An anti-abortion group in Iowa is issuing a warning about a website that once offered sex education information to parents and schools but which now directs computer users to pornography. Jennifer Bowen, executive director of Iowa Right to Life, says the website “teenwire-dot-com” had been run by Planned Parenthood but now advertises teen escorts, online sex and other X-rated content.

Bowen says, “We are very concerned for students in Iowa as well as nationally, anybody that uses any curriculum that advises from Planned Parenthood or from the Ellen Guttmacher Institute is very likely using curriculum that points teens to that website, teenwire.com.” Any outdated literature distributed to schools in the past few years, she says, still directs people to that website. Bowen says her organization mobilized and contacted every school district in Iowa to give them a heads up about the website’s change.

“Unfortunately, we only heard back from one and they were not inclined to believe that we were telling the truth,” Bowen says. “We are very concerned about the lack of response that we’ve had from the school districts.” Bowen says the website, when run by Planned Parenthood, had used an Etch-A-Sketch in some of its videos months ago, so Iowa Right to Life contacted the makers of the toy in an effort to have the site shut down.

“At that time, teenwire.com came down for a period of time,” Bowen says. “It went back briefly but then, apparently it came back down again at some point in the last year or two. Unbeknownst to us, it went right into the hands of the porn industry.” Bowen says she’s been told the website is operating within the law so it won’t be forced to go dark.

(Radio Iowa)

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Authorities in southwest Iowa are warning residents to be cautious about phone calls and visits from persons offering home repairs, following the recent storms and heavy rain. The caller or person who comes knocking on your door may claim they represent the insurance company that handles your homeowner’s insurance.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says if you do not know the caller, and/or question the reputability of the person you speak with, ask for your claim number and call your local insurance agent directly to verify the legitimacy of the call or visit.

Residents are also cautioned to be careful if you are asked to sign a contract to complete the work, and the contractor will file with your insurance company. Insurance companies provide their own insurance adjustors to handle an estimate and will provide you with a copy. Fraudulent operators will often ask for money in advance, then fail to perform as promised.

You’re also asked to report and fraudulent activity to your local law enforcement agency.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest Thursday evening of 23-year old Michael Eugene Sickels. The Red Oak man was taken into custody on a warrant for Trespassing, at around 5:45-p.m.  Following his arrest in the 100 block of west Coolbaugh Street, Sickels was brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and later released on $300 bond.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Oelwein Police Department are seeking the public’s help in locating Abel Quijas Jr. of 145 7th Street North in Maynard, IA.

Abel Quijas, Jr.

 Quijas is 33 years old and described as 5’8” tall, 185 pounds.  Quijas is wanted for one count of Attempted Murder involving a Peace Officer in Oelwein on the afternoon of September, 11, 2014.  Quijas was last seen on foot in the area of northeast of Oelwein.

Anyone with information regarding Quijas’ location is asked to contact the Oelwein Police Department at (319) 283-4311.

State wildlife officials say hunters in Iowa have sufficiently thinned down the deer herds, so the number of hunting licenses that will be issued is being scaled back to stabilize the population. Iowa Department of Natural Resources director Chuck Gipp says all signs indicate the statewide deer population declined between 2006 and 2013. “Reported harvest is down by 33%. Number of road kills of deer hit by vehicles is down by 39%,” Gipp says. “The number of deer that are observed by bow hunters, which is a good way because they’re up in the tree individually, is down by 22%.”

Some parts of Iowa are still overrun by deer, what are considered “hot spots,” while the animals are very scarce in other areas. Gipp says striking a balance with hunters isn’t easy. “We’re getting shot at from both sides, some people are saying there’s not enough deer and others say there’s too many depending on where you sit on this issue,” Gipp says, “We feel very comfortable where the deer herd is and we still have to work on those hot spots.” He says the D-N-R may expand the number of so-called depredation licenses issued which allow landowners to kill animals that cause property damage.

The D-N-R plans to scale back the number of so-called “antlerless” deer licenses, which were designed to thin herds by targeting female deer.

(Radio Iowa)

The two major party candidates seeking Iowa’s third congressional district seat differed sharply over key fiscal issues during an hour-long televised debate last night (Thursday) on Iowa Public Television. For example, the candidates were asked if they support a balanced budget amendment. Democrat Staci Appel went first. “I think we need to have a balanced budget that carves out for Social Security and Medicare,” Appel said.

Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson, a panelist, asked: “So you would vote, if it had those conditions, to amend the U.S. constitution, requiring a federally balanced budget.” Appel replied: “I do not believe I would.” Republican David Young said he would, under certain conditions. To make sure that in wartime there could be a possibility of busting those caps if there were emergencies and we had to protect our homeland, things like that and we had to make sure that our priority was the mandatory spending, the benefits that folks receive under Social Security and Medicare,” Young said.

Appel interjected: “A balanced budget amendment could be a 20 percent across-the-board cut. That would effect Social Security, Medicare, our education budget. We have to be extremely careful when we do things like that.” Young replied: “That’s why you make sure the mandatory spending is a priority.” As for worries about the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, Appel said Medicare costs could be cut if the government could negotiate the bulk purchase of prescription drugs.

“I would keep my promise to seniors and the 40-year-olds and the 50-year-olds that are paying into the system,” Appel said. “Social Security and Medicare’s not a goal. It’s a promise. The best way to shore up Social Security and Medicare is to create great paying jobs, so there’s more people paying into the system and that’s the best way to do it.” Young said he’d be willing to consider a variety of options to fix the systems for future seniors.

“We need to do what conservative President Ronald Reagan did along with liberal Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill did and they got together and put everything on the table,” Young says, “And then you can take things off the table. I would take raising the retirement age, right away, off the way.” But Young says he’d consider getting rid of the income cap and requiring wealthier Americans to pay Social Security taxes on all their income. Appel suggested Young would vote to “privatize” Social Security, but Young said that won’t be an option under consideration.

“I think seniors need to know where he stands on these issues,” Appel said. Young responded: “Can you quote where I said I wanted to privatize Social Security?” Appel said: “You applauded it and I will make sure that after (the debate) that we will give all the citations.” Young continued: “I’d like to know where I said that.” Kathie Obradovich of The Des Moines Register, a debate panelist, asked: “Is that off the table for you, any sort of private account for Social Security?” Young replied: “It’s become such a political issue, it’s amazing that so many Americans when they want to get a better investment on their dollar, they look to mutual funds or stocks, but it’s been so politicized, it’s going to be taken off the table.”

Both said, if elected, they would vote to raise the federal minimum wage to 10-dollars-and-10-cents an hour, although Young would only vote for a bill to raise the minimum wage if tax cuts for small businesses were included in the legislation. On the gas tax, both expressed concern about the condition of roads and bridges, but Appel said she would oppose any increase in the gas tax. Young said it’s time for a more creative way to finance the nation’s transportation system to take into account electric cars and propane-fueled vehicles that are running on fuel that isn’t subject to the federal gas tax.

The debate was held at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs and Iowa Public Television will rebroadcast the event tonight (Friday) at 7 p.m. The two candidates are seeking the seat currently held by Republican Tom Latham. Latham announced last December that he would not seek reelection in 2014.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Testimony began yesterday in the second trial of a man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 17-year-old girl who was beaten and shot to death in a southeast Iowa farmhouse 40 years ago. Robert Eugene Pilcher was arrested in 2012 in the killing of Mary Jayne Jones after a cold case unit started by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation re-examined evidence using tools like DNA evidence that were not available in 1974.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Washington County attorney who said he was too busy to follow the state’s public records law faces a $1,000 fine for the violation. Iowa Administrative Law Judge Margaret LaMarche issued the recommendation for the fine against Larry Brock this week. It’s the minimum he faced if convicted of violating the law, The Des Moines Register reports.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A fugitive captured in Iowa after decades on the run is returning to North Carolina, where he escaped from prison in 1973. North Carolina officers were transporting 69-year-old Ronald Carnes from a county jail in Cedar Rapids to a prison in Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A large fish kill in northwest Iowa was caused by a manure spill from a nearby dairy operation, state officials announced yesterday. The state Department of Natural Resources said the August discharge killed more than 860,000 fish along 28 miles of stream in O’Brien County.

The Iowa State Patrol late Thursday afternoon released more information about a fatal crash that occurred Thursday morning. Authorities said 15-year old Christian Silva, of Creston died when the pickup he was driving hit a semi after Silva failed to stop at the intersection with Vanilla Avenue and 200th Street, or about 5-miles east of Prescott.

The accident happened at around 7:40-a.m., as Silva was traveling south on Vanilla Avenue. After the pickup hit the side of a 2006 Peterbilt semi driven by 37-year old John Paxson, of Mt. Ayr, the semi continued into east on 200th street before entering the south ditch. The pickup truck continued south through the intersection and rolled over onto its top into the east ditch.

Silva, a sophomore at Southwest Valley School District, in Corning, was wearing his seat belt, but died at the scene. Paxson was treated at the scene and released.

In a statement on the district’s Facebook page, Southwest Valley Superintendent Willie Stone said “All students have been informed of this tragedy. We have made arrangements for several grief counselors to be available at school to help anyone dealing with the grief of Christian’s death. Students can visit with our counselors at any time to help them through this tragedy.” He also asked for students and staff to “Please keep Christian’s family in your thoughts and prayers.”

All schools sponsored events at Southwest Valley Community Schools scheduled for Thursday evening were have been postponed because of the tragic event that unfolded Thursday morning.