Two central Iowa residents were injured during a crash Friday night just off of Highway 71 near the Interstate 80 overpass, in Cass County. The Iowa State Patrol says 61-year old Patrick Luft his passenger, 60-year old Sandra Luft, both of Altoona, were hurt during the accident and transported by Medivac ambulance. Patrick Luft went to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, while Sandra Luft was transported to Iowa Methodist, in Des Moines.

Officials say the Lufts’ 2001 Ford Ranger pickup was in the left, northbound lane of Highway 71 driving past the ramp to eastbound I-80, when the vehicle stopped and backed up in the left lane. a 2008 Peterbilt semi driven by 42-year old David Wiley, of Emmetsburg, was in the right lane traveling northbound. The pickup turned right in an attempt to get onto the eastbound ramp, and in the process was struck by the semi. Both vehicles ended up in the east ditch off of Highway 71, just north of the exit ramp.

The Patrol says Wiley was not injured in the crash.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad says he will host a public hearing on a proposal that would reduce the amount of ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply. Branstad announced yesterday the hearing will be in Des Moines on January 23rd.

CLERMONT, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say four people are dead and two are injured following a vehicle collision in northeast Iowa. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office says 28-year-old Shariff Warsame was driving a Toyota van westbound Friday morning on Highway 18 northeast of Clermont. Authorities say he lost control of the vehicle and struck an eastbound Chevy truck driven by 57-year-old Tony Alan Schlee of Elgin. Warsame and three passengers were killed; 34-year-old Miski Yahye Mohamed; 53-year-old Khadijo Mohamed; and 25-year-old Maryan Kulane.

STORY CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a Missouri truck driver whose body was found near a rest stop in central Iowa. The Story County Sheriff’s Office tells Des Moines television station KCCI the 51-year-old man was found dead in his truck Wednesday night at a rest stop off Interstate 35. The driver’s name was not released on Friday.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors say they’ve dropped murder and assault charges filed against a man after a shooting on the pedestrian bridge that connects Omaha with Council Bluffs, Iowa. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Thursday that witnesses were evasive or otherwise uncooperative with investigators and prosecutors, so the case against 24-year-old Terrece Cox became impossible to prosecute.

A Shenandoah man arrested on a warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault and Child Endangerment faces an additional charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says 28-year old Nathan Daniel Binau was transported from the Shenandoah Police Department to the Page County Sheriff’s Office with regard to the warrant.

When Binau was brought to the Page County Jail and processed at around 7:50-p.m, Thursday, he was hit with the Possession charge. Binau remains in the Page County Jail where he was being held without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.