CLARINDA, IOWA, April 21, 2025: The Page County Attorney’s Office has announced 60-year-old Inez N. Luna was sentenced this (Monday) morning, to a term of incarceration not to exceed five years for the crime of Enticing a Minor. District Court Judge Craig M. Dreismeier sentenced Luna to the maximum 5-year term of incarceration. Luna will also be placed on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for a period of 10 years.

Immediately after sentencing Luna was remanded to the custody of the Page County Sheriff’s Office to await transport to the Iowa Department of Corrections, where he will serve his sentence of incarceration. Luna was convicted of the crime of Enticing of a Minor at a contested trial that was heard by Judge Dreismeier on January 28, 2025.

Inez N. Luna

This case was investigated by members of the Clarinda Police Department and prosecuted by the Page County Attorney’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – University of Iowa researchers are studying whether psychedelic drugs can help to treat alcohol use disorder. Participants who are struggling with alcohol will be given either ketamine or psilocybin. U-I psychiatry professor Peg Nopoulos says research suggests psychedelics have the potential to help those who are being impacted by addiction.

Nopoulos says, “If we find that these drugs are useful for alcohol, they will probably also, I hope, be useful for opioid addiction, or methamphetamine use disorder, or nicotine, whatever.” It’s possible, she says, that psychedelics can influence abnormal brain circuitry that’s associated with addiction.

Nopoulos says there are few medication assistance options available for substance use disorders. “There’s so much more, if you think about in the context of what we can do for things like PTSD or depression,” she says, “We have everything from medications to acetamin to trans-cranial magnetic stimulation to ECT.” That’s electro-convulsive therapy.

The study is still in its early stages, and U-I researchers are actively recruiting participants who have alcohol use disorder.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – A woman from Glenwood was arrested over the weekend on a drug charge. According to Glenwood Police, 34-year-old Katie Christie was arrested Saturday for Possession of a Controlled substance. Her bond was set at $1,000, but Christie was released on her Own Recognizance. 

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Catholic Conference executive director Tom Chapman says his first reaction to the death of Pope Francis was sadness. “Also not too surprised in that he’s had a lot of health challenges recently,” Chapman said, “so my feeling is I’m glad he didn’t have to spend his last days in the hospital, but I’m sorry to see him go.” Chapman says the pope sent a signal of his priorities when he was elected in 2013 by the College of Cardinals and took the name Francis.

“Francis as in Francis of Assisi and so when you hear that name as a Catholic, you think about peace and efforts for peace and you think about the poor and care for vulnerable people and care for creation,” Chapman says “…That’s what we saw from him from the start to the finish.” Chapman does not expect the archbishop of Iowa or the state’s three Catholic bishops to be at the Vatican for the pope’s funeral. The next time the state’s bishops are scheduled to be together is May 1st, at the installation ceremony for John Keehner, the Bishop-elect of the Sioux City Diocese.

“A lot of other bishops will be there from the Midwest and around the country as well,” Chapman says. “We assume that’s going to be going forward as scheduled.” Bishop-elect Keehner’s installation may happen as the College of Cardinals begins meeting in Rome to select a new pope. About 84-thousand Catholics live in the 24 counties that make up the Sioux City Diocese.

Chapman estimates there are about half a million Catholics in Iowa — about 15 percent of the state’s total population.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Northern Iowa held its first naturalization ceremony on campus Friday since the pandemic. New citizen Ya Hya was born in the Sudan and has been in the U-S for about six years. He said through an interpreter that gaining citizenship means a passport for travel. “If you have a U-S passport, you can travel, you can stay here. You don’t have to worry about deportation,” he said.

Chuyu Lee  emigrated to the U-S from Taiwan on a student visa, and said he’d like to see the government clarify what is permitted for international students who rely on those visas. “It would be great if the government could give a clear indication of what people can or can’t do under which visa,” he said. “That would be a help, and would clarify some confusion in the future.”

There were around 70 new citizens who took part Friday, and they came from more than 25 countries, and their ages ranged between 20 and late 70s.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that’s cleared the Iowa House would require anyone selling real estate to let potential buyers know if lead service lines bring water to the home or building. Representative Thomas Jeneary of Le Mars explains: “The service line includes the pipe from the water main to the water meter and does not include interior plumbing,” he said. A U-S Environmental Protection Agency rule has mandated that utilities replace lead pipes that carry water to a property by 2037, however the rule is being reviewed by the Trump Administration. Representative Josh Turek of Council Bluffs says Iowa has over 100-thousand active lead service lines.

“We all know the deleterious health effects to individuals that are exposed to lead piping — brain damage, kidney damage and really where it affects the most is kids with brain development,” Turek said. “…Buyers should be aware if they’re being exposed to lead pipes.” The bill passed the House unanimously a week ago and is eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate. The state’s water utilities have asked the legislature to provide five MILLION dollars in each of the next 10 years to help cover the cost of replacing lead service lines.

Lead was commonly used in construction materials because of its resistance to corrosion, but over 50 years ago research began to link even low levels of lead with health problems. Lead-based paint was banned in 1978.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. In an update to our previous report, 39-year-old Yudiel Vega-Blanco, of Greenfield, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of Murder in the 1st Degree and Willful Injury causing bodily injury, following a fatal stabbing incident. When authorities arrived on the scene at 201 NE 4th Street in Greenfield, a victim, Carlos Garcia Escalona-Mendoza was laying on the kitchen floor and being attended to by medics with the Adair County Ambulance. Despite their efforts, Escalona-Mendoza died at the residence.

Occupants of the household informed law enforcement the suspect was Vega-Blanco, and they directed authorities to the location of the knife Blanco allegedly used to stab Mendoza. The incident happened when Blanco became upset and got a knife from the kitchen. A resident – identified as Jendys Escalona-Mendoza, tried to take the knife away from Vega-Blanco, but he pushed Jendys, who fell backward, and Vega-Blanco allegedly swung the knife at him, causing a laceration to Jendys Mendoza’ abdomen.

Carlos Escalona approached Vega-Blanco, who then allegedly used the knife to stab Carlos in the chest, causing fatal wounds. The other occupants of the home attempted to tackle Vega-Blanco and were able to wrestle the knife away from him, then hid it, so he couldn’t access it again. Those same occupants restrained Vega-Blanco until law enforcement arrived on the scene. Vega-Blanco was being held in the Adair County Jail on One-million five-thousand dollars bond ($1,005,000).

On Friday, Adair County Deputies arrested 53-year-old Jack Lee Carson, Jr., of Greenfield, on a Guthrie County warrant for Contempt of Court. He was transferred to the custody of Guthrie County Deputies and held in the Guthrie County Jail.

And, on Thursday, 29-year-old William Ronald Johnson, of Fontanelle, was arrested in Greenfield for Driving while License Denied or Revoked for OWI. Johnson was issued a citation and released at the scene.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report a man from Oklahoma was arrested Friday evening, following a traffic stop. Authorities say 41-year-old Patrick Gorman Michael, of Ardmore, OK, was arrested near Highway 34 and Osage, for Driving While Suspended. Michael was cited and released from the scene on a promise to appear in court.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County say one person suffered possible/unknown injuries during a collision Sunday afternoon. According to the sheriff’s report, a 2013 Chevy Tahoe driven by 27-year-old Seth Ashby, of Guthrie Center, was traveling south on Jaguar Trail at around 1:50-p.m., Sunday, when the vehicle crossed into the northbound side of the gravel road. The SUV struck a 2014 Chevy Silverado pickup, driven by 26-year-old Tiffany Ashby, of Guthrie Center.

She complained of pain and was checked out by local EMS providers but was not transported to a hospital. The accident remains under investigation. Damage from the collision amounted to $20,000 altogether.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA, April 21, 2025 – The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter has awarded Maria Torres of Council Bluffs the 2025 Outstanding New Volunteer of the Year award for her dedication to the mission to end Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Torres, Health Equity Coordinator for the Pottawattamie County Public Health Department, stepped up to be a Spanish-speaking translator for the Alzheimer’s Association’s BOLD work across the state and has helped connect the Association with new DEI partners and community organizations like the Iowa Dept. of Public Health Conference and Women of Color Leadership Team. She was instrumental in organizing the inaugural Women’s History Month event in Council Bluffs as well.

The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter thanks Maria Torres for her service, passion, and dedication as a volunteer. All Alzheimer’s Association volunteers are passionate, inspired and want to make a difference in the fight to end Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org/iowa/volunteer to learn about volunteer opportunities and how to become a volunteer.

There are 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Iowa alone, there are over 62,000 people living with the disease and nearly 100,000 caregivers.