A wrong-way vehicle traveling in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County early this (Monday) morning, collided head-on with another vehicle, resulting in injuries to both drivers. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2013 Chevy Equinox driven by 60-year old Debra Ann Havick, of Harlan, was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes at around 12:10-a.m., when her SUV collided head-on with a 2006 Nissan Altima, driven by 20-year old Joel William Becerra, of Walnut. The accident happened near the 12 mile marker of I-80 westbound. Following the collision, the SUV came to rest in the middle of I-80, while the car stopped partially in the median.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. Havik was transported by Underwood EMS to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. Becerra was taken by LifeNet to the UNMC in Omaha.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that Sunday evening, the Fremont County K9 Unit stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation in the 3200 block of Highway 2. During the course of the stop two people were taken into custody for drug possession. 56 year old Scott Blackman and his wife, 55 year old Brenda Blackman both of Sioux City,IA, were found to be in possession of Methamphetamine and Marijuana.

Scott Blackman

Brenda Blackman

Scott Blackman was arrested for felony Possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana 3rd or subsequent, possession of drug paraphernalia, and Driving Revoked. Brenda Blackman was arrested for Possesssion of Methamphetamine and marijuana. Both parties were transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center. Scott Blackman’s bond was placed at just over $7,866, while Brenda’s was placed at $2,000.

A woman from eastern Iowa died Sunday evening, when a deer struck by an SUV crashed through the passenger side windshield of the vehicle and struck her. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Toyota RAV4 driven by 24-year old Amy Kathleen Smith, of West Des Moines, was traveling eastbound on Highway 30 at Q Avenue, in Tama County, when the vehicle hit a deer at around 5:20-p.m..

The animal went through the windshield and struck a passenger, 57-year old Donna Kathleen Smith, of Walford, causing fatal injuries. Smith died at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, Sunday night, reported the arrest on Dec. 18th, of 46-year old Daniel Ray Brownlee, of Macksburg. Brownlee was arrested for Failure to Dispose of a dead animal and Livestock Neglect. He was subsequently cited for the offenses and then released.

Authorities say on Dec. 10th, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about possible livestock neglect and improper disposal of a deceased cow, in the 3000 block of 300th Street, in Adair County. The caller said the deceased animal had been there so long other animals were feeding on it. A deputy saw the deceased animal from the roadway, and said noted there appeared to be no hay or other food sources in any of the hay rings or around the lot. Some of the cattle were also malnourished.

After he climbed the gate for further inspection, the Deputy found no water in any of the tanks, and the pond was frozen over. As he was documenting the scene, he found a red cow that was on its side and presumably deceased, but to his surprise, the animal was still alive and had been in the process of giving birth, but with complications. The calf was mostly outside the cow and frozen to death. The cow was alive but in severe distress. The deputy then left the area to obtain a search warrant and the assistance of a veterinarian. The vet arrived later that same evening and said the cow needed to be put down.

The owner of the cow (Daniel Brownlee) was notified of the situation and instructed to dispose of the cow in accordance with Iowa Code. When the deputy returned on Dec. 13th, he was shocked to find the animal still alive and still in serious distress, and in the exact same position she was in 69 hours earlier. When Brownlee was again contacted, he said the thought the cow had died. The deputy obtained his permission to euthanize the animal, and contacted the same veterinarian as before.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has pleaded guilty to four charges related to the starvation death of his 16-year-old adopted daughter. The Des Moines Register reported 43-year-old Marc Ray pleaded guilty Friday to child endangerment resulting in death and three counts of third-degree kidnapping. The kidnapping charges were for the three children in his care whom he illegally confined in their Perry home.

Ray reached the deal with prosecutors. He’d previously been charged with first-degree murder and other offenses. The charges stem from the May 2017 death of Sabrina Ray, who weighed only 56 pounds when she died. A trial for Ray’s wife, 40-year-old Misty Bousman-Ray, is scheduled for Feb. 4 in Sioux City. The trial was moved to Woodbury County because of pretrial publicity.

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Saturday evening, of 42-year old James Teague, Jr., of Benton. Teague was arrested at his home on a Dallas County warrant for two counts of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd degree/Forcible Rape – a Class B felony. He was being held without bond  in the Dallas County Jail.

James Teague, Jr. (Dallas County S/O photo)

Additional details concerning his arrest were not released.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota-based poultry producer is recalling more than 164,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products that may be contaminated with salmonella. The Jennie-O Turkey Store products have markings saying to use or freeze by Nov. 12 or 13. The recall includes plain ground turkey and turkey with taco or Italian seasonings. The products were shipped to 17 states, including Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Food safety officials are worried that some contaminated turkey may be in people’s freezers. The recalled products have the tag P-579 marked on the lower left corner of the front of the package .
The USDA says the recall was part of an investigation into a November salmonella outbreak that involved 216 patients in 38 states.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — School districts throughout the U.S. are struggling to find school bus drivers, a challenge that has worsened with low unemployment and a strong economy. The problem has become so severe that some districts are offering sign-up bonuses for new drivers, while others rely on mechanics, custodians and other school employees to fill the gap. For parents and students, the shortage can mean longer waits for a ride to school and more crowded buses.

The shortage stems from a variety of factors, including limited work hours and high barriers to entry. Drivers generally need a commercial driver’s license, which requires training, sometimes without pay, said Mike Martin, executive director of the National Association of Pupil Transportation. “Unless you have something to fill in the gaps (between drives), you can’t make the money you need to support your family,” Martin said. “These days, most people are looking for some kind of regular, full-time hours.”  He said also, many districts require split morning and afternoon shifts for their drivers, which some consider a hassle. Keeping an eye on noisy children while facing away from them can be difficult as well.

In Iowa’s Southeast Polk Community School District, transportation director Daniel Schultz said the persistent shortage has grown worse in the suburban Des Moines district because there aren’t as many retired farmers, a group that commonly took the job for extra income. Now, the district relies on 51 drivers — mostly retirees and stay-at-home parents — to transport roughly 3,400 students to and from school each day. Even with administrators and bus mechanics filling in, the shortage has also resulted in fewer routes, more children waiting at each stop, and crowded buses. The district needs to hire six to eight more drivers, according to Schultz.

Pay starts at $19.10 an hour, followed by a $2-an-hour raise after six months, Schultz said, but the district struggles to fill open jobs. Schultz said he’s now considering a “monthly rodeo” where potential drivers could test-drive a bus in a school parking lot.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa inmate convicted of killing his infant daughter in 2010 has died in an apparent suicide. The Iowa Department of Corrections says 28-year-old Ryan Nicholas Trowbridge was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic. Officials didn’t provide specifics about Trowbridge’s death but say an autopsy is planned and the Department of Corrections will investigate the death.

Trowbridge was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder after the 2010 death of his 4-month-old daughter, Rylee. Trowbridge told authorities he put his daughter on a bed for a nap in a home in Ankeny and then discovered her trapped between the headboard and mattress. Prosecutors say her injuries were consistent with being grabbed and shaken.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A developer wants to convert a fire-damaged former school in Dubuque into apartments. The Telegraph Herald reports a Kansas City area developer is seeking tax credits from the Iowa Finance Authority to convert the former Holy Ghost school and a nearby convent into apartments.

Brian Sweeny, development director for the Cohen-Esrey Development Group, says the plan to convert the buildings into 28 residential units would cost about $6.5 million. The developer plans one- and two-bedroom units.

Five of the units would be market-rate and the others would be restricted to tenants earing 30 percent to 60 percent of the median income. A September fire damaged the former school but Sweeney says the structure remains sound.