Man Sentenced To A Month In Jail For Hitting Man With Bat

A man has been sentenced to one month in jail for striking another man with a bat during a Dubuque disturbance. 37 year old Michael Blackburn of Eden Prairie, Minn. received the sentence in Iowa District Court of Dubuque County after pleading guilty to charges of assault causing injury and interference with official acts. Blackburn initially was charged with willful injury but pleaded guilty to the lesser-included assault charge. Iowa District Associate Judge Robert J. Richter also sentenced Blackburn to two years of probation. According to a report, Blackburn, formerly of Dubuque, was involved in a disturbance at about 11:30 p.m. February 25th in the area of 16th Street and Central Avenue when he pulled a 17-inch wooden bat from his waistband and struck another man in the head and arms, causing swelling and cuts.