Sheriff’s officials in Audubon County today (Tuesday) released details about a tractor-trailer rollover accident that took place Monday afternoon, northeast of Exira. Authorities say the driver of the semi, 32-year old Shawn David Irvine, of Clearmont, MO., was transported by private vehicle to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, following the accident that took place at around 3:30-p.m. on Pheasant Avenue, near 280th Street, or about three-miles northeast of Exira.

The Sheriff’s Dept. says Irvine was traveling south over the posted speed limit in a 2013 Peterbilt tractor-trailer registered to Sioux Valley Transport, L-L-C, of Estherville, when he entered a curve in the road. A load of market hogs shifted in the trailer, causing the semi to roll over onto the shoulder of the road. About 60 hogs died in the crash.

The semi sustained an estimated $100,000 damage. Irvine was charged with Failure to Maintain Control. The Iowa State Patrol and Exira Fire and Rescue assisted at the accident scene.

The Iowa Soybean Association’s board of directors has voted unanimously to spend 150-thousand dollars to help Sac, Buena Vista and Calhoun counties defend themselves against a federal lawsuit brought by the Des Moines Water Works. Association C-E-O Kirk Leeds says the organization supports the three northwest Iowa counties because the suit could impact farmers statewide and this will bring a quicker end to the case.

“We ultimately think we’re going to be successful in throwing this case out,” Leeds says. “If you look around the country and certainly look around Iowa and the work we’re doing in Cedar Rapids, for example, it’s a great example of farmers and urban folks working together.” He says the court action takes away from the cooperative and proactive approach farmers have taken on water quality and nutrient management.

Leeds says, “It’s unfortunate because it certainly has distracted many of us from the work that was going on before and that continues but certainly at a distracted pace as relates to cleaning up the water and and improving nitrogen management.” He says the suit is also hurting efforts by farmers and the utility itself from implementing programs and practices to address water quality.

“It has taken dollars away from those programs, not only for farmers and farm organizations and the counties but also Des Moines Water Works,” Leeds says. “Before this is said and done, this first round in the lawsuit will have over $3-million invested in legal fees.” That’s money he says could have been invested in improving the water works’ facilities and in helping farmers to make the needed changes.

The lawsuit filed in March of 2015 charges the county supervisors allegedly allowed nitrates coming from 10 drainage districts to pollute the Raccoon River, a primary water source for 500,000 customers in Des Moines. The case is scheduled to go to trial in June of 2017.

(Radio Iowa)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa woman who duped dozens of people into buying non-existent tickets to the Super Bowl and other high-profile events has been charged with fraud. The federal charges of mail and tax fraud against Ranae Van Roekel of Boyden, Iowa come four years after her alleged scheme became public. A document filed Monday charges Van Roekel with fraudulently obtaining more than $531,000 from customers between 2008 and 2012.

Prosecutors say Van Roekel falsely claimed to have access to tickets, hotel rooms and VIP passes at deep discounts due to personal connections, once claiming she was on the Super Bowl planning committee. After collecting money, she told customers she couldn’t fill most of the orders. She often targeted customers that she had contact with through youth sports.

The Missouri State Patrol says a woman from Page County was injured during a crash Saturday night, in Nodaway County, MO. 19-year old Carrie L. Beason, of Clarinda, who was wearing her seat belt, was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Maryville, MO., following the single-vehicle accident that happened at around 11:30-p.m., Saturday.

Officials say Beason was traveling west on 330th Street in a 1999 Ford Escort, when her car left the north side of the road and began to slide. The car then struck an embankment and rolled over, coming to rest on the driver’s side, facing north.

A man from Page County died following a crash Monday afternoon, in northwest Missouri. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, 52-year old Todd M. Pedersen, of Clarinda, who was wearing his seat belt, died in a collision with a semi in Nodaway County, MO. The accident happened at around 12:10-p.m. on Highway 71.

Authorities say Pedersen was traveling south in a 2005 Chevy Impala, when for reasons unknown, his car cross the center line of the road, into the path of a northbound 2013 International semi, driven by 55-year old Donald Root, of Punkhannock, PA.  Root was not injured in the crash.

Following the impact, the car skidded off the north shoulder of the road and came to rest in the ditch. The semi came to rest on its wheels off the south side of the road.

AMES, Iowa – July 19, 2016 – The Iowa Department of Transportation is conducting a planning study of Interstate 80. The study will be developed and released through a series of technical reports that identify the existing condition of I-80, the way the system is performing, short- and long-term issues, and strategies to improve the route. Each report will be accessible online as it becomes available on the Iowa DOT’s I-80 Planning Study website at: www.iowadot.gov/interstatestudy.

An online meeting is now available to view on the website. To view the meeting, select the “Public Meetings” tab, and then select “Meeting 1.” The meeting was recorded allowing persons to view it at any time and will be available on the website throughout the duration of the planning study.

The Iowa DOT is asking interested parties to take a few minutes to view the online public meeting and review the information on the website. The website also offers a way for those interested to receive future emails or text messages regarding the study. Use the “Stay Connected” link on the I-80 Planning Study website to sign up.

For information regarding the study, contact the Iowa DOT’s Office of Location and Environment, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010, phone 515-239-1225 or email DOT-I-80Planning@dot.iowa.gov. To submit a comment online about this project, go to: http://bit.ly/I80Comment.

The Iowa DOT will be using the hashtag #I-80IowaPlan and you can use that key phrase to find relevant tweets about the planning study. When posting to Twitter or Facebook about the planning study, please use #I-80IowaPlan and reference @iowadot in your post.

DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags in Iowa remain flown at half-staff in accordance with the presidential proclamation extension issued until sunset, Friday, July 22, to honor police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who were killed in the line of duty on Sunday, July 17th. This directive follows a presidential proclamation that was released by the White House on Monday night.

The governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. Flags will be at half-staff on the state Capitol building and on flag displays in the Capitol complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

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

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Creston Police say a resident in the 1100 block of W. Adair Street reported Monday, that someone had slashed both passenger side tires on his vehicle, which was parked outside his home. The incident, which happened sometime between 6:30-p.m. Sunday and 9-a.m. Monday, resulted in a loss of about $210.

And, on June 27th, a resident of the 700 block of S. Poplar Street in Creston, reported someone had entered her home by kicking in a door. Nothing was reported missing. The incident happened sometime between June 26th and 27th.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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