DAVENPORT, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports an eastern Iowa man was sentenced on Thursday, January 11, 2024, to 210 months in federal prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. According to public court documents presented at the time of the plea hearing, 36-year-old Andrew Robert William Comstock, of Clinton, was identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a member of a Kik chat group that was actively sharing child sexual abuse material. In November 2022, FBI agents interviewed Comstock, who admitted to receiving and viewing child sexual abuse material on Kik. Multiple items were seized from Comstock’s person and residence. Pursuant to a search warrant, a tablet was located at Comstock’s residence that contained numerous images of child sexual abuse material and multiple Kik messages regarding the trading of child sexual abuse material to other users.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Comstock is required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Comstock was also ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI.

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. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in December after four months of slight increases. Iowa Workforce Development director, Beth Townsend, says rate dropped one-tenth of a point to three-point-two percent. “It’s a small change. But I think just people getting back into the workforce, who maybe hadn’t been in before. And also, if you remember, December, weather was actually pretty good,” she says, “so, you know, more people probably worked longer end of the month than we might normally see.” Construction is one industry that saw more work for employees with the better weather.

“I thought the good news that we saw this, in December was that construction added 14-hundred jobs, they’re up three thousand jobs over the year, and manufacturing added 11-hundred jobs in December, and they’re up over 48-hundred jobs in the last 12 months,” she says. “And those are two key industries in Iowa. So the fact that they both added jobs in December and are up from up over the previous year is a very good sign.” The number of people in the workforce did drop by 85-hundred in December.

“Most of them reported that it was a voluntary leave. So it could just be, you know, December holidays, that kind of thing. But the fact that they left voluntarily, and it was not the product of you know, mass layoffs or layoffs across an entire industry is a good indication,” Townsend says. Townsend says there are still some 60-thousand jobs open in the state, and says industries like health care have a lot to offer.

“They’re always probably the number one industry with openings. And so you know, if you’re looking for a good job and a good industry with great pay and benefits healthcare is a really good area to be looking into,” Townsend says. Townsend says Workforce Development can help you assess your skills and help you apply for a job, so you should contact them to take advantage of that help.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County, today (Friday), released reports on three accidents that occurred over the past seven-days. Authorities say a semi tractor-trailer accident occurred a little of 6-p.m., Thursday, on Highway 141, just east of Bagley. The 2019 Freightliner driven by 51-year-old Janet Neil, of Corning, was traveling east on 141 when it slid-off the road and into the south ditch, where it rolled onto its right side. Neil was not injured. The front windshield had to be removed because she was stuck inside the cab of the truck. Weather and road conditions were contributing factors in the crash. No citations were issued.

An accident in Guthrie County at around 12:25-p.m., Thursday, resulting in three citations. The Sheriff’s Office says Carroll County Dispatch received a report of an SUV in the ditch in the 1400 block of Highway 141. The 2006 Chevy Tahoe driven by 34-year-old Lucio Pulido, of Carroll, left the road and entered the south ditch before driving through a barbed-wire fence owned by the White Rock Conservancy. When the vehicle came to rest, it became stuck in the snow. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $1,500. Pulido wasn’t hurt.

When a Guthrie County Deputy questioned Pulido about what happened, he said he didn’t know.  The report said when Officers with the Coon Rapids Police Department arrived on the scene, Pulido was asleep or passed-out in the driver’s seat. The Sheriff’s Deputy observed numerous open containers of beer in the vehicle. A subsequent investigation determined Pulido’s breath alcohol content registered .166, or twice the legal limit in Iowa for intoxication. He was charged with Failure to Maintain Control, Open Container (Driver over 21 years of age), Driving while license is under suspension, and Driving Under Suspension while is denied, suspended, cancelled or revoked.

The other accident in Guthrie County happened at around 3:50-p.m. on January 11th. Authorities say it occurred at the intersection of Grand Street and N. 4th Street, in Guthrie Center. The report states a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer SUV driven by 18-year-old Kaleb Kintz, of Guthrie Center, was westbound on Grand Street, and failed to yield as it entered the intersection. The SUV was struck on the passenger side by a 1996 Chevy pickup, driven by 57-year-old Benjamin Henry, of Guthrie Center, as he was traveling south on N. 4th Street. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vehicles amounted to $15,000.

The Sheriff’s Office says the road was partially-to-completely covered in snow and ice, making stopping difficult if proper precautions were not taken. Kintz was issued a citation for Failure to Obey a stop sign and yield the right-of-way.

(Radio Iowa) – A survey of working-age Iowans shows job opportunities remain the number one reason people leave the state. Dustin Miller, executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance, says that’s concerning. “Obviously there are low, medium and high skilled jobs available in every single community,” Miller says. “…What is missing from an educational standpoint of letting people know that there are not only opportunities locally, but there are also opportunities within the state?”

This is the third year the Iowa Chamber Alliance has paid for a poll of 12-hundred Iowans between the ages of 18 and 65. The group’s “Iowa Talent Poll” finds higher salaries elsewhere are a draw, particularly for workers born after 1980. “We see some questions about or perceptions about wage discrepancy,” Miller says.

The Iowa residents who were polled like Iowa’s outdoor recreation options and friendliness, but cost of living remain the number one priority for Millennials and Generation Z. Those generations are now the majority of the country’s working age population.

(Radio Iowa) – Five Iowa mayors are joining more than 250 of their counterparts from across the country for the winter meeting of the U-S Conference of Mayors in Washington D-C. Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart, who’s just started his fifth term, says one of his goals is to improve the availability and affordability of mental health care services in his northeast Iowa city. Hart says leaders from other, larger communities are already tackling the issue. “It’s a really good opportunity to hear the challenges that other communities face because sometimes you can believe that you’re on an island and that you’re the only one, but you’re actually not,” Hart says, “so it’s really good to hear them talk about the resources they have.” In Hart’s Vision 2030 program, he’s calling for making public transportation free to all in Waterloo, more affordable housing, and solutions to the area’s challenges with people who are homeless.

“The city of Waterloo just opened up our warming center because the weather was so difficult for people that may be living out on the streets or with no home,” Hart says. “We need to figure out pathways to be able to deal with our homelessness problem in a way that’s beneficial for our community.” The mayor says he’s getting to do a little bragging at the conference, too, about a Waterloo offering. Something novel in Iowa, Waterloo Fiber hooked up its first customers just last month, as Hart says they’re now offering internet service as a city utility.

“It’ll be accessible, great customer service, the costs will be lower, we’re really looking forward to that,” Hart says. “We want to make sure that it provides access. COVID showed us how vital affordable, trustworthy internet is and the municipal telecom that we have will be able to provide that.” Other Iowa mayors at the conference include: Tiffany O’Donnell of Cedar Rapids, Connie Boesen (BO-zin) of Des Moines, Brad Cavanagh of Dubuque and Bruce Teague of Iowa City.

The event opened on Wednesday and concludes today (Friday).

Impacts in Audubon, Chickasaw, Clarke, Greene, Humboldt, Jackson, Linn, Monona, Montgomery, Muscatine, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Story, and Union counties

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 18, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Friday) announced that the Agency is investing over $1.2-million dollars in 13 grants and nearly $44-thousand dollar in 5 loans to projects in Iowa that promote rural small businesses, provide technical assistance, and support public works infrastructure.

The 18 investments were made through three different USDA programs: the Rural Business Development; Rural Economic Development, & Community Facilities Direct grants.

The Rural Business Development Grant program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small businesses.

-Greene County Development Corp. received a $95,703 grant to provide technical assistance to emerging businesses in Greene County, Iowa. The project will provide training and planning assistance to develop Nueva Vida en Greene County into a resource for rural residents. The project is expected to advance economic development and create six jobs in this rural area.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides zero-interest loans to local utilities organizations which in turn pass the funding through to local businesses.

The Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial, or business undertakings. Recipients include:

• Loring Hospital in Sac City, which received a $37,137,700 loan to construct an addition. The project will provide 9,400 square feet of additional space to be used for a primary care clinic, an emergency patient walk-in entrance, an emergency department renovation and expansion, an updated and expanded pharmacy, a renovated laboratory, a consultation center, a new hospital entrance, specialty clinic pods with an infusion center, and therapy, cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation space. Once completed, this project will improve medical services and promote the health and safety of residents and visitors of this rural Sac County community.
• The City of Villisca received a $50,000 grant to purchase equipment for the city of Villisca. This project will provide two automated external defibrillators to the city’s ambulances. These medical devices are designed to analyze heart function in emergency situations, then deliver a shock to restore normal heart rhythm. Once completed, this project will promote the health and safety of residents and visitors to this rural Montgomery County community.
• The City of Villisca also received a $28,900 grant to purchase hydraulic rescue equipment. This project will provide a new Jaws of Life for fire department operations. This equipment will facilitate emergency response services and promote the safety of residents and visitors of this rural Montgomery County community.
• The City of Exira received a $28,900 grant to help replace the roof on the fire station. This project will provide a reliable roof to protect essential emergency service vehicles and stored equipment used by the city’s volunteer fire department. Once in service, the new fire station roof will better serve the safety needs of residents of this rural Audubon County community.
• The City of Afton received a $17,700 grant to help purchase a new early warning storm siren. This project will alert people inside the city limits during emergency situations. The siren is essential equipment which will improve public safety measures during severe weather and will help protect the residents of this rural Union County community.

USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials in Pottawattamie County say the final stages of construction for a 22,000 square foot addition to the courthouse in Council Bluffs, are approaching, and the news entrance will officially open to the public on Monday, January 22nd. Construction on the east side of the courthouse began in June 2021. Recent winter weather events have prevented the completion of a few final items for the project, but the wide-ranging scope of work is expected to benefit citizens of Pottawattamie County in several ways.

Enhanced Safety & Security:
The new entrance is the only public entry and exit for the building. The west side doors off 6th Street will now be used for Emergency Exit only. The decision to limit entry and exit to one side of the building comes after much discussion with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and is an adjustment to enhance safety and security measures.

Free Two-Hour Parking:
Parking for the courthouse will experience a change in structure with the opening of the new entrance. Prior to its closure during construction, the parking lot on the east side of the courthouse included parking meters at each stall. Visitors previously paid 50 cents per half-hour of parking, with a two-hour time limit. Courthouse visitors can now park for up to two hours at no cost. A new gate and ticket system will be implemented in the coming weeks.