Iowa parents and teen drivers are being reminded — and warned — about the typical increase in fatal crashes involving teens during the coming few months. Rose White, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says this holiday weekend marks the start of what her organization refers to as the 100 deadliest days of summer for new drivers. “In Iowa, the statistics are a little bit higher than the national average,” White says. “Looking at the period of 2009 through 2013, we show 39% of all teens that are killed during the course of the year are killed during that period of Memorial Day through Labor Day.”

The Iowa D-O-T reports a total of 22 Iowa teens were killed in crashes last year statewide and ten of those deaths happened between the two holidays — so almost half. A combination of factors can get the blame, she says, including the inexperience of a teen driver as well as all of the distractions of taking a drive during the summertime. “This time of year, we often see teens acquire their driver’s license, they’re very excited about having that new privilege,” White says. “We also know there’s a lot of social driving that takes place. They have a lot of free time on their hands. Many times, if they have passengers in their vehicle, those passengers can be a severe distraction to that novice driver.”

A motor club survey finds drivers who are 16 and 17 are involved in seven times as many crashes per mile driven as drivers in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

(Radio Iowa)

The Clarinda Police Department reports three students from the Clarinda Academy escaped from the facility Friday evening.  Information posted on the Clarinda P-D’s Facebook page indicated the students escaped sometime between 7:15- and 8:15-p.m.

The trio were traveling in an unknown direction of travel. Additional information including a description of the subjects was not immediately available. Anyone with information concerning whereabouts of possible escapees is asked to call the Clarinda Police Department or 9-1-1.

A physician in Council Bluffs plead guilty this week to one-count of Possession of Child Pornography depicting a person under the age of 12. According to documents provided by the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, 69-year old Dennis Seaborn Jones agree to the plea on Tuesday, May 20th. The plea was entered into record today (Friday). He faces a maximum of 20-years in prison during his sentencing, and fines not to exceed $250,000. In addition, Jones will serve at least five-years of Supervised Release upon completion of his term of incarceration.

Jones could face additional penalties including more prison time, if he is found guilty in a Pottawattamie County case involving the alleged sexual abuse of a 5-year old girl. That case is currently making its way through the judicial system. His trial on the charge is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on June 4th at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse.

Records show that on or about May 16th, 2013, Jones knowingly possessed visual images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A search of computers found in his Council Bluffs home resulted in the discovery of approximately 1.2-million still images of child pornography and 9,300 videos showing child porn he had downloaded off the internet. Included among the images were more than two-dozen pictures and videos of patients seen by Doctor Jones at his medical clinic in Council Bluffs. The images showing minors in various stages of undress, were captured without the knowledge of his patients or their parents.

Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys agreed, and have recommended that Jones should serve 8-to 10-years in prison and at least 10-years of Supervised release. They said he should also be required to surrender his license to practice medicine and be placed on the State’s Sex Offender Registry upon his release from prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Republican candidate for Iowa’s 3rd District Congressional seat, Monte Shaw, stopped by the KJAN Studios Friday afternoon, to make a final push for your vote during the June 3rd Primary election. Shaw is competing against five other Republicans for the seat being vacated by Republican Tom Latham, who decided not to run for re-election.

The Republican race for Latham’s seat hasn’t been too contentious, but Shaw says Democrat Staci Appel attacked him on religious grounds during a recent debate. He says he was defending the 1st Amendment to the Constitution, saying “The federal government should not be allowed to force religious institutions to provide services at their own expense, that run counter to their religious tenets.” Shaw says “Staci Appel came out and called that extremist rhetoric.” He says “Apparently she thinks it’s fine for the federal government to dictate what religious institutions do with their money, even if it violates their religious tenet.”

Shaw says as for the Republicans, in order for a candidate to emerge as a clear-cut winner in the Primary and move on to the election in November, they will have to show they can stand-up to scrutiny from the Democrats and what – quote — “The liberal attack machine out of D-C is going to through at us.” He says he can stand-up to that scrutiny, and he doesn’t have the baggage that makes for a “Target rich environment.”

Shaw says he has a “track record of getting things done,” and can bring a voice of agriculture to the U-S House. The 41-year old Shaw is a native of Shenandoah and has been the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association since 2005. His Republican opponents heading into the June 3rd Primary include Robert Cramer, Joe Grandanette, Matt Schult, David Young and Brad Zaun.

Officials with the ISU Extension office in Atlantic say the Cass County Extension and Vo-Ag Teachers from Atlantic, CAM and Griswold schools will be teaching a 24-hour tractor and machinery safety certification course for local youth May 28-31 at the Cass County Fairgrounds. The training is required by law for any 14 or 15 year olds who want to safely operate a tractor over 20 HP and other machinery on a farm, acreage or any other business. Any youth who want to work in an operation that requires equipment operation must have this certificate. Youth aged 13 must be turning 14 during the summer of 2014 in order to be eligible for the certificate. 24 hours of training, including both a written and driving test, are required for participants to be certified.

While the certificate is required for 14 and 15-year old’s to be eligible for employment, anyone age 13 or older, including adults, is welcome to register for the class, as a wide variety of tractor, machinery and general farm safety topics will be taught. Participants will get some time “hands-on” driving farm machinery, as well as class time with Extension/Vo-Ag instructors and representatives from other local businesses and organizations.

The class dates are Wednesday, May 28 from Noon to 5 PM; Thursday, May 29 from Noon to 6 PM; Friday, May 30 from Noon to 5 PM and Saturday, May 31 from 8 AM to 4 PM. A $40 registration fee covers all class materials, including lunch for all 4 days of the course. Registration forms can be picked up from the Cass County Extension office or any Cass County Vo-Ag instructor. Forms are also available online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass to print and return. Pre-registration is requested by Tuesday, May 27th,  to ensure enough materials and food are available for course participants. For more information, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 or email xcass@iastate.edu.

Officials with ISU Extension in Cass County say the 7th Annual Western Iowa No-till (WIN) Demonstration Field Day, scheduled for June 17th at the Carstens 1880 Farmstead south of Shelby, Iowa, will address a wide variety of topics for local producers interested in learning more about the practical application of no-till production practices and management of soil heath and fertility. Registration opens at 8 AM with coffee and rolls available. Local agribusinesses will be on hand to visit with producers in the morning and showcase their services/equipment.

The field day program begins at 9 AM with a weather and market outlook from Bryce Andersen with DTN. At 10 AM, rotating breakout sessions will cover nitrogen rate calculation and the evolution of cover crops in corn production. The breakout sessions will be followed by a lunchtime discussion on understanding soil biology and improving soil health. After lunch, keynote speaker Barry Kusel will share his experiences using cover crops successfully in his row crop farm in Carroll County.

Anyone with an interest in the practical application and impact of no-till production, whether looking for ideas to begin adopting no-till practices or a long-time no-till producer looking to improve production results, is encouraged to attend this field day. Nearly 200 ag producers and ag professionals attended the 2013 event, learning about effective soil stewardship strategies. In addition to the educational sessions at the 2014 WIN Field Day, there will be plenty of time for farmers to visit informational displays, vendor exhibits and network with other producers. 4 hours of CCA Credits have been applied for, and will be available at no cost for Certified Crop Advisors needing additional continuing education units this year.

There is no charge to attend this event, but pre-registration is requested by June 12th to ensure a lunch will be available. A free steak sandwich lunch with sides and dessert will be provided to all attendees, with steaks cooked by the Shelby County Cattlemen. Registration can be completed by e-mailing csgorham@iastate.edu or by calling the Harrison County Extension Office at 888-644-2105. More information is available at many local ISU Extension and NRCS offices, or can be found online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The field day is brought to you by NRCS, ISU Extension and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) in Harrison, Pottawattamie, Cass and Shelby Counties, along with many local supporting agribusinesses. 2014 Business Sponsors include Farm Bureau in East & West Pottawattamie, Shelby, Cass & Harrison Counties, Brokaw Supply Company, Sorensen Equipment Co., HTS Ag, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Shelby County State Bank, United Bank of Iowa and Bartlett Grain Co.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in meetings/events/functions should contact Dale DuVal at 712-644-2210, Ext 3, (Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339) or Dale.DuVal@ia.usda.gov by June 13th.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a Lewis man was arrested Wednesday. 22-year old Nicholas Anderson was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault by Strangulation. That same day, 28-year old Christopher Castillo, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.

And, the P-D says no injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday afternoon near the intersection of 7th and Olive Streets. Officials vehicles driven by Scott Lockard and Chance Young, both of Atlantic, were traveling west on 7th Street at around 2-p.m., when Lockard slowed for traffic in front of him. Young was unable to stop in-time. His vehicle rear-ended Lockard’s, causing a total of $600 damage.

Young was issued warnings for No Proof of Insurance and Failure to Stop in An Assured Clear Distance.

(12:40-p.m. News)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested this (Friday) morning on drug-related charges in Malvern. 18-year old Ryan Nicholas Griener, of Silver City, and 19-year old Darryk James Leu, of Malvern, were arrested at around 12:30-a.m. in the vicinity of 15th and Main Streets, in Malvern.

Both men were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. Their bonds were set at $1,000 each.

The Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton are celebrating the 34th annual Tivoli Fest this weekend. The theme this year is “Denmark on the Prairie, Let the Festivities Begin.” Tivoli Fest begins at 8-am Saturday, with the M & M 5k Fun Run. Registration is held at the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn. The race ends at the Little Mermaid Fountain in Kimballton.

Lisa Riggs from the Danish Windmill says there is something new this year at Tivoli. “We are hosting the Iowa Craft beer tent which is a large trailer that boasts and promotes the new phenomenon Iowa Craft beer breweries in Iowa and they also feature Carlsberg beer from Denmark. And that’s going to be at the Elk Horn Fire Station. That opens at 11am on Saturday until midnight.”

The beer tent is a fundraiser for the Elk Horn Fire Department and will be open again on Sunday. Riggs says the children can participate in a new activity as well. (“The Museum of Danish America is having the ringridning bicycle competition. It’s actually used to be in Denmark it is on horse with spears and they go at a fast pace to try to get the spear in a ring and they will do that on bicycles this year.”

The Elk Horn Library is another spot for children as a Life-Size Legoland Game will be set up from noon to 3pm Saturday. All the Danish museums in Elk Horn and Kimballton will be open during the festival and the local restaurants will be serving traditional Danish treats all weekend. The Elk Horn City Park will host the Firemen competition from 2 to 5pm Saturday as well as a volleyball tournament.

Activities for Saturday night include live music, Tivoli Feud and fireworks after dark. On Sunday, Tivoli Fest embarks with the 6th annual Tour De Tivoli. Riggs says “You start out at the Windmill registration at 8am and you go out to Prairie Rose and around through Kimballton. It is a beautiful ride. With the registration, you get a t-shirt, refreshments and an ebleskiver meal goes with the price of admission.”

The Danish festival will wrap up on Sunday at the Veteran’s Memorial Park on Main Street with Run for the Fall and Walk of Honor and Five Star Ceremony at 2-pm. The American Legion Post 322 and the Elk Horn Chapter will present a patriotic ceremony with live music. The Walk of Honor from Little Mermaid Trail from Union Street to the Museum of Danish America will contain pictures of local veterans and their military biographies. The full list of the 2014 Tivoli Fest event can be found online at http://www.danishwindmill.com/.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A high speed chase expanding through two western Iowa counties ended in rural Monona County Thursday morning. The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy had observed a vehicle acting suspiciously in a residential area near Sergeant Bluff around 7am. Lieutenant Charles Hertz said the vehicle was in an area it should not have been “When the vehicle saw law enforcement drive by, they immediately left the area and pulled into a private residence. Deputy Brand continued to monitor the vehicle and notated it spent a very short time in the driveway before backing out.”

A traffic stop was initiated by the deputy where the three individuals in the car, two males and a female, were asked to get out of the car. Hertz said “The vehicle already had damage on the driver side and the driver was unable to exit through the driver door. There was a female front seat passenger. She was requested to exit and did so. A male passenger in the back seat tried to exit the vehicle and the driver pulled off, abandoning the female passenger on the side of the road.”

The high speed pursuit began at that point with Deputy Brand following the vehicle through Sergeant Bluff and Salix on Highway 75. Authorities believe at some point during the chase on Highway 75, the occupants were throwing items believed to be narcotics. The chase continued south of Sloan on Highway 141 where stop sticks were deployed east of Hornick.

Lt. Hertz said during the chase the driver called 911 threatening harm to himself if the deputy did not back off. Speeds topped out around 80 to 90mph during the chase. He says about an hour into the chase a pit maneuver was made. “A Sergeant was able to execute a pit maneuver and caused the vehicle to lose control. The vehicle subsequently crashed and the two occupants were taken to Burgess Memorial Hospital.”

The occupants were identified as David Whitlock, who was the driver and the male passenger was Randell Durand, both of Sioux City. An update on their condition was not given. The abandoned female passenger was identified as Felicionna Ruies, of Sioux City. Charges are currently pending as drugs were found inside the vehicle and authorities were searching for the items thrown from the vehicle.

Lt. Hertz says the chase may not have happened at all without the STEP initiative. “The deputy that initiated the pursuit was working the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau traffic grant under the Click it or Ticket campaign. That was the reason he was out and had that extra deputy not been out, this would not have occurred.” The Woodbury County Sheriff’s were assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, Monona County Sheriff’s, Mapleton PD, Mapleton Rescue and Ute Fire Department.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)