(Radio Iowa) — Advocates for the well-being of kids in Iowa are working to boost awareness, as April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Allie Moerman, is the spokeswoman for Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. Following the starvation deaths of two teen girls in Perry and West Des Moines in recent years, Moerman says the number of child abuse cases being reported to the state has risen.

“Without looking at the long-term trends, it’s hard to say what that means,” Moerman says. “We know that those high-profile cases that we saw in 2016 with Sabrina Ray and Natalie Finn does make a difference in the public awareness about child abuse so that often contributes to the increase that we see and report.”

Moerman says Iowans can work together to help reduce the number of child abuse cases by getting involved in the activities of children and building stronger connections with the kids in our lives. “Maybe it’s something as simple as volunteering to read to a class of elementary students,” Moerman says. “Maybe it’s reaching out to new parents in your community to bring over a meal or helping them out by running an errand or volunteering to get involved with youth activities just to be a positive influence in the lives of children.”

Moerman says the annual Child Abuse Prevention and Family Support Conference will be held in Ankeny next month. “We’ve actually sold out this year,” Moerman says. “We’ve got a full house of support workers and social workers from around the state coming in to learn from nationally-recognized speakers, statewide speakers. It should be a great opportunity to learn and share and network and build those connections throughout our state.”

Learn more about child abuse prevention and how you can play a role at www.pcaiowa.org.

(Radio Iowa) — A bill getting strong bipartisan support in the Iowa legislature would make it a felony to perform female genital mutilation on an Iowa girl. Last year a judge tossed out a FEDERAL law that had banned the practice nationwide, ruling it was up to states to prosecute such crimes. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says this bill is necessary because it’s unclear if current Iowa child abuse laws could be used to prosecute these cases here.  “It is to make absolutely sure that there is no doubt that in the state of Iowa female genital mutilation is not acceptable and is illegal,” Holt said.

The Senate unanimously endorsed the bill in mid-March. The Iowa House now has voted to add an education component to the bill for the medical community — to help doctors treat girls and young women who’ve been cut in this way. The bill also calls for educational outreach to Iowa residents who come from cultures where the practice has been common. Representative Marti Anderson, a Democrat from Des Moines, says it’s time for female cutting to join the list of cultural practices that have been stopped in the United States. “Child marriage, polygamy, stoning, dowry murder, honor crimes, foot-binding,” Anderson says. “Those were all framed as cultural issues that border on human rights abuse.”

Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says female cutting is about controlling women’s sexuality. “I hope that we’ll take this opportunity as we’re focusing on girls, focusing on health, focusing on bodily autonomy again to think about the ways in our culture that we do not protect women and the ways we could all do better,” Hinson said. “…We can protect many other people and we can root out the evils that are right here in our own culture.”

Hinson mentioned conversion therapy for gay and lesbian children as well as questioning the clothing choices of rape victims. The bill banning female genital mutilation passed the House on a 95-to-four vote. It returns to the Senate for a vote on the educational components House members added to the bill.

Two women have been arrested on separate drug charges in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Myrissa Taylor Comstock, of Coin, was arrested Tuesday night for Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $1,300.

And, at around 5:10-a.m. Wednesday (today), 18-year old Monica Nicole Price, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $300.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Red Oak woman on a warrant Wednesday. At approximately 1:43pm Deputies arrested 28-year-old Carley Marie Whitaker of Red Oak on a valid Iowa District Court Warrant for Contempt-Resist Order or Process of District Court. Whiteaker was booked in to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 cash bond.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate asks Iowans who receive a “No Activity in 4 Years” mailing from his office to respond quickly. This will avoid having their voter registration status changed to inactive. The “No Activity” notices are being sent to voters who have not voted in any election and have not updated their voter registration information in the past four years. The purpose of the mailing is to ensure Iowa’s voter rolls are up-to-date.

“This mailing is part of the routine process we undertake to ensure our voter rolls are as accurate as possible. It’s a crucial component for having clean and fair elections across the state,” Secretary Pate said. The “No Activity in 4 Years” mailing is required by federal law. Iowans who receive the mailing should check the relevant box, sign the card and return it quickly to their county auditor. If the voter no longer lives at that address, the current resident should note that information on the card and place it in the mail.

Inactive voters can update their registration status to active anytime, including on Election Day. A sample of the “2019 No Activity in 4 Years” mailing is available at this link.