A Sioux City man is jailed in Clarion after he allegedly set a house on fire early Tuesday morning. 21-year old Luis Antonio Huerta Valdez is charged with first-degree arson after setting fire to the house in the 1000 block of South Commercial in Eagle Grove. When police and firefighters arrived, they assisted the residents of the house as they jumped from second story windows.

A total of 11 people, including two police officers and a firefighter, were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to severe burns. Bond for Huerta Valdez was set at $100,000. The State Fire Marshal’s office has been called in to assist Eagle Grove authorities to further investigate the cause.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police say two people were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday. At around 10-p.m., 22-year old Wyatt Kane Bailey, of Red Oak, was arrested on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Probation Violation on an original charge of OWI/1st offense. Bailey was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond. And, Wednesday evening, Red Oak Police arrested 68-year old Raymond M. Olsen, of Red Oak, for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

This is August 11th, what’s also known as 8-1-1 Day, as Iowa homeowners are reminded about the three-digit phone number they’re required to call in advance before doing any digging in the yard. Ben Booth, spokesman for Iowa One Call, says calling 8-1-1 can help keep you safe and besides, it’s the law to call first.

Booth says, “The reason you do that is so that when you’re digging or doing any kind of excavating, you don’t come in contact with something underground, something you don’t want to hit like a natural gas pipeline or a service line, or a broadband or fiber optics cable or even a high voltage cable.” Failure to comply with the law may mean you’ll face expensive fines and civil penalties if you cause a disruption in service. More importantly, if you don’t call 8-1-1 in advance, you could be badly hurt in an incident that also places the public, property and environment in harm’s way.

“You don’t want to dig into a natural gas line or an electric line, you don’t want to contaminate your city’s water systems,” Booth says. “Here’s the deal, it’s all free. It’s a free notification, a free call or you can go online and do a ticket for free, and the service itself, the actual locating and marking of underground facilities is also free.” Most people don’t dash off and buy trees to plant on a whim and Booth says you -do- need to plan ahead.

“You must make the notification at least 48 hours in advance of digging and that excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays,” Booth says. “If you’re going to do work on the weekend, make sure you call early in the week, your yard will be marked, you’ll know where to avoid and everything’s good.” Learn more at: www.iowaonecall.com

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An aide says Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is acting as an adviser to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on agricultural issues. The Des Moines Register reports Branstad spokesman Ben Hammes released a statement Wednesday saying Branstad, “will be offering his advice on important issues to Iowa, none more important than renewable fuels.” Branstad has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Republican nominee. His son heads Trump’s Iowa campaign.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa agency has approved changes to administrative rules regarding water pollution that two groups say will weaken environmental protections. The Environmental Law & Policy Center and the Iowa Environmental Council say the Iowa Department of Natural Resources scaled back protections to Iowa’s waterways by changing its anti-degradation standards on Wednesday. Those standards help regulate how pollution is added to the water. DNR says the changes will clarify the process.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Clinton says Trump’s words could have “tremendous consequences,” calls on Republicans to support her campaign.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An internal investigation into a national jackpot-fixing scandal has concluded that a single former lottery employee was responsible for any drawings that were manipulated. The report for the Multi-State Lottery Association found that the group’s former security director, Eddie Tipton, worked independently to commit any fraud without help from current or former employees. But investigators also said they failed to determine how he pulled it off and found no smoking gun of criminal activity.

More than 200,000 crashes involved debris on U.S. roadways during the past four years, according to a new study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Road debris has resulted in approximately 39,000 injuries and more than 500 deaths between 2011 and 2014. AAA is calling for drivers to properly secure their loads to prevent dangerous debris.

AAA researchers examined common characteristics of crashes involving road debris and found that:

• Nearly 37 percent of all deaths in road debris crashes resulted from the driver swerving to avoid hitting an object. Over-correcting at the last minute to avoid debris can increase a driver’s risk of losing control of their vehicle and make a bad situation worse.
• More than one in three crashes involving debris occur between 10:00 a.m. and 3:59 p.m., a time when many people are on the road hauling or moving heavy items like furniture or construction equipment.
• Debris-related crashes are much more likely to occur on Interstate highways. Driving at high speeds increases the risk for vehicle parts to become detached or cargo to fall onto the roadway.

Jurek Grabowski, research director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said “This new report shows that road debris can be extremely dangerous but all of these crashes are preventable. Drivers can easily save lives and prevent injuries by securing their loads and taking other simple precautions to prevent items from falling off the vehicle.”

About two-thirds of debris-related crashes are the result of items falling from a vehicle due to improper maintenance and unsecured loads. Crashes involving vehicle related-debris increased 40 percent since 2001, when the Foundation first studied the issue. The most common types of vehicle debris are:

• Parts becoming detached from a vehicle (tires, wheels, etc.) and falling onto the roadway
• Unsecured cargo like furniture, appliances and other items falling onto the roadway
• Tow trailers becoming separated and hitting another vehicle or landing on the roadway

Drivers can decrease their chances of being involved in a road debris crash by:

• Maintaining Their Vehicles: Drivers should have their vehicles checked regularly by trained mechanics. Badly worn or under-inflated tires often suffer blowouts that can leave pieces of tire on the roadway. Exhaust systems and the hardware that attach to the vehicle can also rust and corrode, causing mufflers and other parts to drag and eventually break loose. Potential tire and exhaust system problems can easily be spotted by trained mechanics as part of the routine maintenance performed during every oil change.
• Securing Vehicle Loads: When moving or towing furniture, it is important to make sure all items are secured. To properly secure a load, drivers should:
  1. Tie down load with rope, netting or straps
  2. Tie large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer
  3. Cover the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting
  4. Don’t overload the vehicle
  5. Always double check load to make sure a load is secure

Currently every state has laws that make it illegal for items to fall from a vehicle while on the road. Most states’ penalties result in fines ranging from $10-$5,000, with at least 16 states listing jail as a possible punishment for offenders. AAA encourages drivers to educate themselves about specific road debris laws in their state. Drivers should also practice defensive driving techniques while on the road to prevent debris related crashes from occurring.

William Van Tassel, Manager of Driver Training Programs for AAA, says “Continually searching the road at least 12 to 15 seconds ahead can help drivers be prepared in the case of debris. Always try to maintain open space on at least one side of your vehicle in case you need to steer around an object. If you see you are unable to avoid debris on the roadway, safely reduce your speed as much as possible before making contact.”

AAA also recommends that drivers avoid tailgating and remain alert while on the road.  Additional tips on defensive driving and how to report road debris to the proper authorities are available online at AAA.com/PreventRoadDebris.