ATLANTIC – Cass County Public Health is offering free car seat inspections on Saturday, September 8th from 9 am to noon in the parking lot at the Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center at 703 Linn Street in Atlantic.

Multiple certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on hand to inspect car seats, help parents install them correctly, give tips about car seat safety, and answer any questions.

There is no cost for the inspections, but appointments are needed. Please make an appointment by calling Cass County Public Health at 712-243-7475.

ELDRIDGE, Iowa (AP) — Police say a teacher disarmed a 12-year-old student at a junior high school in eastern Iowa. The Eldridge Police Department said in a news release that no shots were fired and no one was injured in Friday morning’s incident at North Scott Junior High School. Police say the woman disarmed the student before officers arrived.

The boy’s been charged with attempted murder and a weapons crime. His name hasn’t been released. The department declined to answer more question about the incident, including why a charge of attempted murder has been leveled. The school was placed on lockdown while officers investigated.

The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling that had ordered the city of Des Moines to repay more than $90,000 in fines collected from traffic camera enforcement — but it resurrected several constitutional challenges to the city’s use of the traffic camera.

The high court’s ruling Friday was one of three issued on the use of traffic cameras in the state. In the Des Moines case, a majority of justices ruled that the plaintiffs should be allowed to argue that the city’s use of an automated speed radar camera on Interstate 235 violates the due process and equal protection rights of motorists.

The ruling reverses a Polk County judge’s decision last year that threw out those claims. The high court also gave new life to a similar lawsuit in Cedar Rapids, saying that city’s law on collecting traffic camera fines doesn’t conform to state law.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former secretary for Iowa soil and water conservation districts allegedly embezzled nearly $300,000 in cash and personal purchases over a 7-year period. A report released by State Auditor Mary Mosiman says Leslie Carey made hundreds of withdrawals and improper purchases, criticizing the districts for failing to implement safeguards after a similar scandal was uncovered in 2014.

Carey was secretary for the Black Hawk County Soil and Water Conservation District and its counterpart in Bremer County. She was an employee of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship until resigning last December.

The report found Carey withdrew $182,000 in cash from the Black Hawk district and spent $105,000 on debit and credit cards. She used public funds to buy items such as a new television and water heater, airline and concert tickets, groceries and clothing.
Carey improperly transferred $134,000 from Bremer to prop up Black Hawk’s budget.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state has taken custody of another infant through Iowa’s safe haven law. The state Department of Human Services says a baby boy born Aug. 19 at an Iowa hospital was released into the custody of the agency.

It was the 32nd time the procedure had been used since lawmakers changed the law following a 2001 case in which a mother killed her home-delivered newborn in eastern Iowa.

Under the law, parents can give the state custody of babies who are 30 days or younger without concern of being prosecuted. Parents or an authorized representative can leave infants at a hospital or other health care facility.

The babies are placed with foster or adoptive families. The state doesn’t identify the location of babies taken into custody.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A newspaper investigation has found that a company that ran Iowa’s newly privatized Medicaid program before quitting still owes up to $14.6 million for medical care provided to disabled, poor and elderly residents. Records obtained by the Des Moines Register show that AmeriHealth Caritas owes nearly 6,000 individual charges totaling more than $1 million at the University of Iowa Hospitals.

AmeriHealth was one of three for-profit groups that Iowa hired in 2016 to take over management of the state’s $5 billion annual program. The company announced last year that it planned to terminate its contract with the state after 18 months and multiple failed attempts to negotiate higher payments for its Medicaid work. AmeriHealth spokesman Joshua Brett says the company is complying with its Iowa contract and that it’s working to examine provider claims.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department are reporting numerous arrests took place over the past week. Today (Friday), 21-year old Zachary Thomas Powers, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for a possible domestic situation near 10^th and Market. Powers was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct. On Thursday, 20-year old Quentin James Briggs, of Harlan, was arrested on an active warrant following a traffic stop near 12^th and Willow St. Briggs was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Three people were arrested this past Monday. 22-year old Cassie Kaylynn Swensen, of Anita, was arrested following a call for stolen vehicle in the 900 block of Broadway St. Swensen was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with theft 2^nd degree. 38-year old Daniel Harvey Pash, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop near 18^th St and Lincoln Ave. Pash was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. And, 19-year old Cody James Haggerty, of Harlan, was arrested after a call for service in the 1700 block of 7^th St. Haggerty was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with burglary 2^nd, burglary 3^rd, and possession of burglary tools.

On August 26th, 27-year old Justin Lee Stout,of Harlan, was arrested on two active warrants. Stout was transported to the Shelby County Jail. And, on August 25th, 23-year old Breanna Mae Loran Laugen, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for service in the 1100 block of Durant St. Laugen was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with providing alcohol to person under age and unauthorized disposing of trash.