(Radio Iowa) — A Dubuque man will spend more than 11 years in prison on child pornography charges. Thirty-seven-year-old Mark Curtis Junior pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, and once count of transportation of child pornography. Court information disclosed that Curtis had searched the internet for images and videos of child pornography.

He downloaded some 25-thousand images that depicted children ranging in age from infants to pre-teens. He was sentenced to 139 months in federal prison.

Officials with Pottawattamie County Public Health (PCPH), Friday, announced there are 21 new (positive) cases of COVID-19 to report. One is from Oakland and the other twenty are from Council Bluffs. They also regret to announce a 10th COVID-19 related death. The latest case is a 61-to 80-year old man from Council Bluffs. A total of 195 persons have recovered from the virus. Five are hospitalized and 145 are self-isolating. Based on PCPH contact tracing investigations, a total of 96 Pott. County COVID-19 cases are the result of community spread.

Six of the case positives are epi-linked, while the others were tested between May 31st and June 4th. According to Friday’s Iowa Coronavirus dashboard (coronavirus.iowa.gov), 3,964 Pottawattamie County residents have been tested for COVID-19, with 317 showing positive results. Including epi-linked cases, PCPH reports a total of 363 COVID-19 cases.

An inmate at the Pott. County Jail has tested positive for the virus. PCPH has conducted the case investigation and the contact investigation. The individual is currently in isolation. PCPH says it is working closely with jail staff and Pott. County Risk Management to ensure the virus mitigation procedures in-place contain the spread of COVID-19 within facility.

The Rotary Club of Atlantic has joined with other Rotary Clubs in the Southern half of Iowa to supply nearly 400,000 meals to families and individuals impacted by COVID 19. Officials say the Club donated $500.00 in cash through Rotary District 6000 to the Food Bank of Iowa and its sister Food Banks, which can provide four meals for every dollar contributed.

The food supplies are then distributed on an equitable formula to local food pantries in communities throughout the southern half of the state.

In addition to the donation to the Food Bank of Iowa, the Atlantic Rotary Club also donated $1,000.00 in cash to the Atlantic Food Pantry. Local Club President Brian Harris said that “Service Above Self” has long been the motto of Rotarians throughout the world, and our club saw the need to help.

A ninth case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Montgomery County. Officials said Friday the new case is an elderly adult (over 80) and currently in isolation. The total number of positive cases, as of Friday, was nine, with six persons having recovered from the virus. The number of persons tested to date in Montgomery County, is 386.

Sadly, officials say an additional death associated with COVID-19 was also reported, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19, to two.

Serology testing shows 56 have been tested, one person tested positive for COVID-19, 55 have tested negative.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that the wife of a man killed in an accident at an amusement park in 2016 can proceed with a federal lawsuit and that the park’s insurance company may have to pay damages. The court ruled Friday that the insurance company for Adventureland Park in Altoona must provide a defense for the operator of a water ride.

The lawsuit accuses Adventureland employee Stuart Glen of negligence that led to the death of his co-worker Stephen Booher. Gladys Booher, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is seeking damages including loss of earnings, physical and mental pain and suffering, burial expenses and punitive damages.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo chemical plant will pay a nearly $80,000 civil penalty to settle violations of federal Clean Air Act following a spill last year that hurt a worker there. The federal Environmental Protection Agency says Hydrite Chemical has also taken necessary steps to return its facility to compliance.

In April 2019, a worker received burns from liquid sulfur that spilled as it was being unloaded from a tanker rail car. Firefighters who responded to the accident sulfur melts at about 240 degrees, and the element is liquefied when it is loaded into rail cars and then reheated for unloading.