The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office says a missing 15-year old girl from Bedford and a 17-year old male from Missouri have been found. An Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer made contact with Emma Lee Lucas, of Bedford and Matthew Petersen of Sheridan, Missouri, on Interstate 80, near Avoca.

The teens were are listed as missing earlier today (Wednesday), and were thought to have been in a white 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.  The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office thanks the public for its help.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A former Sioux City band teacher has pleaded guilty in a student sex case and likely will serve 30 days in jail under a plea agreement with prosecutors. The Sioux City Journal reports 34-year-old Lucas Sursely pleaded guilty Tuesday to an aggravated misdemeanor charge of sexual exploitation by a school employee. The charge was reduced from a felony.

The plea and sentencing needs a judge’s approval. The agreement says Sursely must also serve two years of probation and register as a sex offender. He was arrested in December after authorities say he texted a 15-year-old student about having sex with her and sent the girl a picture of himself in his underwear.

Sursely has resigned from his position as Sioux City North High School band director.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Iowa State Patrol (ISP) has completed an extensive investigation surrounding the circumstances into the four person vehicle fatality crash that occurred on I-80 near the Waukee exit in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 26, 2016. The driver of the Ford Taurus, Benjamin E. Beary, 25, Knoxville was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-80 when his vehicle collided head-on with a Des Moines Police Department transport SUV at approximately 12:32 a.m.

Based on the investigation of the scene and an examination of the vehicles, the investigators made the following findings about the crash.

– The Ford Taurus, driven by Mr. Beary was traveling at a speed of approximately 102 mph at the time of impact.

– The Des Moines Police unit was traveling at a speed of approximately 79 mph at the time of impact.

– Speed zone for this particular area of the interstate is 70 mph.

– Iowa State Patrol Technical Investigators determined that at the time of the crash, there was no braking by either vehicle.  The crash occurred just beyond the crest of a small incline and is the investigators’ conclusion that the Des Moines officers could not see the Ford Taurus until just before impact.

– The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner concluded that the 3 occupants in the Des Moines Police unit died from multiple blunt force injuries. Des Moines officers Susan Farrell and Carlos Puente-Morales, who had been on the job less than six months, were killed in the crash, along with 32-year-old Tosha Nicole Hyatt of Des Moines.  The cause of death for Mr. Beary was determined to be from multiple blunt force injuries, thermal injuries, and smoke inhalation.

– Toxicology reports indicated that Mr. Beary’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of the crash was 0.223% (nearly 3x the legal limit).    This report also showed recent use of marijuana by Mr. Beary.

– Toxicology reports for the Des Moines officers were negative for alcohol and common illicit or prescription drugs.

– Based upon the investigation, the Iowa State Patrol’s Technical Investigator(s) concluded that Mr. Beary merged onto I-80 at the Grand Prairie Parkway interchange driving westbound into the eastbound lanes of travel.  This interchange is marked appropriately with signage and markings. The investigators concluded that Mr. Beary’s high level of impairment resulted in him driving the wrong way on the interstate.

The left lane of southbound Interstate 35 between U.S. 30 and Iowa 210 in Story County is now open to traffic, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 1 office. The right lane of southbound I-35 will remain closed for repairs.

Traffic was being detoured for a time, because the roadbed had been undermined and washed away in a construction zone about two miles south of U.S. Highway 30.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation report the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 between U.S. Highway 30 and Iowa Highway 210 in Story County, are closed for emergency repair work. According to reports, part of the shoulder under construction has washed away in the rain, leading to a partial undermining of the interstate. Motorists will be detoured around the closure using U.S. 30 to U.S. 69, to Iowa 210, and then back on to I-35.

Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) says a tree limb falling on a power line caused about 230 people to lose power this (Wednesday) morning, in Atlantic. The tree limb fell in the vicinity of W. 29th and Willow Streets, at around 6:20-a.m.  AMU says all of it’s affected customers had their power restored by around 7:15-a.m.

Winds at the time were gusting from 25-to 45-miles per hour, with higher gusts to over 50 miles per hour. Other utilities had reported power outages as well this morning, including customers of Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative in Adams, Cass, Montgomery and Taylor Counties. Mid-American Energy also reported scattered outages in Griswold, Lewis, Carbon, Red Oak and Villisca.

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office say they are trying to locate 15-year old Emma Lee Lucas of Bedford. Lucas is 5′ 01″ 100 lbs with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She is likely with 17 year old Matthew Petersen of Sheridan, Missouri. The teens are possibly in a white 2005 Chevrolet Silverado with a winch in the back. The truck has Iowa license plate # DYH683.