Iowa is joining 19 other states to sue the six largest generic drug makers. State Attorney General Tom Miller says they are alleging two illegal actions by the companies. “One is sort of a failure to compete, to use the time period and the mechanisms when a drug leaves its patent and gets into the generic category. And secondly, to allege that they manipulated and fixed prices of generic drugs.”

He says there are two specific drugs involved. “One is an antibiotic and the other is an oral diabetics medication,” Miller explains. “So two pretty important and well-used drugs that we are alleging antitrust activity on behalf of the six generic drug companies.”

The antibiotic is doxycycline hyclate, the oral diabetes medication is glyburide. Generic drugs currently account for approximately 88 percent of all prescriptions written in the United States, so Miller says many Iowans could have been impacted. “We don’t know how many Iowans have been affected, but we think it is significant.  Generally as a rule — we assume that Iowans use about one percent of whatever the consumer product is — because we are one percent of the population,” according to Miller.

The states are seeking two things in the federal lawsuit. “An injunction that would prohibit any of this antitrust activity in the future, and then we would want damages for the sales that have taken place,” Miller says. Miller says it is a complicated legal case that could take awhile, although there’s a good possibility they could reach a settlement. “In antitrust cases — like most civil cases — they are settled. Some are tried, but the majority of the cases are settled,”Miller says.

The lawsuit was filed in the U-S District Court for the District of Connecticut. The lawsuit is against the following companies:  Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc., Auribindo Pharma U-S-A Inc., Citron Pharma L-L-C, Mayne Pharma (USA) Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals U-S-A Inc.

(Radio Iowa)

The director of the Iowa Department of Education has filed an ethics complaint against an eastern Iowa superintendent who’s tapped into the district’s cash reserves rather than lay off teachers. Staci is a spokeswoman for the department. “We have a lot of respect for the fact that the superintendent of the Davenport School District is trying to do the right thing for kids,” Hupp says. “However, it’s illegal for a school district to overspend its authorized budget and we have an obligation when that happens to file a complaint.”

A couple of years ago, Davenport Superintendent Art Tate began calling on lawmakers to change the formula for distributing state aid to schools. He argues it’s short-changing his district and others. Tate and other Davenport officials appeared before a state panel on Tuesday, seeking permission to spend more than the current legal limit.
“Ultimately, the School Budget Review Committee wasn’t comfortable with granting additional authority to a school district that is intentionally breaking the law,” Hupp says, “so the request…was unanimously denied.”

Hupp says spending cash reserves is not against the law. “But it’s a violation to overspend your authorized limit when you’re a school district,” Hupp says. The ethics complaint against Tate has been filed with the Iowa Board of Education Examiners. Last year, Tate said he was willing to risk losing his license to be an educator to make the point that the formula for distributing state school aid should be changed.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police early this (Friday) morning, arrested a man on an assault charge. 22-year old Jacob William Avery, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 1:15-a.m. for Domestic Assault. The victim of the assault suffered minor physical injuries during the incident. Avery was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 6-A.M. TODAY (FRIDAY) TO 9-P.M. SATURDAY (12/17), FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: CASS, ADAIR, ADAMS, AUDUBON, GUTHRIE, DALLAS, MADISON, RINGGOLD, TAYLOR AND UNION…..Total ice accumulation of 1/10″ is possible today followed by 1-to 2-inches of snow. Winds will be easterly today at 10-15 mph shifting to the north/northwest at 20-40mph on Saturday. Visibility will be reduced to 3 miles or less at times Saturday, due to potential snow and blowing snow. Ice covered surfaces, slick roads and sidewalks today into tonight, along with reduced visibility, partially covered roads and slick spots are possible. Hazardous travel conditions are likely today into Saturday.

Winter Weather Advisory for counties in purple; Wind chill warning for counties in light blue; Winter Storm warning for counties in pink. http://www.weather.gov/dmx/

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 9-A.M. TODAY (FRIDAY) UNTIL 6-P.M. SATURDAY, FOR HARRISON, SHELBY, POTTAWATTAMIE, MILLS, MONTGOMERY, FREMONT AND PAGE COUNTIES, AND, A WIND CHILL ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM 6-P.M. SATURDAY UNTIL 11-A.M. SUNDAY. Freezing drizzle is expected to develop today by Mid-morning and continue into this evening. Some sleet could also occur. The freezing drizzle will change to all snow late tonight and continue through Saturday afternoon. Total ice accumulation of 1/10″ is possible today followed by 1-to 3-inches of snow.

Wind chill values will fall to -20 by Saturday evening and -25 Saturday night into early Sunday. The dangerously low wind chill values will cause frost bite to exposed skin in a short period of time.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEAN PERIODS OF SNOW, SLEET, OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS THAT CAN RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS, WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:02 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of Iowa landowners forced to allow a Texas oil company to put a crude oil pipeline under their farmland is asking the state courts to throw out what they consider “illegal easements” through their land and some say if they win they want the pipeline dug up and removed. A district court judge in Des Moines heard arguments Thursday in the lawsuit challenging the Dakota Access pipeline.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the ambush-style shooting attacks of two police officers last month. Scott Michael Greene entered his written plea Wednesday in a court filing in which he also asked for a speedy trial. The 46-year-old is accused of carrying out the Nov. 1 attacks of Urbandale officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony Beminio. They were killed within minutes while sitting in their patrol cars miles apart from one another.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A 55-year-old Marshalltown man has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a girl younger than 10. The Times-Republican reports that Marshalltown police began an investigation on Dec. 1 into a complaint of possible sexual abuse involving an adult male and a young girl. The man was arrested Thursday and has been charged with second-degree sexual abuse and indecent contact with a child.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Owners of the Des Moines Marriott Downtown have announced the hotel will be sold for nearly $34 million to Chicago-based Singerman Real Estate. The Des Moines Register reports that City Center Corp., the hotel’s current owner, says the sale is scheduled to close Friday. Constructed in 1981, the Marriott is the third tallest building in Des Moines and includes more than 400 rooms.

A federal analysis indicates at least one out of every five people who lived in a small, southern Iowa county last year had an income below the poverty line. The national poverty rate last year was 13-and-a-half percent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the poverty rate in Decatur County, Iowa, last year was 62 percent higher — for a poverty rate of 21-point-seven percent. Decatur County sits along the Iowa/Missouri border and had fewer than 85-hundred residents in 2010. Lamoni and Leon are its largest communities. The poverty rates in Johnson and Story Counties where large batches of college students live both topped 18 percent.

(Go to the following link to find an interactive map with the data for your county:  http://www.census.gov/did/www/saipe/data/interactive/saipe.html?s_appName=saipe&map_yearSelector=2015&map_geoSelector=aa_c&s_state=19#view=Mapping )

Poverty rate for counties in southwest Iowa: Cass County, 13.9%; Adair County, 11.9%; Adams County,12.5%; Audubon County, 10.3%; Guthrie County, 10.4%; Harrison County, 9.9%; Mills County, 10.3%; Montgomery County, 13.4%; Shelby County, 9.2%; Fremont County, 12.1%; Page County, 15.7%; Ringgold County, 14.1% and Taylor County, 14.7%.

The poverty rate in Polk County — Iowa’s largest — was below the national rate. About one out of every 10 residents in Des Moines and the surrounding area had income below the poverty line last year.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Cass County Health System issued a statement Thursday afternoon regarding the passing of Dr. Edward Fisher, an Orthopedic Surgeon with more than 25-years of experience. Dr. Fisher joined Myrtue Medical Center and the Cass County Health System in February 2015.

Dr. Edward Fisher

Sara Nelson, with CCHS Public Relations said the “Physicians and staff at Cass County Health System and Myrtue Medical Center were deeply saddened today to learn that Dr. Edward Fisher, Orthopedic Surgeon, has passed away. Details and funeral arrangements are not available at this time. Patients currently receiving orthopedic services will be contacted by clinic staff in the near future regarding their ongoing care.”

AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-and RINGGOLD COUNTIES…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 9 PM CST SATURDAY.

* TIMING…FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY EVENING* STORM TOTAL ICE/SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…AROUND 0.10″ INCH OF ICE FOLLOWED BY 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW* WINDS…EASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 MPH  FRIDAY…SHIFTING TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH SATURDAY.* VISIBILITY…VISIBILITY REDUCED TO 3 MILES OR LESS AT TIME DUE TO POTENTIAL SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW SATURDAY. * IMPACTS…ICE COVERED SURFACES…SLICK ROADS AND SIDEWALKS FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS…PARTIALLY SNOW COVERED ROADS…AND SLICK SPOTS SATURDAY. THE COMBINATION OF FREEZING PRECIPITATION FOLLOWED BY POSSIBLE SNOW AND WINDS WILL LEAD TO HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.

MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT and PAGE COUNTIES…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE IN EFFECT FROM 6-A.M. FRIDAY UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

* TIMING…DRIZZLE DEVELOPS FRIDAY MORNING AND CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.* MAIN IMPACT…SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW FREEZING, THUS LIGHT ICING ACCUMULATIONS CAN BE EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES MAY RISE TO NEAR FREEZING OR JUST ABOVE DURING THE AFTERNOON. SOME SLEET COULD ALSO OCCUR.

MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTIES…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND FREEZING DRIZZLE FROM 9-A.M. FRIDAY UNTIL NOON SATURDAY.

TIMING…DRIZZLE DEVELOPS FRIDAY MORNING AND CONTINUES THROUGH
FRIDAY EVENING. SOME SLEET COULD ALSO OCCUR. DRIZZLE CHANGES
OVER TO SNOW LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUES THROUGH MIDDAY
SATURDAY. * MAIN IMPACT…SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW FREEZING, THUS LIGHT ICING ACCUMULATIONS CAN BE EXPECTED. WHEN SNOW DEVELOPS, NORTHWEST WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 30 MPH COULD CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. * OTHER IMPACTS…UNTREATED ROADS, SIDEWALKS, PARKING LOTS, BRIDGES, AND OVERPASSES WILL BECOME ICY WITH A THIN GLAZE. TRAVEL MAY BE IMPACTED. WIND CHILLS DROP TO 15 TO 20 BELOW LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Native American tribe’s water source is one of a few critical sources that could be affected if there was a breach in the Dakota Access oil pipeline. The four-state, $3.8 billion pipeline crosses more than 200 water bodies, including the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which are water sources for a half-million customers in the Des Moines area.

The CEO of the area’s utility says he has emergency plans to deal with leaks, and he will review pipeline inspection reports regularly. It also crosses the Mississippi River, which is a water source for 4,000 people in southeast Iowa. Pipeline builder Energy Transfer Partners says the project will be constantly monitored and can shut off emergency valves remotely at any time.

A suspected case of child abuse brought police to the emergency room at Central Iowa Healthcare in Marshalltown. When officers arrived, they were briefed by the medical staff and informed that the child, a two-month-old male, was being flown by air ambulance to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines with serious injuries. Detectives were called in to continue the investigation. Based upon their investigation, they arrested the father of the child, 18-year-old Ryan Scott Nichols of Marshalltown.

Ryan Scott Nichols

Nichols is charged with the following offenses: willful injury, neglect or abandonment of a dependent person and child endangerment causing bodily injury. Nichols was transported to the Marshall County Jail where he remains pending his initial appearance in court.

The case remains under investigation by the Marshalltown Police Department and the Department of Human Services.

(Radio Iowa)