One person was killed and three other people were injured during two-vehicle crash Friday night in Pottawattamie County. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident took place at around 10:30-p.m., just south of junction of I-29 and I-680, just north of Council Bluffs.

Officials report a 2008 Kia Spectra driven by a person from Rogers, Arkansas was traveling north in the southbound lanes of I-29, when it collided head-on with a 2005 Nissan Maxima driven by Freda Zanabria, whose city of residence was not known. Following the collision, the KIA came to rest in the median. Its driver, whose name was not released, died at the scene. The Nissan came to rest in the west ditch.

Zanabria was trapped and suffered what were described as “extremely critical” injuries. Zanabria and a passenger in the car, 23-year old Cesar Caballero were flown by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Another passenger in the car, 20-year old Luz Trujilo, was transported by Council Bluffs Rescue to UNMC. Zanabria was the only person in the vehicle to be wearing a seat belt. The hometowns of the passengers in the Zanabria vehicle was unknown to authorities at the time of their news release.

Three people were said to have been injured during a rollover accident early this (Saturday) morning, near the Schildberg Quarry Recreational Area, in Atlantic. Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance crews were dispatched at around 1:12-a.m. to an area north of the bridge on Buck Creek Road, just north of the walking trails, for a passenger vehicle that had rolled over. One of the victims was partially ejected and  trapped under the vehicle. Two passengers in the vehicle were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, one was flown by helicopter a little over 90-minutes later to a trauma center in Omaha. A report on the victims’ conditions is not available.

The 19-year old driver of the car was brought to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning. Additional details about the accident are currently not available.

Free tax preparation services will be available in southwest Iowa for low and moderate income families as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. For more information or to make an appointment call after January23rd to the Shelby County Extension Office in Harlan, phone: 712-755-3104. Other tax sites will also be available in Atlantic, Guthrie Center, Carroll, Jefferson, Malvern, and Corning.

The program is open to Iowa residents with adjusted gross income below $57,000. Tax preparation services will be provided by IRS trained and certified local volunteers who utilize the Tax Wise software to complete returns. The IRS now requires all returns to be quality reviewed by a second tax volunteer which could delay the filing of a tax return by a day or two. Most returns will be electronically filed and to speed up the refund process participants are encouraged to have a savings or bank account, although it is not required. Taxpayers can have refunds deposited into more than one account and also purchase Series I US Savings Bonds.

Only Basic Federal, Iowa and nearby state returns will be processed. The program does not prepare Schedules or Forms related to Business profit/loss (except Form C-EZ with business expenses under $10,000), Capital gains/losses, Farm or rental income, Employee business expenses, or Moving expenses. A professional tax preparer should be consulted for these services.

Health savings accounts (HSA’s) and Cancellation of Debt returns are only prepared where volunteers are certified to do so.

In rural southwest Iowa the VITA program is a joint effort of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Iowan’s for Social and Economic Development. The program is financially supported by the Internal Revenue Service and the Iowa Department of Human Services. For more information about the program contact Mary Beth Kaufman, ISU Extension Program Specialist and VITA Coordinator at 712-755-3104.

Residents of Prescott in Adams County can drink their tap water again after a boil advisory was lifted today (Friday), at 3:30 p.m. The DNR and Southern Iowa Rural Water lifted the advisory after two sets of water samples taken a day apart tested clean for bacteria.

The advisory was issued Wednesday after a contractor hit a water main, causing the town to lose water pressure. Pressure drops can allow bacteria to enter the drinking water.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board (Friday) today awarded direct financial assistance and tax benefits to five companies for job creation and expansion projects. The awards will assist in the creation of 91 jobs and the retention of 86 jobs and will result in over $90 million in new capital investment for the state. The board also took action to support the growth of start-ups and small businesses in Iowa. The board approved assistance for planned or proposed projects located in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Norwalk, Carter Lake, Rose Hill, Coralville and Johnston.

Owen Industries, Inc. in Carter Lake supplies fabricated steel for commercial, industrial and nuclear projects at its Carter Lake facility. The company was awarded $50,000 in direct financial assistance as well as tax benefits for a project to expand operations to a new green-field facility and add several major pieces of processing equipment to meet customer requirements. The $33.6 million capital investment is expected to create 16 new jobs and retain 72 jobs, of which 20 are incented.

Police in Clarinda report a traffic stop early this (Friday) morning resulted in the arrest of one person on drug charges. 37-year old old Joshua Joel Moses, of Clarinda was taken into custody at around 2:20-a.m.

Moses faces possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and/or under the influence of a controlled substance,  charges. Moses was booked and later posted bond before being released from custody.

His case has been referred to the Page County Attorney’s Office for the filing of formal charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A conservative Republican who owns a construction company is entering the race for the U.S. House seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Tom Latham.  Robert Cramer announced Friday that he will seek the congressional seat. The 46-year-old from Johnston has long been involved in conservative causes, including serving on the board of the Family Leader.

Last year, Gov. Terry Branstad nominated Cramer to serve on the Board of Regents. But Senate Democrats did not confirm the nomination, raising questions about his conservative views.  Cramer is president of Cramer and Associates, a bridge construction company based in Grimes.

The Lenox Police Department reports a 5-year old boy was struck by a car as he was crossing a street, Thursday, but he suffered only minor injuries. Officials say the accident happened at around 3:40-p.m. at the intersection of Walnut and Michigan Streets.

An investigation determined 19-year old Daniel Kroese, of Lenox, was driving a 1988 Oldsmobile east bound on Michigan. A child who had been dropped off by the school bus was crossing Michigan going north. Kroese told police he thought the boy was waiting for traffic, but the child proceeded to cross the street.

The boy was transported by the Lenox Ambulance to the hospital where he was treated and released. Kroese was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian. There was no damage to the car.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Thursday of 27-year old Tanner Preston. The Atlantic man was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant for OWI and booked into the Cass County Jail.

Officials with AAA Minnesota/Iowa have announced that three hotels in Iowa earned the Four Diamond Rating during the past 12 months. The AAA/CAA Four and Five Diamond Ratings are AAA’s highest designations for hotels and restaurants. Among the three is The Ameristar Casino Hotel, in Council Bluffs. The others include The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, in Cedar Rapids, and The Hotel Blackhawk, in Davenport.

Hotels rated Four or Five Diamond are stylish and refined with upscale physical attributes. Guests receive personalized attention from an experienced staff and extensive amenities in a luxurious setting. Establishments at the Four and Five Diamond rating levels make up just 3.9 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, of the 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved hotels and restaurants. Across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, the selected properties represent the upper echelon of the hospitality industry.

Across the continent, just 4.2 percent of all AAA Approved hotels and restaurants began the year with the travel authority’s highest ratings