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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Nebraska man has been given probation and a suspended prison sentence for fondling a Sioux City girl around 15 years ago. The Sioux City Journal says 33-year-old Joshua Feenstra, of Norfolk, Neb., pleaded guilty on Monday in Woodbury County District Court to three counts of lascivious acts with a child. Prosecutors amended the charges from one count of second-degree sexual abuse as part of a plea agreement with Feenstra.

Judge Steven Andreasen suspended a 15-year prison sentence and placed Feenstra on five years of probation. Feenstra also must register as a sex offender and write a letter of apology to the girl.  Feenstra is accused of fondling the girl in 1997 or 1998, when she was about 8 years old and he was 17 or 18.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a woman has died after apparently jumping from a moving Amtrak train in Stanton.  Sheriff’s deputies were called to the vicinity of Broad and James Streets in Stanton at around 9:50 p.m.  When they arrived, deputies  located the woman’s body near the train tracks. The Montgomery County medical examiner declared the female dead at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation. Red Oak Police and the Iowa State Patrol assisted the sheriff’s office with the investigation.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The suspect who was shot Monday morning by an Ames Police officer on the campus of Iowa State University has died. The man reportedly stole his father’s truck and trailer around 10 a.m., and when police spotted him, he led them on a chase that ended when he jumped a curb near the Campanile on the I-S-U campus. Ames Police Commander Geoff Huff says the truck became stuck, but the man continued to rev the engine, moving slightly forward and back.

“Officers were yelling verbal commands to stop, but he wouldn’t. They were really afraid that he was going to break loose again,” Huff said. “We had pedestrians in that area – it’s really a pedestrian area of campus, so one of our officers fired into the truck.”

The officer fired six rounds into the truck, hitting the suspect at least once. He was taken to an Ames hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Huff defended the officer’s actions, noting the suspect had previously put the truck in reverse and rammed the trailer into a patrol car. In addition, the truck had traveled the wrong way down a one way street and went through grassy areas of the ISU campus with people jumping out of the way.

“You know, I think (officers) did everything they could,” Huff said. “There were a lot of people that were put in danger by this and I think that was kind of the option that was left. When the vehicle backed up and backed the trailer partially up over the hood (of the patrol car), that was very dangerous for the officer. It was probably in our best interest to continue to pursue to try and stop this person before anybody else got hurt. Unfortunately, the result was he wouldn’t stop.”

The name of the suspect and the officer involved have not been released.

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities in Montgomery County say an accident Monday afternoon in Red Oak resulted in minor, possible injuries, but no one was hospitalized. Officials say vehicles driven by 72-year old Norman Rebitzke and 67-year old Sheryl Franzen, both of Red Oak, collided at around 3:30-p.m. at the intersection of East Valley and North Third Streets in Red Oak.

The accident happened when Rebitzke’s 2009 Subaru Forester was struck by Franzen’s 2005 Chevrolete, as Rebitzke was traveling south on North 3rd Street. Franzen pulled out from the intersection traveling west on East Valley Street, and struck the Subaru on the driver’s side door. She was subsequently cited for Failure to Yield. Damage from the crash amounted to $5,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa tourism officials are using the Internet to help determine the cover of the state’s next travel guide. The Iowa Tourism Office says people can vote between three cover options on the department’s Facebook page. The photos were chosen from more than 600 images submitted by people. The guide is Iowa’s trip-planning publication. It lists from more than 700 attractions, 750 hotels, 200 bed and breakfasts and 350 campgrounds.

The covers either show one destination or several. They range from an image of motorcycling in the Loess Hills to an image of tubing on the Mississippi River. People have until Friday to vote. The winning cover will be announced on Nov. 12. The new guide will be available in early 2014.

This time of year it is not uncommon to see deer running beside Iowa’s highways. Field and Stream.com (http://www.fieldandstream.com/rut-report) shows deer in many parts of Iowa are currently in the “seeking and chasing” phase of the annual rut. That means more animals on the move and more danger to motorists, especially at dusk and dawn when it is more difficult to see animals along the roadsides.

There is little a driver can do about deer movement, but to reach the goal of zero fatalities on Iowa highways drivers need to be more aware of deer habits to reduce the risk of coming in contact with deer. As of Oct. 15, 2013, Iowa Department of Transportation data shows, 3,279 drivers reported collisions with deer so far in 2013. The crashes resulted in four motorist deaths and an estimated 172 injuries.

Since 2003, 70 people have died in Iowa as a result of motor vehicle crashes involving animals. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, each year nearly 200 fatalities nationwide are caused by deer-vehicle collisions.

If a deer runs into the path of your vehicle, not veering to avoid the animal greatly increases the chances of maintaining control of your vehicle. Most deer crash injuries and deaths result when drivers attempt to avoid the animal. This action often results in drivers losing control and colliding with other vehicles or running off the road. When a deer is in the path of your vehicle, the driver of a vehicle (other than a motorcycle) should: Brake firmly•Steer to maintain control.•Stop safely within the lane or along the shoulder of the highway.•Use a safety belt to reduce the chance of personal injury.

The following motor vehicle driver tips will reduce the risk of deer crashes...

•Slow down when you see a deer warning sign – pay greater attention.•Be especially careful driving at dawn and dusk.•Remember deer rutting season occurs in November and December, and deer are more mobile and less cautious.•Deer are more mobile during harvest and the hunting season.

Be most alert for the presence of deer at locations where three factors converge: •Food (corn fields or recently harvested corn fields).•Shelter (woods). •Water (streams, culverts and river crossings).

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

CARSON, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa highway bridge is set to reopen to traffic this week after extensive repairs. State transportation officials say the U.S. Highway 59 bridge over Iowa Highway 92 in Carson will open with the completion of work necessary after the span was struck last fall by a truck hauling construction equipment. The crash damaged four bridge beams and required the closure of the bridge.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Tourism Office says people can vote on the department’s Facebook page for the photos to be on the cover of the state’s next travel guide. The photos were chosen from more than 600 submitted images. The guide is Iowa’s trip-planning publication. It lists more than 700 attractions, 750 hotels, 200 bed and breakfasts and 350 campgrounds.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers finally caught up this week as favorable weather for harvest put them ahead of the normal for the first time this growing season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 75 percent of corn in Iowa is now harvested, 4 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Some corn has higher moisture content than desirable for storage and farmers are leaving it in the field to allow it to further dry.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Public Radio has named a new executive director several months after its last CEO was fired. The Board of Directors says Johnson will begin the job on Jan. 27 of next year. She was recently the executive director of the Boston Schoolyard Initiative in Massachusetts.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston Construction Office reports the U.S. 59 bridge over Iowa 92 in Carson will be reopened to traffic this week, weather permitting. The U.S. 59 bridge in Carson was struck last fall by a semi-truck hauling construction equipment. The bridge sustained damage on four beams and U.S. 59 was closed. An on-site detour was in place utilizing ramps to reroute traffic. Once the bridge is reopened, the roadway will be restored to the original operation which prohibits left-hand turns on Iowa 92.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.

For traveler information anytime, visit www.511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or Twitter (find links at www.iowadot.com/511/socialmedia.html); or download the free app to your mobile device.