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

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The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), released a report on recent arrests. On Sunday, Deputies arrested 28-year old James Joseph Christensen, of Galesburg, IL, on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Christensen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance. Last Friday, 25-year old Jake Andrew Hulsebus, of Griswold, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense and Carrying a Weapon While Intoxicated. Hulsebus was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day.

And, on April 19th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 24-year old Courtney Lee Jones, of Stuart, on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Jones was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $5,000 bond.

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

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BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Siemens says it will be closing its Burlington plant in southeast Iowa by the end of the year. The Hawk Eye reports that the closing was announced Monday will cost about 125 people their jobs. The entire facility will be closed, including the operations of Dresser-Rand. The steam turbine manufacturer has operated in Burlington for nearly 150 years.

Siemens blamed the closing on the need to reduce costs in the face of “competitive pressures in the energy market.” Siemens’ wind turbine plant in Fort Madison will not be affected by cuts in Burlington.

SHENANDOAH, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted a Louisiana man whose pickup truck hit a bicyclist who was camping after a ride in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports that 56-year-old Danny Cardin, of Homer, Louisiana, was found guilty of causing serious injury by vehicle but found not guilty of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident. His sentencing in the Fremont County Courthouse is scheduled for May 21.
An Iowa State Patrol report says James Foley, of Jacksonville, Florida, was sleeping in a tent at the 59er Motel & Campgrounds in Shenandoah on the night of July 17, 2016, when the pickup went off the driveway and struck the tent and him. Foley had been participating in the statewide biking event known as RAGBRAI.

Protests are planned in central-Iowa today (Tuesday) as Wells Fargo holds its annual meeting for shareholders. Maurice B.P.-Weeks of the “Action Center on Race and the Economy” says his groups and others have one goal in the protests. “Really to bring attention to and demands to the bank that is out of control with both their size, and their abuse with business practices,” he says. It is the first time the Wells Fargo Board will meet in Des Moines and the event comes on the heels of federal regulators hitting the bank with a one-billion-dollar fine for loan abuses. Wells Fargo has also been fined after workers created millions of fake accounts to gain incentives. B.P-Weeks says his group and others are protesting because of the impact on certain groups. “they are sort of America’s worst bank in many categories,” B.P.-Weeks says, “and many of those categories are targeting black and brown folk.”

B.P-Weeks says they have four demands. “Wells needs to get rid of their entire board of directors and the C-E-O Tim Sloan. They need to break up the bank. Wells needs to pay restitution to all of their various victims across all those different areas of their abusive business practices. And finally, to respect the workers’ right to organize without retaliation,” he says. B.P.-Weeks says they are hoping the company will hear their protest and make changes. “Right now we have a petition that’s going on-line that has at last check has well over 15-thousand signatures,” he says. “We are going to be at a later date delivering that to Wells Fargo. We certainly hope that the board and the C-E-O does respond.”

Wells Fargo has about 16-thousand employees across the state — with the bulk of them working in Des Moines and the surrounding metro area.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police made a traffic stop Monday evening, and arrested the driver of the vehicle for OWI/1st offense. 22-year old Ryan Michael Chambers, of Red Oak, was taken into custody in the 1800 block of Highway 48 at around 7:45-p.m. Chambers was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond. A passenger in the vehicle, 20-year old Chase Alan Rea, of Red Oak, was cited for Possession of Alcohol by a person under legal age.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office is acknowledging it does have a written complaint detailing sexual harassment allegations against a longtime ally whom she fired. The office said earlier it had no such document in response to a public records request seeking correspondence related to the allegations against Iowa Finance Authority Director David Jamison. After the AP reported about that denial, Reynolds’ aides said later they were mistaken and they did receive a written complaint March 23.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers may vote on a bill on medical marijuana in the coming days, although it’s unclear if there’s enough time before the session ends. A Senate committee voted 11-3 on Monday to advance a bill to eliminate a cap on THC in the cannabis oil that goes on sale Dec. 1 in five Iowa dispensaries. The bill would also exempt cannabis oil from sales tax and expand eligible medical conditions to any that a doctor says is medically beneficial.

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — Police say officers shot and killed a man in Boone after he charged at them while holding a knife. Boone police on Monday released a description of events leading up to the Saturday shooting death of 48-year-old Timothy Wayne Anderson. Police say officers were called to a home and could hear shouting when they arrived. When officers tried to enter, Anderson ran out. After he ignored orders to drop the knife, police say “multiple” officers shot and killed the man.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Firefighters are working to extinguish a wildfire that burned roughly 300 acres near the Missouri River in western Iowa. The Omaha World-Herald reports the fire that burned on Sunday has been contained, but it continued to smolder on Monday.

Officials with the Cass County Health System report the Emergency Drive at Cass County Memorial Hospital will be closed for about one week for resurfacing.  The closure will begin the morning of Tuesday, April 24th. All traffic will need to approach the Emergency Department and Rehabilitation Services Parking Lot C by using the Main Entrance at the corner of 10th Street and Hospital Drive, and driving around the back of the building. Drivers are reminded to be alert for pedestrians as they drive around the building.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Villisca man on Monday. At 11:25am the Sheriff’s Office arrested 26-year-old Jesse A. Luft ,of Villisca, in the 100 block of North U Avenue in Villisca. He was arrested on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault (Simple Misdemeanor) following an incident that occurred in the 100 block of West 2nd Street in Villisca.

Luft was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held without bond until he appears before the Magistrate. Luft was also issued a citation for Trespassing.