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

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Gas prices are around 50 cents higher this June than they were last year and that is having an impact on demand. Triple-A Iowa’s Rose White says it is unusual to see the amount of gas burned by motorists dropping. “The Energy Information Office is reporting that demand is dropping — and that is occurring for the first time since mid-January,”White says. “It’s just under nine million barrels per day. Now, this is surprising as levels have consistently measured about the nine million barrel mark every week in June since 2015.”

The drop in demand is only one of the factors that has led to a slight decrease in gas prices this week.  “Contributing to the downturn in prices is crude oil costs, which have dropped nearly six dollars a barrel just in the last few weeks,” according to White. She says gas prices will usually drop from two to four cents a gallon with each one dollar drop in the price of oil. But gas prices here haven’t dropped down to their levels seen last year. White says gas is averaging two-79 a gallon or about 13 cents below the national average. That price is a drop of three cents from last week — but the cost is still 53 cents higher then one year ago when a gallon of gas cost two dollars, 26 cents.

Summer driving often leads to an increase in driving and an increase in demand for gasoline. But White says drivers are making adjustments with the high fuel costs. “It seems that when prices do rise people shop around. And the also may even change their driving habits,” White explains. “When we start to see big spikes in prices, those with flex-fuel vehicles may favor the E-85 blend.” The E-85 blend is cheaper than the other blends of gas. South Carolina is the state with the cheapest gas — coming in at two dollars, 58 cents a gallon. California has the highest average price at three dollars, 17 cents a gallon.

(Radio Iowa)

The Montgomery County Fair Queen, sponsored by the Montgomery County Fair Board, will be crowned on Tuesday, July 17, at 7:30 PM at the Fairgrounds Auditorium. To qualify, contestants must be at least 16 years of age and not more than 21 years of age on August 9, 2018 (the first day of the State Fair), have not been married, be enrolled in school (or be a high school graduate), and be an active member of at least one worthwhile organization in her community.

The Montgomery County Fair Queen Contest Judging will be held on July 1 at 4 PM in the Conference Center on the Lower Level of the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak. The judging will begin with the introduction of the sponsors and candidates with light refreshments being served, followed by individual interviews.

If you are interested in running for this honor, stop by the Extension Office at 400 Bridge Street for the application form, or you can also download the information at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery . Please be sure to access all information if you do so online, including the information letter, rules, and entry form. Applications are due at the Extension Office by noon on Friday, June 27.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet in their Boardroom at the Courthouse in Atlantic, this morning, to canvass the results of last Tuesday’s Primary Election. Their meeting begins at 8-a.m. Unofficial results from the election showed Mark T. O’Brien was the Republican winner for the District 2 Board of Supervisor’s seat, with 154 votes to Republican challenger Pat McCurdy’s 137 votes. And in the Board of Supervisors District 3, Republican John Hartkopf was the winner over fellow Republicans Dana Halder and Linda Templeman. Hartkopf garnered 161 votes, Halder 157 and Templeman 103. The winners move on to the November General Election.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Thunderstorms that blasted through eastern Nebraska into Iowa toppled trees, overturned semitrailers, knocked out power to hundreds of homes and businesses and spawned short-lived tornadoes. The National Weather Service says two drivers were taken to a hospital and other drivers suffered minor injuries Monday when straight-line winds topping 80 mph knocked over nine semis on Interstate 29 in western Iowa. The post office in Sidney, Iowa, lost its roof. Three farm storage buildings were destroyed three-miles south of Thurman, in Fremont County, and shingles were blown off of homes in the Montgomery County town of Coburg. In Red Oak, winds gusted to near 60-miles per hour, while in Bedford, Clarinda and New Market, winds of 60-to 70mph were reported.

Authorities say several homes were damaged in the Lake Waconda community in Cass County, Nebraska. Brief tornado touchdowns were reported near Cedar Creek, Louisville, Murray and Table Rock.
Hail the size of golf balls was reported in the Gretna area.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department arrested two men early this (Tuesday) morning. 22-year old Damon Lee Gregory, and 27-year old Larry James Snider, Jr., both of West Point, IA, were taken into custody at around 12:45-a.m. for possession of drug paraphernalia. Gregory was also cited for failure to hold a valid driver’s license, and no insurance. Both men were transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond, each. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

8:21-p.m.  Tstrm wind gust est. 65-70 mph estimated by radar, 4 miles N. of New Market in Taylor County; Law enforcement report

8:30-p.m. Estimated 70 mph wind 9 miles sw of Bedford in Taylor Co.; Trained spotter report.

8:01-to 8:15-p.m.  62-68 mph gusts of wind reported in Clarinda.

7:38-p.m.  Thunderstorm winds est. at 58 mph 1 mile w/nw of Red Oak.

7:28-p.m. Shingles blown off homes in Coburg (Montgomery County). 1′ diameter tree limbs reported down.

7:15-p.m. Three farm storage buildings destroyed 3 miles s. of Thurman, in Fremont County

7:00-p.m. A total of 9 semi tractor-trailers were overturned along I-29 about 3 miles west of Thurman, in Fremont County (Storm Chaser report). Two drivers were injured and transported by ambulance. I-29 was closed in both directions; Numerous power lines were down west of Thurman and many large trees were uprooted in Thurman, where there was damage to roofs as well.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that around 1:15am today (Tuesday), Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office were called to the 500 block of O st in Hamburg, for a noise complaint. Deputies made several attempts to make contact with the resident where the noise was coming from. They were finally able to locate the resident, 32-year old Isaac Hayes, who was lying motionless on the floor.

Deputies gained entrance into the home and identified Hayes to being highly intoxicated. Hayes was taken into custody for Disorderly Conduct and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement center held on $300.00 bond. Hayes has previously been arrested twice in the last two weeks for the same incidents.

Isaac Hayes

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A man has acknowledged driving drunk and crashing into a ravine near Colorado Springs, killing two of his passengers, one of whom was from Iowa.

The Gazette reports 23-year-old Wyatt Beaman, of Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault, all felonies.

Investigators say he failed to make a turn on Old Stage Road in March 2017, and his SUV tumbled down an embankment. Killed in the crash were 21-year-old Kelby Engleen, of Des Moines, Iowa; and 33-year-old Jacob Busch, of Colorado Springs. Three others, including Beaman, were injured.

Beaman is set to be sentenced Sept. 14.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge says fired Iowa Finance Authority Director Dave Jamison is disqualified from collecting unemployment benefits due to credible allegations of sexual harassment. Administrative Law Judge Nicole Merrill ruled the allegations against Jamison by female subordinates haven’t been fully detailed but are credible and amount to “disqualifying misconduct.” Gov. Kim Reynolds fired Jamison in March after two of his subordinates complained about his behavior.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — A former Sioux Center private school teacher has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child. The Sioux City Journal reports Curtis Van Dam pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to one count of sexual exploitation of a child as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. He agreed to a 15-year term, which is the mandatory minimum required by federal sentencing rules. Police arrested Van Dam on Oct. 23 after the parents of an 11-year-old boy reported the teacher had contact with their son.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An appeals court has upheld lengthy prison sentences for three relatives who conspired to illegally ship guns and ammunition from Iowa to Lebanon. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments from Ali Herz, his brother Bassem Herz and Bassem’s wife Sarah Zeaiter. The court upheld prison terms of roughly 28 years for Ali Herz, 8 years for Bassem and 7 years for Zeaiter.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man in Arizona who faces a murder charge in the 2015 shooting death of a Des Moines man. Des Moines police say U.S. marshals on Friday arrested a suspect in the shooting, 63-year-old Alf Freddie Clark, in Tucson. On Monday, a 1st degree murder warrant was issued for Clark, and authorities have begun extradition proceedings for his return to Des Moines. Clark is wanted in connection with the Dec. 27, 2015, shooting death of 36-year-old Tacono Conner.