The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Red Oak Police and other agencies are investigating a hit-and-run accident which occurred Sunday night. Sheriff’s officials say the incident took place at around 9:30-p.m., near the Red Oak Fire Department on North Broadway. An initial investigation determined a City of Red Oak Fire Department pickup operated by 24-year old Rudee Phillip DeMarce, of Red Oak, was traveling north on Broadway and beginning to turn right into the entrance of Legion Park, when a dark colored sedan hit the pickup on the right side. DeMarce was not injured during the crash.

The car, later identified as a 2006 Chevy Impala, jumped the curb after hitting the pickup, and continued northbound through the Fire Department’s yard, where it hit a sign and sign post before returning to Broadway and taking off at a high rate of speed. While the incident was under investigation, a citizen notified authorities a vehicle matching the hit-and-run suspect’s vehicle had been abandoned at Highway 34 and Eastern Avenue. The car had sustained front end extensive, disabling damage.

The owner of the vehicle was identified as Jack LeRoy Wilson, of Shenandoah. Authorities says it’s not clear though, who was driving the car. Sheriff’s deputies, assisted by a K-9 unit, tried to track down the person or persons who may have been in the vehicle, but their efforts were not successful. Other agencies assisting in the investigation, included the Shenandoah Police Department, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol. The incident remains under investigation.

Damage to the City of Red Oak Fire Department’s 2006 Chevy 2500 pickup was estimated at $2,500, while Wilson’s car sustained approximately $5,000 damage.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Legislators appear to have reached a standstill at the statehouse, with deep divisions over taxing and spending issues, plus the much-vaunted education reform effort is in jeopardy. House Speaker Kraig Paulsen says the 10 lawmakers who’ve been trying to hammer out that education plan are “obviously struggling” to find common ground between the two parties.”I don’t know if they’re able to bridge that gap or get over those hurdles,” Paulsen says. Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames who is involved in the negotiations, admits the impasse may not be resolved. “I would be disappointed at that outcome,” Quirmbach says. “But there are some places that we will not go.” Some Republican lawmakers question whether it is necessary to pass a state spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1st, since legislators approved a partial two-year budget last year. That two-year plan would provide most state agencies with half as much as they’ve gotten this year.

Senator Bill Dix of Shell Rock is the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I believe that there are sufficient resources that were allocated a year ago to get to January 1,” Dix says, “in which case the next legislature, after this November election, could make a determination at that point of how to supplementally approve resources for the balance of that year.” Dix says he “promised the taxpayers” he would ensure state spending doesn’t grow beyond available revenue. “That’s why I ran,” Dix says. “That’s why I’m here and that’s why I believe I have the support of people in my district.” But Representative Scott Raecker of Urbandale — the Republican who chairs the House Appropriations Committee — has not signed onto the idea of walking away now without taking action on the state budget. “If there’s no further action on the budget, then there would be areas of state government that I believe would run out of their cash flow prior to the legislature convening next January,” Raecker says.

Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs says state agencies would have to make tough choices if legislators don’t come to some agreement soon on the budget. “They cannot presume that next January we would come back and do anything — they cannot presume that — and therefore one-quarter of all people in nursing homes would be thrown out of nursing homes,” Gronstal says. “Schools would lose thousands of teachers. I mean, it’s not really a plan that works.” House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, the top Republican in the legislature, says the budget problems will be solved before July. “We’ll get it sorted out and it’ll all be fine,” Paulsen told reporters. Legislators are still grappling with the issue of property tax reform, too — but no one involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations is yet willing to declare that issue dead.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

A spokesperson for Iowa One Call says two recent incidents in western Iowa could have been prevented if workers had only called his organization to get help locating underground utilities. An underground natural gas pipeline was hit east of Hinton Wednesday –leading to an explosion and injuries to two workers on a trencher. Last month a fiber optic cable was cut near Orange City and that left thousands of customers in Le Mars without cable, internet and phone services. Iowa Once Call spokesperson, Ben Booth, says their system is set up for “damage prevention, ” and the law requires you to notify Iowa One Call before any digging is done.  “In essence, if you do not call before you dig, you are in violation of this serious law and there are ramifications,” Booth says. He says the state’s top lawyer can take action if you fail to call before digging.

“The Attorney General has the power to investigate and enforce the penalty proceedings under Chapter 480 and that could amount — in a gas line situation — in fines up to a half-a-million dollars. That’s 10-thousand dollars per day, per violation all the way up to half-a-million dollars,” Booth explains. “So you can see, it really is a very, very, serious matter with potentially very serious consequences.” The One Call spokesman says he doesn’t understand why people don’t use the service, especially since it only takes a little pre-planning.  “Here’s the thing, it’s not only a toll-free phone call, the service itself is free. The only thing you have to do is plan 48-hours in advance. You need to notify Iowa Once call at least 48-hours prior to commencing with your excavations or your digging projects. And that does not include Saturdays and Sundays and legal holidays,” according to Booth. He says no one is exempt from the law — from people digging in backyards to backfields — everyone must call before they dig.The number to call is 8-1-1, or 1-800-292-8989.

The Iowa Attorney General’s office says it is looking into the pipeline explosion for possible action. Other recent incidents of people hitting underground utilities while digging, include Saturday morning’s gas line rupture in Red Oak, which occurred during an excavation and forced the evacuation of some residents, and, an incident late last week here in Atlantic, when a contractor hit a gas line while digging just off of Lincoln Drive. For more information on Iowa One-Call, go to www.iowaonecall.com.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN)

The Red Oak Police Department reports 42-year old Danny Jo Lane, of Red Oak, was arrested early Sunday morning, on an OWI charge. Lane was taken into custody just before 1-a.m. on a charge of OWI/Drugged, and held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.