The Council Bluffs Police Department reports an armed robbery took place late Friday night. Officers were called to the Speedy Gas and Shop at 430 S. 35th Street at around 11:42-p.m., for a robbery that had just occurred. When they arrived in the area, officers met with the store clerk, who said a man entered the business, displayed a handgun and demanded money. The man then took off on foot.

The male suspect was described as being African American, 5-feet 6-inches tall, weighing about 250-pounds. The incident has been turned over to the Council Bluffs Criminal Investigations Division.

If you have any information regarding the incident you’re asked to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at (712)328-7867.

U-S Senate candidate Patty Judge met with a small group of women Friday, to discuss ideas for improving “economic security” for women. “We’ve come a ways, but we still do have a long way to go,” Judge said. “Our economy is better, but it’s still not wonderful and so there’s things we need to attend to.”

The seven other women around the table expressed support for things like a federal law that would require companies to provide paid family and medical leave. In addition, the group discussed the costs of child care and college debt.  “This is probably the single issue that I’ve heard the most on the campaign this year, for the last 8-10 months, is the student loan debt and how that’s impacting the lives of young professionals as they try to get their feet under them,” Judge said.

Judge says, as a senator, she would vote to allow college graduates to restructure their loans and “go shopping” for better interest rates. Judge also promised the group she’d vote for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Judge says progress has been made for her gender since the time years ago that she was told “only her husband” could sign documents for federal crop subsidies. “I can remember just like it was yesterday how angry I was because they had had no problem whatsoever in having me sign the mortgages. I was absolutely obligated for that debt,” Judge said. “…I think we’ve gotten over that, but we still have a ways to go because we know today women are still earning, in Iowa, about 77 cents on the dollar.”

That would be comparing the average earnings of Iowa women and men in the state. Judge, a Democrat, did not mention Senator Chuck Grassley, her Republican opponent during the hour-long discussion. Judge’s campaign sent out a news release later, criticizing Grassley for voting against the Paycheck Fairness Act five times and for twice voting against the Fair Pay Act that is now law. In 2014, Grassley said he voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act because “the bill will do nothing to address our anemic economic growth” and would wind up being “a boon to trial lawyers.”

Grassley’s 2016 campaign manager issued a written statement Friday afternoon, calling Judge’s comments “election year rhetoric.” Bob Haus said Judge could have addressed pay equity issues in the IOWA Department of Agriculture when she was the state’s ag secretary, but “she didn’t.”

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CASCADE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a baby found unresponsive in the bath this week in eastern Iowa has died. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports that 13-month-old child Torin Hartbecke died early Friday morning at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. Investigators say the baby had been left unattended in the bathtub by a parent. When the parent returned, the boy was unconscious.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death last year in Dubuque will not get new attorneys. The Telegraph Herald say a judge on Thursday rejected 27-year-old Eddie Hicks’ handwritten motion requesting he be appointed a new defense attorney to replace the public defenders assigned to his case. District Judge Thomas Bitter said there was insufficient reason for the switch.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A retired sergeant who spoke out after a handcuffed Iowa man drowned is suing three Missouri Highway Patrol officials, saying they conspired against him. The Kansas City Star reports that Randy Henry filed the lawsuit Thursday. Henry says he was told to tell a legislative committee that trooper training had been sufficient before the drowning. Henry says he refused and he was eventually transferred and demoted. He retired before the demotion took effect.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff to honor those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Branstad on Friday ordered all U.S. and Iowa flags controlled by the state to be at half-staff from sunset Friday to sunrise Monday. Although the order applies only to flags on state property, others governments, businesses and individuals are encouraged to also fly flags at half-staff.