SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City casino open fewer than two years is seeking approval to expand its main floor to include high-stakes gambling. The Sioux City Journal reports the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is planning a $5 million, nearly 8,000-square-foot addition to its downtown casino. In addition to a high-stakes gambling area, the expansion would include a wine bar and a private lounge. The new gambling area will include 50 new slot machines and two blackjack tables.

Casino general manager Todd Moyer says that since the casino opened in August 2014, visitors have requested more gambling and drinking options. The Sioux City Council is scheduled to discuss the expansion at a meeting Monday. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval.

An attorney retained on behalf of Cass County Health System CEO Todd Hudspeth, Thursday, entered a written Alford Plea for Hudspeth, on his felony charge in Buena Vista County, of Forgery. Legal experts say an Alford Plea is a guilty plea by a defendant who proclaims he is innocent of the crime, and admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. It is entered when the accused, together with his attorney, has made the calculated decision to plead guilty because the evidence against him is so strong that it will likely lead to conviction. Typically, it results in a guilty plea of a lesser crime

A jury trial was set to begin in Hudspeth’s case on July 12th, but with his plea, a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) will now take place August 1st, during what’s called a “Plea taking.”

CCHS CEO Todd Hudspeth

Last month, Hudspeth had entered a written plea of Not Guilty to the Forgery charge filed against him in Buena Vista County Court. Storm Lake Police had earlier arrested Hudspeth after he allegedly presented a $10,000 check with a forged signature at Storm Lake MetaBank. Hudspeth has said the check was deposited into a checking account to pay for his son’s college expenses. Hudspeth later acknowledged he had made a poor decision in endorsing a disbursement check that included his name, and that of his ex-wife. Hudspeth admitted that he took “A foolish shortcut to expedite” the process of transferring funds for his son’s expenses.

Hudspeth faces a similar felony charge in Cass County, filed in May. That charge was based on the Forgery case filed by the Storm Lake Police Department. Hudspeth entered a written plea of Not Guilty in his Cass County case.  A waiver for his preliminary hearing was submitted May 24th .

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Nebraska man accused of a fatal hit-and-run in western Iowa is set to stand trial later this summer. The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs reports 44-year-old Tracy Peniska has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatality accident and obstructing prosecution. His trial has been set for Aug. 9th. If convicted, Peniska could face up to seven years in prison.

Police say Peniska was driving his car March 9 on the Interstate 480 bridge in Council Bluffs when he hit a pedestrian, 29-year-old Brett Jensen. Police say Peniska reported his car stolen to Omaha police later that night, but eventually told police he had made up the stolen-car story.

Peniska is free on $5,000 bail.

The latest area news from KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson.

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Two people were injured during a single-vehicle accident early this (Saturday) morning, on Atlantic’s east side. Atlantic Police Sgt. Cody Eckles told KJAN news the female driver stated a rear tire blew out as the vehicle was traveling eastbound on 7th Street (Highway 6), at around 12:20-a.m.  The car went out of control and skidded for about 19-feet before hitting a brick pillar on the grounds of the Atlantic Catholic Cemetery, on the south side of the road.

(click on individual images – it will open another page from which you can click again to enlarge the picture) – Ric Hanson/photos.

Eckles said the driver and a male passenger were injured, but the extent of their injuries was not immediately known. LifeNet helicopter was called-in to transport the male victim from the Cass County Memorial Hospital to another facility. Dispatch reports at the time said he had suffered head injuries and was in-and-out of consciousness.

No names have been released.

A nine-year old female was listed in critical condition Friday at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, following what was described as a likely medical emergency in the pool at the Stuart Aquatic Center. According to the Stuart Police Department, officers and Stuart Rescue personnel responded to the center at around 2:40-p.m, after they received word about an unresponsive juvenile female.

When emergency services arrived they were directed to an unconscious female child who was with lifeguards at the pool. Lifeguards were performing CPR at the time of the emergency services arrival. Stuart Police and Stuart Rescue immediately began providing medical care to the child. The child was stabilized and transported by ambulance to the Stuart landing pad located on SW 7th St, and later transported by Mercy One to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.

As of the most recent report, authorities said it is believed that the child suffered a medical emergency while in the pool, however an investigation will continue into the incident. Witnesses and staff at the Aquatics Center said that lifeguards immediately noticed that there was a problem with the child while she was swimming in the pool and jumped in to save her. 

Due to privacy concerns, HIPPA and the age of the child, no further information will be released regarding the identity or medical history of the child.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a collision on the southeast side of Creston, Friday afternoon. Authorities say a car driven by 16-year old Timmy Kohl, of Creston, was traveling north on S. Cherry Street at around 1-p.m., and stopped at the intersection with Highway 34. Kohl saw a pickup with its right turning signal flashing as it was heading towards him eastbound on Highway 34, so he proceeded into the intersection.

The driver of the pickup, 28-year old Teresa Murphy, of Bedford, told investigators she had been signaling a lane change from the inside to outside lane previous to the intersection, and did not signal for an intent to turn. Murphy tried to avoid the collision, but her 2015 Ford struck the 1998 Chevy Lumina on the driver’s side, causing $11,000 damage.

Authorities cited Kohl for Failure to Yield from a Stop Sign.

U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and his Cuban counterpart Gustavo Rodriguez Rollero toured a central Iowa corn and soybean farm Friday, and talked about water, soil, and energy. Vilsack — with an interpreter behind him — says he wants the ban on exports to the country lifted.  “I sincerely hope that at some point in time in the near future Congress sees the wisdom of ending the embargo — allowing us to have an even closer relationship,” Vilsack says. “In the meantime, U-S-D-A has authorized the used of commodity checkoff resources for education and training, and we will be continuing to encourage more collaboration. We have a lot to learn from each other.”

Speaking on the farm near Polk City, Vilsack says dropping the embargo would allow Iowa and the rest of U-S agriculture to send more goods to Cuba. “They in turn have a tremendous  opportunity to import into the U-S organic production. High-value added opportunity. That is why we are on this farm,  to show that there is a commitment to organic, but a need for more,” Vilsack says.

Rollero spoke with an interpreter. “We believe that there are many areas of agriculture that we have common views, and what is left to be done is to deepen our collaboration,” Rollero says.

The two signed agreement to work together on a list of agricultural issues. “And I am certain that this will allow both parties to know each other better, to strengthen our cooperation,  and in the end this will be to the benefit of agricultural development,” according to  Rollero.

The agreement covers seven areas. “First and most important is the issue of seeds and phytogenetic resources,” Rollero says. “This is the basis for the development of agriculture. There won’t ever be a farmer who can improve his production if he doesn’t improve his seeds.”

Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, says Cuba is also an ally for the United States on some hot-button international agriculture issues, such as food safety and animal health regulations.

(Radio Iowa)

The new campaign ad from one of the Democrats running in Iowa’s third congressional district primary has become an issue among all three candidates in the contest. The ad from Jim Mowrer questioned rival Mike Sherzan’s support of Wall Street reform. “In 2011, Mike went with the Iowa Bankers Association, met with the Federal Reserve,” Mowrer says. “The Federal Reserve released minutes of this meeting that said that they opposed this because it would result in significant financial losses for them.”

Sherzan says he supports President Obama’s Wall Street reform and would go even farther. Sherzan accuses Mowrer of breaking a pledge to run a positive campaign because the race has tightened. “I think it speaks to Jim’s character more than it speaks to my position on Dodd-Frank,” Sherzan says. “…I’d let the voters decide on Tuesday whether this is an ethical issue with my opponent.”

Desmund Adams — the other candidate in the race — is not mentioned in the ad, but Adams is weighing in on the controversy. Adams says while negative ads are nothing new in politics, he’s questioning why Mowrer violated his pact to run a positive campaign. “There was a level of deceiptfulness that took place,” Adams says. “In addition to deceiptfulness, absolutely there’s a level of dishonesty.”

Mowrer rejects the criticism. “This is absolutely not a negative ad,” Mowrer said. “If we can’t talk about what our policy differences are, then what is there to discuss?” The three candidates made their comments Friday night, during a joint appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program.

(Radio Iowa)