An accident early Saturday afternoon in Adair County resulted in two people being sent to the hospital. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country van driven by 41-year old Nicole Rainey, of Grant, was traveling in the eastbound lane of Interstate 80 three-miles east of Stuart, when the vehicle hit a patch of ice. The van slid into the median and hit a 1998 Chrysler Sebring that was parked in the median facing westbound, due to an earlier, weather-related incident. The van came to rest on its wheels facing westbound in the median.

Rainey, and a passenger in the van, 14-year old Mykenzie Rainey, also from Grant, were injured, and transported by Stuart Rescue to Mercy Hospital West Hospital in Des Moines. The Sebring was unoccupied at the time of the crash, which occurred at around 12:10-p.m.

Lenox Police Chief Jon Huggins reports a Massena man was arrested late Friday night in Creston.

Roy Liles (Photo courtesy Lenox P-D/Taylor County Sheriff’s Dept.)

47-year old Roy Liles was taken into custody by Lenox and Creston Police on two felony counts of 2nd Degree Sexual Abuse. The charges stem from an investigation by the Lenox Police Department into allegations that Liles committed various sexual acts with a 6-year old female in Lenox over a period of several months.

Liles was transported to the Taylor County Jail where he was being held without bond pending an appearance before a magistrate. The investigation continues and additional charges are possible.

Officials with ISU Extension say area cattlemen should plan to attend the first annual West Central Iowa Beef Cattle Forum to be held January 23^rd, at the American Legion Hall in Arcadia.  The free Carroll County educational program is being offered by the Iowa Beef Center, in coordination with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

Registration will begin at 8:30 AM the day of the event, with introductions and speakers to begin at 9:00 AM.  There will be no cost to register and lunch will be provided.  Lunch will be served at approximately 12:15 PM and the meeting should conclude around 3:30 PM.

The target audience includes anyone involved in the beef industry including cow/calf and feedlot producers.  There will be a variety of topics discussed including economic outlook, bovine nutrition, confinement feeding of beef cows, and environmental issues.  Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency will be present to discuss surveillance and regulatory issues.

Dan Loy, Director of the Iowa Beef Center will be present to discuss protein supplementation and corn stalk treatment.  Other highlights will include an economic outlook from Shane Ellis, Farm Management Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and a discussion regarding the confinement feeding of beef cows.  There will also be numerous sponsors from the animal health industry available to inform producers about their products and services and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association representatives will provide an ICA update.

Officials are asking anyone interested in attending the Beef Cattle Forum to  RSVP by January 17^th. Contact Chris Clark, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Beef Field Specialist for southwest Iowa, at 636-432-9437 or by email at caclark@iastate.edu or by contacting Merle Witt, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Membership Coordinator at 515-231-7310 or by email at merle@iabeef.org.

More information can also be obtained from the Iowa Beef Center website, county extension offices, or from the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

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Authorities in Fremont County are investigating a home invasion and robbery that occurred Friday night, in Thurman. The Sheriff’s Department says deputies were dispatched to 1423 Western Avenue in Thurman just before 9-p.m., Friday.  During their investigation, deputies determined two black males had broken into the residence and displayed a semi-automatic pistol. The occupants of the home were tied-up and numerous items were taken before the suspects took-off on foot.

One of the black male robbers wore a dark coat, dark pants and was called “Pete.” He reportedly carried a semi-automatic pistol. The second suspect, also a black male, wore a tan coat with a fur-lined collar and blue jeans. The vehicle they drove off in — a red Peterbilt semi pulling a white trailer — was caught on a surveillance camera.

If you have any information about the location of the semi or the suspects, call the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office at 712-374-2424 or call 9-1-1. Do not attempt to approach the suspects, as they are considered to be armed and dangerous.

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Republican House Speaker John Boehner was forced to pull his so-called “Plan B” bill that sought to reach a compromise on the tax cut issue because of a lack of votes. Iowa Congressman, Steve King, a Republican from Kiron, says he doesn’t think fellow Republicans are rebelling against Boehner, but instead are not happy with the proposal. “I’m not hearing a lot of carping like that, it’s really more about the policy and it’s a cumulative affect though of some, I think, of some strategic decisions and bad policy decisions of the past that set the stage for this,” King says. King says the lack of spending cuts led many Republicans to pull their support of “Plan B.”

“They’re saying ‘we’ve got to cut spending some time’, and if we don’t cut spending in this vote, then we’ve just again kicked the can down the road and made ourselves a promise that probably we are going to have a hard time keeping at the next critical juncture, which is the debt ceiling that will come up in the next couple of months,” King says. He says while there is no obvious challenger to Boehner for House Speaker, there is pressure on him from the disagreement among G-O-P House members.

“And I think how this comes out will have a lot to say about that,” King says. “As we will get something back from the Senate I expect. I think we will get something back that’ll be a pretty bitter pill to swallow if we can swallow it. And then the results of that might shake something loose so that someone emerges to be a challenger. There’s pressure on the speakership, no doubt.” Congressmen left for home Friday without reaching any plan to hold off the tax cuts that will take place in January.

(Radio Iowa)