Two people from Nebraska and one person from Iowa were injured during a three-vehicle collision Friday afternoon on Highway 2, in Fremont County. The Iowa State Patrol reports at around 4:45-p.m., a 2013 Ford F-250 pickup driven by 54-year old Vernon Christiansen, of Nebraska City, Nebraska, was traveling east on Highway 2 at the one mile marker, when for reasons unknown, he failed to slow for traffic that was stopped in a construction zone.

The pickup hit the rear end of a stopped 2017 Subaru Outback, driven by 63-year old Maureen Fowler, of Lincoln, NE. Her vehicle then struck the rear of a 2014 GMC Acadia driven by 59-year old Teresa Hopkins, of Sidney (IA). Her SUV was pushed into the back of yet aa 2009 Ford F-150. During the crash, the Subaru spun around and came to rest in the opposite lane of Highway 2, facing sideways. The pickup crossed the center line and struck a westbound vehicle head-on, after the westbound vehicle struck the F-150.

Christiansen was transported by LifeNet to Bergan-Mercy Hospital. Fowler was transported by Nebraska City Rescue to St Mary’s Hospital, and Hopkins was brought to Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg, by Hamburg Rescue. The accident remains under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45-a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Trump administration says it plans to implement new rules that will increase demand for ethanol, reversing a decline caused by exemptions given to oil refineries. The proposal announced Friday follows months of complaints by Midwest farmers, politicians and the ethanol industry that the federal government’s granting of waivers to refiners had violated federal law and forced some ethanol plants to close. Roughly 40 percent of U.S. corn is used to produce ethanol.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee has filed yet another lawsuit against a major media organization, claiming he was defamed in a magazine story about his family’s Iowa dairy farm. Rep. Devin Nunes of California is seeking $77.5 million in the lawsuit filed Monday against Esquire publisher Hearst Magazines and former reporter Ryan Lizza, now a correspondent for Politico. Nunes filed similar lawsuits against Twitter and newspaper publisher The McClatchy Co. earlier this year.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A company has taken another step toward redeveloping the former Waterloo Greyhound Park. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the Waterloo planning and zoning commission voted Tuesday to endorse a special permit that would let Deer Creek Development fill 7 acres on the site to get it out of the 100-year flood plain. Deer Creek President Harold Youngblut says doing so will make the site more appealing to companies because they wouldn’t have to pay for costly flood insurance.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man has been convicted of video recording girls in the bathroom of his West Des Moines record store. Court records say 50-year-old Robert Kuhn was found guilty Wednesday of three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of invasion of privacy. His sentencing is set for Nov. 14. Kuhn was arrested in 2017 after a girl who had worked for him told police she found a video camera hidden on a shelf in the bathroom after Kuhn had asked her to try on dresses.

Atlantic Street Department Superintendent Kirk Knudsen said this (Friday) afternoon, South Olive Street, which was closed overnight through part of Friday, is now open from 22nd Street to Jasper Road.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of people crowded the streets of downtown Iowa City on Friday to demand action on climate change and welcome 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Thunberg told the crowds she was stunned by the number of people who had turned out, telling them, “This is the real hope — so many people gathering here on a weekday with such short notice.”

The teen reiterated the message she has spread around the world to act on science in addressing climate change. Thunberg spoke to world leaders last month at a United Nations summit in New York and has led students in global protests demanding action on climate change.

In Iowa City on Friday, she drew cheers when she said teens and children should have to take on such responsibility, “but right now, the world leaders keep acting like children, and somebody needs to be the adult in the room.”

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa high school science teacher has been placed on administrative leave after he made what appeared to be a threatening social media comment about 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The Waterloo Community School District said Friday in an emailed statement that the teacher, Matt Baish, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Baish’s removal followed a Facebook comment he purportedly posted about Thunberg’s planned appearance Friday in Iowa City for a student-led climate strike demonstration, asking “Who’s all going?” In response, a user named Matt Baish wrote,

“Dont have my sniper rifle.” West High School’s website lists Baish as a science teacher at the school.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court has apologized to a legislative committee investigating the break-ins at courthouses and the court system’s own state-owned building as part of a cybersecurity vulnerability test.

Speaking Friday to the Senate Government Oversight Committee, Mark Cady acknowledged mistakes as the judicial branch worked to protect confidential information and promised they wouldn’t happen again.
Senators criticized several judicial branch administrators for signing contracts with a cybersecurity company without properly vetting them for inconsistencies or errors.

Information technology employees say they believe the men who burglarized the court buildings acted outside the scope of the contract. Two employees of the company Coalfire broke into the Dallas County Courthouse overnight Sept. 11 and were arrested. Both face criminal charges. Officials later found they also had entered undetected into the Polk County Courthouse and the state judicial branch building housing the Iowa Supreme Court.

Sen. Tony Bisignano called it a “covert stupid operation” that put law enforcement officers and the men involved in the break-ins at risk.

AMES, Iowa – Oct. 4, 2019 – Iowa Department of Transportation officials have reopened Interstate 29 between exit 61 (near Crescent) and exit 71 (near Loveland). At this time, I-29 is open in both directions throughout Iowa, however motorists may encounter occasional lane closures. Exit 66 at Honey Creek will remain closed due to flooding. The DOT says they will continue to monitor the situation closely, but roadways may close quickly in this area due to high waters. Travelers are urged to check www.511ia.org for the most recent closure information.

Flood-related closures remain on Iowa 275 and Iowa 333 near Hamburg.

(Radio Iowa) — The duck season is set to open this weekend and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports that access to several of their popular public wildlife management areas have been cut off by floodwater. D-N-R wildlife biologist Matt Dollison says parts of the Riverton area’s Jensen Tract south of County Road J-46 are blocked due to flooding. “The boat ramp there, and the walk-in parking lot that’s very popular — both of those have been cut off by floodwater,” Dollison says “The road is closed there due to water coming in through a previous levee blowout on the south end of that area. So, that’s kind of a new one.” Many other areas are also blocked by Missouri River flood water.

“Including the M.U. Payne Wildlife Management Area, the Auldon Bar Wildlife Management Area, Copeland Bend and Forney Lake and Noddleman Island,” he says. “Several of the roads that go to those are currently still underwater also. I guess people just need to be aware as they head out for the duck opener this Saturday there could be limited access. They might want to get out maybe beforehand and ensure they can get where they want to go.” Dollison anticipates a slight reduction in the number of hunters coming into the area. “The main area at Riverton north of the highway is our most popular area,” Dollison says, “and it’s currently still accessible–both by boats at the boat ramp, and by walk-in hunters. I’m sure we’re still have quite a few hunters going there. People can still walk in basically anywhere they can get on the other parts of the areas.”

Dollison says the flooding isn’t good for people — but it could be a boost for ducks and other waterfowl. “Waterfowl use water — so having a bunch more water around–especially these flooded, weedy crop fields that weren’t able to be planted and that sort of thing–those are going to be great areas for the waterfowl to use. There’s going to be a lot of migratory habitat for ducks and geese with all this water. So, they’ll be good that way,” Dollison says. “But, it will probably spread the birds out quite a bit more than usual.” Likewise, Dollison doesn’t believe the flooding will significantly impact the area’s deer population. He believes most of the deer herds along the Missouri River have relocated to other areas, such as the Loess Hills.

EARLING – The Iowa DNR reports that with one lift station pump out for repair, the city of Earling’s remaining pump failed, sending untreated wastewater from the pumping station into Mosquito Creek. The city has been bypassing about 100 gallons per minute since 6 p.m. Thursday night. City staff are working with a contractor to replace the failed pump and repair the other. They hope to stop the bypass Friday morning.

Residents should keep children, pets and livestock out of the creek until 24 or 48 hours after the discharge ends. DNR will be monitoring the response and cleanup.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County report 31-year old Cherrie Lee Palmer, of Afton, was arrested Thursday night. Palmer was taken into custody on two Union County warrants for failure to appear. She was being held without bond for Union County, in the Adams County Jail, until seen by a Judge.