EARLY, Iowa (AP) — The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says two men who died in a minivan crash were on their way to work at a construction site. The sheriff’s office on Monday identified the men as 43-year-old Ignacio Zuleta-Soto, the driver, and 30-year old Jeronimo Piox-Zuleta, a passenger. Another passenger in the minivan, 23-year old Gabino Piox-Zuleta, was treated at a Sioux City hospital and released.

The crash happened just before 5 a.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 20 west of Early when the driver of a minivan lost control and the vehicle entered the median and rolled. The sheriff’s office says the men, who were from Guatemala, lived in Eagle Grove. They were working as insulators at a construction site.

The two men who died each were married and had children in Guatemala.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Several upper Midwestern states are dealing with higher propane prices because of supply problems in recent weeks. Farmers used more propane than usual to dry the late harvest of grain that came out of the fields too wet. Rural households not served by natural gas lines dipped into propane supplies early due to colder than normal temperatures. And the Cochin pipeline that carries propane to the Midwest from Canada closed for several weeks, stalling supply to the region.

The supply problem has driven prices 14 percent higher since mid-November in Iowa, where customers pay $1.88 a gallon. That’s 34 percent higher than last year. Propane’s up 15 percent in Illinois in the last month, 13 percent in Wisconsin and Minnesota and 12 percent in Nebraska.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

AMES, Iowa (AP) — An assistant Iowa State University professor has resigned after admitting he faked research to make it appear an AIDS vaccine under development was working better than expected. The Des Moines Register reports an Iowa State spokesman confirmed Monday that Dong-Pyou Han resigned in October after admitting he’d added human blood components to rabbit blood to make it appear a vaccine was spurring animals to build defenses against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council has voted to put $750,000 toward a fundraising effort to save a downtown bridge. That’s the amount officials estimated would be needed to remove the Southwest Fifth Street bridge, which needs repairs of between $1.75 million and $3.75 million. The bridge, which spans the Raccoon River, was built in 1898. It has recently been used by pedestrians and bicyclists as part of the trail system along the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers.

EARLY, Iowa (AP) — Two men who died in a minivan crash were Guatemalan immigrants on their way to work at a construction site. The Sac County Sheriff’s office on Monday identified the men as 43-year-old Ignacio Zuleta-Soto, the driver, and 30-year old Jeronimo Piox-Zuleta, a passenger. Another passenger in the minivan was treated at a Sioux City hospital and released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State police have issued arrest warrants in connection with a burglary that occurred in Iowa’s locker room during a football game against the Cyclones. The Des Moines Register reports that warrants for second-degree theft and second-degree burglary were issued on Dec. 12 for 23-year-old Nicholas Beary. Beary’s last known residence was West Des Moines, but police said they believe Beary may have fled the country.

Authorities in Page County say one person suffered possible, unknown injuries during a single-vehicle accident Sunday night north of College Springs. 36-year old Jason Eugene Long, of Shenandoah, was traveling southeast on 270th Street at around 7:35-p.m., when he lost control of the 2002 Chevy Equinox he was driving on the slick road surface. The SUV left the road to the right before traveling down an embankment and coming to rest on a creek bed.

Long was transported by ambulance to the Clarinda Regional Hospital for examination and treatment. The SUV sustained $5,000 damage. No citations were issued.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following an accident late last Wednesday morning. At around 11:50-a.m.,deputies responded to a report of a two-vehicle accident on Wichita Road,about ¼ mile west of 680th Street.

Officials say a2004 Dodge 2500 pickup owned and driven by 22-year old Dayton Michael Amdor, of Cumberland, was traveling eastbound on Wichita Road, while a 2007 GMC Sierra driven by 17-year old Dylan Thomas Amdor, also of Cumberland, was heading westbound. The vehicles collided at the crest of a hill, causing a total of $45,000 damage. In addition, a fence which was struck during the accident sustained $300 damage. There were no citations issued.

(12-p.m. News)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests occurred over the past week. Authorities say as the result of a traffic stop on Sunday (Dec. 22nd), deputies arrested 30-year old Jeffery Leroy Carpenter, of Atlantic, and 28-year old Wayne Riviera Shelby Jr., of Miami, OK. Both were taken into custody on charges of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver. They were brought to the Cass County Jail, and released Monday. Carpenter was released on his own recognizance, while Shelby was released on $1,000 bond.

On Saturday, deputies in Cass County arrested 34-year old Corey Linn Swain, of Griswold. Swain was charged with OWI 1st Offense, and brought to the Cass County Jail. He was released later that day on his own recognizance. On Friday, 39-year old Troy Allen Gene McCurdy, of Atlantic, was arrested on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Simple Assault. McCurdy was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $300 bond.

Last Thursday, 23-year old Justin Dale Hardisty, of Cumberland, was arrested in Cass County on charges of OWI 3rd Offense, Driving While Barred, Driving Under Suspension, and No SR-22 Insurance. Hardisty was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on $8,000 bond.

And, on Tuesday, Dec.17th,  36-year old Adrian Duane Hansen, of Atlantic, turned himself in to the Cass County Jail on a Department of Corrections warrant for Parole Violation. Hansen was booked in and later released on his own recognizance.

(12-p.m. News)

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say a man from Malvern was arrested Sunday afternoon for Domestic Abuse Assault. 38-year old Mark Jarecki was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. And, 41-year old Ryon Wood, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested Friday afternoon on a warrant out of Madison County, for Failure to Appear. He was also being held in the jail, without bond.

The Sheriff’s office reports also, no injuries were reported when a vehicle driven by Kerick Moyers, of Red Oak, went out of control on an ice-covered Highway 34 Thursday night. The vehicle partially rolled into the south ditch. That same night, a collision involving vehicles driven by Bret Sheppard, of Malvern, and Charles Edwards, of Shenandoah, occurred. Authorities say both vehicle were traveling east on Highway 34 under freezing rain and black ice conditions, when Edwards’ 2002 Dodge was unable to slow in time due to the weather conditions, and collided with rear of Sheppard’s 2012 Chevy. No injuries were reported.

The Harlan Community School District’s Board of Education, Friday, approved a resolution for the Vision Iowa Grant Program. The board approved the final motion pertaining to a $200,000 Vision Iowa Grant that was awarded to the school district in November. Superintendent Justin Wagner said the resolution was the final item necessary for them to obtain the grant.

“There were four items they (Vision Iowa) would like to have back from us. One of them was some tax information. The second was total completion of amount money raised, $1.528 million which has been done. Then there were two other things, a resolution from the city which was already passed and we have the minutes for. The last one is the resolution from the school board basically saying the school board is accepting the funds and will adhere to the grant agreement.”

The Board Friday also heard a presentation from FEH Engineering consultant Matt Basye, with regard to the Merrill Field Renovation project. Basye said there would fewer seats in the bleachers, but there is room for future expansion. “Basically what we started with was we knew the turf was going to be done, the track resurfacing was going to be done and we wanted to closely match the amount of seating you already have with the budget. What we got here shown is around 2,400 to 2,500 seats which is a few less than you have now. But we are also going to give you options to add seating later when it does fit with the budget.”

The reason for the possible reduction in seating is due to discussion about whether or not to remove some seats in front of the concession stand to open up the field more. The project is not complete as of yet because the numbers continue to fluctuate as well as the plans have not been finalized. No board action was taken to finalize the project. However, Basye says the plan is to move forward quickly.

“The kind of plan for getting the project going and under construction is that we are looking to have a public hearing on Monday, January 6^th, which is a board meeting for you (school board). January 20^th you would be back to adopt the plans and allow me to go out and get bids. Then we would have bids come back mid-February around that time and the contractors would start around the first part of March.”

Superintendent Wagner said a public hearing on the Merrill Field project will be held as part of the Board’s January 6^th meeting.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

Following a coating of ice last week, a wide section of Iowa got more snow over the weekend, with southwest Iowa’s Taylor County reporting up to nine inches of snow. The storm front left behind bitter cold, with wind chills approaching 25 below zero. It also left a mess. It’s hard enough to negotiate slippery concrete but it’s even worse if you’re trying to carry a bulky package or two, according to Richard Watkins at the U-S Postal Service.  “This is our big time of year, of course, and we ask our carriers to be really careful in ice and snow, not only on the roads and streets but in delivering the mail to residential houses,” Watkins says.

Iowa residents play a key role in helping letter carriers to stay safe.  “We’ve asked our customers across the state to clear as much snow and ice as they safely can from around their walkways, their steps, their porches and, in particular, around their rural mailboxes,” Watkins says, “because we’re trying to get these Christmas packages to our customers in time for Christmas.”

He says the postal service is seeing a welcome boost in package volume during these final days of the year, an increase of 12-to-15-percent. “That’s certainly good news for the postal service, that we get this extra business, but this weather’s not doing anything to help us,” Watkins says. “That’s where our customers can come in and help get that mail and those packages delivered on time.”

If a snowplow has come along and piled snow along your roadside mailbox, he also asks that you clear a path so the mail truck can reach it.

(Radio Iowa)

Some Iowa families followed their traditions and picked out Christmas trees this past weekend, decking them out with shiny ornaments and colorful lights. Ron Humphrey, spokesman for the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office, says it’s vital to keep the tree well hydrated.  “A dry tree, a pine tree or an evergreen, have a lot of oils in them and as they dry out, they can catch fire and burn very quickly and very hot,” Humphrey says. “It’s important to keep them healthy and have plenty of water.”

The fire marshal’s website features a video that shows how quickly two separate trees can go up in flames, one that’s fresh, the other that’s dried out. While the tree may be beautiful and full of sentiment, he says it’s a wise move to plan to take it down later this week.  “Once Christmas is over, the best thing is to get rid of it as soon as possible, get it out of the home,” Humphrey says. “They will only last so long, even if you do keep it watered, they’re not going to stay fresh for very long.”

A few other suggestions: when stringing lights, make sure the cords aren’t frayed, also, never use lighted candles on or near a tree. Learn more about Christmas tree safety at the National Fire Protection Association website at www.nfpa.org

(Iowa News Service)