LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – A man from western Iowa has been arrested on preliminary attempted murder and kidnapping charges after authorities say he tied a cinder block to his ex-girlfriend and tossed her into the Spring River in Cherokee Village, Arkansas. Sharp County (AR) sheriff’s detective Jimmy Bennett tells the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that 45-year-old Jerry Dean Clark of Glenwood,  was being held in the Sharp County jail on a $250,000 bond.

Court documents say Clark kidnapped 44-year-old Kathryn Lynn Jones at a Days Inn Hotel on April 20th. Bennett says that after Jones emerged from the river, Clark tied her to a tree and hit her. She freed herself and floated 2 miles downstream before calling for medical attention at a residence. Clark will face formal charges in Sharp County, AR, Circuit Court, on May 12th.

Gov. Terry E. Branstad today (Wednesday) ordered all flags on the Capitol Complex to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 6th, in observance of the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony which is to be held at 10-a.m. on Friday, May 6th, at the Oran Pape State Office Building of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, on the Capitol Complex.

Flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial, located at the Oran Pape State Office Building, will be flown at half-staff the week of May 16-20, 2016, in honor of National Peace Officer Week.

The governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays on the Capitol Complex.  Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

Food Preservation 101 is a two-hour overview of general food preservation principles. The class includes current recommendations for canning, freezing and drying, display of equipment and utensils and sources for safe and tested food preservation information.  The class will be held May 17th, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at ISU Extension and Outreach, Montgomery County Office in Red Oak. There is a $5 registration fee to cover the costs of the class. Register by calling 712-623-2592 by May 16th.

After participating in Food Preservation 101, individuals may choose to increase their knowledge.  Preserve the Taste of Summer consists of an online course and hands-on food preservation workshops. Fuller said it’s a great opportunity for those who want to go beyond the basics. Register online at www.extension.iastate.edu/registration/events/conferences/preservation/

The ISU Extension and Outreach food preservation publications can be viewed or printed at this website:  https://store.extension.iastate.edu/. Search by publication number or title to find them.

• PM 638 Canning and Freezing Tomatoes
• PM 1043 Canning Fruits
• PM 1044 Canning Vegetables
• PM 1366 Canning Fruit Spreads
• PM 3021 Canning Meat, Poultry, Wild Game and Fish
• HS 21 Canning Salsa
• PM 1368 Canning Pickles
• PM 1045 Freezing Fruits and Vegetables

A copy of these publications will be provided at Food Preservation 101.  Get answers to food preservation questions year round by calling ISU Extension and Outreach’s toll-free AnswerLine. Experts answer questions Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and from 1– 4 p.m. In Iowa: 1-800-262-3804; Relay Iowa phone linkage for deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals, 1-800-735-2942.  Questions can also be emailed to answer@iastate.edu .  Frequently asked questions and other resources are available at the AnswerLine website, www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/answerline.

During Trauma Awareness Month in May, the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to give blood and help ensure a sufficient supply for patient emergencies. Donors of all blood types are needed this May. Every day, the Red Cross must collect approximately 14,000 blood donations to meet the needs of trauma patients and others with serious medical conditions.

Schedule your appointment to give blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors can then also visit redcrossblood.org/cedarfair to enter to win one of two grand prize packages for four to Knott’s Berry Farm in California or Cedar Point in Ohio.

Some upcoming blood donation opportunities….

Adair County:

Orient – 5/17/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Orient Macksburg High School

Audubon County:

Exira – 5/23/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Exira Recreational Center, 106 N Jefferson

Cass County:

Atlantic – 5/26/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Atlantic Catholic Parish Center

Montgomery County:

Red Oak – 5/16/2016: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Faith Community Church, 2701 North 8th Street

Stanton – 5/31/2016: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Vikiing Center, 501 Elliot

Villisca – 5/18/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Center, 201 S. 3rd Ave

Pottawattamie County:

Council Bluffs – 5/16/2016: 12:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 5/17/2016: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Fox Run Assisted Living, 3121 Macineery Drive; 5/17/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 5/22/2016: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Community of Christ, 140 Kanesville Blvd; 5/23/2016: 12:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 5/24/2016: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Hy-Vee Broadway, 2323 West Broadway; 5/24/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 5/31/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street

Shelby – 5/21/2016: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m., Shelby Community Building, 500 East Street

Walnut – 5/19/2016: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 406 Antique City Drive

Shelby County:

Elk Horn – 5/17/2016: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Elk Horn Lutheran Church, 4313 Main Street

Westphalia– 5/18/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Boniface Parish Center, 305 Duren St.

To donate blood, simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A 40-year-old Council Bluffs man accused of trying to kill his estranged wife has been imprisoned. David McKee was given 25 years at his sentencing hearing Tuesday. He’d pleaded guilty to a burglary charge after prosecutors dropped charges for attempted murder and other crimes.

Police say McKee a year ago broke into a home where his estranged wife and another woman were living. The wife told officers that he threatened to kill both of them and grabbed her by the throat. She stabbed him with a knife she was holding and the other woman struck him with a weight. McKee was hospitalized.