IDA GROVE, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa substitute teacher and coach has pleaded not guilty to having sexual relationships with students at two northwest Iowa high schools. The Sioux City Journal reports 33-year-old John Tietsort, of Battle Creek, Iowa, entered the plea Monday in Ida County District Court to two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee and three counts of lascivious conduct with a minor.

Prosecutors say Tietsort had a sexual relationship last October through June with an 18-year-old female student at Odebolt-Arthur and Battle Creek-Ida Grove High School, where Tietsort was a substitute teacher and assistant football coach. Tietsort is also accused of having a sexual relationship earlier this year with a 17-year-old female student from Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High School, where Tietsort also was a substitute teacher.

The female driver of a car was injured early this (Wednesday) afternoon during a rollover accident southeast of Marne. Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren told KJAN News the unidentified woman was traveling westbound on Fayette Road at around 12:45-p.m., when she lost control of the vehicle on the gravel. The car rolled into the south ditch.

The woman was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic by ambulance.

Photo courtesy Cass County Emergency Mgmt. Coordinator Mike Kennon

A medical helicopter was placed on stand-by, and a helicopter landed at CCMH, but McLaren could not confirm if the woman was flown from the facility to another hospital. The extent of her injuries were not immediately known.

Marne 1st Responders and Medivac Ambulance personnel, along with Deputies from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of the crash near 57162 Fayette Road (near 570th & Fayette).

Additional details are not available.

Marne 1st Responders and Medivac Ambulance personnel were called to the scene of a single-vehicle accident this (Wednesday) afternoon, southeast of Marne. The accident happened near 57162 Fayette Road (570th & Fayette), and involved a vehicle with a single occupant with injuries, in the ditch at that location.  It was reported at around 12:48-p.m.

Photo courtesy Cass County Emergency Mgmt. Coordinator Mike Kennon

No other details are currently available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s state insurance division says residents in 13 rural counties who want to buy subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act will have just one option for a provider in 2017. Medica, a Minnesota-based carrier, is the only health insurer that has agreed to sell individual policies in the state via the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplace.

The Des Moines Register reports that about 55,000 Iowa residents bought individual health insurance policies for 2016 on the marketplace, and most had incomes low enough to qualify for subsidies, which come as tax credits. Counties that will only have Medica as an option include Adams, Buena Vista, Iowa, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Mahaska, Page, Pocahontas, Taylor, Van Buren and Wapello.

Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart says he’s worried that more counties could be served by just one provider next year.

A survivor of the Nazi Concentration camps will be the guest speaker at a church in western Iowa, Thursday evening. Steen Metz was a young boy living in Denmark when the Nazis conquered the country in 1940.

Steen Metz (Photo courtesy Museum of Danish America)

Tova Brandt, Curator at the Museum of  Danish America in Elk Horn (IA), says Metz and his family, along with other Danes, were arrested and deported to the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia in 1943.

Some 15,000 children passed through Theresienstadt.  Brandt said Metz is one of fewer than 1,500 who survived. His father died of starvation and hard labor, at the camp. Like many Holocaust survivors, Metz kept his war experiences private for many years. Following his incarceration, he returned to Denmark and emigrated to America, where he’s lived for several decades. In 2011 he started sharing his story after he self-published a memoir.  He has spoken to over 250 groups, mostly students, over nearly the past five-years.

Thursday morning (Oct. 6th), Metz will make a presentation before students at the Elk Horn High School, and at 7-p.m., he’ll speak to an open audience at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church for about 45-minutes. A question-and-answer session will follow. There is no charge to attend. If you can’t attend, there is a social media option.

Brandt says they plan to record it and live stream the event on the Museum’s Facebook page. The presentation is organized by the Museum of Danish America. Contact the museum with questions at (712) 764-7001.

Officials with the Red Oak Police Department today (Wednesday), said a man who had worked as a Police Officer in Red Oak for about eight-months, was fired after being charged with Domestic Abuse/Assault. The charge against former Officer Ethen Schoonover followed a nearly month-long investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred September 6th.

Officials said upon receiving documentation from the Shenandoah Police Department about the incident, Red Oak Police contacted the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety’s Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. While a DCI agent was assigned to investigate the allegation, Schoonover, a patrolman/police officer, was placed on Administrative Leave.

Upon conclusion of the investigation by the Iowa DCI, the results of the investigation were turned over to Page County Attorney Carl Sonksen, at the request of Montgomery County Attorney Bruce Swanson. On October 4th, after a review of the investigating agent’s report and evidence that had been collected, a criminal charge of Domestic Abuse/Assault was filed against Schoonover.

(Corrects age of victim)

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a child has died during an accident involving a skid loader Tuesday evening. Deputies and emergency responders were called to 2683 205th Street southwest of Afton, at around 6:10-p.m.  Calab Brammer, of Lorimor, reported the accident. His son, 23-month old Calab Allen Brammer, Jr., of Lorimor, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other information on the accident was immediately released.

An investigation into the Sept. 24th break-in and burglary of Sparky’s One Stop in Bayard, has resulted in two arrests, with a third suspect having been identified while the case remains under investigation. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports on Sept. 26th, Collin Richards was arrested on charges that include Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Theft in the 2nd Degree, and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. A juvenile also taken into custody faces the same charges. He was released to his parents. Authorities say criminal charges are expected to be filed soon, against the third, unidentified suspect in the case.

The Sheriff’s Office says surveillance video showed the the male suspects breaking-out the glass front door of the store before going inside and stuffing duffle bags full of tobacco products and alcohol. Evidence led to a search warrant being executed on Sept. 25th at Richards’ home located at 206 Main Street in Bayard. Deputies, assisted by Coon Rapids Police Officers, recovered a large quantity of stolen alcohol and cigarettes in the home.

Richards was taken into custody at that time, and charged with Possession of Stolen Property as well as Possession of Alcohol by a person 18-to 21-years of age.

A woman from Shelby County was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning for calling 911 to report clown sightings at the Avoca Pool and Avoca High School. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says 36-year old Jennifer Lynn Brennan, of Harlan, made the non-emergency 9-1-1 call at around 4:15-a.m.  Authorities located the woman at her place of employment in Avoca, and arrested her at around 4:45-a.m. for calling 9-1-1 for a non-emergency.

(Updated 10:45-a.m.):

AHSTW School officials posted a message on their social media page with regard to the incident. The message said “Administrators met with local law enforcement this (Wednesday) morning to verify any reports of “creepy clown” sightings on the AHSTW campus. None of these reports are true.

“Social media and news reports state, “creepy clown sightings” are on trend in the country. The hoax is that people dress as clowns, roam around, and try to lure others toward them and may directly threaten people or make threats to organizations like schools. Law enforcement has found little to substantiate the hundreds of reports in Iowa. That being said, authorities will file criminal charges against people who are purposely perpetrating a hoax.”

The School District said “Local law enforcement in the City of Avoca and Pottawattamie County are cracking down on anyone participating in this hoax. Please understand that “to incite fear or trespass on someone’s property” is against the law.” They reiterated that “The social media pictures that were reportedly taken on the AHSTW campus are photoshopped. All reports are unsubstantiated.” Officials advised parents to “Please help your child understand that this is a rumor. Let your child know it is safe to attend school.”

Nationwide, the alleged clown threats and incidents began to occur after it was announced a remake of the 1990 horror film “It,” was being made. The original movie was based on a 1987 Stephen King novel that increased the public’s fear of clowns.