Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety said today (Thursday), that on Jan. 12th at around 3-p.m., the Marion County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the State Fire Marshal Division to investigate suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered from a fatal single-truck crash which occurred east of Knoxville around 12:04-a.m. that same day. Following an autopsy, the State Medical Examiner and Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory identified the driver in the crash as Del Sorey of Arnolds Park, Iowa. Sorey was the only person in the vehicle. The truck Sorey was driving caught fire, and much of it and its contents were destroyed.

Search warrants related to the IED’s were served on Wednesday January 15th at three addresses in Milford and Arnolds Park, Iowa, in Dickinson County. The case remains under investigation.

Agencies involved in the ongoing investigation include the State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa State Patrol, Division of Criminal Investigation, Division of Intelligence, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Milford Police Department, Arnolds Park Police Department, Okoboji Police Department, Local Drug Task Force, the Des Moines and Sioux City Offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Omaha Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two separate accidents took place Wednesday, but there were no injuries. The first accident happened at around 9:48-a.m. on Highway 34. Authorities say 22-year old Kendra Mykkel Top, of Villisca, was driving a 2008 Ford Escape, when the SUV went out of control and entered the north ditch, before striking several trees. Damage from the crash amounted to $8,000. No citations were issued, due to the road conditions at the time.

And, at around 4-p.m., a two-vehicle, property-damage accident happened near the intersection of 1st Avenue and 4th Street, in Villisca. Officials say a 1997 Ford snowplow owned by the City of Villisca – and driven by 45-year old Donald Lee Sexton, of Villisca – was traveling west on 4th Street, when the blade caught the pavement and forced the vehicle left-of-center. The plow struck a 2012 Ford F-250 pickup, which was eastbound on 4th. The plow sustained no damage, but the pickup – driven by 35-year old Aaron WIlliam Focht, of Villisca, sustained $7,000 damage. No citations were issued.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) – A man has been found guilty of setting a fire that injured two people at his eastern Iowa home. A jury convicted 45-year-old Shane Heins on Wednesday of arson and two counts of attempted murder. He’d pleaded guilty June 16 to misdemeanor domestic abuse assault, second offense. The online court records don’t list a sentencing date. Investigators say Heins set the fire March 2 last year in Independence in an effort to kill his wife, Christina Heins, and her uncle, Nick Necker. Both were taken for treatment to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City.

Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Democrat Presidential Candidate & former Vice President, Joe Biden, will make stops in southwest/western Iowa this Friday and Saturday. Mrs. Biden will campaign on behalf of her husband in Sidney, Bedford, Corning, and Red Oak, on Friday, and in Logan on Saturday. Read more her area schedule below (Members of the public who wish to attend any of the events should RSVP via the Biden campaign website):

Friday, Jan. 24th Meet and Greet events:

• Sidney, IA -Silver Spur & Grill (Doors open at 10:45. Event Start Time 11-a.m.)
• Bedford, IA – Bedford American Legion (Doors open at 12:45. Event Start Time 1-p.m.)
• Corning, IA – Corning Public Library (Doors open at 3-p.m. Event Start Time 3:15-p.m.)
• Red Oak, IA – Firehouse Restaurant (Doors open at 4:45. Event Start Time 5-p.m.)

Saturday, Jan. 25th Meet & Greet:

• Logan, IA – 4th Avenue Grill (Doors open 10:45-a.m., event starts at 11-a.m.)

Dr. Biden will also make stops in Storm Lake and Humboldt, on Saturday.

Atlantic: 2 hour late start

Charter Oak-Ute: 2 hour late start

CAM/Nodaway Valley: 2 hour late start

Panorama: 2 hour late start

West Central Valley: 2 hour late start

**For more announcements as they come in, see the Cancellations page under Community Hub**

(Radio Iowa) — The president of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) hit on some familiar themes during his address in Iowa, Wednesday, on state of manufacturing. Jay Timmons spoke in Pella at Vermeer Manufacturing, and says with all the advances in the industry — people are still important. “One of the biggest misperceptions is that automation is coming for our jobs. But manufacturers know the truth—technology makes us safer, more effective,” Timmons says. “Some jobs will shift, often to higher-skilled, higher-tech positions, But people, people will always be what make this industry possible.”

Jay Timmons – NAM

He says they are working to change the thinking on manufacturing. “Our members tell us this is their top concern—educating Americans on these opportunities…and finding workers for the hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs open today and the four-point-six million jobs that will be open over the coming eight years,” Timmons says. He says the association is launching a program called “Creators Wanted” that will go on a our mobile tour this spring to show some 250-thosuand Americans a hands-on experiences that demonstrate the high-tech opportunities in modern manufacturing and “open their minds” to what the industry offers. Timmons says it’s an important part of building on the success of the manufacturing industry.

“As we start this new decade, manufacturers are indeed at a turning point. The N-A-M’s most recent quarterly Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey found 68percent of manufacturers have a positive outlook for their businesses,” Timmons says. “You might say, two out of three sounds good. But in mid-2018, we were at record high levels of optimism at 90 percent.” Timmons says the survey came before the recent developments in the China and U-S-M-C-A trade deals, so the optimism is expected to increase. He says the industry needs continued support from government. “If our elected leaders choose to enact policies that advance manufacturers’ priorities, our industry is prepared to lift up our entire country,” Timmons says.

Timmons took questions after his speech and told the audience the one thing people can do to help is go to the polls. “Voting matters. Not only that — but speaking up mattters. Coming and talking to elected officials is important — but it’s really important to talk to candidates — because while they are on the campaign trail, they are not only forming their agenda, but they are making promises,” Timmons explained. Timmons says it’s human nature to want to carry out those promises, so the voters need to express their opinions when they have the chance.