The Iowa Supreme Court says drivers can use a “prescription drug defense” in hearings to revoke their driver’s license. Teresa Bearinger drove off the road and hit a mailbox two blocks from her home in Urbandale in May of 2011. She told police she was having trouble with her prescription medication for a nuerological problem. A drug test revealed prescription drugs, but no alcohol in her system.

Iowa law allows drivers to take medications as prescribed by doctors and drive — as long as they don’t take alcohol with them. But the Iowa D-O-T said that “prescription drug defense” does not apply to administrative hearings on license revocations, and revoked Bearinger’s license. The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says the justices do not believe the legislature intended to withhold the prescription-drug defense for an administrative license revocation, and ordered the revocation reversed.

(Radio Iowa)

The Board of Regent’s search for a new superintendent for the specials schools for the blind and deaf should be close to completion by early next month. Regent Nicole Caroll leads the search committee and told the board this week that a search firm has helped them identify possible candidates.

“A job description is now being drafted and will be review by the committee at its April 2nd meeting. And also at that April 2nd meeting, the committee will finalize interview questions and procedures, and the applications received will be review, and candidates to be interviewed by the committee will be identified,” Caroll says. The search committee will then narrow down its choices.

“The committee is planing to interview the finalists on April 9th and determine which ones to refer to this board for final interviews and a decision,” Carroll says. The new superintendent will replace Patrick Clancy who is retiring. Clancy began as superintendent of the school for the blind in Vinton in 2008 and added the same position for the school for the deaf in Council Bluffs in April of 2012.

(Radio Iowa)

DELOIT, Iowa (AP) — Funeral arrangements have been scheduled for the two longtime friends who were believed to be the victims of homicide on a rural western Iowa farm. KCAU-TV says services for 81-year-old Alice Huisenga will be Saturday afternoon at Wheatland Presbyterian Church outside of Breda. The funeral for 80-year-old Marvin Huesling will be Monday at Holy Spirit Catholic Churchin Carroll.

Their bodies were found inside a burning building on the farm in Deloit, about 60 miles southeast of Sioux City. Three people have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with the deaths. They are 19-year-old Jayden Chapman, 36-year-old Erika Haberberger-Dains and 26-year-old Michael Schenk, all of Denison.

Police say the suspects were likely on the property to steal scrap metal.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Thursday of a Griswold woman. 28-year old Sarah Beth Ewing was taken into custody on charges of OWI 1st Offense and Child Endangerment. Ewing was brought to the Cass County Jail and released Friday (Today) on $3,000 bond.

A Des Moines man who led authorities on a high-speed chase last weekend from Atlantic to Audubon, was arrested Thursday afternoon, on an outstanding warrant out of Audubon County filed by a Cass County Deputy. Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson says 40-year old Richard Randall Eatwell has been charged with Felony Eluding, Operating While Under the Influence of Drugs, Reckless Driving, Unsafe Passing and Passing on the Wrong Side.

The charges stem from a pursuit that began on the northern outskirts of Atlantic Sunday evening and ended with Eatwell’s arrest about 30-minutes later on the north side of Audubon. During the chase, speeds topped 120-miles per hour. Eatwell faces charges in Cass County that include OWI/Narcotics-related, Reckless Driving and Eluding.

Following his arrest on Thursday, Eatwell was transported from Cass to Audubon County, where he was seen by a magistrate. His preliminary hearing is set for April 3rd. Eatwell is being held in jail awaiting transportation to Polk County where he was wanted on a warrant for a parole violation.