A power outage affected a large area of Atlantic Municipal Utilities customers today (Thursday). Officials with AMU said the incident happened at around 11:58-a.m. and ended at around 12:25-p.m.  Atlantic Schools Superintendent Steve Barber said the District was without power this afternoon. The outage was said to have spread south for a few miles. Crews flipped a breaker switch and restored power to those affected. A cause of the outage was under investigation.

DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A 20-year-old man has told authorities that he drove onto and damaged the Iowa baseball field made famous by the 1989 “Field of Dreams” movie. Court records say Austin Pape, of Dyersville, is charged with felony criminal mischief in Dubuque County. His attorney, Todd Klapatauskas, said Thursday that Pape will plead not guilty but will work with prosecutors on resolution. He says Pape hasn’t expressed any particular grudge toward the field. It sits 2 miles outside of Dyersville.

The records say the deep gashes in the field and sprinkler damage that occurred Jan. 22 are expected to cost nearly $14,300 to repair. Thousands visit the eastern Iowa field, running around the bases and walking to the surrounding cornfields.

Red Oak Police report the arrest at around 10:16-a.m. today (Thursday), of 30-year old Charles Randall Brown, III (aka “Charlie Brown”), of Red Oak. Brown was taken into custody in the 1800 block of E. Summit Street, after Officers witnessed the man smoking marijuana in his parked vehicle, while the Officers were responding to another call. Brown was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond.

A man who led police on a chase through three northwest Iowa counties last year is going to prison. A Clay County Sheriff’s deputy started pursuing a pickup on the night of September 14 after receiving a report it had stolen plates. The man driving the truck, 33-year-old Blaine Stockwell, of Laurens, refused to stop and the pursuit continued into Buena Vista and Palo Alto Counties.

Stop sticks were deployed, Stockwell then ran from the truck before officers used a Tazer to take him into custody. The pickup, later determined to be stolen from Algona, caught on fire and was destroyed. Stockwell pled guilty to second degree theft and eluding. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $1,500 in restitution and fines.

(Radio Iowa)

A bill that would reinstate the death penalty in Iowa has cleared initial review in the Iowa House, but it’s future is in doubt after the legislator assigned to guide the bill through debate says he’s a “no” if it comes up for a vote in committee. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says “conceptually and morally,” he believes the death penalty is appropriate for certain horrific crimes. “Yet practically, I arrived at a different conclusion than I expected,” Holt said. “I have always believed that life in prison costs taxpayers so much money, yet I found out in researching this legislation it costs more to have someone on death row.” Holt says he’s also struck by how many individuals have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death row. “As a result of DNA evidence, we’re seeing that more and more today,” Holt said. “And it really strikes me deep, the thought of executing someone who is innocent.”

Holt says administering the death penalty fairly was something he struggled with the most. “Statistics show, without a doubt, that those of lesser means are more likely to receive the death penalty than are those with greater assets and ability to hire the best attorneys, so my conclusion after researching this bill was not exactly what I expected,” Holt says. “I support the death penalty in theory and believe it is absolutely morally o.k. based upon my faith, but I have great issues with its practical and fair application.”

Holt’s announcement came at the conclusion of a statehouse hearing on a bill that would allow capital punishment. The first to testify was John Wolfe of Clinton, the father of State Representative Mary Wolfe. Two of his daughters who lived in Pittsburg were murdered four years ago and the man found guilty of the crime was sentenced to life in prison.”The good thing about that is it ended it. It did not go on,” Wolfe says. “…It probably takes 25 years for someone who is executed to go through everything involved in the process. This is over as far as we’re concerned.”

Many who testified were pastors. Dave Martin of the Faith Assembly of God Church in Marshalltown expressed support for the death penalty in rare circumstance. “We have mixed feelings in this in our denomination. We believe, though, that the scripture shows us capital punishment under premeditated murder would happen in the Old Testament, carried over into the New Testament as well,” Martin says. “…We need to pray for extreme wisdom as you go about doing your business…that God would help us find the right answer.”

Reverend David Sickelka, senior pastor at the United Church of Christ in Urbandale, spoke against the bill on behalf of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. “If the death penalty does not deter crime, is not applied equitably, saps our justice system of resources and cannot be reversed when there are errors, then it is not just. It is simply vengeance,” Sickelka says. “I implore you to stop this legislation.”

The Interfaith Alliance submitted a letter signed by 176 Iowa clergy who oppose the death.

(Radio Iowa)

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department says no injuries were reported following an accident today (Thursday), in Stanton. Authorities say 18-year old Jonah Lee Kirsch, of Villisca, was driving a 1999 Chevy Silverado pickup northbound on O Avenue at around 7:20-a.m., when he failed to stop at the intersection with Highway 34. The pickup hit a driver’s side of 2014 Freightliner Sprinter van driven by 48-year old Jason Lee Bodwell, of Villisca, and owned by Apria Healthcare.

Damage from the collision amounted to $15,500 ($3,500 to the pickup, $12,000 to the van). Kirsch was arrested and charged with Failure to Stop at a stop sign, Driving While License Suspended, and having No Insurance. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,080 bond.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Red Oak Fire Chief.

MANLY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have decided not to pursue criminal charges in the death of a 7-month-old after an accident at an in-home day care in northern Iowa. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that a Department of Human Services summary says little Haven Rozevink slipped down while sleeping in her car seat Dec. 28, causing straps to tighten around her neck and chin after the seat tipped forward.

The department concluded that the day care owner, Carrie Lohmann, of Manly, was responsible for placing the child at risk but should not be prosecuted.

The Atlantic Police Department has taken a pledge to keep tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products out of the hand of Atlantic youth. Known as I-PLEDGE, the program is a partnership with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD) to educate local retailers and to enforce Iowa’s tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor product laws. Since the program’s inception in 2000, the statewide tobacco compliance rate has grown to 91%. By participating in the program, the Atlantic Police Department has committed to do its part to increase the compliance rate even more this year.

I-PLEDGE places emphasis on retailer training. Clerks who successfully complete an online training course and then pass an exam will become I-PLEDGE certified. This allows a retail establishment to use an affirmative defense against a civil penalty if the certified clerk makes an illegal sale. “I-PLEDGE’s retailer training is a great way for clerks to prepare themselves to refuse illegal tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor product sales,” Chief Dave Erickson said. “The training also assists retailers to ensure they maintain a compliant and responsible establishment.”

Officers will also be conducting compliance checks on local establishments as part of the I-PLEDGE program. Underage customers, under the supervision of law enforcement officials, will enter the establishments and attempt to buy tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor product. Clerks who make the illegal sale will be cited on the spot. Criminal penalties for selling tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products to a minor include a $100 fine for a first offense, a $250 fine for a second offense and a $500 fine for a third and subsequent offenses. However, handing out citations is not the intent of the I-PLEDGE program.

“By partnering with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, we hope to educate clerks and maintain a compliant retail environment in our community,” Chief Erickson said. “Moreover, we pledge to help keep tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products out of the hand of Iowa’s youth.”

To take the I-PLEDGE training or search certification records got to abd.iowa.gov.