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

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The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission levied fines totaling 100-thousand dollars against three casinos last week for allowing minors to get onto their gambling floors. One of the casino managers told the commission the father of an underage male helped him to gamble and the casino is pushing for them to be prosecuted. The chair of the commission, Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny, says local law enforcement dictate if charges are filed for underage gamblers, but the commission’s stance is clear.

We would like to see them prosecuted for it, because that’s been part of the problem, if there’s no consequence for the minor, then facility of course gets penalized, but it does nothing really to discourage them or others from trying,” Lamberti says. “So, we would like to see law enforcement go after them.” Lamberti, who is a lawyer, says the casinos have video surveillance that shows what happened and that would help in bringing charges.

“Pretty easy case to make, yeah, yeah,” Lamberti says. The Lakeside Casino in Osceola was fined 60-thousand dollars for letting a female minor into the casino six times in one week and Harveys Casino the Horshoe Casino in Council Bluffs were each fined 20-thousand dollars for allowing minors into their gaming areas. He points out that all the casinos self-reported the violations, and says casino operators are doing their best to keep minors out.

“Because of all the surveillance and all of the technology that we have now, they do a good job. But it’s not a perfect system, we try to do the best we can,” Lamberti says. Lamberti says there still appears to be no lack of young people who want to get into casinos and has this message for parents who think it’s a good idea to help their kid get into a casino.

“It’s a bad message if a parent is trying to encourage and assist a minor. You know, we have laws in place for a reason and we would just hope they wouldn’t do that,” Lamberti says. “And minors, we are going to encourage law enforcement to prosecute, because you need to be held accountable as well.” Lamberti says prosecuting minors will hopefully add another deterrent and prevent them from trying to get through security and into the casinos.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Villisca was arrested Saturday afternoon on an Adams County warrant. 33-year old Carlton John Dolph was taken into custody at around 1:50-p.m. on a warrant charging him with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine. Dolph was turned over to  Adams County authorities and was being held on $1,000 bond.

A deep freeze is setting in across the Midwest with low temperatures forecast in the single digits and a few below zero, turning the season’s first major snow into ice that made some roads treacherous to travel.

After snow on Friday and Saturday across much of the region, temperatures plunged behind the front on Sunday. The National Weather Service forecast 20 degrees or lower across six states from North Dakota to Illinois. Fargo, North Dakota could dip to 11 degrees by early Sunday. Madison, Wisconsin could see 7 degrees, Des Moines 12 and Chicago 9.

Parts of Iowa, northwest Illinois and southern Wisconsin could reach zero or below, the weather service said.

A teenager from Red Oak was cited for three offenses following a non-injury accident Friday afternoon. Authorities say following an investigation, 16-year old Clayton Darenel Lecinski was cited for Following Too Closely, Leaving the Scene of an Accident and for Violating the terms of his instruction permit, after the 2003 Buick Century he was driving collided with the rear of a 2010 Chevy Aveo, driven by 44-year old Brandie Lynn Woodyard, of Shenandoah.

The accident happened at around 12:35-p.m. Friday, at the intersection of Highway 34 and N. 4th Street, in Red Oak. Officials say both vehicles were traveling west on Highway 34 , when the Chevy slowed down. The Buick struck the Chevy in the rear, causing it to spin around. Lecinski took off westbound on Highway 34, but returned to the scene about 40 minutes later, along with the owner of the vehicle, who was not with him when the accident occurred.

Damage from the collision amounted to $11,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa residents are digging out from under more than a foot of snow in some places, while roads over all but the southwest portion of the state remain impassable or partially blocked. The National Weather Service says a wintry storm that began dropping snow on the state Friday dumped between 6 and 12 inches overnight on much of Iowa.

Officials say the heaviest snow fell between around Highway 20 in the Cedar Falls and Waterloo areas. Craig Bargfrede with the Iowa Department of Transportation told the Des Moines Register that plow crews worked through the night and were still working Saturday to clear roads.

Temperatures for most of the state will range from 20 to 25 degrees Saturday, with wind chills in the teens and single digits.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Omaha, Nebraska, soybean processor is moving ahead with a $38 million expansion of its biodiesel plant south of Sioux City that will nearly double production of the soy-based fuel.

The Sioux City Journal reports that Ag Processing Inc. is planning the expansion at its Port Neal plant, which was the nation’s first commercial-scale biodiesel plant when it opened in 1996. The plant currently produces up to 30 million gallons per year.

At separate meetings Friday, local and state officials adopted a package of incentives to help finance the biodiesel expansion, which is expected to create three new jobs. The Iowa Economic Development Authority in Des Moines approved $308,000 in added incentives, with $24,000 in loans and $280,000 in increased tax credits.

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

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

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