More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday for a 30-year-old man accused of killing another man in the northwest Iowa community of Sloan. The Sioux City Journal reports Timothy Schroeder has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, going armed with intent and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Prosecutors say Schroeder shot to death 29-year-old Dustin Wilder at Wilder’s home on Jan. 9, 2015.

The City of Atlantic’s Planning and Zoning Commission will meet this (Tuesday) evening in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. On the agenda for their 5:30-p.m. session, is the consideration of two alleys to be vacated. In the New Business portion of their agenda, the Commission will discuss the proposed vacating of an alley located between Birch and Locust, and 13th and 14th Streets.

The alley was the subject of a dispute between two property owners. During a civil lawsuit that City was involved in, Judge James Richardson failed to overturn the City’s opinion that the alley was a property alley, and therefore would have no reason to maintain the strip of land. City Administrator John Lund says since the Judge did not specify WHO owns the land, the City is back to square one, with no idea who owns it. In the absence of such a determination, he says, it is assumed the City has some jurisdiction. If the Commission does not object, the City, according to Lund, feels it would be reasonable to abandon any claim or title to the affected strip of land.

Old Business will include discussion pertaining to the vacating of an alley west of 1315 Birch. At their last meeting on June 14th, the matter was tabled because the Commission had questions for City Administrator John Lund, who was not able to attend the meeting, and out of concerns for neighbors.

In the City’s analysis, it was noted officials inspected the property and proposes that only the southern part of the alley, south of the creek, be vacated. Lund recommends the Commission pass a motion to abandon part of the alley, or the entire alley, depending on a response from abutting property owners.

Police in Creston arrested four people on separate charges, Monday evening. 22-year old Patrick Iiams, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) on a Union County Warrant for Violation of Probation on original charges of Public Intoxication 3rd or Subsequent, 5 counts of Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations – Bodily Injury, and for Violation of Probation. Iiams was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

23-year old Brittony Miller, of Creston, was arrested at her home Monday, on a Union County Warrant for Violation of Probation on an original, Possession of a Controlled Substance, charge. Miller was being held in the Ringgold County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

30-year old Juan Gonzalez, of Creston, was arrested Monday on a charge of Driving While Barred. He was later released from the Union County Jail on $2000 bond. And, 19-year old Keegan Williams, of Creston, was arrested Monday evening on two Union County Warrants for Failure to Appear on original charges of  Theft 4th degree and Violation of Probation. Williams was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

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

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Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, says they are sending out a reminder for you to be sure to check all of your tickets as a big prize in the Mega Millions game has not been claimed. “It’s starting to be a little unusual,  but there is certainly plenty of time for whoever won this prize to still come in and claim it,” Neubauer says. “But it has been more than a month now since somebody won a million-dollar Mega Millions prize here in Iowa, and whoever won hasn’t come forward yet.”

The winning ticket was  at a Kum & Go store on Ashworth Road in West Des Moines. “It won the million-dollar prize in the drawing on May 20th.  That ticket came just one number away from having a share of the jackpot that night,” Neubauer says. She says prizes sometimes go unclaimed, and they don’t want that to happen in this case.

Neubauer says if you have a ticket that you haven’t checked yet, you should take a look at it to be sure it is not the winner. Winners have one year to cash in a winning ticket after the drawing. The ticket was the third one purchased in Iowa to win a prize of at least one million dollars in 2016. The winner of the prize has to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

(Radio Iowa)

LUCAS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a woman who died after a horse she was riding fell on her. The accident occurred Saturday afternoon at Stephens State Forest near Lucas in south-central Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 58-year-old Carole Renaud, of Lacona, was riding with a friend when the horse lost its footing and fell. It landed on top of Renaud. Renaud was flown to a Des Moines hospital, where she later died.

A man and woman from Clarinda were arrested early this (Tuesday) morning on Theft charges, in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials say 27-year old Zachary Allan Colebank, of Clarinda, was arrested at around 2:40-a.m. for Theft in the 5th degree. His bond was set at $300. 26-year old Sara Ann Billie, of Clarinda, was arrested in the 300 block of E. Elm Street in Red Oak at around 3:35-a.m., on a valid Page County warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. Her bond was set at $2,000.

HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) – Roman Catholic officials say a priest charged with solicitation after a prostitution sting in southwest Iowa has been suspended from public ministry.
The Diocese of Des Moines says in a statement the Rev. Dominic Yamoah has discussed his arrest on Saturday in Hamburg with Bishop Richard Pates. The statement released Monday says Yamoah “very sincerely regrets his actions” and he and the diocese will fully cooperate with authorities.

The 40-year old Yamoah was pastor of churches in Clarinda, Bedford and Villisca. He’s since bonded out of jail. The diocese says it will make arrangement for a replacement pastor during the suspension which remains in place pending the outcome of the investigation and legal proceedings.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst — the first female combat veteran to serve in the United States Senate — will deliver a prime-time speech about national security at next week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland.  “This is a great opportunity for me to be on the national stage and talk about something that is so vitally important to our country,” Ernst says.

The Trump campaign has not yet released the speaking schedule for next week’s convention, but sources say Ernst will be speaking Monday night. Ernst is hinting her remarks will be a partial indictment of the Obama Administration’s policies for military engagement. “If you look at the global front where we’re trying to combat ISIS as best as we can, but without a very enthusiastic administration,” Ernst says. “And Hillary Clinton will just continue on with these lackluster policies.”

Seven months ago, Ernst was deputy chief of staff at the Iowa National Guard’s headquarters when she retired after a 23-year military career. In 2003, Ernst was the commander of a battalion of Iowa National Guard soldiers who ran supply convoys from Kuwait into Iraq. She emphasized her military experience during her successful 2014 campaign for the U.S. Senate. It’s one reason she was rumored to be on Trump’s list of potential running mates.

(Radio Iowa)