STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says it’s assisting the Iowa Lottery in reviewing a possible fraudulent claim of a $250,000 winning lottery ticket. Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer says an individual attempted to cash the ticket in Storm Lake on June 17. But the back of the ticket was covered with ink scribbles, making it difficult to read the signature and raising suspicions. The prize hasn’t been paid.

The instant-scratch ticket is part of the “$250,000 Riches” game the lottery began selling in March. Players scratch off a film covering a column of numbers on the front of the ticket. If a number matches a separate scratched-off section, players can win up to $250,000. Iowa Lottery officials require every winning ticket to be signed, legally purchased, possessed and presented.

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Sioux City, Iowa, man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting two men with his sport utility vehicle in Nebraska, causing one man to lose part of his left leg. The Sioux City Journal reports 47-year-old Ruben Vela entered the plea Thursday at his arraignment in Dakota County District Court. He’s been charged with first- and second-degree assault, failure to stop at the scene of an injury accident and two counts of criminal mischief.

Prosecutors say Vela argued with other men on June 6 at a South Sioux City hotel. Authorities say he then drove his SUV into a parked car, forcing it against a hotel wall and pinning two men standing behind the car. One of the men had to have his lower left leg amputated.

The Iowa State Patrol has released details of an early morning collision between two semi-tractor trailers that shut down a portion of Interstate 80 for about 4 hours Thursday. At 5:16am a 2015 Volvo Tractor-Trailer driven by 31-year-old Amit Chahal of Bakersfield, CA was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 at approximately the 86 mile-marker when his trailer began to sway and he lost control due to the rain.  The tractor-trailer jack-knifed and rolled onto the passenger side blocking all lanes of traffic as it came to rest facing north.

Due to the trailer being on it’s side an approaching 1999 Freightliner driven by 54-year-old Jeffrey Figgens of Omaha was unable to see any lights or reflectors and struck the undercarriage of the trailer.  The Freightliner came to rest on the shoulder after the collision.

Figgins was transported to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines with unknown injuries by Stuart EMS.

No further details have been released at this time.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Massena resident after a traffic stop on Thursday.  At 10:30am deputies arrested 54-year-old Kelly Erickson of Massena after a traffic stop for a passenger with no seat belt.  Erickson was the driver and was charged with having no valid drivers license, no interlock device, and failure to file SR-22 insurance.  Bond was set at $2,050.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Mega Millions jackpot has increased to $540 million, as brisk ticket sales fuel the estimated jackpot for Friday’s drawing. Paula Otto is executive director of the Virginia Lottery and lead director for Mega Million. She says sales leading up to Friday’s drawing have exceeded expectations resulting in the jackpot adjustment.

Friday’s drawing will be the 35th since Mega Millions had a winner – the longest rollover stretch in the game’s history. Otto says that since the last winner in March, Mega Million tickets sales have exceeded $1 billion. Sales prior to the last drawing on Tuesday night also were higher than expected, at around $107 million. Sales were anticipated to hit $80 million.

Tickets are sold in 45 jurisdictions including 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U. S. Virgin Islands.