The Iowa State Patrol kept busy investigating three separate accidents in southwest Iowa, Sunday. One took place at around 9:30-a.m. on Interstate 680 in Pottawattamie County. Officials say the driver of a 2003 Toyota Camry, 53-year old Timothy Gurtis, of Omaha, was injured, when he lost control of the vehicle, which wound-up hitting a guardrail. The accident happened near Neola. Gurtis was transported by Neola Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, for treatment of minor injuries.

The second accident happened at around 11:25-a.m. Sunday, in Fremont County. The State Patrol says 27-year old Chance Greer, of Kansas City, MO, was traveling south on Interstate 29 when the 2000 Toyota CXL he was driving left the road, traveled into the median and struck a cable guardrail. Greer suffered minor injuries. The Patrol says alcohol was a factor in the crash, and charges are pending completion of lab results.

The third accident took place Sunday afternoon, in Mills County. The State Patrol says a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire, driven by 18-year old Hallie Fitzsimmons, of Glenwood, was traveling south on 230th Street, when the teen lost control while her vehicle as it entered a curve. The car left the road and hit a driveway entrance, before striking a fire hydrant. Fitzsimmons was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jenny Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs.

Officials say all three of the injured drivers were wearing their seat belts.

Police in Clarinda are investigating recent incidents of theft. Officials say on Monday, a resident on West Logan Street reported a Craftsman air compressor valued at $200, was taken from outside of his home during the late evening hours Saturday or early morning, Sunday. That same day, another resident reported the theft of a five-gallon gasoline container from outside of her home. The theft occurred during the same time frame the compressor was stolen.

Early Sunday afternoon, officers in Clarinda responded to a report of a vicious dog running loose in the 400 block of East Garfield Street. When they arrived, the dog, which was described as being a brown pit bull, repeatedly charged at the officers, one of whom fired his service weapon at the animal, killing it. The incident remains under investigation.

Also on Sunday, a 17-year old female reported to Clarinda Police she had been physically assaulted by an adult male and female, which she was in the area of 12th and State Streets. The teen suffered minor injuries during the incident, which  occurred sometime between six- and seven-p.m, and it remains under investigation.

And, late Friday afternoon, Police in Clarinda arrested 21-year old Justine Sheree Powers, of College Springs, on a charge of driving with a revoked license for a previous OWI conviction. Powers posted $1,000 bond and was released pending a court appearance.

A South Dakota man was critically injured during a motorcycle accident on Saturday night in Monona County. The Monona County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened at around 8-p.m., near 190^th Street and County Highway L-32 south of Mapleton. Officials say 52 year old John Haas of Rapid City, SD was traveling southbound on Hwy L-32 when he failed to negotiate a curve and lost control of his motorcycle. Haas was airlifted to Mercy Medical in Sioux City in critical condition. An update on his condition is not available.

The accident remains under investigation by the Monona County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports four people were injured during a single vehicle accident Sunday evening, north of Exira. Officials say the driver of a 2006 Chevy Equinox, 49-year old Julieanne Marie Knutsen, of Audubon, along with her passengers, 26-year old Micheal Todd Cooley, of Emmetsburg, 19-year old Tanner Lynn Knutsen and 16-year old Taylor Marie Knutsen, both of Audubon, were transported to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital by Exira Fire and Rescue.

The accident happened at around 5:15-p.m., as Knutsen was traveling north on Highway 71. The SUV left the pavement onto the shoulder. When Knutsen attempted to steer back onto the pavement, she overcorrected, sending the SUV out of control. It rolled three-times before landing on its wheels facing south, in the east ditch. The vehicle sustained $10,000 damage in the crash. Knutsen was charged with Failure to Maintain Control.

A former teacher for the Anita Community School District today (Tuesday) entered a voluntary plea of guilty to two-counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by a School Employee, Counselor or Therapist, with the intent to arouse, in violation of Iowa Law. 65-year old William Glenn Foulkes appeared in Cass County District Court in Atlantic, along with his Attorney, F. Montgomery Brown.

Brown told Fourth District Court Judge Richard H. Davidson, that he and Cass County Prosecutor Dan Feistner has reached a plea agreement in Foulkes’ case, which stipulates Foulkes would plead guilty to Counts 2 and 3 (Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee/Aggravated Misdemeanor), in exchange for a felony charge of Sexual Exploitation, and the remaining Aggravated Misdemeanor charges (Counts 4-thru 50) being dropped at Foulkes’ cost.

Foulkes admitted to kissing a juvenile female on numerous occasions while teaching the student in a math program, from August 2009 until November 11th, 2010. He resigned from his teaching position in November 2010.

Foulkes has agreed to waive his Pre-Sentence Investigation, or PSI. His sentencing was set for October 1st, 2012.  He will remain free on $50,000 bond pending his sentencing date. As part of his pending sentence, he will be required to complete a Sex Offender Treatment Program in a residential correctional facility, pay restitution to the State and Victim, and have no contact with the victim.  Foulkes will likely be required to serve two, two-year terms of supervised probation for the combined counts, with the time to be served consecutively, or back-to-back. He had faced a maximum of 103-years in prison and fines of more than $300,000. He’ll also be required to pay fines for each count ranging from $625 to $6,250, plus court costs and surcharges. Foulkes will have to register as a sex offender after his sentencing.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation are reminding campaigners of the statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the placement of political campaign signs in the state. A section of the Iowa DOT’s website is devoted to answering the most frequently asked questions about legal posting of such signs – www.iowadot.gov/iowaroadsigns/pol_sign_info.html

Iowa DOT spokeswoman Dena Gray-Fisher says “We realize that most sign violations are the result of efforts of ardent campaign supporters who are unfamiliar with the laws. Therefore, the Iowa DOT has prepared information to be used as a guide for political candidates, party chairs, campaign workers and election officials, to help them become acquainted with the laws before this year’s signs are posted.”

The Iowa DOT is urging individuals to visit the website or speak to their political headquarters to insure campaign signs are properly placed and to avoid having signs removed from the public right of way.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a Villisca man, 21-year-old Steven Lee Fitzwater, was arrested late Monday night on a Possession of Marijuana charge. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,300 bond.

The arrest of one person on a warrant late Monday night in Shenandoah, led to the arrest of another person who was also wanted on a warrant, and now faces drug charges. According to Shenandoah Police, 19-year-old Jaylenne Shepherd, of Shenandoah, was taken into custody on a warrant out of Page County for OWI first offense. At the same time, officers located and arrested 19-year-old Kevyn Koschack, of Shenandoah. He was wanted on a Page County warrant for burglary in the third degree. Both arrests occurred at around 11-p.m., in the 600 block of West Thomas Street.

In addition to the burglary warrant, Koschack also faces Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charges. He was being held in the Page County Jail on $5,000 bond. Shepherd was unable to post $1,000 bond and was also being held in the Page County Jail.