A pickup truck rear-ended a stopped school bus in Union County, Thursday afternoon, but no injuries were reported. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened at around 3:50-p.m. at 1626 Highway 25. A westbound school bus driven by 23-year old Cody Dean Hagle, of Orient, was stopped to unload students when it was rear-ended by a 1996 Chevrolet K1500 pickup, driven by 75-year old William Arthur Raasch, of Greenfield. There were five occupants in the bus at the time of the crash.

Authorities say Raasch was following too closely, and his brakes failed, which caused the pickup to collide with the rear of the school bus. The bus sustained $500 damage. Damage to the pickup was estimated at $3,000.

STANWOOD, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa man accused of shooting up his neighbor’s house has pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Prosecutors say 62-year-old Randolph High, of Stanwood, faces up to 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced later. He remains in federal custody. High was arrested in January after police say High’s neighbor heard more than a dozen gunshots and discovered bullet holes in his vehicle, camper and home. Investigators say that while the victim was on the phone with police, High threatening to kill him.

Prosecutors say a search of High’s home turned up magazines for firearms, numerous .22 caliber rounds and 71 expended shell casings. State charges of attempted murder and other counts were dropped in lieu of the federal case.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors this (Friday) morning, approved the recommended re-appointment of Roger Barbero to the County Veterans Affairs Commission. His three-year term will expires June 30, 2022. Barbero has served on the Commission for the past two terms. The Board also approved nominations and resignations for the Cass County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). The Committee meets twice each year. Four names are coming off the list provided to the State Homeland Security/LEPC, including some members who have passed away or moved away, and four names are coming on the list. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman read the list of names nominated for the Committee…Ryan Archibald, Virginia Coughlin, Dave Erickson, and Mark O’Brien.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon explained the role of the Committee. He said they maintain physical copies of hazardous materials sites in the County in the event someone needs to know. The LEPC is made-up of a cross-section the community in Cass County, including media, law enforcement, elected officials and site facility members, to name a few.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors rejected bids for a bridge project because of a lack of competitive bidders at this time, and because it was over the engineer’s estimate. Contractors, it was noted, are very busy this year with flood damaged road and other projects. County Engineer Charles Bechtold said if no new competitive bids are received by July 16th, in a worst case scenario, they would try again next year. Bechtold said crews are blading the roads when and where possible, but since they do more damage than good right now, they are staying off the most sloppy roads due to flooding and heavy rain. Supervisor John O’Brien told Bechtold he’s received complaints about the rural, unpaved roads being rough and rutted, in-part caused by semi’s hauling grain.

He said it’s not just the semi’s. It’s the manure and feed haulers. Bechtold said it would be nice if they could stay-off the roads a little longer, but he understands the need to get feed to the animals and fertilizer laid. Bechtold said they could order a 90-day embargo on those roads, but he doesn’t want to have to do that, because they want to help the farmers out as much as possible. The Supervisors today (Friday) approved a 2.8% increase in the Secondary Roads Employee wages as part of a bargaining agreement, which amounts to 60-cents per hour per employee. They also approved renewing the lease agreement for Willow Heights for one-year (June 30 2019-June 30, 2020), and a Cass County Procurement Policy, which is a formality associated with FEMA funds.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Trump administration is following through on a plan to allow year-round sales of gasoline mixed with 15% ethanol. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the change Friday, ending a summertime ban imposed out of concerns for increased smog from the higher ethanol blend. The agency had proposed the change in March. The change also fulfills a pledge that President Donald Trump made to U.S. corn farmers, who see ethanol as an important driver of demand for their crops. Oil refineries have been seeking exemptions from government requirements to include ethanol in their fuel mixes.

Environmental groups contend the U.S. Clean Air Act prohibits year-round sales of E15, and court challenges are expected. Bill Wehrum, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, said today (Friday), the agency is prepared to win a court fight. Wehrum said in a conference call with reporters, that if the agency believed the change ran afoul of the Clean Air Act, “we wouldn’t have done it.”

Federal law for more than a decade has mandated that oil refineries mix ethanol into their fuel. The Trump administration’s former EPA chief, Scott Pruitt, had angered lawmakers, growers and ethanol processors in Iowa and other key election states by granting a spate of exemptions sparing refineries from that mandate. The dispute sparked a billboard campaign and at least one tractor rally by angry farmers in the Midwest last year, threatening to erode what has been a base of support for Trump.

According to Weddum, the change removes a barrier to wider sales of E15 and is expected to expand the market for ethanol — although immediate effects on the market are expected to be minimal. Only about 1,000 to 1,500 of more than 150,000 U.S. gas stations currently sell the higher-ethanol blend. “It’ll take some time” to see an overall jump in E15 sales, he said. Today’s (Friday’s) announcement was widely lauded by Midwest lawmakers, farm groups and the biofuel industry.

The EPA move also implements a regulatory change in the ethanol program intended to curb what the oil industry believes in price manipulation in the ethanol program. Wehrum said the regulatory change makes more transparent how ethanol tax credits are applied by ethanol blenders.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court says a crude oil pipeline running across Iowa was legally permitted to be built dashing the hopes of a group of farmer landowners who wanted the pipeline moved off their land and an environmental group that wanted it shut down. The farmers and the environmental group Sierra Club of Iowa claim the Iowa Utilities Board illegally issued a permit for the Dakota Access pipeline which has been carrying oil since 2017.

A majority of the court concludes the use of eminent domain for an oil pipeline is not unconstitutional simply because it passes through without taking on or letting off oil. The court says the pipeline permit was lawfully issued. The landowners claim the pipeline carrying oil from North Dakota to Illinois provides no benefit to Iowans so forced taking of land to build it is unlawful.

Glenwood Police report the arrest today (Friday), of a Papillion, NE., man.  53-year old Clyde Perkins was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Assault. Perkins was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail until seen by a magistrate judge.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports that on Thursday, Deputies arrested 42-year old Jasen Lee Bebout, of Ricketts, IA on three Page County Warrant,s all for Violation of Probation. Bebout was arrested at the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Page County Jail, where he remains held on a $30,000 bond.

Police in Creston report 34-year old Trevor Scott Phipps, of Winterset, was arrested Thursday afternoon, in Creston. Phipps was taken into custody on a Madison County warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. He was transferred to the custody of Madison County authorities.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around 7:15-a.m. today (Friday), of 33-year old Justin Blake Richardson, of Shenandoah. He was taken into custody following a traffic stop, and charged with Operating a motor vehicle with expired license plates and driving while license suspended, with five withdrawals in effect. Richardson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on slightly more than $566 bond.

And, at around 8:50-a.m. Wednesday, Montgomery County Deputies arrested 25-year old Devon Ray Briggs, of Red Oak, on a warrant for Probation Violation. Briggs was being held in the jail on a $5,000 bond.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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