Iowa’s 20 safest cities are being listed by Safewise, a safety and security research council. Several of the top communities are in northwest Iowa. Le Mars came in as the number-seven safest Iowa city, while Spencer placed fourth, Carroll was third and Sioux County communities Orange City ranked second, and its neighbor, Sioux Center, was listed as the safest Iowa city. The ranking is based on the number of reported violent crimes, as well as the number of property crimes compared to the community’s population. The top 20 Iowa safest cities don’t just include mid-size cities, but large cities as well. Ames, Ankeny, Mason City and Cedar Falls all made the list, as did suburban cities of Johnston, Urbandale, Altoona and West Des Moines. Here is the list of Iowa’s safest cities:

#20 West Des Moines
#19 Ankeny
#18 Marion
#17 Anamosa
#16 Altoona
#15 Fairfield
#14 Ames
#13 Cedar Falls
#12 Norwalk
#11 Urbandale
#10 Decorah
# 9 Mason City
# 8 Johnston
# 7 Le Mars
# 6 Pella
# 5 Eldridge
# 4 Spencer
# 3 Carroll
# 2 Orange City
# 1 Sioux Center

(Radio Iowa)

Forecasters are predicting beautiful weather for this weekend, when state park campgrounds will celebrate Camping Kickoff, May 4 – 6. State parks will feature more than 40 events across the state, including hikes, kayaking demonstrations, fishing clinics and much more to celebrate the start of the season. A full schedule of programs is available at www.iowadnr.gov/campingkickoff. Campers will also receive a free summer issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine.

Those wanting to join the Camping Kickoff celebration can make advanced reservations through today (Wednesday, May 2). Reservations can be made at https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com or by calling 1-877-427-2757. Phone center hours are 7 AM to 7 PM CST. After today (Wednesday), campers can use walk-in camping on a first-come, first-serve basis for any sites not already reserved. Iowa’s Camping Kickoff is in conjunction with the national Let’s Camp America! initiative, when state parks across the country will celebrate the start of the camping season.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A 60-year-old man has been imprisoned for the death of a woman after a collision in northern Iowa. Court records say Paul Wood, of Manly, was given 10 years in prison Monday at his sentencing in Mason City. He’d pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and two counts of drug possession.

Prosecutors say he had methamphetamine and marijuana in his system when his pickup truck crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 65 south of Mason City and struck an oncoming vehicle. The collision killed 22-year-old Griselda Tello, a nurse at a Mason City hospital.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a woman from Anita was arrested last week on an assault charge. 34-year old Nicole Williams was arrested last Thursday for Assault causing bodily injury. Williams was booked into the Cass County Jail. And, on April 20th, 35-year old Chad Wilcox, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI and Interference with Official Acts. Wilcox was also booked into the Cass County Jail.

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

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Shelby County Emergency Management Agency Operations Officer Jason Wickizer said today (Wednesday), at around 7:30-p.m. Tuesday, the Shelby County EMA received a report from the Walnut Fire Dept., of damage to buildings from severe weather that produced high winds, which were verified by Shelby County Sheriff Neil Gross, who was patrolling in Elk Horn at the time. Wickizer and Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert responded to the area and verified no one was injured or displaced. Contact was made with the National Weather Service, and a preliminary damage report was made.

Emergency Management employees will make a damage assessment this morning. Wickizer advises area residents to “Please make sure you have a storm plan, and notification system like “Alert Iowa.” If you need assistance registering for this free storm notification system, call 712-755-2124, and an on-duty dispatcher will help you register, so you can receive a call on your home, office or cellular phone.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Commander of Atlantic VFW Post 3415 reports college scholarships are available to students in grades six through 12. Dean Barber says every year they offer college scholarships, and in the past 10-years he’s been a member of the Veterans organization, he knows of just three students who have applied for it. The scholarships are designed to help with the rising cost of tuition. Scholarships of up to $30,000 are available to students in high school, and $5,000 to middle school students.

For more information on application requirements, go to https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office reports a Union County man was arrested on drug charges, Tuesday. 47-year old John Leroy Pace, Jr., of Creston, was arrested in the 400 block of Front Street in Sharpsburg. He was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana and methamphetamine) and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. Pace, Jr. was is being held at the Taylor County Jail on $2,000 bond.

JEWELL, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man’s body was discovered after a fire that heavily damaged a garage, a house and three cars at a salvage business in central Iowa. Firetrucks were dispatched early Monday morning after explosions were reported at the site about 3 miles (5 kilometers) southwest of Jewell in Hamilton County. Jewell Fire Chief Duane Hendrickson says firefighters from two other departments helped bring the blazes under control by 5 a.m.

The man’s body was found in a bedroom of the home. His name hasn’t been released. An autopsy was ordered. The cause of the initial fire hasn’t been determined.