The State of Iowa has issued an official AMBER ALERT. Officials say 11-year old Kiley Seane Shannon was abducted from Shellsburg by 37-year old Sean Shannon. Authorities said Shannon, who is Kiley’s father, abducted the girl from her home. Deputies said Shannon does not have parental rights and may be suicidal. They said he has a history of drug abuse. The pair is traveling in an unknown direction in a 1998 Chrysler Cirrus with Iowa license plate number 452 WWY.

Kiley Seane Shannon

Kiley is described as being 5-feet tall, weighing about 70-pounds. She has pony-tail style brown hair and brown eyes, and is believed to be wearing a green, fishnet tank top, jean-style mini skirt and pink flip flops.

Sean Shannon is 6-feet 2-inches tall, weighs 250-pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. He is wearing a white shirt, black gym shorts, white & red tennis shoes, and has a tatoo on the right side of his neck, with numerous other tatoos on his body.

Sean Shannon

If you see the vehicle or the persons described in the alert, call your local law enforcement agency or the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at 319-472-2337.

A special dedication that took place in Shelby County Friday evening was a prelude to a Parish Picnic. Before the kickoff of the 2013 St. Joseph’s Parish Picnic in Earling, the Earling American Legion Post 615 introduced the newest tourism attraction to Shelby County, the Earling Freedom Rock.

The Shelby County Freedom Rock

The Freedom Rock in Earling was painted the last two weeks in June by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen. The special dedication was led by Jack Kenkel who is a member of the Earling American Legion Post. Kenkel said the rock was an idea by the American Legion.

“Part of the Legion’s thrust is to keep patriotism alive. We have an excellent group of Legionars with most of them from that Korea World War II era. I believe we have 7 or 8 of them have been 60 plus in the Legion. There was where we want to build off of their kids, grandkids and let them know what happened as an example today.”

Jack Kenkel

In Kenkel’s speech he gave a tour around the rock from the flag on the west side all the way around to the north side or as Kenkel called it the “Patriot side.”  “That is the Veteran’s who have paid the price since World War II. The last one being native son Paul Finken. We just don’t want to forget them.” It was hard for Kenkel to thank everyone as so many volunteers stepped up and helped with the project but he does have some advice for anyone who did help. “I’d say stop and enjoy the fruits of their labor, be it monetary, sweat equity or just a thank you. Come and see what they put here for I hope a long long time.”

The artist for the Freedom Rock Bubba Sorensen was on hand as well at the ceremony. Sorensen said the inspiration around the paintings on the rock was from a group of local residents.

Ray “Bubba” Sorensen.

“I met with a group of them including Jack and they mentioned Paul who was a high ranking officer. That became the focus on the rock and I will filter around it. I wanted to make sure I painted him first. Then once I got here to Earling I saw the church and saw things to incorporate that would make a great addition. I knew about Firefighter Collins but it didn’t click that he was from Shelby County. Every county has these types of stories so I took it as a jigsaw puzzle and make something interesting to look at.”

Sorensen has painted rocks for the past 15 years and has already completed 7 other Freedom Rocks in Iowa before Earling’s. However, the artist known as Bubba is only getting started on his journey through Iowa because he plans on creating Freedom Rocks in 99 counties.  “I don’t think I can get this done any quicker than 10 years so it has been in the back of my mind that it will take a decade. It has been overwhelming and a lot of work already and I’m in the first year. When you take a step back it will go by quicker than you think. I am going to compile pictures and stories so hopefully people can look at it and enjoy the experience through a book.”

In addition to the original Freedom Rock in Adair County, and the recent edition in Shelby County, similar paintings have been completed in Dallas, Polk, Ringgold, Pocahontas and Mitchell Counties. 37 other Counties including Adams, Audubon, Crawford, Carroll, Fremont, Mills, Monona Page, Taylor and Union, have booked Sorensen to paint a Freedom Rock in the coming years.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of confirmed cases of a rare food-borne illness in Iowa has more than doubled in just four days as state and federal public health agencies try to figure out where it’s coming from. The Iowa Department of Public Health says the outbreak of cyclosporiasis (sy-kloh-spor-EYE’-uh-sis) has sickened 45 Iowans as of today.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors chairman doesn’t think on-duty sheriff’s deputies should be allowed to attend their children’s sporting events. Board chairman Larry Clausen said in a memo yesterday that the policy constitutes “a blatant misuse” of tax dollars. But Sheriff Dave Drew said four sheriffs have let deputies attend family events during their one-hour lunches.

MONONA, Iowa (AP) — A man operating a tractor in northeast Iowa has died after a bale of hay fell on him. The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office says the 63-year-old man was operating a tractor in a field and moving large round bales of hay when he was killed. Authorities have not released the man’s name.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — A Storm Lake woman has been accused of hitting her teenage son with a vehicle and driving away. Storm Lake police say 33-year-old Esmeralda Vasquez-Espinoza got into an argument with her 17-year-old son last night before the alleged incident occurred. The teen was treated at the scene and Vasquez-Espinoza was charged with misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident and not having a driver’s license.

Two arrests were reported in Atlantic by the Atlantic Police Department on Thursday, July 11th. The first arrest was 21-year old Timothy Hinson of Atlantic. Hinson was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for OWI 1st offense. He was transported to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

The second arrest was 47-year old Richard Lewis Sr. of Atlantic on a Cass County warrant for Criminal Mischief/4th degree. Richard was transported to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

No injuries were reported following an accident this (Friday) morning, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, vehicles driven by 73-year old Janis Nelson and 46-year old Amy Johnson, both of Red Oak, collided at the intersection of North 8th Street and Washington Avenue, just before 9-a.m.

Officials say an investigation determined Nelson observed another vehicle coming from the est on East Washington Avenue, as her 2008 Chevy was stopped at the intersection heading south. That vehicle subsequently proceeded to park on East Washington. Nelson continued into the intersection, but didn’t  see Johnson’s vehicle approaching. The resulting collision caused a total of $3,600 damage. Authorities cited Nelson for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

The number of cases of an intestinal illness that causes diarrhea lasting an average of nearly two months continues to increase, in Iowa. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health say as of today (Friday), 45 cases of cyclosporiasis have been identified in 15 counties. That’s six more counties and more than double the number of cases which was reported on Monday.Each of the cases were confirmed through tests conducted at the State Hygenic Lab.

Included among the counties where the illness has been reported, are: Dallas, Mills, Pottawattamie and Woodbury, here in western Iowa. Two cases were reported in Mills and Dallas Counties, with one case each being reported in Pott. and Woodbury Counties. Linn County has the most cases with 21, and that’s 11 more then was reported Monday.

People are infected by eating food or drinking water contaminated with infected human feces. Illness is caused by a parasite. Watery diarrhea, severe tiredness, and nausea are common symptoms and usually begin within a week. Most of those now ill began to notice symptoms in June.

Other Midwest states also have cases including Nebraska. Health officials recommend washing fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly although no specific source has been identified yet.