A Nebraska woman was transported to the hospital in Harlan after the car she was driving went out of control and rolled into a ditch Thursday morning, about a mile west of the Walnut exit. The Iowa State Patrol says 54-year old Vickie Blaisdell, of McCook, NE, was traveling west on I-80 at around 11:35-a.m., when her 2006 Chevy Malibu skidded on the snow and ice and entered the north ditch, where it overturned and ended up on its roof.

Blaisdell was transported to the hospital by Walnut Rescue. Officials say she was wearing her seat belt, and the injuries appeared to have been minor.

A man and woman from New Mexico suffered what were described as minor injuries during a single vehicle accident Thursday morning on Interstate 80, near Shelby. The Iowa State Patrol says 60-year old Jose Flores, and a passenger in his vehicle, 51-year old Emma Elias-Marquez, both of Albuquerque, NM, were transported by Shelby Rescue to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan, for evaluation. The Patrol says the pair were traveling west on I-80 at around 10:20-a.m., when the 2003 Chevy Avalanche they were in went out of control on the snow covered road.

The pickup truck entered the median about a mile west of the Shelby exit and rolled over before coming to rest in the eastbound lanes of I-80. Flores was able to drive the vehicle onto the south shoulder after it rolled. The Patrol says both occupants of the vehicle were wearing their seat belts.

Two Omaha residents were arrested Wednesday morning on theft charges in Mills County. Sheriff’s officials report 19-year old Megan Nicole Moline-Kisicki and 19-year old Tyler Robert Beecher were taken into custody on warrants charging them with Theft in the 1st degree. The pair was arrested at the Sarpy County, NE, Corrections facility. Their bonds were set at $5,000 each.

The Sheriff’s Office reports also, a Council Bluffs woman reported Wednesday afternoon, an incident of 3rd degree burglary at a location along Barrus Road, near Glenwood. No other details were provided.

Throughout the morning Troopers in western Iowa have responded to assist numerous motorists whose vehicles have slid off the road. Though the road surface appears clear, law enforcement advises black ice can be found on many roadways. Drivers should slow down and drive accordingly.

Towing has been restricted in western Iowa along Interstate 29 from Missouri Valley to Sioux City, due to repeated single-vehicle crashes and icy road conditions.

Additionally, Troopers are responding to several crashes along Interstate 80 between mile markers 29 and 40. As the roadway curves and the direction of travel changes on this stretch of highway, the condition of the roadway also changes. Drivers are caught off guard and are unable to control their vehicle at high rates of speed.

Please remember to check 511ia.org before traveling. This site will give you current information related to road and weather conditions or closures that may affect your trip.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine in western Iowa. Antonio Lara-Pantoja of Denison was sentenced in Sioux City last week after pleading guilty in August to a drug conspiracy charge.

Officers found nearly 4 grams of meth in Lara-Pantoja’s vehicle when he was arrested in March 2011. Investigators say he sold more than 100 grams of meth in Denison from January through March of last year.  Authorities say he obtained the drug in Omaha, Neb.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Transportation says it will not issue driver’s licenses to young illegal immigrants who are now eligible to work in the U.S. under an Obama administration program. The department said Thursday that Iowa law does not allow it to issue driver’s licenses or non-operator identification cards to people who are not in the country legally.

President Barack Obama announced a policy change in June that lets certain illegal immigrants apply for a temporary work permit if they were brought to the country as children. Several Republican governors have said they will not issue driver’s licenses to immigrants who qualify. In August, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said his state would continue to deny licenses, welfare benefits and other public assistance unless required by state law.