(Radio Iowa) — A report from a non-profit group shows nearly one in ten Iowa babies were born pre-term this year. That’s up from 9-point-2 percent last year and is the highest rate in a decade. Plus, the rate is much higher for babies born to black mothers. Stacey Stewart, president of the March of Dimes, says one reason for the disparity is that research shows black women often report they don’t feel as respected in health care settings.

Stewart says, “We have to make sure that the health care system is responsive to them, is meeting them where their needs are, and is responding to them in a respectful and responsive way.” The March of Dimes report gave Iowa a “C” grade. Stewart says pre-mature births are linked to a number of health issues for children.

Stewart says, “Often they face lifelong health conditions like cerebral palsy, vision problems, cognitive delays, developmental delays, and other and other health challenges that are with them for the rest of their lives.” While the state’s overall pre-term birth rate is nine-point-nine percent, it shows the rate is 33-percent higher for black women.

(Reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) today (Friday), announced the first flu-related deaths of the 2019-2020 influenza season. They include an older adult (61-80 years of age) from Central Iowa, and an elderly (81+ years of age) Northwest Iowa woman. Both women had underlying conditions or contributing factors.

Officials say this week flu activity in Iowa has increased to local spread, indicating that the virus is present in Iowa communities. IDPH Medical Director Dr. Caitlin Pedati says these deaths are an unfortunate reminder that flu can be a serious illness. “The flu virus does have the potential to cause severe illness and death, especially in the very young, very old, or those who have underlying health conditions. This is a great time to get the flu vaccine to prevent yourself and your loved ones from becoming sick before flu activity increases further.”

The CDC recommends that essentially everyone over 6 months of age should receive the flu vaccine. It takes up to two weeks after vaccination for the body to achieve full benefit against the flu virus. The flu is a respiratory illness caused by viruses. Symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches. Illness typically lasts two to seven days, and often puts healthy people in bed for days.

To learn more about influenza in Iowa, visit http://idph.iowa.gov/influenza.

(12-p.m. News) COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum today (Friday), announced that on November 12, 2019, 24 year-old Javon Joshua Jennings was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to 57 months in prison, for one count of Tampering with a Witness, and one count of Retaliating Against a Witness. Jennings was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release for each count, to run concurrently, following the period of incarceration.

The sentence was also ordered to be served consecutive to a sentence imposed in state court in April, 2019, for Child Endangerment Causing Death and Involuntary Manslaughter. An inmate in the Pottawattamie County Jail was served a subpoena by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in April, 2019, and when the inmate informed his family in a telephone conversation other inmates overheard the conversation. Shortly thereafter, Jennings repeatedly assaulted the inmate that had been served with the subpoena.

The case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in Nevada today (Friday), identified the person who died in an industrial accident at a biofuels plant. KCCI reports Carlos Mauricio Partillo Montufar, of South West City, MO., died Thursday afternoon at Verbio North America’s Biorefinery in Nevada. Coworkers said he is a native of Honduras.

According to Nevada officials, he was an employee of Midwest Tank Company, a subcontractor of Weston &Associates LLC, Navarre, Ohio. An investigation into the fatal accident is ongoing, and additional details have not yet been released.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office today (Friday), said they have received inquiries regarding the circulation of nomination petitions in advance of the June 2nd, 2020 Primary Election.  The first day for Democratic and Republican candidates for county offices to file nomination papers in the office of the county auditor is Monday, March 2, 2020. Last day to file is Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Nomination papers may be circulated prior to first date for filing as well as during the filing period. Nomination papers and candidate information are available at the office of the county auditor and from the secretary of state: www.sos.iowa.gov

The county positions to appear on the Cass County ballot for the 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION are: Attorney (vacancy term) Auditor Sheriff District 1 Supervisor District 4 Supervisor District 5 Supervisor. Persons currently holding those offices include: Attorney (incumbent: Vanessa Strazdas, appointed); Auditor (incumbent: Dale Sunderman, Republican); Sheriff (incumbent: Darby McLaren, Republican); District 1 Supervisor (incumbent: Stephen Green, Republican); District 4 Supervisor (incumbent: Steve Baier, Republican); District 5 Supervisor (incumbent: Frank Waters, Republican).

The number of signatures required for a person’s name to appear on the ballot are as follows: Supervisor, District 1 – 14 for Republicans, 6 for Democrats; Supervisor, District 4 – 18 Republican, 7 Democrat; Supervisor, District 5 – 16 Republican, 9 Democrat;  Attorney (Vacancy), Auditor and Sheriff – 77 Republican, 38 Democrat.

For additional information, please contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office at 712-243-4570, or by E-mail auditor@casscoia.us.

Officials with “Iowa’s Ride” today (Friday), announced that after meeting with cycling teams and cyclists throughout the state, they have decided to change the dates and direction of travel for the bicycling event. The Ride will now begin on Sunday, July 12th and end on Saturday, July 18th. Iowa’s Ride will also start on the eastern edge of Iowa in a Mississippi River town and travel west, ending seven days later in Western Iowa. Iowa’s Ride was originally set to begin in western Iowa on July 19, 2020 and travel across northern Iowa before finishing at a town along the Mississippi River on July 25. Those are the same dates as next year’s RAGBRAI.

Event organizers say in feedback they received from bicycling groups and individuals, “The most overwhelming concern that keeps coming up is the date of the event and how it is dividing long standing cycling teams.” Officials said also, “We apologize to those who have scheduled around this week and will be disappointed by this decision. We will refund 100% of those entry fees if they request since they no longer wish to do the ride.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A supervisor in the Iowa public defender’s office has resigned his longtime side job as a police officer after critics said it created a conflict of interest. Mike Adams, supervisor of the special defense unit, resigned last month from the Colfax Police Department, where he worked as a reserve officer. His resignation letter was released Friday under the open records law.

It comes after The Associated Press reported on concerns about Adams’ work as an officer in a jurisdiction where his office represents low-income criminal defendants. His dual roles became a problem when Adams’ subordinates were defending a man charged in a beating death in Colfax. Adams arrested a potential witness in the murder case in August. Lawyers who report to Adams then withdrew from the case in September.

(Radio Iowa) — Woodbury County Sheriff Dave Drew says mug shots from the county jail will no longer be publicly sown on the jail’s website. Drew says the decision was prompted by complaints about the mugshots being shown on a Facebook page called “Lock Up Sioux City.” “We had nothing to do with it — but what they were doing is capturing photos of people who had been arrested,” Drew says.

Drew says there were distasteful comments being made about the pictures on the site and that caused some issues with inmates.  “We would find that our jail staff.. were dealing with people that were not combative, or not resistant until all of a sudden we got to that point of mugshot. Because they (mugshots) were on social media and didn’t want their picture on it,”Drew says. “We were spending 15 to 20 minutes extra tying ourselves up convincing them we didn’t have nothing to do with it, but this is something that has to be done.”

Sheriff Drew says many other counties do not publicly post mugshots of their jail inmates. He says mugshots will still be provided to the local news media for their use.