Most Iowa children will be heading back to school in a week or two, and a sleep medicine physician recommends parents start preparing their kids now to get the proper amount of shut-eye. Dr. Stephen Grant, at the Iowa Sleep Disorders Center in West Des Moines, says it’s a lot easier to adjust to a new sleep schedule when it’s done over several days or a few weeks, especially after a summer of late nights. “Kids can have what’s called a physiologic delay, in other words, the bright light they receive later in the day makes sleep onset more difficult,” Dr. Grant says.

“One of the countermeasures we have for that is trying to get the kids up earlier and have the sunlight on them earlier in the day so they’ll be able to fall asleep quicker earlier in the evening.” Moving up bedtimes and wake-up times by 15 minutes a day over the next week or so works well to help many young people adjust. Electronics should be switched off an hour before bedtime because smartphones, tablets and TVs stimulate the brain.

“We know this can certainly cause a delay in a child’s ability to fall asleep at night,” Grant says. “Children that watch TV or entertain a lot of electronic media at night have a higher point prevalence of sleep-talking as well as nightmares.” Eliminating that blue light from gadgets close to bedtime will help the body produce melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. Bedrooms should be cool, dark and comfortable, he says, and not a place for anything besides rest.

“What I’d prefer is for patients to cue themselves that the bed itself is actually for sleeping and that if they’re going to be doing other activities, like reading or watching TV — and that is absolutely something I do not recommend, having a TV in the bedroom — that any activities aside from sleep happen outside of the bedroom.” Even on the weekends, it’s important to stick to your set sleep schedule, Grant says, as doing so will reduce the chance of feeling groggy when Monday morning rolls around.

He says most children are “greatly sleep-deprived,” as are many adults. The average child through middle school age needs nine to 11 hours of sleep a night to feel and perform at their best. For mid-to-late teens, eight to ten hours is usually ideal.

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Members of the Page and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Departments teamed-up Thursday to arrest a man wanted on numerous felony warrants. 38-year old Ricky Dean Peterson was taken into custody at 1389 O Avenue in Page County, on valid Page County Warrants for felony charges that include Burglary 1st degree and Dominion / control of firearm / offensive weapon by domestic abuse offender. Peterson also faces misdemeanor charges of Criminal mischief 3rd degree, Domestic Abuse Assault – injury or mental illness, and Contempt of Court – Violation of no contact / protective order. His bond on those charges was set at $32,000.

During the arrest, Peterson was also charged with another of Contempt of Court – Violation of no contact / protective order, due to where he was arrested. No bond will be set on the additional charge until Peterson is seen by a Magistrate.

Ricky Dean Peterson

Police in Red Oak arrested a man Thursday afternoon on Domestic Abuse Assault and Obstruction of Emergency Communications, charges. 38-year old Danny Samuel Skaggs, of Red Oak, was taken into custody in the 800 block of N. 6th Street at around 12:50-p.m., and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held without bond.

A traffic stop early this (Friday) morning, in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of a man on drug and other charges. Red Oak Police say 26-year old Jimmie Fred Hockett II, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:30-a.m. for Driving While Suspended and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Hockett was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 cash bond.

(In an update to our posting Thu. night) Search and Rescue crews recovered the body of a man from the West Nodaway River early this (Friday) morning, near Clarinda. According to Iowa State Patrol Trooper Aaron Nordyke, authorities were notified at around 9:05-p.m. Thursday, that a male who was last seen in the river near the Washington Street Bridge, and struggling to stay above water. The man was identified as 23-year old Trent Lee Hayden, of the Clarinda area.

Members of the Midwest Regional Dive team were called to assist in the search, along with the Council Bluffs Fire Department’s Hover 5 airboat. The airboat crew located Hayden’s body in the middle of the river south of the Washington Street bridge, just after 2:15-a.m. today (Friday). The same area of river claimed the life four-years ago, of an 11-year old boy from Chicago.

Agencies assisting in last night’s search and rescue efforts included: The Midwest Regional Dive Team, which consists of personnel from the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Clarinda Fire Dept., Ringgold County Water Emergency Team (WET), Adams County EMS, the Montgomery and Page County Emergency Management Agencies, as well as the Clarinda and Red Oak Fire and Rescue Departments, Clarinda Police, the Iowa DNR and Iowa State Patrol.

(Updated 6:37-a.m.)

Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in a motorcycle accident that took place early this (Friday) morning in Council Bluffs. The crash resulted in what were described as serious, but non-life threatening injuries to a Nebraska man. Council Bluffs Police say 59-year old Michael Sowl, of Kearney, Nebraska, was thrown from the motorcycle he was driving after the machine went out of control in the area of S. 35th Street and Nebraska Avenue. The accident happened at around 2:37-a.m.

Authorities say Sowl was traveling south on S. 35th Street when his cycle hit the median. After being thrown from the machine, Sowl landed on the traveled portion of the road. He was taken by Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue to Creighton University Hospital, for treatment.

Officials say charges in the crash are currently pending.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Virginia say two Iowa residents set for sentencing in a sex trafficking case tortured their victim. Aldair Hodza and Laura Sorensen will be sentenced today (Friday) in U.S. District Court in Richmond. The Clive, Iowa, residents previously pleaded guilty to sex and transporting a person across state lines for prostitution.

Court records show Sorensen and Hodza held a 20-year-old woman captive on a trip to Virginia and forced her to have sex with men who answered online ads. Prosecutors say Hodza and Sorensen burned the woman with lit cigarettes and other heated objects, drove nails into her feet and poured bleach into her wounds.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors are recommending prison terms of 35 years — 11 more than the top end of the sentencing guideline range.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CLARINDA – Members of the Midwest Regional Dive Team from Cass and area Counties, were searching the West Nodaway River on the east side of Clarinda late Thursday night for a possible drowning victim. The team was searching in an area near a dam north of the E, Washington Street Bridge.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton has snagged a big endorsement as she brings her presidential campaign to the Iowa State Fair. Former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is endorsing Clinton’s bid for the Democratic nomination, writing in the Des Moines Register that Clinton is “a fighter who has a record of getting things done.”

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A broken sewer pipe under a street in on the east edge of Dubuque has caused a release of untreated wastewater into a storm sewer. City public works officials say they discovered the wastewater leak Thursday afternoon. Crews are working to identify the exact location of the broken pipe.

PILOT MOUND, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa district court judge says a man is obligated to let a company survey his land as part of a proposal for an oil pipeline. The Messenger reports Judge John Haney says in a ruling filed this month that Dakota Access LLC has the right to temporarily enter Laverne Johnson’s property in Boone County to examine the land, which is in the path of the proposed pipeline. Haney says the move does not interfere with fundamental property rights.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A 38-year-old man in an Iowa jail has been accused of setting fire to a car outside the Texas Capitol on August 7th. A Texas Department of Public Safety statement issued Thursday says Iowa resident Michael Patrick Wagner was arrested in Marion, Iowa on an unrelated charge.

(Update 9:40-p.m. No injuries reported)

Anita and Wiota Fire and Rescue were called to the scene of an accident Thursday, at around 9:30-p.m. According to dispatch reports, a semi struck a bridge on Interstate 80 westbound at the 72 mile marker. Following the crash the truck entered the north ditch and remained upright.

Additional details are not currently available. Please check back later.