(Updated 1-p.m.) A 17-year old Atlantic High School Football player is in critical condition, suffering from a severe head injury, after he fell from the bed of a moving pickup truck Sunday afternoon. Steele McLaren was transported by Cass County Rescue to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, following the accident that took place at around 2:40-p.m. Sunday. The Iowa State Patrol reports the 2007 Chevy Silverado, driven by a 17-year old male, also from Atlantic, was heading northbound on 740th Street near Anita, at around 2:40-p.m., when McLaren fell out. The accident remains under investigation. Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies and Anita Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene.

Steele’s  father, Dustin McLaren, and mother, Jess Ehrman-Ellis, says their son made it through surgery Sunday night, but he has to be sedated for several days while his condition is monitored and treated. Meanwhile, there has been an outpouring of support and prayers from the community, as well as other football teams from around Iowa, including the Glenwood, Red Oak and West Marshall football teams, under #32strong. Students at the Atlantic High School, Monday, were asked to honor Steele by dressing like “Steele Day,” with gray pants, gray shirt and flannel.

A benefit account has been established at Rolling Hills Bank & Trust in Atlantic, for donations to help the family. Please make your checks payable to either Dustin & Ricci McLaren, or Cory & Jessica Ellis.  In addition, there are 1200 bracelets with the words “Strong as Steele,” and “#32Strong” in Trojan black and gold, that have been ordered, and should arrive by Wednesday night, according to organizer Kennedy Goergen. The bracelets will be handed out to the football team and family, first. Any remaining bracelets will be available for the community at $2 per bracelet. All proceeds will benefit the McLaren family.

Kennedy says since there is no school this Thursday due to parent-teacher conferences, she will be in the high school parking lot from 11-am to 1-pm, and then again from 5-6 pm. You are able to come purchase the bands at these times!

The CAM Digital Media Class is also selling decals that say StrongAsSteele and #32Strong for $5 each with proceeds going back to the family. To order your decal email the class teacher Shelly Miller: smiller@cam.k12.ia.us

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

OLLIE, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say a 76-year-old man died after he apparently fell out of a tree stand while hunting. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says Raymond Bears body was found after he was reported missing Thursday when he did not return from hunting on his land in Ollie. The Keokuk County Sheriff’s office and local police found his body and say it appeared he fell from the tree stand. An autopsy is being performed.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Black man who was shot by police outside an Iowa nightclub five years ago has agreed to a nearly $400,000 settlement. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 33-year-old Jovan Darnell Webb alleged in his suit that he was singled out because of his race in April 2015 when he was wounded while attempting to pull out of the parking lot of the New World nightclub in Waterloo during a disturbance. His suit also alleged excessive force, equal protection violations and battery on the part of the police officers. The lawsuit had been scheduled to go to trial this month. The decision to settle for $399,999 was made by the city’s liability insurance carrier. The city’s attorney, David Baker, declined to comment.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa voters are casting ballots early in person or by mail at a record pace for the Nov. 3 election with several days of early voting still remaining. The Iowa secretary of state’s office reported that 685,234 absentee ballots have been returned to county auditors statewide by Friday morning. Those include people who voted by mail or early in person at auditor’s offices or satellite voting locations. While Democrats typically lead in early voting in Iowa, their advantage this year is significantly bigger than 2016 or 2012. About 51% of the ballots returned have come from registered Democrats compared to 31% from Republicans and 18% from those that do not belong to either party.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ordered a Quad Cities couple who operated two telemarketing firms to pay $820,000 for consumer fraud. The Des Moines Register reports that Misty and Paul Barnes and their companies, telemarketing firms PM Specialties and Milestone Consulting, were sued in February by the Iowa Attorney General for a range of allegations. They included calling businesses to demand payment for fraudulent invoices and selling advertisements in fictitious publications. Court records show the couple made no reply to the suit, leading to Wednesday’s default judgment. The court also made permanent a temporary injunction filed in April that banned the pair from telemarketing in Iowa.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Court of Appeals has ordered a lower court judge to review the murder conviction in which jurors were accused of making racially charged comments during the trial. The appeals court ruling Wednesday came in the case of Doncorrion Spates, who was 18 when he was convicted in 2018 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for a 2016 shooting death.

A juror in Spates’ trial testified that two other jurors made the comments, including that most young Black men are in gangs and are desensitized to killing. Now, the trial court must determine whether the defense proved that racial hostility was a significant factor in the verdict. If so, Spates will be given a new trial. If not, his conviction will stand.

Red Oak Police report two men were arrested following a call at around 11:20-p.m. Saturday, with regard to an altercation. Officers responded to the 200 block of E. Valley Street, and upon further investigation, arrested 25-year-old Matthew Allen Ray Nicholson, of Elliott, for Simple Assault. At about the same time and location, Officers arrested 23-year-old Kyle Andrew Nicholson, of Red Oak, for Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts.

Both men were transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond each. Red Oak Police were assisted by Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, along with Red Oak Fire and Rescue.