Trial for a Harrison County man charged in connection with a fatal crash on Interstate 80 in Cass County last year, is still set to begin next Tuesday (April 26th), in Atlantic. A pre-trial conference for 50-year old Paul Marshall, of Modale, was held Wednesday, during which the defense presented a motion to suppress certain evidence. Unless a plea is entered prior to, or at the beginning of his trial next week, jury selection will begin. Cass County Attorney Dave Wiederstein said Wednesday, the trial is likely to “optimistically” last about one or two days.

Marshall is charged with Vehicular Homicide by Operating Under the Influence, in connection with a crash that happened in May 2015 on I-80 near the 54-mile marker off-ramp, in Cass County. Authorities said Marshall was driving his pickup westbound in the eastbound lane when the vehicle collided with an eastbound car driven by University of Nebraska/Lincoln Women’s soccer coach Peter Underwood, of Lincoln, NE., who was traveling on a recruiting trip.

Marshall faces up to 25-years in prison if convicted.

Police in Red Oak arrested two people on separate charges Wednesday afternoon. At around 4:30-p.m., 28-year old Donnie Clark Patterson, of Red Oak, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. And, just before 5-p.m. Red Oak Police arrested 27-year old Sheah Louise Wilson, of Red Oak, on a warrant for Harassment in the 2nd Degree. Both subjects were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 cash bond, each.

Republicans in the Iowa House have voted to make a five-MILLION dollar reduction in state support of Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies. Representative Ken Rizer, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, explained the plan during House debate.

“Administrators for these AEAs are extremely capable, highly educated and very well compensated,” Rizer says. “I think they have all the capability in the world to decide how to interpret this…Special ed is the top priority of all the services AEAs provide.” The Area Education Agencies help educate students with disabilities who require “special education” classes.

Representative Chris Hall, a Democrat from Sioux City, opposes the G-O-P budget plan. “That means that we’re talking about cuts to speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, special education consultants and other experts who support autism, challenging behaviors and reading instruction.” School districts forward local property taxes to the Area Education Agencies based on a “per pupil” formula and the state provides additional taxpayer support.

Representative Patti Ruff, a Democrat from McGregor, suggests there will be staff layoffs soon as well as temporary closures at the Area Education Agencies this fall, due to the timing of when A-E-As get property tax payments. “Iowa’s future’s not going to be very bright if our children do not have the services that they need to be able to learn,” Ruff says, “and for some of our children those are services provided by our AEAs.”

In addition to “special education” services, A-E-As provide technology assistance, like paying the licensing fees on computer software that is used by all schools in the area. A-E-As also offer professional development for teachers. Rizer says the state has “sometimes” provided more and “sometimes” provided less to the A-E-As. “It’s actually been at this same level in the past and I was unaware that at that time that there were a high number of jobs that were lost,” Rizer says.

Rizer says legislators have limited resources and most of the “new” tax revenue coming into the state will be spent on the state’s K-through-12 schools.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Members of a legislative committee in the Democratic-majority Senate say they’re hearing reports of problems with Iowa’s Medicaid program under private management. Lawmakers in the Senate Human Resources Committee said Wednesday they’ve received complaints from Medicaid service providers and program recipients. State officials and representatives for the insurance companies say they’ll investigate any ongoing complaints.

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say about 60 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled during an Urbandale crash is expected to reach a central Iowa creek and may even flow into the Raccoon River. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says Wednesday that an accident involving a car and a semi-truck caused a leak in the truck’s fuel tank. Although fire crews were able to contain most of the spill, some fuel reached a storm sewer.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified the man who fled from police on a motorcycle and died after a crash in Council Bluffs. Police say an Iowa Transportation Department officer was trying to pull over two motorcyclists around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday near the Pottawattamie County Jail when they sped away. One soon went out control and crashed. The driver, 18-year old Lance McCormick, of Carter Lake, died later at a hospital. The other motorcyclist fled the area.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa would not allow state funding of Planned Parenthood under a bill passed Wednesday in the Republican-controlled House, but the measure is expected to hit roadblocks in the Democratic-majority Senate. Republicans in the House have proposed similar measures in previous sessions with little success in the split Legislature.