The Iowa State Patrol reports one person died and two others were injured during a crash Thursday night in northern Iowa’s Butler County. A 2000 Ford F-150 pickup was traveling east on County Road C-33, about a mile east of Willow Avenue, when the vehicle drifted off the road and into the south ditch, where it struck a box culvert.

The driver of the pickup, 44-year old Matthew DeWitt, of Shell Rock, and a passenger, 28-year old Andrew Baker, of Waverly, were injured. Baker was not wearing a seat belt. Both were transported by ambulance to the hospital in Waverly. A second passenger, 41-year old Jeffrey DeWitt, of Shell Rock, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the hospital.

The accident, which happened at around 7:06-p.m., Thursday, remains under investigation.

Police in Red Oak, Thursday evening, arrested 31-year old Colbie Jo Sue Fike, of Red Oak. Fike was taken into custody at around 6:50-p.m. for Driving While Suspended, (a simple misdemeanor) and on a valid Red Oak P-D warrant for ID Theft (an aggravated misdemeanor). She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond.

Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson is preparing for her third rocket ride to the International Space Station and spoke to Radio Iowa’s Matt Kelley Thursday, from the training center in Russia. The Beaconsfield native has already spent 377 days aboard the orbiting station during missions in 2002 and 2007. This coming February, Whitson will celebrate her 57th birthday there, some 220 miles up, and she’ll be the oldest woman ever in space, American, Russian or otherwise.

American John Glenn took his final spaceflight aboard the shuttle Discovery at age 77, so is there the possibility this may not be her last mission? “I’d love to go when I’m 77, as long as I’m not dead,” Whitson says, laughing. The rigorous training regimen astronauts must endure is legendary but she says it’s gotten a little easier each time.
“Definitely,” Whitson says. “Knowing what you need to worry about and what not to worry about definitely makes preparation for the flight much easier. It helps you prioritize the things you need to do to get ready for a flight. It’s definitely easier the third time around, second time, too.”

Peggy Whitson in her Russian space suit

Speaking via NASA-TV from Star City, near Moscow, Whitson says there’s really nothing about the upcoming six-month mission that frightens her. “I don’t think anything particularly apprehensive,” Whitson says. “I do think there are always going to be challenges onboard which is part of what makes it a little bit more interesting and fun. I look forward to those challenges, whether it’s fixing things that break or just the challenge of trying to get as much scientific work done as we can.”

Whitson has an impressive resume: She was the first Iowa woman in space. She was the space station’s first science officer, its first woman commander and she’ll be the first woman to command the station twice. She’s already logged more time in space and has done more EVAs — or spacewalks — than any other woman. There’s even a Peggy Whitson Science Center at her old school in Mount Ayr. Still, the former Iowa farm girl is humble about her long list of firsts and records.

“I really feel very privileged and honored to be able to participate in the space program at all,” Whitson says, her voice cracking. “That’s what I’m most proud of.” Launch aboard the Soyuz MS-2 spacecraft from Kazakhstan is scheduled for November 15th. She’ll return to Earth next May.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:52 a.m. CDT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Law enforcement in North Dakota moved in Thursday to remove activists protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline who had set up a camp on private property owned by the pipeline developer. It was the latest development in a long-running dispute over a thousand-mile pipeline that protesters say threatens drinking water.

CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) — Authorities have updated to 141 the number of people arrested when law enforcement officers evicted protesters from private property in the path of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Donnell Hushka, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff’s Department, says most of the protesters were arrested for conspiracy to endanger by fire or explosion, engaging in a riot and maintaining a public nuisance. The nearly six-hour operation to evict the protesters began at 11:15 a.m. Thursday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines hospital says a pharmacy tech removed a potent painkiller from hundreds of vials and replaced it with saline solution. UnityPoint Health – Des Moines spokeswoman Amy Varcoe says Methodist Medical Center contacted 731 patients because they may not have received full doses of fentanyl. Varcoe says about 250 vials were affected, but that she doesn’t know how many patients received vials containing saline.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office says one of its deputies accused of having a weapon with him while drunkenly assaulting someone has resigned in lieu of being fired. The former deputy, 34-year-old Erick McFerran on Friday, is charged with carrying weapons, assault causing bodily injury and harassment. He was charged after Waterloo police say they were called to a gas station on Oct. 14 and found that McFerran had assaulted someone.

Officials in Shelby County said Thursday, a bridge located in the southern half of the 700 block of Woodland Road is closed for an indefinite period of time following an inspection. The bridge, over an unnamed tributary of Indian Creek, is between Jackson Township, sections 35 and 36. The structure was determined to be unsafe and closed immediately. For emergency crews information: the residence at 719 Woodland Road will only be accessible from the north.

Earlier in the day, Thursday, the Audubon County Emergency Management Agency said the Audubon County Engineer’s office was forced to immediately close a bridge in the 1900 block of 220th Street, following an inspection that determined the bridge was unsafe. The bridge is located just east of Highway 71 on 220th Street (just east of Agriland FS), in Audubon County. The closure will be in effect until plans can be made to make repairs.

Shelby County Bridge closed location

Audubon County Bridge closed location

Rescue crews and law enforcement were on the scene of a rollover accident on Interstate 80 one-mile east of Shelby, Thursday night. The crash was reported just before 7-p.m. It took place on the eastbound interstate. One person was injured. The individual was said to be out of the vehicle suffering from a head injury. According to witness reports, the vehicle blew a front tire between Exits 29 and 34, before it went out of control.

No other details are currently available.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska and Iowa have placed in the top third of the country for science proficiency on the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress science test. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the science test results for fourth, eighth and 12th grade students were released Thursday. The U.S. Department of Education administers the test, which measures knowledge in physical science, life science and earth and space sciences. It also gauges knowledge of science practices.

According to the results, proficiency rates in Nebraska and Iowa public schools exceeded the national average of 37 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced. Peggy Carr, acting commissioner for the National Center for Educational Statistics, says students across the board are improving, but minority students and girls are making gains to narrow achievement gaps.

BURNSVILLE, MN (October 24, 2016) – As Halloween approaches, AAA – The Auto Club Group reminds parents to be extra careful if their children will be trick-or-treating on neighborhood streets.  Halloween can be a safe and enjoyable time for everyone if motorists are on watch for costumed children who may dart out between parked cars.

“Drivers should be especially careful when pulling in or out of driveways and realize that the normal residential speeds are way too fast when the night is full of excited children moving from house to house” said Amy Stracke, Executive Director, Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation.  “A safe Halloween necessitates seeing others and being seen.”

To help make this a safer Halloween, AAA offers some reminders:

Motorists:

• Reduce any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or with other passengers, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
• Drive slower through neighborhoods.Driving five miles per hour slower than the posted speed limit will give you extra time to react to children who dart out in front of you.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.  In dark costumes, they will be harder to see at night.
• Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
• Drive sober. Nearly 40 percent of fatal crashes on Halloween night involve a drunk driver.
•  Always designate a sober driver if you plan to drink any alcohol.  Visit www.PreventDUI.AAA.com   to learn more.

Parents:

• Walk with your children as they go door to door while trick-or-treating. Be sure to show them safe places to cross the street.
• Ensure an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children under age 12.
• Buckle up. If driving trick-or-treaters between neighborhoods, always use appropriate car/booster seats and have children exit and enter on the passenger side of the vehicle.
• Have children carry a glow stick or flashlight to help them see and be seen by drivers.
• Prevent trips and falls by picking a costume that is the right size and doesn’t block vision.

Trick-or-Treaters:

• Cross the street and corners using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Look both ways between crossing and keep an eye on the road while you are crossing.
• Always walk facing traffic if there are no sidewalks available and stay as far to the left as possible.
• Wear light-colored clothing or costumes with reflective material or tape for the best visibility.
• Consider using nontoxic face paint instead of masks to avoid obstructing vision.
• Stay in familiar neighborhoods.Only visit homes that have the porch light on and never go into a stranger’s house.
• Always have an adult check your treats before you eat. Discard anything that looks like it has been unwrapped or altered.

For additional tips to keep Halloween safe, visit http://exchange.aaa.com/safety/child-safety/halloween-safety.

A southwest Iowa teen was injured Wednesday afternoon during a rollover accident in Union County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 15-year old Cole Michael Nelson, of Shannon City, was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Creston for treatment of unknown/possible injuries. The crash happened at around 3:45-p.m. Wednesday, on 205th Street.

Officials say Nelson was driving a 2004 Ford pickup westbound when he fell asleep at the wheel. After the truck crossed the center line, Nelson over-corrected, causing the vehicle to go out of control and enter the north ditch, where it rolled once and came to rest on its tires.

The pickup sustained $5,000 damage. No citations were issued.

The Audubon County Emergency Management Agency reports the Audubon County Engineer’s office was forced to immediately close a bridge in the 1900 block of 220th Street, following an inspection that determined the bridge was unsafe. The bridge is located just east of Highway 71 on 220th Street (just east of Agriland FS), in Audubon County.

The closure will be in effect until plans can be made to make repairs. Persons living in the 1900 and 2000 blocks of 220th Street who normally access their properties from the west, will only be able to do so using 215th Street and Lark Avenue from the north and east, or Highway 44 and Kingbird Avenue from the south and east. Addresses in the 2200 and 2300 blocks of Kingbird Avenue will have to be accessed by Highway 44.

Police, Fire and Ambulance services should plan alternate routes for emergency response to nearby residents. If you have any questions, call the Audubon County Engineer’s Office at 712-563-4286.