The Iowa Lottery says Curtis Scheffler, of Harlan, was the latest big instant/scratch game winner in Cass County during fiscal year 2012, winning $3,000 in the “Match 2 Tripler” game, with a ticket purchased at the 21st Century CoOp C-Store, in Massena. The Lottery says Fiscal Year 2012 ended June 30th, and they released a review of its top prize winners for the year on Monday.

Players in Iowa have up to 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes in Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto. Players have up to 90 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes in Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game and the Iowa Lottery’s Pick 3 and Pick 4 games. If the expiration date falls on a weekend or holiday when the lottery’s offices are closed, the winner has until the close of business on the next business day to turn in the ticket.

Prizes in instant-scratch and pull-tab games must be claimed within 90 days of the end of the game. Scratch-game prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery retail location where the games are sold, while prizes in pull-tab games must be claimed at the location where the tickets were purchased. Prize money left unclaimed after redemption deadlines is invested in the lottery’s future prize pools.

Players may visit an Iowa Lottery retailer or go to one of the lottery’s offices in Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Mason City or Cedar Rapids to claim prizes. Winning lotto numbers may be checked by visiting the lottery website at www.ialottery.com or calling the winning numbers hotline at (515) 323-4633. They may also be checked by visiting a lottery retail outlet or calling the lottery at (515) 725-7900 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A fourth-grade teacher in western Iowa facing misdemeanor charges, accused of possessing marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, will appear in court later this month for an arraignment hearing. 43-year-old Karen Kay Bartelson, of Blencoe, was taken into custody west of Onawa, July 21st, after authorities found her with meth hidden inside an artificial sweetener packet, tucked in her purse.  Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were also allegedly found to be in her possession. She’s plead not guilty to the charges.

Bartelson is scheduled to appear in a Monona County courtroom for her arraignment, on August 20th.  The West Monona Community School District website lists Bartelson as a teacher at Central Elementary School. District Superintendent Lyle Schwartz said Tuesday that Bartelson is on administrative leave. He would not comment further. Bartelson’s attorney has not returned calls from the Associated Press, seeking comment, and a phone listed for Bartelson is no longer in service.

Officials with Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), an Alliant Energy Company, in association with the Trees Forever organization, have announced they are awarding a total of $90,300 to 23 Iowa communities or organizations, through the “Branching Out” program. Among the recipients, is the City of Clarinda, which was awarded $1,500 for the planting of trees near the Clarinda Regional Health Center, and, the City of Creston, which receives $10,000, for planting post-tornado trees, to replace those which were lost at McKinley Park, and on the campus of Southwestern Community College.

Branching Out is a nationally-recognized grant program through which Alliant Energy, Trees Forever and local community leaders work together to fund and implement tree-planting projects. The program is designed to encourage energy efficiency, environmental awareness and community involvement in Iowa.

Since the start of the Branching Out program in 1989, more than 1.1 million trees and seedlings have been planted. Branching Out grant applications are accepted on an ongoing basis throughout the year, but are considered for funding during a spring and a fall grant-making cycle. Deadlines are on June 1 and November 1 of each year.

For more information, contact Trees Forever at 1-800-369-1269. Applications are available online at alliantenergy.com/branchingout or treesforever.org.

A Red Oak man was cited following a single-vehicle accident this (Tuesday) morning, near Red Oak. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says a SWITA (Southwest Iowa Transit) bus was legally stopped at a railroad crossing about one-quarter of a mile west of the intersection of Highways 48 and 34 outside of Red Oak, when a 2008 Dodge Caravan registered to JFSCO Engineering, approached from behind. The driver of the van, 62-year old Charles Peter Crawford, of Red Oak, was checking an e-mail on his cell phone, and did not see the SWITA bus, with its 4-way flashers on.

When Crawford finally noticed the bus, he took evasive action. The JSFCO van entered the north ditch and hit the railroad tracks before coming to rest in a field. The vehicle sustained $3,000 damage. There was no damage to the SWITA bus. The accident happened at around 9:45-a.m.

Officials say following an investigation, Crawford was cited for using an Electronic Communications Device While Driving.

(12:40-p.m. News)