Democrat presidential candidate/Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill are returning to Iowa, for a campaign swing. Jill Biden will meet with Iowans in Mt. Ayr and Winterset, Sunday, Jan. 12th. On Monday, she’ll have “Meet and Greet” (M&G) stops (locally) in Guthrie Center, Audubon and Harlan. (See the schedule below)  Joe Biden will be in the State later next week, with events in Sioux City, Council Bluffs and Indianola. Members of the public who wish to attend any of the events should make reservations via the campaign website.

Jill Biden (local) Schedule:

Sunday, Jan. 12

• Ringgold County Meet & Greet, Jamie’s Coffee Mill & Deli (118 W. Adams St.) in Mt. Ayr.; Doors open at 5:15-p.m. for the 5:30 event.
• Madison County Meet & Greet at the home of Mike & Vicky Brenner (1632 Mueller Ct.), in Winterset; Doors open at 7:15-p.m. for the 7:30 event.

Monday, Jan. 13

• Guthrie County M&G, Children’s Reading Room at the Mary Barnett Memorial Library (400 Grand St.), in Guthrie Center. Admittance 10:45-a.m., event at 11-a.m.
• Audubon County M&G, El Adobe Mexican Restaurant (320 Broadway), in Audubon. Doors open at 12:30-p.m., event at 12:45-p.m.
• Shelby County M&G, Milk and Honey (1101 7th St.), in Harlan. Doors open at 2:45-p.m., event at 3-p.m.

Joe Biden’s Schedule (Local):

Friday, Jan. 17

• Western IA Tech Community College in Sioux City, IA – Rocklin Conference Center (4647 Stone Ave.). 12:15-doors/12:45 event
• Abraham Lincoln High School (1205 Bonham St.), Council Bluffs. 5:30-p.m. doors/6-p.m. event.

A pursuit in Audubon County late Friday afternoon ended in a crash and the arrest of two people. Dispatch reports at the time indicated authorities were chasing a vehicle that was traveling from 80-to 100-miles per hour. The suspect vehicle blew through the intersection at Highway’s 44 and 71 just outside of Hamlin, and crashed about two-miles west of Hamlin into a field south of the intersection of Highway 44 and Jay Avenue.

The pursuit ended with the arrest of two subjects at around 4:28-p.m. Additional details are currently not available.

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

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – After months of running on unconventional campaign strategies, Andrew Yang has arrived at a point in the 2020 campaign that is governed by the conventional rules of election. The candidate powered by online buzz is now living firmly on the real, and often uncool, campaign trail through Iowa and New Hampshire. While several other second-tier candidates are planning to use money and advertising to make an end-run around those early voting states, Yang is largely sticking to the traditional path. His campaign staff has grown tenfold since last summer, and he’s hired some well-known political hands. He’s paid for it all with strong online fundraising.

A passenger in a semi tractor-trailer died early this (Saturday) morning, in eastern Iowa’s Cedar County. The Iowa State Patrol says they were notified at around 12:09-a.m. about the crash, located off Interstate 80 westbound east of Iowa City at mile marker 256. Authorities say the roads were completely covered with ice. The 2020 Freightliner semi lost traction and left the road to the right before ending up in the north ditch, with the cab on its side. The name of the victim has not been released.

(Radio Iowa) — A 2020 presidential candidate who had a yoga-themed fundraiser in Iowa City last weekend has exited the race. Marianne Williamson laid off her campaign staff on December 31st and has ended her campaign 10 days later. Williamson is a 67-year-old spiritual guru who is the author of popular self-help books. She had called for the creation of a Department of Peace and gained attention on social media for saying during a mid-2019 T-V debate that only love could cast out the fear President Trump was spreading.

Williamson told supporters in an email she would be unable to garner enough votes in this year’s primaries and caucuses to continue spreading her message — and she did not want to stand in the way of other progressive candidates seeking votes.

Williamson dedicated a fair amount of campaign resources to Iowa. She rented a Des Moines condo for a while after announcing in June she was moving to Iowa to campaign here.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Supreme Court Acting Chief Justice David Wiggins says he’s retiring. The 69-year-old Wiggins said Friday he will retire March 13. He was appointed to the court by Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack in 2003. He was named acting chief justice in November after the unexpected death of Chief Justice Mark Cady. Wiggins’ departure will give Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds an opportunity to replace one of the two remaining Democratic appointees on the seven-member court. She just received the names of three nominees Thursday to fill Cady’s vacant seat.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Schools in Nebraska and Iowa cancelled after-school activities and shut down early, Friday, as residents in both states braced for the latest winter storm. The National Weather Service had issued winter storm warnings for the southeastern corner of Nebraska and southern, central and much of eastern Iowa for Friday afternoon into early Saturday. Those areas — including Fall City in Nebraska and Des Moines, Dubuque, Davenport and Burlington in Iowa — were expecting high winds and up to 8 inches of snow. Surrounding areas, including Omaha, Nebraska, and Waterloo, Iowa, were under a winter weather advisory for 2 to 4 inches of snow.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ruled that a man charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of a central Iowa pastor is mentally unfit to stand trial. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports that a Webster County District judge on Friday found 36-year-old Josh Pendleton incompetent to stand trial and ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment at the Iowa Medical Classification Correctional Facility in Oakdale. Pendleton’s attorney says he has a long history of mental illness and was unable to assist in his own defense. Pendleton is accused of robbing and beating to death the Rev. Al Henderson, who was found unresponsive on Oct. 2 outside St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge.

COLO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the names of two people who were found dead by a relative in their Story County home _ deaths that authorities say were the result of a murder-suicide. They’ve been identified as 79-year-old Richard Davis and his 78-year-old wife, Charlotte. Authorities say Richard Davis shot his wife before shooting himself. A shotgun was found Wednesday near his body on the kitchen floor of their Colo home. Her body was found in a living room chair. No note was found. Their son Russell Davis told The Des Moines Register that his parents seemed happy at Christmas.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – A judge has ruled that a man charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of a central Iowa pastor is mentally unfit to stand trial. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports that a Webster County District judge on Friday found 36-year-old Josh Pendleton incompetent to stand trial and ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment at the Iowa Medical Classification Correctional Facility in Oakdale.

Pendleton’s attorney says he has a long history of mental illness and was unable to assist in his own defense. Pendleton is accused of robbing and beating to death the Rev. Al Henderson, who was found unresponsive on Oct. 2 outside St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) –  Iowa Supreme Court Acting Chief Justice David Wiggins says he’s retiring, a vacancy that will give Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds an opportunity to build an even more conservative court. The 69-year-old Wiggins says Friday he will retire March 13.

He was appointed to the court by Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack in 2003. He was named acting chief justice in November after the unexpected death of Chief Justice Mark Cady. Wiggins is one of the two remaining Democratic appointees on the seven-member court. Reynolds just received the names of three nominees Thursday to fill Cady’s vacant seat.