CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) — A northwestern Iowa man has agreed to serve a 10-year prison sentence in pleading guilty to causing a fatal crash last year. The Sioux City Journal reports that 23-year-old Casey Herron, of Quimby, Iowa, pleaded guilty Tuesday to vehicular homicide and operating while intoxicated shortly after his trial in Cherokee County District Court began. As part of the deal, Herron agreed to a 10-year prison term when he’s sentenced on Feb. 2.

Prosecutors say Herron was drunk when he crashed a pickup truck July 30, 2016, in rural Cherokee County, killing one of his passengers, 21-year-old Vitali Zhylka. Herron and two others in the truck were injured.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids has hired a new president. Television station KCRG reports that 59-year-old Lori Sundberg, the current president of Carl Sandburg College in Illinois, announced Thursday morning that she had been hired by the Iowa college. Sundberg will continue to serve as the Illinois college’s president through June 30. She’ll take over at Kirkwood Community College on Aug. 1. The Kirkwood board approved Sundberg’s hiring Thursday night.

A report of an individual acting strangely in the Adams County Courthouse, Thursday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of Rodolfo Morales, Jr., for Public Intoxication. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says once Morales was in the Jail, he was found to be in possession of prescription drugs that were concealed on him. He was subsequently charged with three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug and Possession of Contraband. His cash only bond was set at $8,300.

Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy reports a 16-year old male juvenile was arrested Thursday afternoon on a felony charge of Threat of Terrorism, following an incident at the Red Oak Community High School. At around 3:15-p.m. Officers with the Red Oak P-D were dispatched to the High School for a report of threats being made. Upon arrival and investigation, it was learned that the 16-year old male juvenile student had made several threats to classmates of allegedly “Shooting up the school.”

The teen was taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center before being transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted an Iowa woman of murder in the starvation death of her 16-year-old daughter. Jurors reached their decision Thursday, finding 43-year-old Nicole Finn guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the October 2016 death of Natalie Finn. The West Des Moines teen weighed only 85 pounds when she died. The prosecution said Nicole Finn sought to kill and torment three of her children, including Natalie. The defense says Nicole Finn was detached from reality.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Hundreds of Muscatine residents who settled lawsuits against a local polluter will be given the chance to void the deals and rejoin a class-action lawsuit. District Judge Tom Reidel says he has “significant doubt” that residents who opted out of the class had a full understanding of deals they signed with Grain Processing Corp.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — The trial has begun for a former boarding school director who is accused of sexually and physically abusing several children who attended the now-defunct school in southeast Iowa. The Hawk Eye reports that testimonies began Wednesday at South Lee County District Court in the trial of Benjamin Trane, who owned and operated Midwest Academy in Keokuk. Trane has pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child endangerment charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers in Alabama and Nebraska have joined a Nebraska-based fair trade group to sue over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cancellation of rules that would have made it easier for farmers to demand better treatment when contracting with meatpacking companies. A lawsuit filed Thursday in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeks to reverse the USDA’s October decision. The rules would have made it easier for farmers to sue over contracts deemed unfair, discriminatory or deceptive.

Six fire departments helped battle a fire that destroyed three hog barns early this (Thursday) morning in Emmet County. Gruver Assistant Fire Chief Wes Baddeley says the fire was reported around 1:30 a-m southeast of Dolliver. Baddeley says when firefighters arrived on scene the center building was completely engulfed in flames, fire was coming from the east building and smoke from the west building. Firefighters were on scene for about six-and-a-half hours.

Baddeley says the damage was so extensive that a cause of the fire could not be determined. The three hog buildings were a total loss. About 25-hundred sows and four-thousand piglets inside the buildings were killed. Baddeley says the total dollar loss is estimated at about ten million dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted an Iowa woman of murder in the starvation death of her 16-year-old daughter. Jurors reached their decision Thursday afternoon, finding 43-year-old Nicole Finn guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the October 2016 death of Natalie Finn. The West Des Moines teen weighed only 85 pounds when she died.

Jurors began deliberating Wednesday. In final arguments, the prosecution said Nicole Finn sought to kill and torment three of her children, including Natalie. The defense claimed Nicole Finn was detached from reality. She will be sentenced Jan. 26.

Nicole Finn’s ex-husband, Joe Finn, has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, neglect or abandonment and child endangerment. He wasn’t living with the rest of the family when Natalie died. His trial begins Jan. 8.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says three residents reported incidents of theft and/or vandalism to their property, recently. On Wednesday, a Creston woman reported that sometime during the night someone damaged her front door, broke out a window on a Buick Regal and took a radiator from a 1977 Ford truck.  The loss, including estimated damage, amounted to about $550.

On Tuesday, a man from Cromwell reported to the Sheriff’s Office, that sometime over the past few days, someone took his Sig Sauer ,45-caliber pistol from his residence or vehicle.  The weapon was valued at $1,200.

And, on Monday, a Creston man reported that sometime that morning someone entered his residence and took some jewelry and household items.  The loss was estimated at $450.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Fremont County today (Thursday), arrested 23-year old Jessica Fisher, of Sidney, on an active warrant for Child Endangerment. Authorities say that on Nov. 16th, deputies initiated an investigation into child endangerment that had occurred in Sidney.  During the investigation, deputies determined that a 3-year-old child had been exposed to methamphetamine.

Fisher was being held without bond at the Fremont County Jail.

Fisher

Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday (Today), arrested a Hamburg man on an outstanding warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order and Robbery. 23-year old Joseph Haughton was wanted in connection with an incident that occurred Nov. 21st in Hamburg, where it is alleged that Haughton committed an assault on a subject and stole an item from the victim.

Haughton has been on the run from law enforcement since the incident. Authoritieis say this was Haughton’s 10th arrest in Fremont County since January of 2017. He was being held without bond at the Fremont County Jail.

Haughton