DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Presidents of Iowa’s three state universities are asking for funding to pay for more financial aid for undergraduate students. But stagnant tax revenue could make additional spending unlikely. The Des Moines Register reports the university presidents requested $12 million on Tuesday from Gov. Kim Reynolds. Iowa State University and the University of Iowa each requested $5 million, while the University of Northern Iowa asked for $2 million.

The requests come after Reynolds cautioned that Iowa may face another tight budget next year. But she says she’s committed to working with the presidents to provide quality education. State funding at the universities was slashed by more than $30 million this year. The university presidents also requested $40 million for major campus construction projects.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Nov. 23rd, of 56-year old Edward Paul Swanson, of rural Braddyville. Swanson was taken into custody on an Atchison County Missouri Felony warrant for Tampering with a motor vehicle, 1st Degree. He was transported to the Page County Jail and released after $7,500 bond was posted for him in Missouri. He faces court proceedings in that State.

On November 27th, Page County Deputies arrested 43-year old Jason Ludwig Reents, of Coin. He was arrested in Clarinda on a Page County warrant for Eluding. Ludwig was transported to the Page County Jail where he posted $,2000 bond and was released pending further court proceedings. Reents was not booked into the Page County Jail.

Joan Christianson

Edward P. Swanson

On November 28th, Deputies in Page County arrested 79-year old Joan Christianson, of Shenandoah, at her home. She was wanted on a Page County Warrant for Failure to serve a court ordered Jail sentence. Christianson was transported to the Page County Jail where she is currently serving the jail sentence.

And, Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer said that on the morning of November 24th, Sheriff’s Office recovered a stolen EZ Go electric golf cart. The golf cart had been stolen from Clarinda on October 30th. It was recovered from a shed west of Clarinda. The owner of the shed had found it there while looking for something else in the shed.

The incident remains under investigation with the Clarinda Police Department. Anyone with information about the theft of the golf cart is asked to contact the Clarinda Police Department at 712-542-2194, or the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department say there was one arrest and numerous non-injury accidents over the last couple of weeks.  Last Saturday, officers arrested 55-year old Kurt Edward Block, of Harlan, for Possession of  a Controlled Substance. Block was also cited for having no valid driver’s license. He was taken into custody following a traffic stop and transported to the Shelby County Jail.

With regard to the accidents: On Tuesday (11/28), vehicles driven by Marissa Mitchell, of Harlan, and Jayne Olson, of Panama, collided at the intersection of Southwest Avenue and Chatburn. Authorities say Mitchell was stopped at the intersection northbound, in a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am. A truck was stopped west bound, waiting to turn south on Southwest Avenue. Mitchell couldn’t see an approaching westbound 2011 Ford F-150 driven by Olson that was in the outside lane. When Mitchell proceeded north onto 8th Street, her car hit the side of the pickup. The impact spun both vehicles around before they came to rest in the intersection of 8th and Chatburn.

A collision between a 2016 Chevy Malibu and a 2014 Hyundai Sonta happened Nov. 21st, in Harlan. Officials say William McMahon, of Irwin, was traveling west on Chatburn Avenue in his Sonta, as the Malibu, driven by Richard Mikels, of Portsmouth, was eastbound, and turning north into the Burger King parking lot. Mikels didn’t see McMahon and turned in front of him, causing the vehicles to collide.

The previous day (11/20), a 1996 Oldsmobile Regency driven by Zachary Barbee, of Harlan, was traveling west on Chatburn Avenue, when it left the road and struck a curb in the 1000 block of Chatburn Avenue. The car also struck a utility light pole and utility box.

On Nov. 15th, Harlan Police investigated a minor accident. Officials say a 2008 Acura MDS driven by Nicole Walter, of Glenwood, was turning into Border Fare on Chatburn Avenue, when an vehicle struck the Acura, causing minor damage. The other vehicle did not stop.

And, on Nov. 14th, a 2011 Chevy Traverse driven by Ted Jansen, of Aspinwall, and a 2005 Ford 500 driven by Dylan Hansen, of Harlan, collided near 23rd Street and Frontage Road, in Harlan. Officials say Hansen was leaving the Shelby County State Bank westbound. He slowed for the stop sign and turned left onto the Frontage Road south. Jansen was southbound from Frontage Road when the right front side of the Ford made contact with the left rear of the SUV.

Officials with the Union County Sheriff’s Office say the Union County Engineer reported on Monday, that sometime between Nov. 23rd and 27th,  someone shot out the windows on an excavator. The incident happened while the machine was parked on the side of the REA road. Damage to the excavator was estimated to be a little more than $3,337.

A man and woman from Guthrie Center were arrested Tuesday on outstanding warrants from Audubon County. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports Callie Jean Henderson and Todd Ray Eivins were charged with Theft in the 4th Degree, and Assault. The charges stem from an investigation into a Nov. 6th incident, in Hamlin. Henderson and Eivins were picked up from Guthrie County authorities and transported to the Audubon County Jail, where their bonds were set at $1,300.

They remain in the jail pending an appearance before the magistrate.

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

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One person died in an explosion and fire Tuesday night, in Harlan. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports Harlan Police and Fire, Medivac Ambulance and Sheriff’s Deputies were called to 4025 Ridgeway Drive at around 11:18-p.m. When officers arrived, they located a vehicle next to a shed in the back yard of the property. The vehicle and shed were fully engulfed in flames. After the fire was extinguished, human remains were found inside the vehicle. The remains will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and cause of death.

An initial investigation determined the vehicle was traveling north on Highway 59 when it left the road near the intersection with Hawkeye Avenue. The vehicle traveled across a grassy area before striking several trees. It then came to rest against the shed, where both caught fire. No names or other information will be released at this time, pending positive ID of the victim and notification of family. The incident remains an ongoing investigation.

Officials with the Creston Police Department report two men were arrested on separate charges, Tuesday. Just before 11-a.m., 50-year old Joel Weeks, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond. And, at around 7-p.m. Tuesday, 18-year old William Wulff, of Chariton, was arrested in Creston on a charge of Theft in the 5th Degree. He was later released on a Promise to Appear in Court.

Creston Police said also, a resident of the 600 block of S. Park Street reported Tuesday morning, that sometime between 10-p.m. Monday and 8-a.m. Tuesday, someone stole a Marine Band CB radio from his vehicle parked near the residence. The loss was estimated at $140. And, a woman residing in the 700 block of W. Adams Street in Creston, reported to police that sometime between 5:50-p.m. and 6-p.m., someone broke a window at her residence. The loss was estimated at $150.

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

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GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man was burned by a fire that spread across his business site in central Iowa. Cedar Rapids television station KCRG reports that firetrucks were dispatched around 1 p.m. Tuesday to Morrison Repair in Grinnell. An outbuilding with tractors and farm equipment, a semitrailer full of tires and several piles of tires were aflame when firefighters arrived.

Investigators say people at a nearby business had been burning items at the rear of that property, but strong winds spread the flames to Morrison Repair. Authorities say owner Ron Morrison suffered burns to his face while trying to get tractors out of the outbuilding.