LE MARS, Iowa (AP) – A northwestern Iowa woman has pleaded not guilty to allegations that she intentionally crashed the car she was driving into another vehicle.
Melissa Ebert entered a written plea on Friday to two counts of attempted murder and other crimes. No trial date has been set.

Prosecutors say the 29-year-old Ebert threatened to kill herself and her passenger, Damian Johnson, before purposely veering her car into the path of an oncoming car on Sept. 9. Court documents say Ebert and Johnson were arguing before the collision. The collision severely injured Ebert, Johnson and the driver of the other car.

Police in Creston say one person was arrested Monday night on an OWI/1st offense charge. Jon Moberg, of Creston, was taken into custody at around 9-p.m. at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Moberg was later released on $1,000 bond.

Creston Police are also investigating a break-in and theft, both of which were reported Monday. A resident in the 900 block of W. Summit Street in Creston, told police that sometime between Midnight Jan. 22nd and 10-a.m. Jan. 23rd, someone broke into and vandalized his rental property at 304 S. Vine Street. The front door of the home was kicked-in, causing damage to the door jam, and broken glass throughout the house. A patio door was also broken, and the home’s thermostat turned-up. The Damage was estimated at $650.

And, a resident in the 600 block of Grand Avenue in Creston, said someone took a charcoal grill off her front porch. The theft, which occurred sometime between Jan. 18th and 25th, resulted in an estimated loss of $150.

The area’s top news at 7:07-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

A meeting sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach “Heifer Development: Breeding & Selecting for Longevity & Profit” will be held on Monday February 1, 2016, 5-9 pm at Cass County Community Center in Atlantic.

Record-high cattle prices of 2014 and early 2015 followed by the recent price decline of the feeder and fed cattle markets may have placed some financial stress on cow-calf producers. High-priced replacement females will need to be productive for several years in order to be profitable investments. Presenters will focus on current genetic and phenotypic selection tools that can be utilized to improve cow longevity and enhance lifetime productivity in your herd.

If registered 3 days prior to event, a registration fee of $20 can be paid at the door. Walk-in registration fee will be $25. Please register by Friday January, 29 to ensure a meal will be available. Please call 515-294-2333 or email beefcenter@iastate.edu to register or contact Chris Clark Extension Beef Specialist at 712-250-0070 or by email at caclark@iastate.edu for more information.

SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON COUNTIES IN THE KJAN LISTENING AREA…(6:16-A.M.)

…ROADS MAY REMAIN SLICK FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE…

TRAVEL COULD STILL BE HAZARDOUS IN SPOTS THIS MORNING WITH ICING AND SNOW FROM MONDAY STILL ON THE ROADS…AND BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS PRODUCING AN ADDITIONAL COATING OF SHALLOW BLOWING SNOW OVERNIGHT. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN…DRIVE DEFENSIVELY…AND PLAN FOR EXTRA TRAVEL TIME.

A man has died after authorities say he jumped from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge into the Missouri River. The Omaha World-Herald reports authorities were called to the bridge linking Council Bluffs and Omaha, at around 11:15-a.m., Monday, after they received word a man had stepped over the bridge railing. As they were enroute, rescuers were told the man had jumped from the bridge. The air temperature at the time was around 29-degrees.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A U.S. Supreme Court decision that makes retroactive a 2012 ruling striking down automatic life prison terms for people sentenced as teenagers is not expected to have much impact in Iowa since the state’s Supreme Court already extended the federal court ruling.

The federal court justices on Monday voted 6-3 to extend the 2012 decision to previous cases involving teenage killers. Now, even those who were convicted long ago must be considered for parole or given a new sentence.

Iowa’s high court in the 2013 appeal of Jeffrey Ragland had already concluded the federal court’s 2012 ruling applies retroactively to teenagers previously sentenced to life. The Iowa Attorney General’s office says the ruling affected 39 Iowa juvenile life offenders and most of them have already been resentenced.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of Iowa lawmakers say they want more clarity from education officials on the implementation of early literacy initiatives in the state. Members of the Senate Education Committee told officials from the Iowa Department of Education on Monday that they want more data on how some state dollars are being used to improve reading proficiency for students between kindergarten and third grade.

A 2012 state law aimed at improving literacy for young students includes monitoring, programming and testing. It also requires a summer reading program for third-graders, though education groups have expressed concern about how it will be funded and implemented.

Some lawmakers suggested state officials give school districts more guidance on programming for students. A department spokeswoman says the agency appreciated the meeting and will provide follow-up information.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A House panel in the Iowa Legislature has given initial approval of a bill that would remove the age limit for children to use a handgun under the supervision of a parent. A House Judiciary subcommittee agreed Monday to send the legislation forward to its full committee. A similar measure last session had little support in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The bill would allow a child of any age to possess a pistol or revolver under direct supervision of a parent or guardian. Current law requires the child to be at least 14 years old. State law has no age limit for a minor to possess a rifle or shotgun if there is consent from a parent or guardian. Several bills in the House this session propose expanding gun rights.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The head of Iowa’s Medicaid program says she’s “very confident” the $4.2 billion system will be ready for private management on March 1, though some lawmakers expressed lingering concerns. Mikki Stier from the Iowa Department of Human Services told lawmakers Monday her confidence comes from more signups of Medicaid health providers and better communication to Medicaid recipients about the switch.

The state’s Medicaid program provides care to some low-income people, children and disabled individuals. Three private companies are scheduled to take over the program amid growing criticism from some lawmakers that the new setup needs better state oversight.

Stier told lawmakers about 45 percent of Medicaid service providers have signed up with all three private insurers. Some lawmakers on the Senate Human Resources Committee said the number should be higher.