Officials with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday they are investigating a suspicious death.  At approximately 8:24-a.m. Sunday (today), Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office were called to the area of the Waubonsie Access Wildlife Management Area, beneath the Highway 2 Missouri River bridge, where a body of an adult male was found by a group of deer hunters.

Deputies arrived and contacted the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Fremont County Medical Examiner. A positive identification of the body has not been made at this time. An autopsy was requested and the body has been sent to the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny.  The final cause and manner of death, and identification are pending autopsy results.

The matter is being investigated by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.  Anyone with any information please contact the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office at 712-374-2424.

Audubon Community School District Superintendent Brett Gibbs today (Sunday) issued a statement with regard to the tragic loss of two students in a crash Saturday morning on Interstate 80 in Cass County. Gibbs said “The Audubon Community School and the Audubon Community is struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of Jamison Steckler, an 8th grader and his brother Gavin Steckler, a 5th grader as the result of a car accident yesterday on Interstate 80.

Gavin Steckler

Jamison Steckler (Photos provided by Audubon School Superintendent Brett Gibbs)

At the same time we are trying to find words and deeds to comfort their parents Toby and Pamela Steckler and 4th grade brother Mason who were injured in the wreck.”

Gibbs said “Jamison and Gavin were wonderful students, classmates and teammates who were actively involved in school athletic and music activities. The Steckler family as a whole are very involved in school, community and church activities touching lives throughout the greater Audubon area.

The Audubon Community School Crisis Management team met yesterday (Saturday) to review our crisis training, contact staff members and lay out plans for the upcoming days. The school will be holding an all staff meeting Sunday at 1:00 to walk staff through the crisis plan and to also allow staff members to be together to grieve and comfort each other. Our number one duty will be to make sure that we are prepared for Monday morning as a little over 500 students will be looking to us for help dealing with this terrible loss.”

The Superintendent said also “Starting Monday the school will have a Safe room set up in both District buildings (the boardroom at the 5 – 12 building and the Library at the PK – 4) which will be staffed with school counselors, members of the Ministerial Organization along with professionals from Heartland Area Education Association. A statement will be read to the students at the beginning of the day on Monday concerning the tragedy and detailing the supports that have been put in place for staff and students. As funeral arrangements are made known we will pass those along to students and their families.”

A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family: https://www.gofundme.com/jamison-and-gavin-steckler

The other victim of the crash was 41-year old Rodney Shayne Sanborn, who was a youth coach with the Omaha AAA Hockey Club. Club officials released a statement saying  “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this difficult time. He was a valued member of our coaching staff and will be greatly missed.”

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:30 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A county-owned hospital in western Iowa is refusing to reveal the amount of a settlement paid to the family of a woman who died from a botched colonoscopy, despite state law that says settlements made by government agencies are public record. Crawford County Memorial Hospital CEO Bill Bruce tells the Des Moines Register that he can’t release the settlement because of a judge’s order sealing records in the patient’s estate. Bruce says he will comply if a judge orders release of the settlement.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Burlington man injured earlier this week in an industrial accident at a snack food packaging plant has died. The Hawk Eye reports that 36-year-old Patrick Tisor was hurt Monday afternoon at Shearer’s Foods. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Des Moines confirmed that Tisor died Thursday night from his injuries. OSHA is investigating the fatal workplace accident. The company says it’s cooperating with the investigation.

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Officials have identified a child killed earlier this week in a house near Perry as 4-year-old Harley Moore. A cousin of the boy’s, Jessica Goehring, tells the Des Moines Register that the family is in shock over Harley’s death. The fire was reported around 8 a.m. Thursday in the house northwest of Perry. Fire officials say that when crews arrived, the house was fully engulfed in flames, and firefighters couldn’t reach the child in time to save him.

DUNLAP, Iowa (AP) — Improvements will be made to the downtowns of two Harrison County communities, thanks to the awarding of Main Street Iowa challenge grants. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that Gross and Company of Dunlap received $75,000 for continued renovation of its building, while Main Street Woodbine received $3,900 to help downtown retailers.

The Iowa State Patrol, Saturday evening, released the names of those who died and were injured during a crash Saturday morning on Interstate 80 in Cass County. Officials said 14-year old Jamison Steckler and 11-year old Gavin Steckler, both of Audubon, and 41-year old Rodney Shane Sanborn, of Gretna, Nebraska, died in the crash that happened at around 9:10-a.m. about 2.5-miles west of the Anita Exit.

Eight others were injured in the crash, including: 14-year old Haden Doggett, 47-year old Kim Doggett, and 50-year-old Daniel Doggett, all of Gretna, NE;  14-year old Tyler Sanborn, of Bellevue, NE.; 14-year-old Haden Rast, of Cedar Rapids; 43-year-old Toby Steckler, 43-year-old Pam Steckler, and 10-year-old Mason Steckler, all of Audubon. Tyler Sanborn was taken by helicopter to Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. Kim Doggett and Haden Rast were taken by helicopter to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where Doggett was listed in serious condition. The Patrol said Haden Doggett, Daniel Doggett, Toby Steckler, Pam Steckler, and Mason Steckler, were all transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic. A report on their conditions was not available.

Officials say the accident happened when a 2007 Volvo semi driven by 31-year old Marcelas Engram, of Savannah, GA, was traveling west on I-80, crossed the median and collided with an eastbound 2014 Chrysler Town and Country van, driven by Toby Steckler, of Audubon. A portion of the semi containing the tractor and cab, as well as the van, entered the south ditch. An eastbound 2008 GMC Yukon, driven by Daniel Doggett collided with the trailer of the semi, which had remained on the roadway, blocking traffic.

Authorities said while the accident remained under investigation, weather was a definitely a factor. Many social media posts from motorists in the area at the time, claimed the “Black ice” was making the roads very slippery and for unpredictable driving conditions.

DUNLAP, Iowa (AP) – Improvements will be made to the downtown area in two Harrison County communities, thanks to the awarding of Main Street Iowa challenge grants. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports Gross and Company of Dunlap received $75,000 toward continued renovation of its building, while Main Street Woodbine received $3,900 to help downtown retailers.

Brad Gross says the $75,000 challenge grant will go toward a $305,500 renovation of the second floor of the red brick building, where his accounting firm is housed. Gross and Company is putting up the remaining $230,500. The second floor will feature one- and two-room apartments, along with one or two temporary-stay rooms available for short-term rent.

In Woodbine, the challenge grant will help downtown businesses improve the look and atmosphere of their stores.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The governors of Nebraska and Iowa have ordered flags flown at half-staff in memory of the late astronaut-hero John Glenn. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad on Friday ordered U.S. and state flags be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset the day of Glenn’s burial. The orders were in keeping with President Barack Obama’s proclamation issued in the wake of Glenn’s death on Thursday at the age of 95.

Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, and was the oldest man in space, at age 77 in 1998. A U.S. Marine and combat pilot, he also served as a Democratic U.S. senator, representing Ohio, for more than two decades.

Interstate 80 was the scene of multiple accidents Saturday morning, stretching from just west of Shelby to near Anita. In an accident involving a semi, a van an a Chevy Suburban that took place 1.5-miles west of the Anita east, three people died and eight others including two juveniles, were hurt. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the injured were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, with at least one of those persons flown from CCMH to a hospital in Omaha.

The crash happened a little after 9-a.m., when a westbound semi went out of control, crossed the median and collided with an eastbound mini-van. The semi jack-knifed and ended up in a ditch. An eastbound Suburban then collided with the semi’s trailer.

The driver of the semi was not injured. No names have been released at this time. The Interstate remained closed in both directions as of 2-p.m. between Exit 64 (Wiota) and Exit 70 (Anita). Depending on their direction of travel, motorists were being rerouted off the Interstate at Highway 148 (Exit 70) to Anita, or N-28 (Exit 64) to Wiota, to Highway 83 and then back to I-80 via either Hwy 148 or N-28.

Both directions of Interstate 80 between exit 64 (Cass County Road N-28) and exit 70 (Iowa 148) in the Anita area are now closed. The closure may last several hours. Multiple crashes in the area, one involving hazardous materials, have caused all traffic to be detoured. Avoid the area if possible.

For anyone who is traveling today, please slow down and allow plenty of space between vehicles if there is winter weather. Check for update on this situation at www.511ia.org.