DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Drake University in Des Moines is guaranteeing that next fall’s incoming students will pay the same tuition each year until they graduate. The Des Moines Register reports Drake officials think their Drake Tuition Guarantee program is the first of its kind in the state and also among the private university’s official peer institutions.

Drake President Early “Marty” Martin says the plan is designed to help increase enrollment and improve student retention. Martin says Drake students have seen an annual average increase of 4.5 percent over the past five years.

Tuition for next fall will increase 11 percent, to nearly $39,000 for incoming students and remain the same until those students are awarded their undergraduate degrees.

Authorities in Montgomery County said Tuesday a central Iowa man thought to be armed and dangerous, and allegedly involved in an assault and the theft of a vehicle, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon, following an incident that began nearly 12 hours earlier in southwest Iowa. 30-year old Nicholas Allen Cannon, of Des Moines, was arrested at around 3:30-p.m.

Early Tuesday morning, Cannon was involved in a high-speed pursuit that began in Adams County, and ended with a crash in Red Oak. The incident began at around 3:15-a.m., when Adams County Deputies, who had stopped a separate vehicle for a traffic offense 3 miles east of the Adams/Montgomery County line, saw a vehicle drive by at about 85-miles per hour. The deputies engaged in a pursuit of the speeding car, with speeds approaching 110-miles per hour on Highway 34, as the vehicle entered Montgomery County.

As the pursuit entered Red Oak city limits, Cannon’s vehicle hit a deer. The accident resulted in the vehicle entering a ditch near the intersection of Highway 34 and Eastern Avenue. The vehicle continued westbound in the ditch and barely missed a light pole and stop sign. Cannon jumped out of the vehicle as it crossed over Eastern Avenue going about 40-to 45-miles per hour, and continued to flee on foot. The vehicle continued west across Eastern Avenue, down into the ditch and came to rest about 150-yards southwest of the intersection.

Sheriff’s K9 Units from Montgomery and Cass Counties searched for the suspect for a considerable amount of time before their efforts were called-off. At around 8-a.m., Tuesday, the Montgomery County’s Communication Center received a call regarding a theft of a cell phone from a residence located on 200th Street, about three-quarters of a mile east of Cannon’s last known location. Authorities searched the area but came up empty. They think Cannon used the stolen cell phone to contact an ex-girlfriend in the Des Moines area.

Agencies involved in the search for Cannon included Deputies with the Adams, Montgomery and Cass County Sheriff’s Offices, Cass and Montgomery County K9 Units, and Red Oak Police.

The Iowa State Patrol says a Cass County Sheriff’s Office car was struck by a passing vehicle Tuesday afternoon, but no injuries were reported. Authorities say 51-year old Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering was stopped in a construction transition area on Highway 83 at 655th Street and waiting for the pilot car, when he observed driving a maroon SUV pass the 2014 Dodge Charger Westering was driving. Westering knew the driver of the car had a revoked license.

When Westering attempted a “boot leg” turn around, his car was hit in the rear driver’s door in the eastbound lane, by a 2014 Chevy Impala driven by 40-year old Daniel Schwarte, of Wiota. The accident happened at around 12:30-p.m., Tuesday.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The third top official of Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Des Moines for conspiring to cover up campaign payments to a former Iowa state senator. Deputy campaign manager Dimitri Kesari was convicted of conspiracy and three charges related to false campaign reporting, the same charges for which a jury convicted the campaign’s chairman Jesse Benton and its manager John Tate.

WINDSOR HEIGHTS, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines suburb of Windsor Heights has adopted changes to its sidewalk ordinance, even as it prepares to make controversial changes to the way its sidewalks are laid out. The City Council approved an ordinance Monday night that sets up sidewalk maintenance schedules and ensures compliance with federal disabilities access. The council did not adopt a contentious sidewalk plan unpopular with many longtime residents.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former legislative clerk has been sentenced to more than a year in prison after he admitted to writing a threatening letter to a state lawmaker and bringing a white powder to the Capitol. U. S. Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel says 28-year-old Michael Dekota McRae was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for writing the letter in 2012 to his boss, Democratic Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad. McRae pleaded guilty in December to conveying false information concerning a biological weapon.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court chose an appropriate setting for legal arguments about the Field of Dreams movie site _ a theater. The court frequently holds oral arguments around the state and on Monday night took up a zoning dispute at the Grand Theatre in Keokuk. The case involved whether the Dyersville City Council acted properly when it rezoned property made famous by the 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner.

Autumn arrives Thursday, along with the most dangerous time of the year for car-deer collisions. A new study ranks Iowa as the fourth-worst state for such accidents. Holly Anderson, spokeswoman for Iowa’s largest auto insurer, State Farm, says the odds a driver will hit a deer in Iowa are one in 68, well above the national odds of one in 164. It’s expensive, too.

“The national cost per claim average is just under $4,000 and that is down slightly from last year,” Anderson says. “That could be from a number of factors. It could be people are hitting deer in different ways. They may be hitting the door instead of the engine.” Conditions in Iowa have improved slightly, as drivers here are about one-point-four percent less likely to collide with a deer than they were last year. Also, last year Iowa was a notch higher on the car-deer crash list at third nationally.

Deer are always a risk for motorists, but we’re heading into the worst season for collisions. “The months that a driver is more likely to collide with a deer are: November, October and December,” Anderson says. “We know that dawn and dusk are high deer traffic times, especially if you’re driving near water or woods, so we really want drivers to be on the lookout during those times.” She suggests employing the policy of “Drive 2 and 2,” for two eyes on the road and two hands on the wheel. Also, remember the phrase, “Don’t Veer for Deer.”

“If you think you’re going to come in contact with a deer, it’s better to just push your brakes,” Anderson says. “A lot of times we see people do swerve and when you’re in that situation, there could be a tree on that side, there could be oncoming traffic coming your way. You don’t want to swerve. Make sure you’re not veering off to avoid the animal. Make sure you’re pushing your brakes instead.” While Iowa ranked fourth, West Virginia tops the list of states where a deer collision is most likely for the tenth year in a row, followed by Montana at number-two and Pennsylvania, third.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Memorial Hospital Obstetrics (OB) Department will be hosting a walk to support families suffering from pregnancy loss and infant loss. The walk is titled, “Love Steps Up” and will be held on Saturday, October 15th. “As OB nurses, we work directly with patients who suffer miscarriages and still births,” said Kate Nachtman, RN. “But we’re also moms who have experienced losses, too, and we know how critical it is to feel supported and loved when you are grieving the loss of a baby.”

The event is free and open to the public. It will be held on Saturday, October 15th at 9 am at the Atlantic High School. Participants will gather and then walk on the track together. The event will conclude with a small program and balloon release.
“We encourage anyone to attend who has been impacted by a loss,” said Kate. “Our goals are to create awareness and to also strengthen our community by showing our support to these families.”

There is no registration or fee for the event, but any questions can be directed to the CCMH OB Department at 712-250-8862.