OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — A trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 21 for a dog handler accused of leaving four animals in a hot vehicle outside an Iowa dog show, killing three. Police say two were found dead July 8 outside the American Kennel Club All Breeds Dog Show in Ottumwa. A third died at a veterinary clinic.

Court records say Craig Eugene told police his vehicle was running when he put the dogs inside but wasn’t running when he returned. The National Weather Service says the Ottumwa temperature peaked at 89 degrees (32 Celsius) that day. The records say Eugene, who lives in Marengo, Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of animal cruelty.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A plan to build a park in eastern Iowa has raised concerns because the proposed site is across the street from a correctional center that houses sex offenders and people convicted of other crimes. The Telegraph Herald reports that the First Judicial District Department of Correctional Services’ Dubuque facility houses people on probation or state work release. The state Department of Corrections says the facility can house up to 62 men and 18 women.

Facility Manager Wendy Lyons says having a park near the facility could be problematic because state law prohibits sex offenders whose victims were minors from being within 300 feet of a park, school or child care facility. City officials say they’re still getting public input about how to redevelop the land.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Fewer than one in five polling places were fully accessible to voters with disabilities during the 2016 general election. That’s according to a government study released Thursday that has prompted federal officials to recommend the Justice Department adopt stricter compliance measures. The report from the Government Accountability Office shows just 17 percent of polling places posed no impediments to voters. The report was based on a nationwide sample of 178 voting stations across the country examined in the days leading up to and including Election Day 2016.

The report’s findings come a year before the 2018 congressional midterm elections and underscore an increase in early voting that has occurred in many states since protections for disabled voters have been enacted over the past 30 years.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer says at around 9:30-p.m. Wednesday, Page County Sheriff’s Deputies executed a search warrant at 817 Depot Street in Coin, with regard to an in-house Marijuana Grow Operation. Three people were arrested during the investigation: 49-year old Michael John Blank and 52-year old Yvonne Clione Blank, both of Coin, and 63-year old Edith Eileen Kirkpatrick, of Westboro, MO., were arrested.

Michael John Blank

Yvonne Clione Blank

Edith Eileen Kirkpatrick

All three face felony charges that include: Manufacturing of a controlled substance/marijuana; Tax payment required for Possession/marijuana; and Conspiracy. They also were charged with Gathering where controlled substances unlawfully used (a Serious Misdemeanor). Their bonds were set at $16,000 each.

Numerous items and illegal substances were seized as a result of the search warrant.

A call to Red Oak Police early Wednesday morning about an aggressive driver, resulted in the arrest of a man and woman from Nebraska. Authorities say 19-year old Emily Kay Darrow, of Omaha, and 31-year old Michael Daniel McFadden, of Springfield, NE., were taken into custody on felony charges of Possession of Stolen Property in the 1st Degree, for the alleged theft of a vehicle valued at over $10,000. Both were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 bond, each.

Officials say the Red Oak Police Department was notified at around 7:45-a.m. Wednesday about a motorist who was swerving in an aggressive fashion at other vehicles on Highway 34 eastbound, toward Red Oak. Officers stopped the vehicle, a 2010 Buick Enclave, at the intersection of Highway 34 and N. 4th Street, and soon discovered the license plates did not match the vehicle, and had been stolen out of Nebraska. A check of the SUV’s VIN determined that it had been stolen out of Omaha.

Red Oak Police were assisted Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies in conducting the arrests and investigation.

Iowa’s hospitals rank in the bottom half of the national pack on a new report card based on medical errors and other problems. Leah Binder, president and C-E-O of The Leapfrog Group, says the 2017 Hospital Safety Grade Report surveyed more than 26-hundred hospitals nationwide, including 33 facilities in Iowa. The grades were given based on medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections.  “The bad things that you never want to see happen in a hospital, but they do happen,” Binder says. “About 500 people a day die from these preventable errors. It’s a very serious issue and we believe every American deserves information before they’re admitted to a hospital on how well that hospital is doing.”

Iowa has fallen ten places in the survey over the past several years. “Iowa is ranked 33rd in the country,” Binder says. “They have about 27% of their hospitals earning an A. That’s not so great. Nationally, the average is about a third of hospitals get an A so they are still not there.” Binder says Iowa’s drop in the rankings is a concern. “Unfortunately, they’ve gotten worse,” Binder says. “They used to be, back when we started doing this five years ago, they were ranked 23rd in the country. They’re kind of slipping unfortunately.”

Of the 33 hospitals graded in Iowa, nine received an A, ten got B’s, including St. Anthony Regional Hospital, in Carroll. 13 were given C’s, including CHI Health Mercy, in Council Bluffs, and there was one D for UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center of Sioux City. The nine A’s were given to hospitals in: Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Council Bluffs (Methodist Jennie Edmundsun), Des Moines, Dubuque, Newton, Spencer, Spirit Lake and Waterloo. See the full report at: http://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County Public Health reports the department is hosting a 3-part parenting series just for dads and kids (up to age 18) called “Building Up Dads” beginning on Tuesday, November 14th. Nancy Gibson, Parents as Teachers Coordinator said “Being a parent isn’t easy, However, research shows that dads who spend time with their children increase self-esteem, confidence, and life skills in their children.

Each of the three sessions will include dinner, separate activities for dads and kids, and then time together. The series is free for families to participate in thanks to grants from Boost 4 Families and DECAT. Gibson says “We are really excited about this opportunity for families. Our goal is to give dads the tools and confidence they need to be a great parent, while also giving them time to build their relationships with their children.”

As an added bonus, participants who attend all three sessions will have their name entered in a drawing for a free family zoo membership to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. The first session is November 14th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, and the topic is “Resiliency.” To reserve your place, please call 712-243-7475.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports his officers were kept busy late Wednesday evening into early this (Thursday) morning, making several drug-related arrests. All the drugs were discovered during traffic violation stops. During the first traffic stop a little after 6-p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of 19th and Nodaway, officers arrested 19-year old Hannah Madeline McCormick, of rural Clarinda, for possession of marijuana & possession of drug paraphernalia.

Just after 2:30-a.m. today (Thursday), Clarinda Police arrested 54-year old Jeana Marie Walker, and 62-year old Denise Diane Neville, both of rural Clarinda. The women were arrested for possession of marijuana. Walker and Neville were arrested at the intersection of 16th & Essie Davison Drive.

McCormick, Walker and Neville are being held in the Page County Jail on $1,000 bond, each. Police reports have been submitted to the offices of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.