PACKWOOD, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say an ailing man fatally shot himself after killing his wife at their home in southeast Iowa. The Jefferson County attorney’s office said in a news release Tuesday that 79-year-old Franklin Neff had called family and friends Monday, telling them he’d killed his wife, 75-year-old Enola Neff, and was going to shoot himself at their home in Packwood. Arriving deputies found that Enola Neff had died and that Franklin Neff had a head wound likely inflicted by a handgun found next to him. Authorities say he died later Monday.

Deputies discovered a note from Franklin Neff that indicated he and his wife had health issues and that he didn’t want them to be a burden on their family. Packwood is a town of about 200 people in Jefferson County.

Red Oak Police, Tuesday evening, arrested a Clarinda man on drug, alcohol and other charges, following a traffic stop. 36-year old Michael Wayne England, II, was arrested at around 5-p.m. for Driving While Suspended, Unlawful possession of prescription pills, and open container of alcohol as a driver. England was also cited for failure to hold valid insurance. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 cash bond.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa delegates have helped Hillary Clinton become the Democratic Party’s nominee for president. Thirty Iowa delegates, including seven superdelegates, cast votes Tuesday for Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The votes during a scheduled roll call ensured Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president of a major U.S. political party.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A crude oil pipeline that will cut across Iowa has received the final federal permit approvals needed to proceed with construction. Documents posted by the Iowa Utilities Board Tuesday show the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved 60 river crossings in Iowa, a decision pipeline opponents hoped to stop.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot has soared to $422 million thanks to nearly three months without a winner of the big prize. If anyone matches the five balls and red Powerball in Wednesday night’s drawing, it will be the game’s first jackpot winner since May 7. A jackpot winner could opt for a $422 million annuity paid out over 29 years or a $291 million lump sum. The prize would rank as the nation’s 11th largest.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic lawmakers are continuing to challenge Iowa health officials on the effectiveness of the state’s newly privatized Medicaid program. Members of the Senate Human Resources Committee listened to a presentation Tuesday from the Iowa Department of Human Services on newly released performance data on the state’s Medicaid program. The health care program for poor and disabled residents switched to private management on April 1.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot has soared to $422 million thanks to nearly three months without a winner of the big prize. If anyone matches the five balls and red Powerball in Wednesday night’s drawing, it will be the game’s first jackpot winner since May 7th. A jackpot winner could opt for a $422 million annuity paid out over 29 years or a $291 million lump sum. The prize would rank as the nation’s 11th largest.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two Atlantic residents suffered serious injuries during an accident Tuesday morning. The crash happened on Highway 83 (Marne Road) at around 7:56-a.m.  just south of Glacier Road.

A 2013 Hyundai Elantra owned by 28-year old Elizabeth Ford, and driven by 35-year old Michael Miller, was southbound on Marne Road approaching the railroad overpass when the vehicle veered into the east ditch, and struck a metal railroad bridge abutment.

Ford, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was airlifted to UNMC in Omaha; Miller was airlifted to Creighton in Omaha. The car was considered a total loss. The crash remains under investigation. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Medivac, and the Atlantic Police Department.

A farm safety organization created three decades ago in the wake of a tragedy in Iowa is going to dissolve at the end of the year. Marilyn Adams created “Farm Safety For Just Kids” one year after her 11-year-old son Keith died in an accident invovling a gravity flow wagon in 1986.  “At that time there were no farm safety programs for 4-H or F-F-A, the organizations that probably should have been carrying the torch at that time, but they just weren’t. There just wasn’t public demand,” Adams says. Adams wanted to prevent other families from having to go through what she went through.

“It was hard to do when I first started it — but you know I didn’t know any better,” Adams says. “I did it without any feasibility study or anything, it was just pulling on my heart strings of something positive to focus on.” Adams was the face of the organization and went to numerous appearances where she talked about farm safety and her story. She says now is a good time to retire from that role.

“I’ve been thinking about the need to wind things down at Farm Safety For Just Kids. There’s a lot of organizations that are doing children’s farm safety. If you take a look at the website you will see it is all over the world. And it wasn’t that way 30 years ago when I first started,” Adams says. Adams says the group has accomplished what she started out to do 30 years ago as the farm safety movement has grown substantially.

“It’s incorporated into the agricultural companies, it’s incorporated into the universities, the health departments, and the list goes on,” Adams says. The Farm Safety For Just Kids organization will continue its work through the Progressive Agriculture Foundation (PAF). Adams started the movement to help her deal with the death of her son — and while it helped her to do something positive — she says thoughts of Keith are always there.

“I think of him when we mow the yard, I think of him when we plant trees, when we harvest — he is just still a part of our lives,” according to Adams. “You know the other kids grew up and left home, he left home and didn’t grow up. So, it is hard, but a lot of good has come out of it, and I am sure he is still out there pointing his mother in the right direction.” Adams has some simple plans for retirement.

“My future holds canning green beans and babysitting, and assisting on the farm and running errands,” Adams says. The assetts of Farm Safety For Just Kids will be donated to the Birmingham, Alabama-based P-A-F. As part of the transition the organization will donate five thousand dollars to both the National 4-H Council and National F-F-A Organization to recognize their advocacy work for youth safety in agriculture.

(Radio Iowa)

An Iowa State University graduate who was held hostage in Lebanon for more than six years has died. Thomas Sutherland died this past weekend at his home in Fort Collins, Colorado, he was 85. Sutherland was a native of Scotland who received his masters and P-H-D in animal breeding at Iowa State University. He began his teaching career at Colorado State, and was serving as the dean of the agriculture faculty at American University in Beirut, Lebanon when he was kidnapped on June 9th of 1985.

Thomas Sutherland (Image from blacktie-colorado.com)

Sutherland was held with fellow Iowa State graduate Terry Anderson, a reporter who had also been kidnapped, until they were released in 1991. Sutherland is survived by his wife Jean, who is the daughter of the late William Murray, an I-S-U professor who help create Living History Farms.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say one person was transported to the hospital following an accident Saturday afternoon on Jesup Avenue. Gary Fichter, of Council Bluffs, was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Creighton Medical Center, after his motorcycle collided with another motorcycle.

The accident happened at around 3:25-p.m., as Bradley Osler, of Council Bluffs, was making a u-turn while driving a 2014 BMW motorcycle. Osler told deputies he made the turn after his hat blew off. In the process of the turn, his cycle was struck by Fichter’s 2007 Harley Davidson. Both drivers fell off their machines after the impact.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), issued a report on arrests made over the past week. Today (Tuesday), 41-year old Jonathan Adam Ray, of Council Bluffs, was arrested following a traffic stop on Highway 34, for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $5,300.

Sunday evening, deputies arrested 21-year old Matthew Omar Davis, of Shenandoah, at Highway 34 & 295th Street, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $1,000. That same day, 56-year old Duane Kelsey Boege, of Malvern, was arrested for OWI/1st offense (bond $1,000), and 36-year old Helen Elaine Tuper, of Malvern, was arrested for Public Intoxication (Bond $300).

On Saturday, 33-year old Joshua Calvin Anderson, of Highland Ranch, CO., was arrested on Main Street in Glenwood, for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $2,000.  And, on July 21st 51-year old Edwin Joe Isham, Jr. (no address given) was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Sex Offender Registry Violation. His bond was set at $2,000.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a central Iowa woman was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning on drug and theft charges, after authorities investigated a vehicle in the ditch off Interstate 80, at the 24 mile-marker. Authorities say 23-year old Leslie Rodriguez, of Pleasant Hill, was subsequently arrested at around 12:23-a.m., for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Theft in the 2^nd degree (for possessing a vehicle that was reported stolen).

Deputies recovered a black 2006 Acura TL at the scene, along with a half-gram of marijuana.