VINTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have seized hundreds of animals from an eastern Iowa residence that’s also home to four children. Officials executed a search warrant around 9:10 a.m. Tuesday at the Vinton house and garage. The animals found included rabbits, rats, mice, hedgehogs, turtles, birds, guinea pigs, gerbils and a hall python. Several carcasses were scattered through the residence in various states of decomposition or stored in a freezer.

No charges have been reported. Officials say the children’s parents have been cooperating with state and local authorities. Volunteers from the Cedar Valley Humane Society and other rescue groups removed animals all day. Many of the animals were malnourished, dehydrated and living in overcrowded areas contaminated with fecal matter.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has joined a lawsuit that seeks to block the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net neutrality rules. The rules, enacted in 2015, barred Internet service providers from intentionally blocking, slowing down or charging money for specific websites and online content. “What was done three years ago was something that was fundamentally right. What is being done now is something that’s fundamentally wrong,” Miller said.

He added “The Internet service provider – companies like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon – shouldn’t be able to block particular services to Internet users. They shouldn’t be able to charge more for certain services as opposed to others. And they shouldn’t be able to slow down service and throttle it in other ways, in a discriminatory manner.” Miller believes the end of net neutrality rules will lead to Internet service providers charging more, primarily hurting individual consumers and small businesses. “The large companies, the established companies, are going to be able to pay more. Whereas, the startup companies are not going to be able to pay,” Miller said. “So, you have this discrimination against innovation in the area where probably innovation has thrived more so than any other part of our economy.”

Iowa and 20 other states, on Tuesday, filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals, formally commencing the lawsuit against the FCC and the federal government. The District of Columbia is also part of the lawsuit to block repeal of net neutrality rules.

(Radio Iowa)

A Council Bluffs Police Officer on patrol a little after 3-a.m. today (Wednesday) in the area of 35th and Avenue G, saw a silver 2001 Chrysler minivan that had been reported stolen on Jan. 15th. The officer kept the vehicle in sight, and forwarded information to Nebraska Authorities, as the van got onto I-480 West. While the vehicle was westbound across the I-480 Bridge, it stalled just before it reached the IA / NE state line. The Council Bluffs officer pulled in behind the stalled vehicle and activated his emergency lights. The driver – later identified as 51-year old Brian J. Hanson, of Omaha -abandoned the vehicle. He fled on foot into the east bound lanes of I-480.

Brian J. Hanson

The officer gave chase and caught Hanson. While officers were in foot pursuit of Hanson, the abandoned stolen van rolled backwards striking the push bumpers on the stopped / parked police cruiser. The cruiser sustained minor damage. Brian J. Hanson was arrested on a Felony warrant for being a Fugitive from Justice, and new charges that include Theft in the 2nd degree, Eluding, and Interference with Official Acts.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Voters have placed another Republican in a northwest Iowa House seat. Jacob Bossman won 59 percent of the votes to beat Democrat Rita DeJong in the District 6 special election Tuesday. He replaces Republican Jim Carlin, who vacated the post when he won a special election to the state Senate last month.

The heavily Republican district covers part of Sioux City, the cities of Sergeant Bluff, Bronson and Salix, and some rural areas in northern and southern Woodbury County. Bossman lost his previous bid for District 6 post in 2016. It was DeJong’s first run for elective office.

A traffic stop at around 7:18-p.m. Tuesday, near Corning, resulted in two arrests. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a passenger in the vehicle, Hayley Vandel, of Lenox, was arrested on an Adams County warrant for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The driver, Jason Woods, of Lenox, was arrested for OWI (test refusal).