Court: Parts of Iowa’s Indian child law unconstitutional

Wednesday, March 10th 2010
Molly Montag
Sioux City Journal

The Iowa Court of Appeals on Wednesday reversed a Woodbury County District Court decision that placed three children in tribal custody, ruling that parts of the Iowa Indian Child Welfare Act are unconstitutional.

The appeals court said in its ruling those portions of the law are unconstitutional because they do not allow the children to object to the transfer of their welfare cases from the state of Iowa to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
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Safe haven baby in good health

Wednesday, March 10th 2010
By Maunette Loeks
World-Herald News Service

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. — A newborn dropped off at Regional West Medical Center here under the safe haven law is healthy, hospital officials said.

The baby girl is the second child dropped off under the state’s revised safe haven law, approved in 2008.
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Omaha Girl Wishes For Adoption

Wednesday, March 10th 2010
Kyle McClellan
KETV Omaha

The little girl peppered beauty salon workers with questions as she visited an Omaha salon recently for a special mini-makeover for the 8-year-old.

“What color is that? Did you use that pink on your nails? Does that hurt? Is it dry already?” said 8-year-old Jaelyn, a child featured on KETV Newswatch 7 as part of a special segment on adoption.
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Truancy: It takes a village

Wednesday, March 10th 2010
By Christopher Burbach
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

To the right of youth worker Ricky Smith, a 16-year-old boy looking sharp in a ponytail received an old-school dressing down from an Omaha police officer.

She talked to the youth like she was his aunt, and not just a school resource officer who bumped into a kid she knew during a mass truancy hearing at Omaha’s Douglas County Juvenile Court.

Meanwhile, to Smith’s left, a 14-year-old girl walked toward an exit with her mother. She wore a big smile after meeting with juvenile probation officers and Juvenile Assessment Center workers to begin working on a plan to stay in school.
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Divided family takes on system

Wednesday, March 10th 2010
By Martha Stoddard
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

Lincoln police found Anthony and Arva Kelley’s preschooler and two toddlers home alone one February night.

The house was “disorderly,” with standing water in the bathtub, fecal matter on one bedroom wall and soiled diapers on the floor, an affidavit stated.

When no adults had returned within an hour, police took the children into state custody.
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