You won’t have much trouble traveling most of Iowa’s waterways this fall. Tim Hall with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources keeps an eye on water levels. He says the U-S Geological Survey looks at around 100 gauges across the state to get a composite stream flow. “We’ve been running just slightly on the wet side or normal for the year — so stream flow is a little big higher than it would be normally this time of year — which is a pretty good place to be,” Hall says. He says the water in the streams and creeks is important.

“Stream flow contributes to a lot of things, it provides for habitat for fish and aquatic species, for migratory birds, its’ an ecosystem indicator. So, we kind of like to see stream flow at normal,” according to Hall. Stream flows often drop down in the winter time. “Being a little big higher than normal is great going into the winter….it’s going to replenish farm ponds, it’s gonna keep low-lying areas with some water in them, so that there’s plenty of moisture out there when spring rolls around,” Hall says.

The statewide average precipitation was a little more than four inches in September, and ranked it as the 50th wettest September in 143 years of records.

(Radio Iowa)

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Officials with the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB), this past week, dismissed a complaint filed by a patron of the Red Oak Community School District, that alleged the district failed to provide adequate notice for a meeting of its School Improvement Advisory Committee, or SIAC. According to the Daily NonPareil, the complaint, which was filed by Red Oak resident Margaret Stoldorf, alleged the district failed to provide a 24-hour notice to the media about the meeting, which was held in January.

Police in Red Oak arrested a woman from Kansas early this (Saturday) morning. 33-year old Tiffany Deanna Wheat, of Paola, KS., was arrested following a traffic stop at around 12:15-a.m.  She was charged with OWI/1st offense, and unlawful possession of a prescription medication. Wheat was cited for failure to carry a registration card, failure to obey a traffic control device, speeding, and opening container.

She was being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $1,000 cash bond.

Authorities say a woman from Elliott was arrested Friday afternoon, following a traffic stop. 20-year old Sarah Beth Ewing was pulled over in the 3000 block of 110th Street at around 4:50-p.m., and charged with Driving While Suspended, with five withdrawals in effect. Ewing was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

A woman from Shenandoah was injured during a single-vehicle accident Friday evening. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 20-year old Tracy Loren Jackson was traveling north in the 1550 block of N Avenue at around 5:50-p.m., when she lost control of the 2007 Chevy Cobalt she was driving.

The car entered the east ditch and came to rest after striking a field drive. Jackson complained of neck and back pain afterward, and was transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital by Red Oak Rescue.

The car was a total loss. Authorities say speed and defective tires likely contributed to the crash.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BURNSIDE, Iowa (AP) — A third member of a central Iowa volunteer fire department has lost his home in a fire this year. KCCI-TV reports the latest fire broke out early Friday at the home of Lehigh Fire Chief Kirk Kelley in Burnside. On October 5th, firefighter Cody Frazier also lost his Lehigh home in a fire. In April, firefighter Milton Friedel of Burnside lost his home in a blaze blamed on an electrical problem.

CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — A trial has been rescheduled to January for a convicted sex offender who’d been defeated in a Charles City school board election. Online court records say the trial is scheduled to begin January 12th for 59-year-old Doug Lindaman. He’s pleaded not guilty to allegations that he performed a sex act in 2011 on a 17-year-old boy without the boy’s consent.

NEW HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) — A court has upheld a ruling finding a New Hampton utility wrongfully fired a worker who had exposed inappropriate actions by a supervisor. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the Iowa Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court judgment that sided with Jacob Hackman, who filed a wrongful termination claim after being fired by New Hampton Municipal Light.

TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is campaigning in Massachusetts, promising the repeal of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law and strict enforcement of immigration laws. The billionaire businessman spoke at a rally Friday in Tyngsborough, northwest of Boston.

The Iowa State Patrol says a teen from Ringgold County was injured during a two-vehicle collision north of Redding, Friday afternoon. 16-year old Baylee Love, of Redding, who was wearing a seat belt, was transported by Ringgold County Ambulance to the hospital in Mount Ayr, after the 1997 Pontiac he was driving was hit by a 2001 Mack truck.There was no report on his condition.

The accident happened just before 4-p.m. when the driver of the truck, 46-year old James Stonehocker, of Afton, failed to yield half of the roadway as he was traveling eastbound on 280th Street, near the intersection with Ringgold County Road P-27.

After the truck hit the car, the truck stopped on the road, while the car entered the north ditch and came to rest.

A multiple-vehicle crash Friday afternoon on eastbound Interstate 80 near Minden, in Pottawattamie County resulted in three people being transported to the hospital and traffic brought to a standstill for hours.

Photo’s from Minden Fire & Rescue’s Facebook page

According to the Iowa State Patrol, the accident happened at around 3:30-p.m., as two vehicles were stopped in the right lane, due to heavy traffic caused by road work at mile marker 31, where the one lane was shut down for repairs. Two other vehicles were stopped in the left lane. A 2012 Mercedes GK3 driven by 44-year old Bruce Eric Kinman, of Des Moines, was approaching at a high rate of speed. Kinman swerved left to miss the vehicles in the right lane, but hit a Chrysler 200, sending it into the median. The Mercedes then sideswiped a Hyundai SUV, causing it to lift off the ground and sideswipe a tractor-trailer before it slammed into a Honda mini-van, which then rear-ended a pickup truck.

Injured in the crash, was 40-year old Catherine H. Keylon and her passenger, 7-year old Isabel Keylon, both from Clive (Iowa), and 50-year old Jane M. Gerolimetto, of Ridgetown, Ontario, Canada. Catherine and Isabel Keylon were transported by Minden Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. Gerolimetto was taken to the same hospital by Neola Rescue. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.

The Mercedes, Chrysler, Honda Odyssey mini-van and GMC Sierra pickup were totaled in the crash. The SUV sustained moderate damage.

A Council Bluffs man wanted for multiple crimes including attempting to run over a police officer, was arrested late Friday evening, in Omaha. Council Bluffs Police say officers with the Omaha Police Department, acting on a tip, found 27-year old Adam Thomas at a residence in the 2400 block of S. 47th in Omaha, at around 5:30-p.m.  Thomas was taken into custody without incident as he was leaving the home.

Authorities say Thomas was with another man at the time. Both men were brought in for questioning. A stolen Nissan Murano belonging to Thomas’ sister was recovered at the residence he was apprehended. Inside the SUV, authorities found two 9-mm handguns, a mini 14, 223-caliber semi-automatic rifle, and a large amount of ammunition.  The weapons were determined to have been stolen out of Omaha.

Thomas was found to be in possession of Methamphetamine.  He was booked into Douglas County, NE., Jail on Nebraska felony charges that include: Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by Prohibited Person; Burglary, and 3 counts of Possession of Stolen Firearms.

Thomas was also being held for extradition to Iowa on a warrant for Attempted Murder, Theft 1st Degree, Theft by Deception, and Escape from Custody. His crime spree began on Wednesday, October 14th when he was arrested for fraud and later escaped custody from a patrol car. The stolen pickup he was driving struck an officer as Thomas was fleeing the seen. The unidentified officer fired shots at the pickup during the incident. The pickup was recovered near Thomas’ mother’s residence in rural Underwood. Surveillance video showed Thomas taking his sister’s SUV from the area shortly thereafter.

The Council Bluffs Police Department is expected to hold a news conference Tuesday, October 20th, to release any additional information they might have in the case.