The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash that turned fiery, Sunday. According to reports, one-person died, after the vehicle they were driving rolled over a little before 6-p.m., near the intersection of Panther Creek Road and Old Highway 6. The vehicle left the road at a high rate of speed before rolling over, hitting a tree and catching fire. The name of the driver has not yet been released.

(Radio Iowa) — The 2020 census will begin with a mailing starting in mid-March. Census Bureau spokesperson Maureen Schriner says it’s important that everyone looks for and completes the census form to be counted. Schriner says the census determines our legislative representation and also determines how much money communities get from the federal government. She says the federal government decides every year on how to hand out 675 BILLION dollars in funding for services in communities.

Schriner says some people are concerned that the information they provide on the completed census forms will be readily available. She says that in information is kept confidential.”Your individual information is never shared. For 72 years it is locked down, it is confidential. It is not shared with any other governmental entities,” according to Schriner.  She says the information is only released in an aggregate form. Schriner says that would be numbers like the population of the state. “So the 2020 Census tries to go out and record the entire population. That’s what it is used for — so it is not reported out on an individual basis,” she says.

Additional information about the census can be obtained by going on-line at www.2020census.gov

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has a series of town hall meetings scheduled to discuss possible changes to hunting rules and regulations and other topics. D-N-R spokesman, Mick Klemesrud, says the first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday in Sioux City. “We have 18 meetings set up across the state. And these are public meetings where our local staff will come in and provide a recap of the hunting and trapping seasons,” Klemesrud says. “They’ll give population updates, and they’ll talk about hunter participation, trapper participation and just what to expect and what we’re looking at as potential rule changes.”

He says one rule change involves the waterfowl hunting zones. “We are going to increase the size of the Missouri River Zone to actually go all the way to the Mississippi across southern Iowa to create kind of a new central zone, shift the southern border of the north zone up a little bit. And then modify the season dates accordingly,” according to Klemesrud. “So the southern zone will have later season dates, the central zone will have the old southern zone season dates, and the north zone will probably stay fairly close to what it has been.”

There could be some other rule changes as well. “We are also looking at expanding and increasing the number of otters that trappers can harvest. And there’s some other deer quotas, and things like that,” he says.  Klemesrud says they expect to have a good turnout. “Hunters like to talk about hunting and they like to come to these. They’ve got a like-minded audience — they’re hearing things that they enjoy — and hunter participation is definitely a part of these meetings,” Klemesrud says.

Comments collected from the public meetings will be considered along with other related comments received by the Iowa D-N-R prior to proposing changes to hunting rules and regulations. Proposed rules will be presented to the Natural Resource Commission during a regular public meeting for consideration and additional public comment.

Here are the AREA meeting dates, time and locations:

Sioux City, Feb. 19, 7 p.m., Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Road
Council Bluffs Feb. 25, 7 p.m., Fish and Game Club, 531 Commanche Street
Creston, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Multi-Purpose Room adjacent to the YMCA, Southwestern Community College, 1201 West Townline Street
Sac City, March 5, 7 p.m., Sac County Conservation Center at Hagge Park, 2970 280th Street

A woman from Red Oak was arrested at around 3:30 this (Monday) morning, in Red Oak. Authorities say 30-year old Sara Ann Billie-Kier was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor. Billie-Kier was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

A traffic stop at around 12:10-a.m. Sunday in Adams County, resulted in the arrest of a man on a drug charge. Joshua Strange, of Clarinda, was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance, after a baggy of methamphetamine was found inside his vehicle.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:05 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an investigation into animal treatment at an Iowa state lawmaker’s hog farm found no evidence that animals were being abused despite video that a group posted that appeared to show otherwise. Two people with California-based Direct Action Everywhere entered a hog farm last spring owned by Republican Iowa state Sen. Ken Rozenboom. Mahaska County Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem says an investigation didn’t find any abuse. Rozenboom said he decided in December to lease the hog building to a different farmer. He has said veterinary records show the herd was being treated for a respiratory infection that contributed to the problems Direct Action Everywhere documented.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A student is suing Drake University in Des Moines, along with a fraternity at the school and several fellow students for an unspecified amount after he said he nearly died from a hazing incident. Court documents filed Feb. 7 show Marcus Shields is suing the school, Theta Chi fraternity, its Drake chapter and others. The lawsuit says Shields was a 19-year-old freshman last year and a Theta Chi pledge when the fraternity engaged in hazing, included coercing and forcing him to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Shields says he pleaded with his fraternity brothers that “he didn’t want to die,” and had to be taken by ambulance to a hospital for acute alcohol poisoning.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party has selected a new interim chairman to replace Troy Price, who resigned this week following a meltdown in the state’s lead-off presidential caucuses. The Des Moines Register reports that the party’s State Central Committee voted Saturday to install Iowa state Rep. Mark Smith, of Marshalltown, as interim chairman. The vote came a day after party officials agreed to hire two high-profile lawyers to investigate the factors leading to the problems that hamstrung the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucus, when problems with a mobile app and other issues prevented it from releasing results.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say two people suffered minor injuries in a fire that destroyed a Fort Dodge towing and auto business. Television station KCCI reports that the fire broke out Friday afternoon in Mid Iowa Towing. Firefighters arrived to find a large fire in the company’s shop area, with flames reaching the roof. The building is not served by the city and did not have fire hydrants, requiring the firefighters to use 500-gallon water tanks. Officials say the lack of water and presence of a large amount of flammable liquids, coupled with high winds, caused the fire to grow and spread quickly. Two of the business’ employees were treated for burns on their hands.

The Audubon School Board is set to meet 7-p.m. Monday in the High School Board Room. Action items on their agenda include:

• The (possible) purchase of a Bus
• Setting the time/date for a Public Bargaining meeting for the Board’s Proposal
• (Possible) Action on Staffing Changes for FY 21 including – a 1/2 time Social Worker; 1/2 time Interventionist and 1/2 time Title 1 Teacher; FFA Asst. Advisor.
• (Possible) Action on Non-Certified Health Insurance.
• Certain Board Policies
• Approval of a 28-E agreement w/the Woodward-Granger School District.
• Approve Superintendent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Coon Rapids-Bayard District (CR-B).
• Approve Continued Sharing with CR-B for the services of: Superintendent; Human Resources; Transportation Director and Elementary School Counselor.
• Setting the date/time for a Public Hearing on the School Calendar.
• and, Personnel matters.

The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board will hold a Public Hearing a little after they convene their meeting 6-p.m. Monday, in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building. The hearing is with regard to a proposed 2020-21 School Calendar.

The Board will then hear a presentation by the State qualifying Lego League students. The Exira-EHK “Spartan Bots” advanced to State in First LEGO League Competition that was held January 18th at ISU.

In other business, the Board will discuss and act on approving: The 2020-21 Calendar; An 80/20 Sharing Superintendent Agreement with the IKM-Manning District; Revisions to 400-series Board Policies, and Personnel matters.

Members of the City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department Board will hold their regular monthly meeting beginning 5:15-p.m. Monday, at City Hall. Action and/or New Business items on their agenda include:

• Continued discussion with regard to a Campground Host (At the Schildberg Rec. Area)
• The Community Gardens Project (at Mollett Park).
• Recycling cans.
• City of Atlantic Walking Map.
• PALS (Friends of the Parks) news.
• Bull Creek Erosion Control.

And, in his report to the Board, Parks & Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen is expected to talk about:

1. Starting to contract Summer Coaches/Coordinators positions.
2. An update on Summer Help.
3. Signage for City Parks.
4. Summer Programs.
5. and updating the Board on the New Year’s Challenge.

Both lanes of Interstate 80 eastbound in Pottawattamie County were blocked for at least a couple of hours Sunday, following a semi tractor-trailer rollover accident that took place late Sunday morning. The crash took place at mile marker 36, near Avoca.  A detour is in operation was in operation until the wreck could be removed from the travel portion of the road. The road was reopened to both lanes at around 1:30-p.m.

Additional details were not immediately available.