The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a woman from Diagonal reported Wednesday, someone had gotten into her “Party Bus” while it was parked at 1678 E. Adams Street, in Creston. A sound system, which included a radio, speakers and amp, were stolen from the bus. The loss was estimated at $500.

A new report shows Iowa is seeing some important improvements in the prevention of child abuse. Sarah Welch, spokeswoman for Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, says while the state’s population has grown over the decades, reports of some types of violence against children have actually dropped. “For example, in child sexual abuse, we’ve actually seen a decline since the ’90s,” Welch says. “A lot of that came at the same time that we increased training and education for children and also for adults on how to create an environment that prevents that kind of situation from happening.”

She says the numbers are also falling in another key category. Welch says, “We’ve seen a decrease in physical abuse and some of that came at the same time that we were working on shaken baby syndrome and how to prevent those kinds of injuries in the first few weeks of a child’s life from the stress of parenting.” Prevent Child Abuse Iowa marked its 40th anniversary in 2015 and she notes the times have very much changed.

“Most people now are aware that child abuse exists,” Welch says. “Back in the ’70s when we got started, that wasn’t even considered an issue for the state and many communities. Now, people are aware it’s an issue and our next step is, how do we prevent it?” April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The group’s annual conference is scheduled for April 25-27 in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)

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

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Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy and Montgomery County Sheriff Joe Sampson have announced a permanent Medication Drop box (Iowa Take Back drop box) is now located in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center at 106 W. Coolbaugh Street, in Red Oak. The drop box will be accessible to the public during normal business hours. The special drop box is made possible through a small grant from the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy to address the increasing problem of prescription drug abuse.

Citizens wishing to utilize the medication drop box are asked to place all medications in sealed non-breakable containers and are requested to not include any “sharps” (syringes or lancets) or any other item that could cause injury to personnel servicing the drop box. Remove all personal identification from your unneeded “controlled prescription drugs,” seal the medicines in vials and/or bags, take them to your nearest Iowa Take Back drop box site, and anonymously place your medicines in the secure drop box.

Find additional Iowa Take Back sites at: http://www.iowa.gov/odcp/drug_information/takebacks.html. Most prescription drug drop boxes are located a short distance inside the main public entrance of local law enforcement centers. If you have questions, call ahead to the law enforcement agency.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A Nebraskan who took a long test drive in a vehicle from an Iowa dealer has been sentenced for theft. The Daily Nonpareil reports 28-year-old Michael Detty, of Lincoln, pleaded guilty. He was sentenced Monday to five years in prison.

An arrest affidavit says Detty took a sport utility vehicle from Fleming Motors in Council Bluffs on Jan. 14th. He called a couple hours later to say he was going to pick up his father and have lunch. A Fleming salesman asked Detty to bring back the SUV.

The affidavit says the SUV was found four days later in Urbandale, about 115 miles away.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Efforts to bring high-speed, fiber optic internet service to more businesses, and later residences, in Atlantic, are becoming more organized, with approval Wednesday night by the Atlantic City Council, of a feasibility study and costs analysis agreement. The agreement, between the City and Oak Hill Consulting, Inc., will cost the City $18,000. Councilman Bob Cord said the study is expensive, but “None of us are authorities on what’s gonna happen…It’s an opportunity to answer a lot of questions that currently being ‘solved’ at the coffee shop.”

There is fiber optic internet service to the City now, but businesses need higher-speed service. Mayor Dave Jones and others have said a back-up provider is necessary, as evidenced by a widespread outage earlier this week caused by a severed MediaCom fiber optic cable near Carroll that took out all phone and internet service in and about 15 other cities.

Atlantic City Council discusses fiber optic study, Wed. (Ric Hanson/photo)

City Administrator John Lund said he and the Mayor have been working since the fall of 2015 on ways the City can move forward with fiber optic connectivity. That includes talking with MediaCom and Centurylink, partnering with other cities in the County, and getting grants for the project, but Lund says Atlantic doesn’t qualify to grants because of its size.

A project in Waverly, which would be similar in scope, cost that city around $8-million. The Mayor says the feasibility study is the best way to move forward, right now. John Lund agreed, saying the City couldn’t afford to take on the type of debt necessary to set-up the infrastructure on its own. Lund says his understanding is Atlantic is too large to be treated like a charity by the federal government to receive a grant to get the city connected, and too small for the private sector to look at Atlantic as a profit.

The cost of the study will be paid for through the Local Option Sales Tax progress fund.

Police in Creston report a Creston man was arrested Wednesday evening on a Probation Violation warrant. Gerald Lynn Lawrence, Jr., was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held without bond.

And, Amber Michelle Smith, of Creston, was cited Wednesday evening, for allowing an animal to run At Large,

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved an agreement with UMB Bank to purchase General Obligation Corporate Purpose and Refunding Bonds, the value of which will not exceed $5-million. Chip Schultz, with UMB says the agreement sets the rates for the bond issue at 1.49-percent.

Schultz says an A-Plus rating with Standard and Poors has been affirmed, so “Things look good from a financing standpoint.” He says the move will save the City about $80,000 on the 2011 bond. The rest will fund municipal library, street and storm water improvements, as well as police and fire equipment.

City Administrator John Lund says the bond issue saves tax payers more than $33,200.

Police in Creston say one person complained of pain but was not transported to the hospital, following an accident Wednesday afternoon. Officials say a 2002 Ford Escort driven by 25-year old Dennis Smith, of Creston, was traveling north on Vine Street just before 3-p.m., when Smith failed to stop at the controlled intersection with Mills Street. When he pulled out in front of a 1999 Jeep Cherokee driven by 16-year old Carmeron Millslagle, of Creston, the vehicles collided, causing $4,000 damage. Police cited Smith for Failure to Obey a Stop or Yield Sign.