a picture of a nude nursing home resident earlier this month, is free on bond while awaiting a court date. 35-year old Amanda Sedina, an employee of the Salem Lutheran Nursing Home in Elk Horn, faces a serious misdemeanor charge of Invasion of Privacy-Nudity. Shelby County Chief Deputy Sheriff Rod McMurphy says Sedina allegedly took an inappropriate picture of a bathing 78-year old female resident. He says after fellow employee received a text message from Sedina with a picture of the woman attached to it, the employee notified Salem Administrators, who called the Sheriff’s Office. 

The incident was reported to authorities on March 22^nd.  Sedina was arrested March 23^rd, and was released Monday on $1,000 bond. A date for her preliminary hearing has not yet been set.  McMurphy could not comment on Sedina’s motive for taking the alleged picture. He says the case is extremely unusual for Shelby County. He says it’s not something they run across very often, and “It’s beyond despicable.”

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) – A 49-year-old Iowa woman on probation for dumping 23 dead or dying dogs in a Nebraska cornfield in 2008 has admitted violating probation by living with 13 dogs.  A judge told Denise Withee, of Mapleton, Iowa, on Thursday that she’ll be resentenced on April 26 and that she could face prison time. Court records say Withee originally was sentenced in September 2009 to four years of probation and was ordered not to own, possess or reside with any animal for five years. The 13 dogs were found by Iowa authorities in January in the home Withee shares with her mother. Withee will remain in Hall County Jail in Nebraska until her sentencing.