COON RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The wonders of the night sky will be on display next month in western Iowa for the return of the annual Star Party at Whiterock Conservancy. The Sept. 7 event, hosted by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers, will provide powerful telescopes and knowledgeable astronomers from around the Midwest to help participants identify constellations and stars. The public is welcome to join the part at 7:30 p.m. at the conservancy’s Star Field in Coon Rapids. The night will include a short astronomy presentation and door prizes.

If the weather is clear, visitors will have the chance to see numerous different galaxies, nebulas and stars millions of light years away, as well as some of the planets. All ages are welcome, and appropriate attire and a blanket are recommended.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says she expects to hear something soon on the trade deal with Mexico. The Republican from Red Oak says she knows everyone is anxious to hear something. “Iowans come to me every day to talk about trade, trade, trade, and the R-F-S,” Ernst says. Ernst says she doesn’t know all the details of what is being discussed — but she says it is important to make progress. “What do I want to see? I want to see the deal done,” Ernst says, “let’s get that in the rearview mirror. I think that will be really important for our farmers and ranchers.”

Ernst says the Mexico deal could be the path for other trade deals to come together. “Mexico has been a wonderful trade partner to us, I will not deny that, they have been very good for agriculure,” Ernst says. “So, if we can continue that wonderful relationship between our farmers and ranchers and the folks in Mexico — let’s do it, let’s get it done. Let’s move on, let’s get Canada done, and then we can focuse on the larger issue, which is China.”

Ernst made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Radio Iowa) — As Iowa kids get their back-to-school physicals, it’s a good time to get them vaccinated against the human papillomavirus. H-P-V is easily-transmitted and can cause six types of cancer. While there is no treatment for H-P-V, Tessa Allred, program coordinator with the Iowa Cancer Consortium, says a safe vaccine series is available. “A lot of parents are getting their kids in for wellness visits and getting them ready to go back to school so it’s a good time for them to talk to their providers about the vaccines they’ll need,” Allred says, “which includes the HPV vaccine which is recommended for adolescents age 11 and 12.”

A report from the Iowa Department of Public Health found only 42-percent of girls and 36-percent of boys have completed their H-P-V vaccination series. The consortium has set a goal to increase H-P-V vaccination rates for Iowa teens between 13 and 15-years-old to 60-percent by 2022. “We’re actually producing a video right now that features a couple of cervical cancer survivors,” Allred says. “What they’re doing is sharing what their experience was like and why they wished they would have had the opportunity to get this vaccine when they were 11 or 12.”

If all children were vaccinated, she says, so many cancers could be prevented. “There are a couple of other states that actually require the HPV vaccine before school,” Allred says. “Iowa does not currently require it but it’s a vaccine that is highly recommended.” Most insurance policies cover the shots, she says, and if they’re not covered, there are several reimbursement programs. The Iowa Cancer Consortium is billed as a partnership of more than 400 health care providers, public health professionals, caregivers, researchers, cancer survivors, volunteers and other Iowans who work together to reduce the burden of cancer in our state.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man and woman from Pottawattamie County were arrested late Friday on separate charges following a traffic stop. 37-year old Danielle Rene Adams, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a Page County warrant for two counts of Theft in the 5th Degree. Adams was turned over to Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, and was being held in the Page County Jail on a $600 cash bond. 21-year old John Leroy Adams, also of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond.

Red Oak Police, Friday evening, arrested 43-year old Marcus Eugene Johnson, of Red Oak. Johnson was taken into custody at around 7:35-p.m. in the 300 block of 4th Avenue, on a felony charge of Theft in the 2nd Degree. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where Johnson’s bond was set at $5,000.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that on Friday evening, the Fremont County K9 Unit conducted a traffic stop on I-29 around the Nebraska City exit in Fremont County. During the course of the stop, 50-year old John Tracy Miller, of Hamburg, was found to be in possession of 59 grams of Methamphetamine.

Miller was previously released from corrections in January of this year for delivery of methamphetamine. He was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and is being charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with the intent to deliver.

Miller is currently being held on $100,000.00 cash bond. The case is still on going, with pending charges in other incidents. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Mills Co K9 Unit.

John Tracy Miller

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two young black men have filed a lawsuit alleging that they were racially profiled by two white Des Moines police officers who pulled over their car for no apparent reason and handcuffed one of them while searching the vehicle without a warrant or probable cause. The lawsuit over the July 15 stop was filed Friday on behalf of 23-year-old Montray Little and 21-year-old Jared Clinton.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A top Republican fundraiser whose firm works for several prominent immigration hardliners is the partial owner of the land where the Mexican man accused of killing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts lived rent-free. Nicole Schlinger is married to the president of the family farm that has acknowledged providing employment and housing to Tibbetts’ suspected killer for four years.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — A candidate for Boone County attorney has filed a lawsuit against the Wapello and Boone county attorneys and others. The Ottumwa Courier reports Friday the suit filed by Republican lawyer Stephen Swanson, who now is running for Boone County attorney, was prompted by an Aug. 10 story by The Des Moines Register. The story said when Swanson worked as an assistant county attorney in Ottumwa, he lost his job because of missing court deadlines. Swanson disputes those claims and says he resigned.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say they’re giving a $344 million raise to two companies that manage the state’s Medicaid program. The state’s share is nearly $103 million, or a 7.5 percent increase. The federal government will cover the remainder. The Iowa Department of Human Services, which oversees the health care program for 680,000 poor and disabled Iowans, said Friday the additional funding is “a manageable increase.”

(Radio Iowa) — Emotions boiled over at the sentencing hearing for a Sioux City teenager who was charged with sexually abusing a three-year-old girl he was babysitting in June of last year. Amari Dean, who was 17 when the abuse occurred, was given a deferred judgment and probation. That did not sit well with about two dozen others in the courtroom who are the victim’s relatives and friends of the family. The judge called for back-up and the father of the three-year-old victim was among those ordered to leave the courtroom.

The girl’s father says Dean should have been sentenced to prison.

Several officers from the Woodbury County Sheriff’s office and the Sioux City Police Department were summoned to the courthosue to deal with the disturbance. Woodbury County Deputy Deputy Cliff Moodie was in the courtroom and responsible for taking Dean from the county jail to the court hearing.

Dean was escorted out of the courthouse by authorities.