(Radio Iowa) — A documentary film about Iowa’s sex trafficking underworld will make its debut next week, with plans to show the movie in communities across the state over the coming months. Des Moines filmmaker Vanessa McNeal says people are being bought and sold for sex daily in communities across the state and survivors’ stories need to be told to raise awareness about this horrible crime. “‘Gridshock’ is an investigative documentary that explores the sex trafficking industry in Iowa,” McNeal says. “It primarily focuses on the demand for it, who are the buyers and what type of people are they? How are they doing this and how are they getting away with it? It’s really disturbing, it’s eye-opening and it’s really life-changing.”

McNeal says one Iowa survivor told how she was raped 56 times over the course of 12 hours while her traffickers made $60,000. The filmmaker says Iowans have a hard time believing that kind of depravity and wickedness may be in their neighborhood — or right next door — but for many, she says it is.  “You don’t think that bad things happen here,” McNeal says. “There are men, women and children who are suffering every day in our communities, sometimes in full view, and we have no idea that they’re being trafficked. I owe it to the survivors to have their stories be shared, and in the community, there’s so much work that we need to do on this issue, I knew that I wanted to focus on it.”

McNeal calls herself a “survivor of sexual violence” and adds she’s never experienced sex trafficking. The documentary will premiere April 2nd at the Des Moines Civic Center, with tickets for the debut ranging from 35 to 100-dollars as part of a fundraiser.  “With the VIP there’s an hour beforehand where there will be influential people and food and time to talk with the crew of the film,” McNeal says. “All of the ticket proceeds are going to Dorothy’s House in Des Moines, so, not only do people get to watch this really impactful film, they’re donating to a local restoration home for sex trafficking survivors right here, locally.”

Other dates the film will be shown include: April 8th at Iowa State University in Ames, April 15th and the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, April 18th in Davenport, April 25th and 27th at the Dubuque International Film Festival, and May 2nd and 7th at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. McNeal hopes to eventually have the documentary shown on HBO or through Netflix. For more information, visit: www.gridshockdocumentary.com
Link to film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5SanPltXa8

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the name of an 85-year-old woman who died after a fire at her Waterloo home. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that firefighters found Evangeline “Angie” Glazebrook unconscious inside her home Monday morning. They’d been dispatched following 911 reports from neighbors who noticed smoke. Authorities say she was pronounced dead later at a Waterloo hospital.

The Courier says its archives show Glazebrook was a Waterloo teacher who retired in 1995. Investigators say the blaze started in the kitchen, but the exact cause hasn’t been determined yet.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a man was arrested Tuesday night for OWI/1st offense. 50-year old Joseph L. Askern, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 8:20-p.m. after a deputy was dispatch to a location in rural Underwood, for a reported disturbance. Askern’s bond was set at $1,000.

There were also several inmate transfer’s from various area jails in Nebraska to the Pott. County Jail, Tuesday. Among them:

• 49-year old Anthony Wayne Coleman, who was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Operating a Motor Vehicle without consent.
• 18-year old Joan M. Arias-Felix, who was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation.
• 21-year old Kody Kyle Johnson was transported to the Pott. County Jail from Nebraska, on a felony warrant for Theft in the 2nd degree.
• 26-year old Bailey Jo Schovanec was transported from Nebraska to the Pott. County Jail on warrants charging her with two counts of Burglary in the 3rd degree/vehicle-1st offense; and Illegal Enterprise/conduct; Possession of Burglary tools; Theft in the 2nd degree; and two-counts of Theft in the 5th degree.
• 43-year old Fednol Garly St. Cyr was brought to the Pott. County Jail to answer to a warrant for Perjury/contradictory statements.
• And, 29-year old Simon Buombiey Jacob was brought to the Pott. County Jail from Nebraska, on warrants for Assault and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree/damage or vandalism of property amounting to more than $500 but less than $1,000.