The Iowa State Patrol is requesting the public’s help in connection with a fatal Tama County crash. Authorities say the collision happened at around 10:30-p.m. Friday on Highway 30 at Railroad Avenue, just north of Chelsea. The collision occurred between a black Ford F150 pickup driven by 38-year old Tamie Ann Cockrell, of Van Horne, and a FedEx Semi with dual trailers, driven by 34-year old Adam Russell Nurre, of Dyersville. Cockrell died at the scene.

Officials say the semi was westbound on Highway 30, when for reasons unknown, it crossed the doube-yellow line and struck the eastbound pickup.  The Iowa State Patrol requests that anyone who may have been a witness to the collision or had gone through that area of Highway 30 during the time it took officers to respond to the scene, to come forward with any pertinent information.

Please call the District 11 State Patrol office in Cedar Rapids at 319-396-1944 or Public Information Officer, Sgt. Nathan Ludwig at 515-745-2863.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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(Radio Iowa) — Many Iowans will be headed to the airport next week for Thanksgiving trips and some forecasts predict this flu season will be more severe than last year. Dr. Deborah Mulligan, Chief Medical Affairs Officer of tele-health provider M-D Live, says the convergence of flu season and holiday travel season increases your chances of getting sick, especially for Iowans who will be spending time on a plane.  Mulligan says, “What we learned from one study, by the Journal of the American Medical Association, is that 20% of plane passengers surveyed reported respiratory infections within five to seven days of flying.”

While many frequent fliers fear being seated next to sick strangers, Mulligan says air travel is fraught with chances for catching a bug. “Any largely-crowded area is susceptible to spreading viruses,” Mulligan says, “security lines, flight gates and boarding procedures all present transmission opportunities.”  For Iowans who do get sick but who don’t have time to visit the doctor’s office, tele-health providers offer a welcome alternative. Rich Berner, the C-E-O of M-D Live, says virtual doctor visits streamline the process for patients while not overloading clinics and hospitals during the busy flu season. “The beauty of MDLive service is not only does it provide a great experience for consumers, it’s much more convenient providing care the way they want it when they want it, but it also helps health systems.”

Similar virtual systems like Teladoc enable people to reach a physician for basic consultations through online video, telephone or mobile app. Virtual visits may be as low as 25-dollars and they’re often covered by insurance.

OSAGE, Iowa (AP) — A December trial has been scheduled for a woman accused of driving drunk with children in her vehicle. Mitchell County court records say 35-year-old Rebecca Golden, of Kensett, pleaded not guilty Thursday to five counts of child endangerment and one of operating while intoxicated. Her trial is set to begin Dec. 5 in Osage.

Authorities say Golden was pulled over Aug. 19 after someone called 911 to report a vehicle weaving on Iowa Highway 9. The children inside were ages 9, 7, 5, 2 and 1. Court records say her preliminary breath test indicated she was driving at more than three times the legal limit.

Three people, two men and a woman were injured during an altercation Sunday evening, in Red Oak. Authorities say Viola May Rinehart, Luke Daniel Rinehart and Kain Joseph Rinehart were transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment, following the incident at 306 2nd Avenue in Red Oak, that was reported at around 5:15-p.m.  Authorities say Luke Rinehart suffered from multiple stab wounds to his back and side, Viola Rinehart had a stab wound to her hand and abdomen, and Kain Rinehart suffered injuries to his head after being hit by a hammer.

Police say Kain Rinehart will be charged with two, Class-B Felony counts of Attempted Murder, associated with the injuries he allegedly caused to Viola and Luke Rinehart.

A traffic stop Sunday in Fremont County resulted in the arrest of an Arkansas man, on drug charges. Sunday evening, the Fremont County K9-unit stopped a 2008 Nissan Xterra for a traffic violation. During the course of the stop 36-year old Robert Jerrod Castleman, of Pocahontas,AR, was placed under arrest.

Castleman was found to be in possession of Methamphetamine, Marijuana, Xanax, and Drug Paraphernalia. Castleman was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center where he was being held on a $5,000 cash-only bond.

JASPER COUNTY, Iowa – The Iowa DNR says a man setting up hunting blinds for a Veteran’s Deer Hunt, was run over by a UTV Saturday afternoon, in rural Jasper County. 58-year old James Whitson, was run over at around 1:30-p.m. by a Polaris Ranger at the Reichelt Unit Area.

Authorities say the incident happened, as 72-year old David Drew was backing the Polaris Ranger up to a trailer. Whitson was located between the trailer and the Ranger when Drew pushed the accelerator instead of the brake.

Whitson was transported to Methodist Medical Center by helicopter and the extent of his injuries are unknown. The investigation is on-going by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers.

TAYLOR COUNTY, Iowa — Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report four men from outside of Iowa have plead guilty in court, to the illegal taking of deer and other charges, associated with a hunt in Taylor County. On Wednesday, November 7th, Iowa DNR Conservation Officers Andrea Bevington and Adam Arnold were checking hunters in deer camps in Taylor County when they observed one group of hunters with an untagged deer.  After interviewing the hunters, the conservation officers uncovered numerous hunting violations including falsifying residency and hunting with Missouri deer licenses in Iowa.

Authorities say 39-year old Davis Dunlap, of Willow Spring, North Carolina pled guilty to one count of no non-resident any-sex deer bow license and one count of no non-resident antlerless deer bow license with fines totaling over $1,250; 29-year old Nathan Granger, of DeQuincy, Louisiana pled guilty to one count of illegal take of an antlerless deer and one count of no non-resident antlerless deer bow license.  Fines and liquidated damages totaled over $2,090 plus condemnation of a bow and other hunting equipment.; 52-year old Ralph Thompson, of Dry Creek, Louisiana pled guilty to two counts of illegal take of an antlerless deer, one count of false claim of resident deer license and one (1) count of no non-resident any-sex deer bow license.  Fines and liquidated damages totaled over $4,400 plus condemnation of a bow and other hunting equipment.

27-year old Clint Bushnell, of Dry Creek, Louisiana pled guilty to one count of illegal take of an antlered deer (over 150 pts), one count of illegal take of an antlerless deer and one count of no non-resident any-sex deer license.  Fines and liquidated damages totaled over $11,200 plus condemnation of a bow and other hunting equipment.

Total fines, liquidated damages and equipment condemned exceeded $23,600.   Four deer were donated to the DNR HUSH program.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CST

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Anyone who handles anhydrous ammonia fertilizer is encouraged to attend safety training because it can be dangerous if it is mishandled. One of the next training opportunities will be on Nov. 29 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies in the southwestern corner of Iowa have seized about 300 pounds of marijuana in a traffic stop along Interstate 29. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that the marijuana was found after a recreational vehicle was pulled over near Hamburg. Deputies say a police dog indicated the presence of drugs in the vehicle, leading to a search of it.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Agribusiness experts say high production costs and low commodity prices are forcing more and more dairy farmers out of business in Iowa and other dairy states. Experts say the global flood of milk has depressed prices to about half what they were in 2014, and they still haven’t hit all-time lows. University of Wisconsin-Madison dairy policy analyst Mark Stephenson says the U.S. needs a significant increase in exports to bring about a dramatic improvement in prices.

GUTHRIE CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Authorities believe the pilot of a small plane that crashed in central Iowa, killing all four people on board, may have suffered a heart attack. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that a student pilot was going to attempt an emergency landing Friday night because the pilot apparently had a heart attack, but the plane dropped off radar southwest of Guthrie Center airport.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Anyone who handles anhydrous ammonia fertilizer is encouraged to attend safety training because it can be dangerous if it is mishandled. One of the next training opportunities will be on Nov. 29 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Dan Neenan with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety says it’s important to understand the hazards of anhydrous ammonia and to use proper safety gear, especially a full-face respirator.

Neenan says anhydrous ammonia will freeze human tissue on contact and cause chemical burns.
The training costs $10. More information is available by calling 800-551-9029.