(Sac City, Iowa) – A man from northwest Iowa’s Sac County was arrested Monday on sex abuse and other charges. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office reports 38-year-old Antonio Deon Pharms from Lytton, Iowa, is charged with three counts of sex abuse 2nd degree and three counts of lascivious acts with a child.

(State News) – The Iowa State Patrol is investigating three separate accidents that resulted in the deaths of three people. According to a report, 78-year-old Jerome Leach, of Fredericksburg died, when he was struck by a 1999 Toyota Camry in Chickasaw County, at around 4:45-p.m., Tuesday. The car, driven by 85-year-old Edmund Emerson, of Cedar Rapids, was traveling east on U-S Highway 18, west of Falcon Drive, when Leach was hit as he was walking on the road in Fredericksburg.

Another accident happened at around 6:50-p.m., Sunday, in Winnebago County. The State Patrol reports a 2017 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 65-year-old John Connolly, of Glennwood, MN, was pulling a two-axle trailer with benches on the Winnebago Industries lots, when the trailer became unhitched. The tongue of the trailer traveled backwards, sapping the safety chain. 76-year-old Joyce Engstrom, of Frontena, MN, who was a passenger of the trailer, tried to jump off, but was drug under the trailer. She later died from her injuries.

And a man walking on the shoulder of U-S Highway 30 in Cedar County, was struck and killed by a 2004 Ford Expedition, Tuesday. The accident happened at around 11:25-p.m.  The State Patrol says the unidentified victim was walking on the south shoulder of the highway, when for reasons unknown he crossed the road before being hit by the SUV. The name of the SUV’s driver was being held withheld while the accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has unveiled a new logo and slogan for the state of Iowa. Governor Reynolds calls it a “brand mark.” It features IOWA in big blue capital letters. The O is filled in with yellow to depict the sun, green to signify the landscape and a white winding road. Three words — FREEDOM TO FLOURISH — are printed below.

“The road to the horizon in the letter O is a familiar scene in Iowa and one that represents a journey to opportunity,” Reynolds says. “The tag line, ‘FREEDOM TO FLOURISH,’ communicates a motivating message that in Iowa, you can reach your potential.” Last fall, the state hired FleishmanHillard, a public relations agency based in Kansas City, to work on a unified state brand.

“It included state agencies, directors, communications teams from across state government who really helped inform the development of the unified brand strategy for our state,” Reynolds said, “and one that will not only attract visitors, but opportunity seekers of all types.” Some state agencies began using this new logo yesterday (Tuesday) and others will as old stationary is used up and new letterhead is ordered. “We conducted research that included Iowans and other neighboring states and beyond to ensure that the logo and the tag line would connect with people in the right way,” Reynolds said, “and it did.”

The new logo and “FREEDOM TO FLOURISH” slogan soon will be seen on road signs that welcome motorists as they drive into Iowa from neighboring states. The current design for signs at 68 different locations along Iowa’s border crossings was unveiled at the 1999 Iowa State Fair by Governor Tom Vilsack. They say: “The People of Iowa Welcome You” at the top. There’ a sunrise and a green swoosh to symbolize the horizon in the middle along with the words: “Iowa” and “Fields of Opportunities.”

In 1970, Governor Robert Ray unveiled the “Iowa: A Place to Grow” slogan along with a clover leaf symbol that Ray said depicted growth in all directions.