The Iowa Department of Transportation report Interstate 80 eastbound near Adair is blocked this (Thursday) morning, due to a single-vehicle accident. Use caution and expect delays if traveling in the area. We’ll have more details as they become available.

A jury in Guthrie County has convicted a Perry man on a felony charges of Vehicular Homicide by Reckless and Drunken Driving, in connection with an August 24^th 2009 crash, near Yale. According to the Omaha World-Herald, 30-year old Thomas Dugan faces up to 25-years in prison when he is sentenced on July 2^nd. In its decision handed down last Friday (May 18^th), the jury said Dugan was responsible for the death of 28-year old Adam Anderson, of Bagley. They reached their decision after a trial that lasted a little more than three days.

Authorities had claimed Dugan was behind the wheel of a 2003 Ford Mustang that went out of control. Dugan and Anderson were ejected from the car as it rolled end-over-end multiple times before coming to rest in a soybean field. The crash happened soon after a 10-year reunion was held for alumni of the Panorama High School. The car wasn’t discovered until several hours after the wreck took place.

Charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving and drunken driving were filed against Dugan in February of 2011, after DNA tests indicated he was the driver of the car. Prior to the test results, authorities couldn’t determine which man was behind the wheel.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Iowa Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell says his Republican opponent in the race for the reorganized Third Congressional District, Tom Latham, has ties to deep pockets when it comes to fundraising, but what will ultimately decide the race is how he stands on the issues.

Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA)

Boswell told KJAN News, Wednesday, it’ll be a “High profile race,” and he agrees with some political pundits who say it could be one of the most expensive races in the country.

He says Latham has “plenty of money,” and his close relationships with House Speaker John Boehner and political analyst/Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove, will give Latham “endless pockets to raise money.” But in the end, it what Latham’s record on affordable health care and other issues which will sway the voters.

Boehner has said any increase in the debt limit should be offset by greater cuts in spending and tax reform by the end of the year. Boswell agrees the Country must get government spending under control, but there has to be a tax reform. That can only happen, he says, if Republicans and Democrats can set aside their differences and come together on a solution to a fair and equitable means of taxation. He cited Omaha billionaire Warren Buffet as an example of someone who admittedly pays a disproportionate amount of taxes and wants to see that changed.

Boswell says also, he agrees there has to be a balanced budget amendment to the U-S Constitution, and has supported such a move for a long time, dating back to his days in the Iowa Senate. He has the process has to be transparent however, and differences have to be set aside in order for a balanced budget to become a reality.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) – An October murder trial has been scheduled for a central Iowa man accused of fatally shooting an apartment neighbor. The Des Moines Register says Brandon Madren, of Adel, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and reckless use of a firearm causing injury. He’s charged with killing 26-year-old Nathan Greene on Feb. 18th.  Court documents say the rifle shot that killed Greene was fired from a third-story apartment window. Police say Madren told officers that he’d only intended to scare Greene.  Madren told police that Greene tried to kick down his apartment door, then left the building and was standing on Madren’s car in the parking lot. Madren says Greene was threatening him when Madren fired, hitting Greene in the chest.  Madren remains in the Dallas County jail on $500,000 bond.

Sheriff’s Officials in Adams County report a Corning man was arrested last weekend, on an OWI charge. 39-year old James Douglas Murry was stopped along the road when deputies made contact with him at around 2:10-a.m., Saturday. After speaking with Murry, authorities determined he was over the legal limit for alcohol consumption. Murry was taken into custody on a charge of OWI/1st Offense, and booked into the Adams County Jail. He posted a $1,500 bond on Monday, and was released. A preliminary hearing in his case was set for June 11th.

Four people – three from Illinois and one from Iowa – were killed, and one person was injured during a head-on collision Wednesday afternoon in southwest Iowa’s Union County. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened on Highway 34, about two-miles east of Thayer, at around 2:37-p.m. According to the Patrol’s report, a 2002 Chevy S-10 pickup driven by 44-year old Laura Hileman-Dyson, of Murray, was eastbound on Highway 34 when it crossed the center line of the road.

A westbound 2011 Nissan Altima, driven by 31-year old Jessica Jackson, of Chicago, Il, took evasive action by veering into the eastbound lane, but the Hileman-Dyson corrected her vehicle at the same time, veering back into the eastbound lane. Both drivers then tried to take evasive action again, but their vehicles collided head-on in the westbound lane of traffic.

Jackon, and two people in her car were killed, including 28-year old Mertis Harris and 35-year old Kenya Ervin, both of Chicago. A passenger in Hileman-Dyson’s pickup, 44-year old Randall Dyson, also died in the crash. Neither he nor Harris were wearing a seat belt. Harris died after being flown from the scene by LifeNet Helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Laura Hileman-Dyson, who was also not wearing a seat belt, was also flown by LifeNet to Methodist Hospital. A report on her condition was not available early this (Thursday) morning.

A College Springs man was sentenced Tuesday in U-S District Court to slightly more than 14-years in prison for his participation in a drug conspiracy. In addition to the 170 month prison term, U-S Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt says Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced 56-year old Orvis Lee Wagaman, to a supervised release term of ten years.

According to the written plea agreement, from approximately January of 2004 until November of 2010, Wagaman was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Southwest Iowa and Northwest Missouri areas with co-conspirators 54-year old Edward Eugene Gray, Sr.,of Coin, 34-year old Edward Eugene Gray, Jr.,  and 23-year old Levi Edward Gray, both of Clarinda, and others.

Edward Eugene Gray, Jr., was sentenced on February 21st,  to 180 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and 60 months for possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense, for a total sentence of 240 months. Levi Gray was sentenced on February 21, 2012, to 48 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute
methamphetamine. Edward Eugene Gray, Sr., was sentenced on March 27, 2012, to 150 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Taylor County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office (MO), Buchanan County Drug Strike Force
(MO), NITRO Task Force (MO), Tri County Task Force (Adams, Ringgold, and Taylor Counties), Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office, Page County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ringgold and Taylor County Attorneys’ Offices. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Severe Storms Prediction Center in Norman, OK., has issued Severe Thunderstorm Watch #293, which is in effect until 11-p.m. CDT for the following counties in the KJAN listening area:

Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.

Officials with Southwest 8 Senior Services say the State of Iowa is continuing the Farmers Market voucher program for senior citizens.  In the program, seniors meeting income requirements can obtain vouchers that they can use at participating area Farmers Markets to buy $30.00 worth of fresh, locally grown produce. 

Applications for the vouchers will be available at your local senior center the week of May 29th.  Your application guarantees you a booklet, but there is a limited number, so contact your local senior center if you are interested in obtaining the vouchers.  Council Bluffs residents can pick up an application for the vouchers starting on May 29, 2012 at The Center and the distribution date is Thursday, June 14^th from 9:00am to 12 noon. 

Seniors (age 60 and older) in all other communities in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties will receive their vouchers through their local senior center after June 11, 2012. 

                Program Criteria:

• Must be at least 60 years of age or older
• Annual income must be less than $20,665 Single or $27,991 Married
• Only one original application allowed per individual.  No photocopies or duplicate applications allowed.

If you have any questions, please call Sherri Carson at 712-328-2540, ext. 18