DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced March 17, 2026, to 110 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports that, according to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that accounts, later determined to be associated with Nong Chatchanok Press, 23, received and uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. In December 2023, law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Press’s Iowa City residence. Law enforcement also seized a phone from Press when he was arrested in February 2025. A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Press used the devices to receive, view, and possess more than 117,000 images and 300 videos containing child sexual abuse material.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Press will be required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Press was also ordered to pay $123,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The University of Iowa Police Department investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, today (March 17th) reported that a Bettendorf man was sentenced on March 17, 2026, to 200 months in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and 24 months in federal prison for revocation of his supervised release.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Jacob Lawson Bertrand, 35, was on federal supervised release for a 2016 conviction for possession of child pornography. In October 2024, Bertrand was found to have an unauthorized cell phone while residing at a Davenport residential reentry center. A forensic examination of Bertrand’s phone showed that he used the device to receive, view, and possess more than 3000 images and 600 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Bertrand also had social media accounts which he used to talk to minors and had not reported to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry as required.

At sentencing, the Court also found Bertrand violated the terms of his federal supervised release. In 2016, Bertrand was sentenced to a 78-month term of imprisonment for possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. He was released from prison in April 2021. In April 2022 and January 2024, Bertrand’s supervised release was revoked. Bertrand’s most recent term of supervised release began in June 2024.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Bertrand will be required to serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Bertrand was also ordered to pay $72,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Scott County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

(Radio Iowa) – Gasoline prices in Iowa have surged 88-cents a gallon in the past month, and backers of biofuels say the blend with 15-percent ethanol helps consumers save money. Nick Bowdish, president and C-E-O of Siouxland Ethanol, says E-15 is a solution for higher pump prices.

“We’re American-made and all of our plants are actually sitting on fuel supplies that could be doing more work in serving the consumer,” Bowdish says, “but there’s an archaic fuel regulation that still to this day limits ethanol and gasoline at 10% for all motor vehicles.” Federal rules restrict E-15 sales from June through mid-September because of air-quality concerns, and Congress has failed to pass legislation approving its year-round use.

The U-S Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimony last week on ways to boost demand for farm products, and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley called for the approval of year-round E-15. Craig Brodersen says all the corn he raises on his farm in western Iowa gets sold to a local ethanol plant. “The E-15 helps the consumer. It really does,” Brodersen says. “You’re not buying it from a foreigner. You’re buying it from us.”

Geoff Cooper, president and C-E-O of the national Renewable Fuels Association, says oil companies successfully lobbied lawmakers to block year-round E-15, though a Congressional task force is still trying to work something out. Cooper says, “It would make a bad situation worse if Congress and the administration don’t get something done very quickly on E-15.”

Cooper says President Trump could issue emergency waivers allowing existing retailers to continue selling E-15 in the summer, a move he says could save drivers up to 50 cents a gallon. Triple-A says the statewide average price for gas is $3.33 a gallon, compared to $2.45 a month ago.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa lawmakers are considering a bill that would let Iowa’s top elected officials keep their names confidential on public websites that show the properties they own. Senator Mike Bousselot, of Ankeny, says after the murder of a top Minnesota legislator and her husband in their home, this is common sense.

“Threats of violence to political officials and members of the judiciary have continued to abound,” Bousselot said. Under current law, law enforcement officers as well as judges and prosecutors in state and federal courts are able to get their names redacted from county websites that can be searched to discover their home addresses. The bill would extend that policy to Iowa’s U.S. Senators, U.S. House members, statewide elected officials like the governor and members of the Iowa legislature.

The bill is ready for debate in a Senate committee. It has already won House approval. Representative Aime Wichtendahl of Hiawatha says providing privacy to Iowa’s public officials is important. “Sadly threats of political violence are experienced by members of both political parties at all levels: federal, state and local,” Wichtendahl said, “and that violence is a threat to the very principles of self-government.”

Representative Dan Gosa of Davenport voted for the bill, but he says it should be expanded to cover county supervisors, city council members and school board members.  “During my time on the school board I received numerous death threats. My wife was followed picking our kids up from school,” Gosa said. “…I feel very strongly about this, that we need to protect local elected officials not just ourselves.”

(Radio Iowa) – A Christian conservative group that’s influential in Iowa Republican Party politics is endorsing Adam Steen’s bid for governor. The Family Leader’s C-E-O Bob Vander Plaats already gave Steen his personal endorsement and now the group will ramp up its fundraising for an effort to boost Steen’s name recognition, as he faces four other Republican candidates in the June 2nd Primary. “Not only do we believe Adam’s the best qualified, we also believe he’s in the best position to win the governorship and take the baton from Kim Reynolds and keep Iowa moving forward.”

In 2020, Vander Plaats endorsed Randy Feenstra’s bid for a U.S. House seat, but Vander Plaats says Feenstra — the current fundraising leader in the Republican Party’s 2026 race for governor — would lose to Democrat Rob Sand in November. “Our history in Iowa shows and proves that we do not elect congressmen to be governor of Iowa,” Vander Plaats says. “We could ask Congressman Fred Grandy. We could ask Congressman Jim Lightfoot who gave us Tom Vilsack and we could ask Congressman Jim Nussle who gave us Chet Culver.” Vander Plaats, who ran for governor twice, was Nussle’s lieutenant governor running-mate in 2006.

Vander Plaats says he knew at the time Nussle wouldn’t win because Culver was able to make the race Iowa versus D.C. “When you look across the country, there’s a lot of things that divide and people are looking to put the blame on somebody and I believe Randy Feenstra is going to carry that bag,” Vander Plaats said, “and when Rob Sand makes him carry that bag, Rod Sand will be your next governor.”

The Primary Election is in 77 days.

(Des Moines, IA) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for prairie chickens this spring and Iowans can help. Iowa’s prairie chicken population had resided in three locations in Ringgold County – two on or near the Kellerton Wildlife Area; the third on private land – but have been seen in Union, Clarke, Decatur and Taylor counties.

“Whether your checking on the cattle or working the fields, we’d like you to keep an eye out for prairie chickens and let us know if you see them,” said Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR’s diversity program. Prairie chicken sightings can be reported by calling 515-230-6599 or emailed to vwmp@dnr.iowa.gov.

“There’s a concern for this population,” Shepherd said. “Our numbers are down, not just here, but across the border in Missouri, and we want to keep tabs on any birds that we missed as part of our previous surveys.”

(Glenwood, IA) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report there were four arrests the past few days. Sunday afternoon (March 15), Officers with the Glenwood P-D arrested 35-year-old Hannah Marie May, of Glenwood, for Driving While License Denied or Revoked-OWI (related). Her bond was set at $1,000.

Late Friday morning, 28-year-old Halee Elizabeth Forbey, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Glenwood for Driving While License Denied or Revoked-OWI (related). Her bond was also set at $1,000. A preliminary hearing in her case will be held April 13th.

And, there were two arrests March 12th in Glenwood: 22-year-old Jazlynn Leeann Robbins, of Harlan, along with, 23-year-old Trent James Ring, of Neola, were both arrested on a charge of Contempt – Violation of a No Contact Order. The charges were dismissed by the Court on March 13th for a lack of Probable Cause and amended to a traffic citation.

(Radio Iowa) – The spokesman for the Iowa State Patrol says many people are following the new hands-free cell phone law since law enforcement went from warnings to tickets. Sergeant Alex Dinkla says many other motorists are still using their devices while driving. “January 1st to March 1st is 2,417, and that is for all law enforcement agencies in the state of Iowa,” he says. Dinkla says there have also been some 19-hundred warnings written this year. He says there is no doubt that the law has improved safety on the roadways.”We are seeing a reduction in fatalities by month. And so that is telling us that there is a direct correlation between the using of the cell phones and the electronic devices and not using those devices,” he says.

Dinkla says there are many people who aren’t following the law that haven’t been ticketed. “There is a very small tip of the iceberg that we are even stopping and coming across,” he says. “I can tell you there’s many days that we drive around when we’re not in our patrol car that we continue to see these folks violating this law.” He says that’s case with other laws, like speeding, and he says they will continue reminding motorists about the hands-free law. “We want to make sure that we still educate those folks and we remind everyone anytime we can, put the phone down, drive safe and buckle up,” Dinkla says.

The fine for handling a cell phone while driving is 100 dollars.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting this (Tuesday) morning, accepted a bid from Jeff Johnson in the amount of $328.80 per acre, for the lease of county-owned farmland south of Atlantic, in the southwest portion of the northwest one-quarter of Section 15, in Grove Township (23 tillable acres). There were five sealed bids that were opened during the meeting, with the bid from Johnson being the highest of the five. The lowest bid was $255/acre.

In other business, the Supervisors heard a regular report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, and they acted on approving the following Resolutions: One was with regard to the vacating of Herbers Akron Road, part of which is in Shelby County, north of Marne and Interstate 80. The road is not publicly utilized, and therefore will not affect public travel. Both Boards unanimously passed the Resolution. The other Resolution was with regard to an Order establishing the 2026 Noxious Weed Control Program. Cass County Supervisors Chair Steve Baier…

That Resolution also passed unanimously. The Board accepted a Fiscal Year 2025 Engagement Letter with Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Company P.C. (auditors), after a representative of the company explained their fees and billing practices, which the Board in the past, found to be confusing. The Supervisors passed a resolution pertaining to Compensation for Election Officials. Once again, here’s Steve Baier…

And they approved the resignation of Linda Olsen, Benton Township Clerk, effective June 30, 2026. They then moved to approve the appointment of Jill Irlmeier as Benton Township Clerk, effective July 1, 2026.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Senate is scheduled to debate the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act this week, and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is a co-sponsor of what’s known as the SAVE America Act. It would require people to show proof of citizenship, like a driver’s license or passport, when registering to vote. Grassley, a Republican, calls it a common-sense way to strengthen our nation’s election process. “Now, I’m not here to say that there’s a massive amount of fraud,” Grassley says, “but requiring people to show proof of citizenship to vote and requiring photo ID to ensure the person casting the ballot is the person registered to vote.” Grassley says 36 states, including Iowa, already require a photo I-D in order to register.

Some key Senate Republicans say they will vote against moving forward with the bill as President Trump is pushing to include the elimination of voting by mail, with only a few exceptions. Grassley says he favors keeping absentee voting as an option. Grassley says, “This bill, with 80% of the people supporting it, 71% of the Democrats supporting voter ID, this bill deserves to be debated.” Reports say some Senate Republicans fear that getting rid of absentee voting in rural states will cost G-O-P votes if would-be voters have to travel a long way to cast a ballot.

Trump reportedly wants “no excuses” for mail-in voting, only allowing exceptions like military duty, serious illness, or disability. Grassley says, “Republicans in Iowa have worked real hard over a period of the last three or four national elections to do as well as the Democrats do in absentee ballot, mail-in voting.” He says it shouldn’t be a big deal to have to show an I-D to register to vote, as people already have to produce proof of who they are when doing things like renting a hotel room, boarding a plane, or buying alcohol.