Treatment from the abbe center, personally witnessed the changes in luerkens. When the defendants parents came to talk, he recommended a Mental Health commitment. I would recommend that they would look at committal for nick. Commital is when someone is harmful to themselves or others. And i believe his judgement was impaired as well. Decamp told the prosecution he has no advanced degree in Mental Health treatment but was basing his opinion on 30 plus years working with those receiving treatment. Family members talked about a commitment but hadnt decided before the stabbing. One event that might have triggered an attempt to commitment luerkens was a text from the defendant declaring they were not longer his family. But that came on april 21st, the day of the stabbing. Live in cedar rapids, Dave Franzman kcrg tv9 news this midday, Homeless People continue to protest outside city hall in cedar rapids. The city ordered them to leave a camp near osborn park after a report of a bonfire earlier this week. Officers said they gave them about three days to pack up and leave because they were breaking the law. The removal frustrated the homeless group. They took their issues to the center of town, starting a protest and asking officials if they cant live by the park, where should they go when area shelters fill up. The protest has been a peaceful one. Members say local police have stopped by and have been very kind and helpful. They said were not going to arrest you. Youre here. Were not trying to wage war. The Police Department says it gave information to this group on monday morning. Packets included details on shelter resources, camping sites and counseling resources. Goodwin said he talk with the mayor today. He said theyll continue the protest for, as long as it takes. Its another reasonably nice day across eastern iowa, but will it last. Meteorologist Justin Gehrts has your first alert forecast, justin. Clouds will continue to thicken during the afternoon, but rain will hold off until closer to sunset. Despite the gray sky, well still be mild with highs in the middle 60s. Rain and a few thunderstorm s are likely this evening until about midnight, dropping a quarter to halfinch of rain in most spots. Cooler weather is here for friday into the weekend, but the highs of 50 to 55 are actually where we ought to be in early november. Sunshine looks plentiful until early next week. Today showers, iso. Storms late high 6369 winds s 1525 alo 65 dbq 65 iow 67 thanks, justin. New at an Iowa Organization that helps veterans wants your help to find a missing service dog. Latham is a 1yearold black lab. He was in the middle of training to work with retrieving freedom. Retrieving freedom trains dogs to help veterans in iowa. He was last seen on sunday about 3 miles northeast of parkersburg. Theres a 5 thousand dollar reward for his safe return. If you see him, contact jenna kyhl at 3194932046. A dubuque mans effort to legalize Recreational Marijuana is getting some attention. During the lunch hour yesterday, anthony crier stood on the corner of eighth and main streets in dubuque holding a sign in favor of legalizing marijuana. Crier says some criticized his beliefs, while several others honked in support and flashed him a thumbs up. Ive had a lot of people come up and agree with me. Older people and young people. Last year, some iowa lawmakers tried to loosen iowas law that legalized medical cannabis. But the bill did not pass. Vermont senator and democratic president ial candidate bernie introduced a bill that would decriminalize marijuana. The bill would allow states to to decide whether they want to legalized the drugs recreational use. While some states have legalized pot, it is still illegal on the federal level. This morning the Us Government released the full text of the Trans Pacific partnership. While the controversial deal aims to free up trade in 40 percent of the worlds economy, it could also have a big impact here in iowa. Us trade Officials Say the partnership will cut export taxes on iowas pork by as much as 3 hundred and 88 percent. And beef export taxes would drop about 50 percent. Trade Officials Say iowa exports about about 9 billion dollars in products to countries involved in the tpp. The deals opponents in congress say the partnership will make it easier for businesses to outsource american jobs overseas. The white house is expected to Tell Congress that president obama will sign the bill. Once its signed, it will need final congressiona l approval. Today rescue teams continue to clear the crash site of a downed russian jet. Russian officials are pushing back against us and british claims that terrorism took down a plane, killing 224 people on board. Abcs Scott Goldberg has the latest. As russian rescue teams wrap up their search for more remains at the crash site . And new video showing the immediate aftermath of the crash emerges . Growing concerns over what could have caused the russian airbus to fall out of the sky over egypts sinai peninsula. Overnight . In an exclusive interview with abcs bob woodruff. The us secretary of defense agreed with uk officials that the plane was more likely than not downed by a bomb. Sec. Defense ash carter that is one possible reason. An explosive device. That is consistent with what we know. But i understand that there are other hypothesis. Those comments echoing those of other counterterrorism officials. Philip hammond we have concluded there is a significant possibility that the crash was caused by an explosive device on board the aircraft meanwhile . Russias Foreign Ministry is pushing back . Saying it is shocked . Calling such statements premature . And that the uk has yet to share any evidence that the plane was bombed . This all comes as the british Prime MinisterDavid Cameron and egyptian president met facetoface today at 10 downing street . Cameron saying british investigators are working closely with the egyptians on securty. Cameron sot not certain its a bomb but increasingly likely it was a bomb must be safety of brits those concerns as thousands of british tourists remain stranded in Sharm El Sheikh . Causing the netherlands, france a Jefferson County teacher has a new title this morning the states top teacher. Scott slechta has taught english and Language Arts at Fairfield High School since 1984. He has also served in many district and state Education Leadership roles during his time at the school. Slechta credits other teachers for all hes learned about how to be a good teacher but says his students are the biggest influence. I try and do my best and to have this acknowledged i guess is a responsibility that i have to have and i carry that responsibility off to the students and to the community and other teachers. Slechta has also received fairfields citizen of the year award for volunteering in the community. Its a disease that robs people of muscle use, but leaves their minds intact. More on the Research Behind a littleknown form of parkinsons disease and the search for a cure in todays healthy meteorologist Justin Gehrts updates our temperatures coming up in your first alert off until closer to sunset. Despite the gray sky, well still be mild with highs in the middle 60s. Rain and a few thunderstorm s are likely this evening until about midnight, dropping a quarter to halfinch of rain in most weekend, but the highs of 50 to 55 are actually where we ought to be in early november. Sunshine looks plentiful until early next week. Today showers, iso. Storms late high 6369 winds s 1525 alo 65 dbq 65 iow 67 tonight showers, iso. Storms low 4046 winds nw 1020 alo 42 dbq 43 iow 45 tomorrow mostly sunny, cooler high 5056 winds nw 1525 alo 53 dbq 52 iow 54 tomorrow night mostly clear low 3339 winds w 510 alo 35 dbq 35 iow 37 saturday mostly sunny, seasonable high 50 low 36 sunday mostly sunny high 55 low 30 monday mostly sunny high 57 low 35 tuesday partly cloudy high 59 low 37 wednesday chance of showers high 56 low 43 thursday chance of showers high 48 low 40 thanks justin. More than one million americans parkinsons disease. Doctors estimate that tens of thousands have a like condition called msa or multiple system atrophy. It ravages the body quickly. There is no cure and few treatments available. Martie salt reports that some researchers are hoping to change that. Jim and sondra fandray keep their patio garden thriving until after pennsylvanias first hard frost. Its a passion that is especially important to both. But three years ago, jim began to get dizzy when he stood up. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with the neurodegener ative disease msa. I had no idea what msa is. Its kind of like parkinsons disease on steroids. Gregory petsko is an internationallyknown expert in neurodegener ative diseases. If parkinsons disease is a slowly progressive disease that frequently takes 20 years or so to run its rather horrible course, msa will do the same thing but in five, six years. Like parkinsons, msa appears to be caused by a buildup of a protein in the brain then triggered by an enzyme that causes inflammation. Researchers are hoping to test a drug, vx765 that blocks the enzyme. Professor petsko said in animals with msa, vx765 stopped the loss of neurons and improved motor skills. It might buy patients a lot more time. Its scary, and what you think about is the future and how can i handle this and whats going to happen . But um, we dont look too far into the future. We take one day at a time here. At the same time, the fandrays look forward to a new planting season in the spring. Dont give up. Somethings going to happen. Keep thinking positive. Im martie salt reporting. Trt 1. 33 oc professor petsko says the drug has already passed phase one Clinical Trial for several inflammatory diseases, and is safe for people. He says the key now is determining the proper dose to have an impact on the brain. A 90 year mystery in iowa is now solved. In todays agribusiness report, meet a group of researchers at iowa state who have discovered a virus that causes tremors in piglets. Good morning this is the david geiger. A 90 year old mystery has been solved here in iowa. And its about pig research. A team of Iowa State University veterinary researchers pinpointed a virus that causes tremors in piglets. It comes from a family known as pestiviruses. And infects young piglets. Causing them to shake involuntarily. Theyre known as shaker pigs or dancing pigs. In severe cases of the virus. The tremors stop piglets from nursing. Veterinarians could recognize the tremors. But could not pinpoint the cause until the isu researchers used next generation dna sequencing techniques to detect the virus. Which they used to experimentall y reproduce to verify. The next step. Now that they know what theyre up against. Is creating a vaccine for the virus. In a vote yesterday. Iowa senator joni ernsts bill to eliminate a controversial waters of the us bill passed in a 53 to 44 vote. The joint resolution of disaproval now heads to the house of representativ es. But still will need a twothirds majority vote to pass a likely president ial veto. Ernst took to the floor tuesday. After a different bill scrapping the waters of the us bill failed to pass through a filibuster. She says her resolution is a major win for farmers. And small businesses. Well. The grain markets continue to move sideways. And pork and beef have entered a rough spot as more seasonal meats fight for a greater market share. The market has been responding positively to some negative news, we had some private estimates with some large supplies, big yields out here that are. We expect to show up in the november 10th crop report, which is the elephant in the room but we chewed right through that, we have a strong dollar today and the market also is not reacting negative to that so were more in a situation where the producers sitting tight and were trying to pull the grain away from the producer. The Cattle Market really in the last two months has really been a wild swinging market. The really propelling force is the turkey time and so were starting to lose a little bit of a demand. Weights still remain high and supplies in the Fourth Quarter are going to be larger than than the Third Quarter for the first time in 22 years so a lot of meat here and thats continuing to press us here. The hog market has been in a free fall as far as the cutouts concerned. So, its really about the soft demand, which weve run into here. Supplies on the hog side continue to be supply bearish. No shortage of hogs Going Forward and the weights continuing to rise. But we are deeply oversold in a market that could find probing for a low. The renewable fuel standard is facing a review from the White House Office of managment and budget. Specifically the portion of the rule governing the latest volumetric standards are getting looked over and will be released by the Environmental Protection agency by november 30th. The epa received more than six hundred 70 thousand comments on proposed rfs levels. The most recent proposed levels were well below what Congress Said they should be when lawmakers expanded the rfs eight years ago. Well post a video every day in the agribusiness section of kcrg. Com. Youll find it under the news tab. Im david geiger with the agribusiness report. Trt 3. 14 oc inspiring ideas and creativity. A festival this weekend will focus in on concepts and creations. With a spark of creative thinking thrown in. Well chat with the gazettes diana nollen next here tricks will combine with treats at the upcoming Witching Hour festival. The gazettes diana nollen joins us now live. Diana. Whats the concept here for the festival . Who is involved . And others are coming in from all over to help in these explorations of thoughts and ideas . Can anyone get involved . Alright the Witching Hour festival is this weekend. Friday and saturday. You can read more about in an organization in dubuque is helping its an organization in dubuque is helping its local veterans. They can now proudly fly the colors they helped to protect. Meteorologist Justin Gehrts updates our temperatures coming up in your first alert there are more options for president in 2016 than meet the eye. Well detail what it takes to make a run at the white house. And a university of Iowa Police Officer went above and beyond to help a family in need. Youre watching kcrgtv9. Now, from your 24 hour news source, this is kcrgtv9 news at midday. Federal Authorities SayHuman Remains Found in chicago belong to a former eastern iowa toddler. The fbi identified the remains as 2 year old kyrian knox. In september, a park visitor found the head hands and feet of an African American toddler in a lagoon on chicagos west side. Kyrians mother, lanisha knox, was in the process of moving from cedar rapids to chicago earlier this year. During the move, she left kyrian with Family Friends in rockford. Authorities are now working to figure out who and why someone killed him. I think we owe it to this young child and from the very beginning of the case, when we have the Chicago Police marine unit essentially working around the clock, this case really struck a chord with detectives and were going to see it through. Chicago police are partnering with the rockford Police Department in the investigation. Stabbing his ex girlfriend to death. 32yearold Nicholas Luerkens faces a first degree murder charge in this case. Authorities say he stabbed Lynnsey Donald to death in the marion hy vee parking lot in april. He then tried to kill himself. Kcrgtv9s Dave Franzman has been in court all morning and has more on todays proceedings. Dave. The defense is claiming diminished capacity. Who were the Witnesses Today . Ashley, several members of luerkens family along with a close family friend took the stand. And all told the jury of disturbing and strange behavior leading up to the day of the stabbing. Both luerkens brother and sister talked about changes in Nicholas Luerkens personality. They said he became obviously more depressed after the loss of his job and breakup with Lynnsey Donald. One family friend, who works with people receiving Mental Health treatment from the abbe center, personally witnessed the changes in luerkens. When the defendants parents came to talk, he recommended a Mental Health commitment. I would recommend that they would look at committal for nick. Commital is when someone is harmful to themselves or others. And i believe his judgement was impaired as well. Decamp told the prosecution he has no advanced degree in Mental Health treatment but was basing his opinion on 30 plus years working with those receiving treatment. Family members talked about a commitment but hadnt decided before the stabbing. One event that might have triggered an attempt to commitment luerkens was a text from the defendant declarin