(Radio Iowa) – A district court judge has dismissed a request by the state to throw out a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by the former spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Health. Former department spokesperson Polly Carver-Kimm sued Governor Kim Reynolds and administrators in the Health Department last year, alleging she was forced to leave her job for providing open records information to the media. The lawsuit says requests that Carver-Kimm had previously replied to were required to go through the governor’s office once the pandemic started.

As first reported by the Des Moines Register, the judge ruled Carver-Kimm in her job had “the specific obligation to fulfill open record requests,” and dismissed the claim by the Assistant Attorney General defending Reynolds that state open records law is not “a well-recognized public policy.”

(Webster City, Iowa) – A rear-end collision in north-central Iowa’s Hamilton County, Monday evening, claimed the life of a man from South Dakota. The Iowa State Patrol reports a semi tractor-trailer, driven by a 24-year-old man from Hyattsville, MD, and a2013 Toyota Avalon driven by 61-year-old Rodney Earl Hutt, of Sioux Falls, SD, were both westbound on Highway 20 at around 6:50-p.m., Monday, when the car struck the semi’s trailer and became lodged underneath it. Hutt – who wore a seat belt -died at the scene. The driver of the semi was not hurt.

The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to quit smoking, and a survey finds 70-percent of Iowa smokers want to quit, while 50-percent will try to quit in 2022. There are mixed messages circulating about how vaping can help smokers to kick the habit, messages that are blatantly false, according to Erika Sward, spokeswoman for the American Lung Association. “We know that smokers are confused,” Sward says. “Smokers want to end their addiction and not be held hostage by nicotine and tobacco products.” The U-S Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit, she says, and the Lung Association is urging smokers to step away from all tobacco and nicotine products, and not switch to vaping.

“The Lung Association believes that every smoker can quit, and can quit for good,” Sward says. “We know that it’s hard, but if smokers want to talk to their doctors or call 800-LUNG USA or call 800-QUIT NOW, they can work with someone who is an expert at helping people end their addictions for good.” Surveys find about 16-percent of Iowa adults smoke cigarettes and more than 5-percent use e-cigarettes. As for Iowa teens, about 4.4-percent smoke cigarettes while 22-percent of Iowa 11th graders use e-cigarettes. Breaking the addiction can be very difficult and the advice of a professional may be key.

Sward says, “Every person takes a slightly different approach to how they can be most successful at quitting, and that’s why it’s important to work with someone with that experience, including the American Lung Association, to find the exact way they can be most successful in improving their health.” The Iowa Department of Public Health reported nearly 50 cases of serious illness related to vaping during 2019.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A man from Nebraska was sentenced last week in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to serve 10-years in prison. According to court records, 40-year-old Earl Jonell Jackson, of Omaha, NE was sentenced on charges that include Transportation and Sex Trafficking of a Child. His prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release. Jackson pleaded guilty to the charge on August 5, 2021.

On September 8, 2020, the mother of the minor victim reported her daughter missing to the Council Bluffs Police Department. Law enforcement began their investigation and based on phone number information, they were able to locate numerous ads for prostitution posted by Jackson on skipthegames.com, an online website where ads are posted for prostitution purposes. Prostitution ads of the minor victim were posted in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area, specifically in the Council Bluffs area in August and September of 2020.

Law enforcement further found on September 5, 2020, Jackson and the minor victim drove from Omaha to Chicago. Jackson supplied the minor victim with drugs and posted prostitution ads on skipthegames.com in the Chicago and Highland Park, IL area numerous times in September of 2020. The minor victim was located in Chicago, Illinois.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Glenwood Police Department reports one arrest took place, Monday. Officials say 24-year-old Brian Muhia, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.