(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting Tuesday morning, in Atlantic, heard a request from Craig Meyer, of Lewis, with regard to refurbishing some benches near the Cass County Freedom Rock site, in Lewis.

He said Weirich Welding in Lewis, which manufactured the benches, would be willing to transport the benches to Red Oak, for powder coating, which is a durable, electrostatically applied and baked-on paint, that when heated in a large, industrial over, cures to achieve a hard, smooth surface that is tougher than commercial paint. It resists rust and scratches.

Meyer said he would like to have the benches powder coated and back in-place by Memorial Day.

The Board agreed to look into the costs and put the request on the agenda for their next meeting on February 20^th, as part of the budgetary process.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Two Iowa couples are among those suing a company that makes medical devices. The couples claim defective products ruined their efforts to get pregnant through In vitro fertilization (IVF). One of the couples lives in Cedar Rapids; the other, in Stanwood.

They’re suing CooperSurgical over defective culture media. That’s the liquid that goes in the petri dish where a woman’s egg is fertilized to create embryos. The liquid essentially mimics the environment inside the womb. The lawsuits claim CooperSurgical failed to make sure all the right nutrients were in this liquid before it was packaged and sold to clinics across the country.

CooperSurgical has released this statement to a number of outlets: “While we cannot address ongoing litigation, quality and compliance are fundamental parts of the value we provide to our customers and are our core focus. In accordance with the requirements of our quality management system, a media recall was initiated to proactively address any possible issue with our products while we continue to investigate.”

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI]— Iowa lawmakers are trying to restrict inappropriate content on children’s devices, but they also want to avoid legal battles with big tech companies. HF 2114 originally looked to make it so phone and computer manufacturers would have to already have parental controls activated for minors as they receive the phone. Only a parent or guardian would be able to deactivate the settings.

As it was originally written, anyone who wasn’t a parent or guardian who disabled the settings would face a serious misdemeanor and a fine of up to $5,000. A subsequent violation would be an aggravated misdemeanor with a fine of up to $50,000. The reworked version of the bill would task schools with educating kids on the dangers of pornography and about what they may encounter in general on social media. Parents would also be educated on what parental controls are available on devices.

The reworked bill also looks to stop minors from finding themselves on pornographic websites. The bill did pass through a House subcommittee Tuesday. It’s now eligible to be considered by the House Judiciary Committee.

JEFFERSON, Iowa [KCCI]— A man accused of abducting his son from an elementary school is pleading not guilty. Brandon Duong, 34, of Jefferson, was accused of removing his 7-year-old son from Greene County Elementary last week, prompting an Amber Alert that eventually ended without injury after an hourslong armed standoff.

Duong was charged with second-degree kidnapping, to which he is pleading not guilty, according to court documents filed this week. Duong is also accused of violating a custodial order. An arraignment is set for later this month in Greene County.