(by O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

A southwest Iowa woman made a direct appeal to state lawmakers yesterday (Thursday) on behalf of other women whose babies have been stillborn. Mandy Ford of Clarinda supports legislation that would allow authorities to issue a birth certificate for stillborn babies. Under current law, a death certificate is issued. “No parent wants to hold the death certificate for their child, but that is the requirement in the law and that is what we must do,” Ford said. “But our other hand remains empty because we do not have a death certificate for our child.” On Thursday, Ford testified before a three-member House subcommittee, talking about the stillbirth of her third child last year.

“We will always have empty arms,” Ford said. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, about two-hundred stillbirths are reported in Iowa each year. Thirty-two other states offer both a birth certificate and a death certificate to the parents of babies who are stillborn. State law calls it a miscarriage if the pregnancy lasted less than 20 weeks. The state representative who’s been named the bill’s manager in the House says he wants to make sure the proposal is fine-tuned and narrowly-focused so it doesn’t lead to a more wide-ranging debate about abortion.

No injuries were reported after a chain-reaction collision involving three vehicles Thursday afternoon, in Atlantic. According to the Atlantic Police Department, a vehicle driven by Rusia Salapa was stopped at the stop light located at 7th and Olive Streets. A vehicle driven by Laura Boggs was slowing down to stop behind Salapa’s vehicle, when Boggs’ car was rear-ended by a vehicle driven by Austin Eblin. All three drivers are from Atlantic.

Officials say the impact caused Boggs vehicle to be shoved forward into the rear of Salapa’s vehicle. The accident, which occurred at around 3:30-p.m. Thursday, caused an estimated  $5,200 damage altogether. The Police Department says Eblin was cited for following to close.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A 40-year-old Sioux City man has been charged with fraud, forgery and selling insurance without a license.  The Sioux City Journal reports Douglas Inlay was arrested Tuesday. Court records show he’s bonded out of jail. Inlay faces two charges of ongoing criminal conduct, five counts of selling insurance without a license, two charges of fraudulent submission to an insurer, one count of fraudulent practice and one count of forgery.

Inlay is accused of selling policies and filing claims through his company, Agency One Insurance, from Nov. 8, 2010, to June 7. The state had revoked his insurance license on Nov. 2, 2010.  Inlay and his attorney have declined to comment.