COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports that on Monday, April 12th, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced 35-year-old David Robert Blake Vanderpool, of Council Bluffs, to 50 months (4.1 years) in prison for knowingly possessing a short barrel shotgun that was not registered to him. Vanderpool was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. There is no parole in the federal system.

On June 23, 2020, the Iowa State Patrol conducted a traffic stop on Vanderpool for speeding on Interstate 29. During the stop, troopers observed a sawed-off shotgun, found to be loaded, on the backseat of Vanderpool’s car. A check of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record by law enforcement found the firearm was not registered to him. Vanderpool pleaded guilty on November 20, 2020, to the firearm charge.

The matter was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the
Southern District of Iowa.

The Cass Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, praised Cass County Public Health for helping to vaccinate the local population. Supervisors Board Chair Steve Baier said “Things are winding down and a big part of it is a sense of urgency and people are becoming more relaxed,” in hopes things are getting back to normal. Baier said the County COVID vaccination program has been better handled than other counties’ programs.

He said there are about 200 people still on a list waiting to receive their vaccinations, and that “We’re getting to the point where just about everybody [who] wants vaccinated has been vaccinated.”

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors, Tuesday, approved the five-year Secondary Roads Construction Program, and new hires for three Maintenance positions. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman says that includes…

County Engineer Trent Wolken said he had 35 applicants for three maintenance positions and they were all very qualified candidates.

The Board passed a Resolution for the 2021 Weed Control Program, which was the same as last year, with the exception the year was changed from 2020 to 2021. They also established a Cass County Temporary County Redistricting Commission, with districts based on 2020 census data.

Once again here’s Dale Sunderman…

The unpaid Commission will include Steve Baier and Dale Sunderman as members. There were no candidates to appoint to the Cass County Zoning Board of Adjustment and/or Zoning Commission, nor was there a licensed physician’s name available for appointment to the Cass County Board of Health, so those items were tabled during Tuesday’s meeting.

(Radio Iowa) – State prison officials are disputing an OSHA report that cited deficiencies in the radio communications system for staff at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. The report from the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration was issued eight months before a correctional officer and a nurse were killed inside the Anamosa prison. The Iowa Department of Corrections is appealing the 20-thousand dollar OSHA fine. Department spokesman Cord Overton says data from incidents when staff hit the emergency button on their radios will be introduced as evidence this summer as an administrative law judge reviews the case.

Overton says he cannot address specific details until after the case is resolved, but he says the agency is confident the radio communication system has not caused any delays in response to staff assaults. The OSHA investigation at Anamosa, which happened in February of last year, did not include interviews with prison managers according to Overton.

K-C-R-G T-V was first to acquire the Iowa OSHA report through a public records request. The report indicated the Anamosa prison’s communication system would not show the location of an emergency if an employee radioed that he or she was being attacked. OSHA cited other deficiencies, including dropped calls within the prison. Governor Kim Reynolds has said she is committed to addressing any security issues that are identified by reviews launched after last month’s murders of two Anamosa prison employees.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is blasting what he calls “dominant tech giants” like Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for squelching free speech. Grassley, a Republican, says these powerhouse platforms are now “the new public square,” where he says it’s important that all voices and viewpoints are able to be heard. “I’m so irritated because of the censoring and the violation of free speech,” Grassley says, “that I’m going to join almost any effort that will make sure that these platforms allow more free speech and less censoring.”

It has been 25 years since Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was signed into law, which grants wide sweeping immunity to interactive computer services that host third-party content. Back then, Grassley says the internet was in its infancy and the goal of the act was “laudable.” In a conference call with Iowa reporters today (Tuesday), Grassley says the tables have turned dramatically and it’s not clear how Congress should respond. “There’s a few on the right that think we should just leave things alone,” Grassley says, “that this immunity from lawsuits by these platforms is the right thing to keep if we’re going to have strong social media platforms.”

Others argue that the private companies have their own terms of service and are able to enforce them as they wish and they’re not covered under the First Amendment. With the immunities these companies have and the importance of dialogue on their platforms, Grassley says they’re arguably “state actors” and First Amendment protections -should- apply to user-generated content. “Even if I had to repeal this Section 230 immunity, I would do that,” Grassley says. “I don’t know whether I’m going to get that opportunity, but you know where I’m coming from, I’m really irritated.”

In a floor speech on Monday, Grassley said Section 230 was enacted to encourage free speech while giving companies the ability to remove illegal or obscene materials. Today, however, he says those interactive computer services are among the largest corporations in the world. Grassley says the size and power of these companies contributes to their ability to censor speech and “undermine” the First Amendment. He says Google controls 87 percent of searches, Facebook has 2.8 billion monthly active users, 500 million tweets are sent on Twitter each day and over 1 billion hours of videos are watched daily on YouTube. Grassley says, “When a company has monopoly power, it no longer is constrained by normal market forces.”

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports two injury-accidents occurred over the past few days. One accident happened at around 9:36-a.m. Monday (April 12). Authorities say 48-year-old Brian S. Cox, of Grand Island, NE., was traveling north on Frontier Road, when his 2021 Infiniti Q50 went out of control. The vehicle entered the northbound ditch and struck a field drive before coming to rest. Damage was estimated at $30,000. Cox was wearing his seat belt. He complained of pain and possible injury. He was transported by Adair County Ambulance to the hospital.

And, at around 9:15-p.m. Saturday, a 2008 Dodge Caliber driven by 16-year-old Rebekah Lynn Gosch, of Glidden, was traveling westbound on Highway 141 near Horn Avenue, when a deer appeared on the road. The car struck the animal, sustaining $10,000 damage. Gosch was wearing her seat belt. She complained of pain, but did not request medical treatment.