An Audubon County Sheriff’s Deputy on routine patrol early this (Friday) morning, likely saved the lives of a Brayton family, when he alerted them to a fire. Deputy Jason Rokke told KJAN News he was rolling through Brayton at around 4-a.m. in his Ford Crown Victoria cruiser, with the window partially down when there was a sudden departure from the routine. He said it was just a normal night when he smelled smoke. The deputy checked nearby houses and found smoke pouring out of attic vents at 307 Reynolds Street, in Brayton. Rokke woke up the residences’ two adults and two children, who were able to escape the home safely.

The deputy said the residents of the home were not aware there was a problem, and were surprised twice by what was going on. He said they were surprised someone was knocking on their door, and more surprised to learn the home was on fire. That surprise quickly turned to relief, when they escaped the home without injury. It’s not clear what caused the blaze, but since it started in the attic, the deputy thinks it may have been electrical-related. Firefighters remained on the scene for about two-hours. The amount of damage to the home is unknown.

The 27-year old Rokke is a 2004 graduate of the Belmond-Klemme High School , and a 2008 graduate of Simpson College. He says he’s glad he was able to live up to the role of a law enforcement officer, which is “To protect and serve.” He said he told the dispatcher “It was one for the books,” and that he was happy the wind was in the right direction, which enabled him to smell the smoke, notify the family. Rokke says “It felt pretty good to do that.”

Rokke has worked for the Sheriff’s Department for the past year and a-half. It’s his first full-time job in law enforcement. Previously, he had served as a security guard for a Des Moines Insurance Company.

An Audubon County Sheriff’s Deputy on routine patrol early this (Friday) morning, likely saved the lives of a Brayton family, when he alerted them to a fire. Sheriff Todd Johnson says Deputy Jason Rokke was patrolling the Brayton area at around 4-a.m., when he smelled smoke. The deputy checked nearby houses and found smoke pouring out of attic vents at 307 Reynolds Street, in Brayton. Rokke woke up the residences’ two adults and two children, who were able to escape the home safely.

Firefighters remained on the scene for about two-hours. The amount of damage to the home is unknown. The 27-year old Rokke has served with the Sheriff’s Department for about a year. Johnson says he came from Des Moines, where he studied Criminal Justice. Rokke went through the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy soon after being hired by the Audubon County Sheriff’s Department.

(9-a.m. news) – updated 9:56-a.m.

Bail reduction hearings are scheduled for Monday, in the case of two Nebraska people facing arson charges in Atlantic.  Twenty-seven-year-old William Kautter (KAH’-tur) has been charged with arson and six counts of attempted murder. His wife, 29-year-old Elizabeth Kautter, has been charged only with arson.  Prosecutors say the two are responsible for a fire on Dec. 14, 2010, that damaged a home in Atlantic. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says three adults and three children escaped without injury.     Investigators say gasoline was splashed across the front door and porch of the house and then set aflame. The couples’ attorneys declined to comment on Friday.

Officials with the Obama campaign have announced  First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Iowa, where she will speak to grassroots supporters in Iowa City and Sioux City, Monday. With early voting underway in Iowa, the First Lady will speak about what’s at stake in this election for Iowans and ask them to help organize their communities and get out the vote between now and Election Day. Early vote ends on November 5th in Iowa.

The events featuring Mrs. Obama are free and open to the public. Tickets are required due to limited space, and will be available to the public starting on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available for the Sioux City event at the  Sioux City Convention Center beginning today (Friday, Oct. 26th)  from 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM, and will continue if tickets are still available on Saturday, October 27, from 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM and on Sunday, October 28, from 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

The tickets can be found at Organizing for America – Sioux City at 520 14^th Street, and at 4106 Morningside Avenue, in Sioux City. Tickets will also be available online at http://OFA.BO/FLOTUS-SC.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Colleges and universities around the country are offering veterans-only courses as a way to cater to military students.  The classes are one way to accommodate a student population that tends to be older, more experienced and further removed from the classroom than the typical undergraduate.  Advocates say the classes can ease the transition from military to civilian life. But not all courses have had staying power, and there’s some concern that veterans-only courses don’t necessarily help re-integrate veteran students into the broader student population.

George Washington University offers a weekend writing seminar for veterans. Wright State University in Ohio offers a psychology class, and a class at the University of Iowa covers everything from reading comprehension to healthy sleep habits.