A woman from central Iowa and a man from Adair died as the result of a crash this (Saturday) morning, one mile east of Anita on White Pole Road.

The Iowa State Patrol says 27-year old Tara Norton of West Des Moines and 70-year old James Snyder, of Adair died in the crash. 63-year old Constance Snyder was injured and flown to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.

The crash happened at around 8:10-a.m., as Norton was traveling westbound on White PoleRoad in a 2005 Buick Lesabre. When the car drifted onto the shoulder, Norton overcorrected, causing the vehicle to veer into the eastbound Lane, where it collided with a 2015 Dodge Caravan driven by Constance Snyder.

Both vehicles ended up in the South ditch. Tara Norton died at the scene. James Snyder died at the Cass CountyMemorial Hospital.

The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by Cass County Sheriff’s deputies, Atlantic Police, Medivac Ambulance, Anita Rescue, Wiota 1st Responders. and Adair Fire and Rescue.

w/ Chris Parks

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Rescue crews from Anita and Wiota, along with Medivac Ambulance, have been called to a two-vehicle accident with injuries, about one mile east of Anita, on Whitepole Road. The crash was reported at around 8:12-a.m. Early indications were three people were hurt, with at least one person trapped. Med-Air1 helicopter was about to touch down near the scene as of 8:45-a.m.

No other details are currently available.

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-

A THICK SMOKE PLUME FROM A WILD FIRE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA HAS MADE ITS WAY INTO NORTHERN IOWA THIS MORNING. THE SMOKE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE SOUTH DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING AND REDUCE VISIBILITY TO 1 TO 2 MILES AT TIMES THROUGH AT LEAST 11 AM.

THIS SMOKE IS LIKELY TO CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN AIR QUALITY AND MAY RESULT IN DIFFICULT BREATHING. THOSE WITH ASTHMA OR OTHER RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS NEED TO TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO INSURE THEIR SAFETY THIS MORNING.

Deputies in Cass County today (Friday), arrested a man from Kansas on an OWI charge. 32-year old Curtis Lee Rykhus, of Winfield, KS, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. Rykhus was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on $1,000 bond.

Tickets to Iowa State men’s basketball games were hard to land for fans this year but easier for one group: legislators being entertained by University President Steven Leath. An Associated Press review shows 10 lawmakers accepted invitations to sit with Leath courtside at Hilton Coliseum, including House Speaker Linda Upmeyer and education appropriations subcommittee chairman Cecil Dolecheck.

While legislators paid a face value ranging from $25 to $50, comparable seats are open only to donors or cost far more through brokers. Lawmakers avoided fees of $4 to $6 apiece assessed on tickets bought by phone and online, the way most fans acquire them. They could also access the in-stadium sports bar usually open only to donors, where soda and appetizers are free.

Lawmakers deny the arrangement violates the gift law.

In an update to our earlier report, officials with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said today (Friday), that a person who allegedly posed as a Sheriff’s Deputy Thursday afternoon, has been identified, and “A thorough investigation is underway. The community is no longer in danger from this individual.” The Sheriff’s Office cautioned parents however, to “Please educate your children how to handle strangers approaching them. Proper training and preparation can help keep our children safe!”

Earlier, authorities had said a middle-aged male described as being approximately 5’8″ tall, heavyset with short dark brown hair and going bald approached a group of juveniles between 4:00 and 4:15 PM near the high school in Corning.

The man allegedly identified himself as a sheriff’s deputy and informed the group he was looking for a fight in progress and he was taking them to jail. The individual was driving a late 90’s or early 2000’s Chevrolet or Ford pickup black and red with a silver stripe down both sides.

The group of juveniles left the scene and the man who spoke with them drove off.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday) warned parents to monitor their kids’ usage of realistic-looking, air soft guns and make sure they’re using them responsibly. In their Facebook post, authorities showed two rifles, and asked if you could identify which one was real and which one wasn’t. The fake one almost got a person shot.

Photo from Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Authorities said “A few days ago, Deputy Grove and Deputy Gries were given this terrible scenario as a suspect reached for the top weapon. Fortunately the suspect followed the verbal commands issued by the deputies and did not brandish the weapon in their directions. Only after the suspect was taken into custody did deputies determine the weapon was an air soft rifle. The orange barrel had black electrical tape on it to make it look more realistic.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that deceased Slipknot bassist Paul Gray’s child may sue for loss of a parent’s companionship, affirming the rights of children born after a parent’s death. The ruling Friday comes in the wrongful death lawsuit that Gray’s widow filed after the heavy metal bassist died of a drug overdose in May 2010.

Brenna Gray sued several medical care providers that were treating her husband’s drug addiction. Lower courts dismissed the suit because its filing two years after Gray’s death exceeded Iowa’s statute of limitations.

The Supreme Court upheld the dismissal for Brenna Gray – but said her daughter could pursue damages. The court said the deprivation of her father’s comfort and guidance is no less real because she didn’t experience it while in utero.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $415 million, making it the largest since a record-setting prize in January. Winning numbers for the game will be drawn Saturday night, and if no one has the lucky ticket, the prize will likely grow substantially by the next drawing Wednesday.

Although $415 million is nothing to turn your nose up at, it’s far smaller than the largest-ever $1.6 billion jackpot that prompted some to wait in hours-long lines outside lottery retailers. Three people bought winning tickets for that prize in January.

Powerball is played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning are one in 292.2 million.