SEATTLE (AP) — Seventeen states, including Iowa, Washington, New York and California, sued President Donald Trump’s administration today (Tuesday), in an effort to force officials to reunite migrant families who have been separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. The states, all of which are led by Democratic attorneys general, joined Washington, D.C., in filing the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle. It’s the first legal challenge by states over the practice.

Immigration authorities have separated about 2,300 children from their parents in recent weeks, sparking global outrage as images and recordings of weeping children emerged. Many parents are in custody thousands of miles from their children, whom they have not been able to see and have rarely spoken to for a month or more.

After falsely blaming Democrats for the separations and insisting that only Congress could fix the issue, the president last week issued an executive order designed to end the practice under his “zero tolerance” policy, which prosecutes adults who come to the U.S. illegally.

But the states say his order is riddled with caveats and fails to reunite parents and children who have already been torn apart. They accuse the administration of denying the parents and children due process; denying the immigrants, many of whom are fleeing gang violence in Central America, their right to seek asylum; and being arbitrary in applying the policy.

A U.S. judge in San Diego already is considering whether to issue a nationwide injunction sought by the American Civil Liberties Union that would order the administration to reunite the separated children with their parents. A Seattle-based immigrant rights group sued Monday on behalf of detained asylum-seekers in Washington state who have been separated from their children.

The states that sued are Massachusetts, California, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Police have arrested a southeastern Iowa sixth-grade teacher accused of sending sexually-charged messages and pictures to a 13-year-old former student. The Ottumwa Courier reports that police arrested 35-year-old Zachary Barr, of Ottumwa, on Monday. Barr is a sixth-grade teacher at Evans Middle School, but school district officials said Tuesday he had been place on administrative leave.

Police received a complaint June 8 from a woman who said her daughter had received inappropriate messages via social media from Barr, a former teacher to the girl. Police then contacted Barr pretending to be the girl and say he asked her to send him nude photos. Police say he also sent photos of his genitals.

Barr is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation by a school employee and dissemination and exhibition of obscene materials to a minor. He faces more than 30 years in prison if convicted.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County today (Tuesday), arrested 44-year old Joseph Edward Harris, of rural Essex. Harris was taken into custody on a Page County Warrant for Probation violation.  He was being held in the Page County Jail on charges of Burglary 3^rd Degree and Theft 2^nd Degree when he was arrested on the latest charge.  Harris’s total bond is currently $15,000.

DOON, Iowa (AP) — BNSF Railway says it’s reopened a track where 32 tank cars derailed, spilling thousands of gallons of crude oil in northwest Iowa. Spokesman Andy Williams says a train ran down the repaired line near Doon around 10 p.m. Monday. An estimated 230,000 gallons of crude oil spilled Saturday into floodwaters of the Little Rock River from 14 of the cars. He says much of the oil spilled is contained to a small triangular area between the track and two nearby roads. Hazardous materials and environmental experts are using skimmers to recover additional oil.

City and water district officials downstream in Iowa and Nebraska have been assured by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources that the oil will be contained before reaching the Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa.

The Harlan Police Department reports 18-year old Alexandra Page Butterfield, of Moorhead, was arrested Monday on drug charges, following a traffic stop. She was charged with Prohibited Acts penalties, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. Last Saturday, 40-year old Erin Lynn Tebockhorst, of East Moline, IL., was arrested in Harlan for Operating a non-registered vehicle, and OWI/1st offense. On Friday, 68-year old Dennis Raymond Smith, of Plattsmouth, NE., was arrested for OWI/1st offense. That same day, 46-year old Pamela J. Frieze, of Harlan, was cited for Driving while suspended.

On June 21st, 32-year old Terri Lynn Hallas, of Harlan, was cited by Harlan Police for Driving While Suspended and having an insufficient number of headlamps. And, on June 20th, 29-year old Dereck J. Hilsabeck, of Manning, was arrested for OWI/2nd offesne, and open container. The H-PD says also, no injuries were reported after a 2000 Dodge Dakota pickup driven by Branden Ericksen, of Harlan, hydroplaned and went out of control, before entering a ditch and striking a fence. The accident happened June 19th, as Ericksen was traveling north on Highway 59.

A new study released this (Tuesday) morning concludes 37 percent of Iowa households could not afford to pay monthly bills that cover the basic necessities of life in 2016. The report identified 12 percent of Iowans living below the poverty line and another 25 percent of working Iowans living paycheck-to-paycheck. Shane Orr, executive director of United Way of Muscatine, is chairman of the United Ways of Iowa board of directors, the group that commissioned the report. “Sadly, there is no single solution to fix the challenges that so many in Iowa face,” Orr said. “The challenges are complex and interwoven. However, armed with the information from this report, everyone can make more informed decisions.”

Iowans who are identified as “income constrained” live in both urban and rural Iowa. More than half the residents of southern Iowa’s Decatur County are unable to afford basic necessities according to Stephanie Hoopes, the former Rutgers University professor who did the research. “This basic household budget that we measure is the bare minimum of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and the bare minimum cell phone plan because there are the things you need to live and work in the modern economy in Iowa,” Hoopes says.

Those costs increased 26 percent for a single adult and 41 percent for a family of four. “That is much faster than the rate of inflation, which during that period was nine percent,” Hoopes says.  In 2010, about 18 percent of Iowa households with a working adult were living paycheck to paycheck. The updated report indicates that increased to 25 percent by 2016. “We’re actually hearing some really good economic indicators right now: low unemployment, increased productivity, the stock market’s booming,” Hoopes says, “…and yet there’s something else going on.”

Hoopes says working Iowans who are employed, but have few assets and little to no savings are “one emergency away from falling into poverty.”

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The latest Army Corps of Engineers figures say the reservoir that protects Des Moines from Des Moines River flooding is expected to peak at around 75 percent of capacity next week.
But the Saylorville Lake manager also says those figures could change — and alarmingly so — with heavy upstream rainfall on already saturated ground.

Jeff Rose is the Corps’ operations project manager for Saylorville, and he says Tuesday morning’s lake peak forecast of nearly 881 feet above sea level is down from Monday’s forecast of 883.5 feet, despite heavy local rain.

He says the current inflow is more than double the controlled outflow. The outflow can go only so fast without causing river flooding downstream, so the Corps must balance that against the inflow, using the reservoir to handle the difference.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a prescription form of cannabis oil as treatment for patients with two rare forms of epilepsy. A West Des Moines mother whose daughter has chronic epilepsy says the move means insurance may cover this new drug that’s derived from the marijuana plant, but does not contain the chemicals that cause the “high” associated with recreational marijuana use. “I think it opens up a population that number one could not move to Colorado to try anything and number two could not afford to use hemp products in the quantity needed to be effective.”

Sally Gaer’s daughter Margaret has Dravet syndrome. This is the first drug specifically identified as prescription treatment for the condition, but Gaer says it may not be the right choice for her daughter. “We’ll have to have a discussion,” Gaer says. “We’re kind of at a place where we know where we’re at and when we change things, the unknown can be tricky.”

And Gaer says the newly-approved, cannabis-based drug is not the same kind of “full-spectrum” medication as the cannabis oil her daughter is taking. Gaer is among a group of parents who successfully lobbied legislators to decriminalize possession of cannabis oil as treatment for chronic epilepsy in 2014. Gaer was also among those who successfully urged lawmakers to expand the law in 2017 so cannabis oil could be produced and dispensed in Iowa, for a wider range of medical conditions. Distribution of Iowa-manufactured cannabis oil is scheduled to start in December.

(Radio Iowa)

The 2018 Shelby County Fair is just around the corner, and the names of the Shelby County Fair Queen candidates have been released. Vying for the title of Fair Queen is 16 year old Abigail Jacobsen, the daughter of Joel Jacobsen and Andrea Miller. Abigail will be representing the Helping Hand Clover Kids. Allyssa Obrecht is the 17 year old daughter of Donald and Jennifer Obrecht. She will be representing the Shelby County 4-H Council. Representing the Northeast Sodbusters 4-H Club is 18 year old Amelia Juhl. She is the daughter of Kenny and Cindy Juhl. Cassidy Robinson is the 18 year old daughter of Steve and Ivy Robinson. She is a member of the Shelby Clover Kids. Claire Dresen is 18 years old and the daughter of Mike and Julie Dresen of Earling. She will represent the Harlan FFA.

16 year old Emily Taggs is the daughter of John and Mary Taggs of Harlan. Emily will be representing the Lincoln Bluebirds 4-H Club. Kara Reuschenberg is a member of the Center Comers 4-H Club. She is the 19 year old daughter of Joe and Amy Reuschenberg. Kara Weis is the 17 year old daughter of Craig and Michele Weis of Earling. She will represent the Northern Explorers 4-H Club. The next candidate is Kaylee Rivera. She is the 17 year old daughter of Todd and Tammy Rivera of Shelby. Mary Carroll is the 17 year old daughter of Dwight Carroll and Colleen Driscoll. She is representing the Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton FFA Chapter.

Mikala Kenkel is 19 years old and will be representing the Northwest Leaders 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Terry and Karen Kenkel of Panama. And the final candidate is Taylor Andersen. She is the 18 year old daughter of Kent and Chery Andersen of Kirkman. She will represent the Jackson Jets 4-H Club.

The crowning of the 2018 Shelby County Fair Queen will be held on Thursday evening, July 12th, following the fair parade. Last years queen was Emma Barnes, the daughter of Rich and Denise Barnes of Harlan.