A car fire on Highway 59 this (Monday) morning caused minor injuries to the driver and backed up traffic for a little over 30 minutes. According to Defiance Fire Chief Al Wilwerding, the call came in around 7-am for a Pontiac sedan that was on fire between 1700th and 1800th Street.

Defiance and Irwin Fire Departments were on the scene when the car was fully engulfed in flames. Wilwerding says the fire started inside the car. “There were two people, an older couple, in the car and he said he thought it started underneath the driver seat or the driver seat and passenger seat.”

The names of the occupants were not released and the cause of the fire is unknown. The chief says the car was completely destroyed by the fire. The lone injuries were some burns to the drivers’ hands. Wilwerding said he was treated at the scene. A dollar amount on the damage to the vehicle was not given.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s assisted with traffic enforcement for the 45 minutes the departments were extinguishing the fire.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The candidates in Iowa’s third district congressional district may not be set yet. Brad Zaun is the candidate who got the most votes in the June 3rd Republican Primary, but he failed to win the G-O-P nomination that day because he didn’t win at least 35 percent of the vote. Over 500 delegates at a special nominating convention on June 14th selected David Young as the G-O-P candidate to face Democrat Staci Appel this fall. Now, Zaun may run as an independent candidate. Zaun floated the idea on his Facebook page over the holiday weekend, saying Republicans had “lost their way” — and Zaun ended that sentence with an exclamation point.

“To some extent, this smacks of sour grapes,” says Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford. Goldford says Zaun was fine with the rule that a candidate needed 35 percent of the primary vote to win when he first ran for congress four years ago. “There’s something somewhat self-serving about his objections to the rules. The rules are the rules. If you don’t get 35 percent of the vote in a primary — if no one does — it does to a convention,” Goldford says. “In 2010 with a slightly different district he had something like 42 percent of the vote in a multi-candidate race and even though he didn’t have 50 percent-plus-one — a majority — that didn’t seem to bother him in terms of accpeting the nomination back then.”

Zaun, as an independent candidate, could siphon votes away from the Republican nominee in the third congressional district.  “Any time you have a very tight race and the third district may well be a tight race, a feather on the scale can make the difference,” Goldford says. The latest data shows Iowa’s third congressional district has a slight voter registration edge for the G-O-P. There are seven-thousand more registered Republicans than Democrats in the 16-county district. In 2012, however, Barack Obama got more votes than Mitt Romney did in the district.

Shortly after losing the nominating convention, Zaun sent an email message to his supporters, asking them to back David Young’s candidacy. On the 4th of July, though, Zaun posted this message on Facebook: “As we celebrate Independence Day there is several of my friends that are encouraging me to switch to an Independent. What do you think? Very frustrated as Republicans lost their way!” Zaun has not returned phone calls seeking clarification or comment.

(Radio Iowa)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – If you get a call from an area code not familiar to you, that may be because it’s brand new. Nebraska’s new 531 area code will soon be used for new lines in the eastern third of the state. The state Public Service Commission said Monday that phone companies are running out of numbers in the 402 area code. Regulators began planning for the new area code roughly a decade ago.

Cullen Roberts with the state Public Service Commission says a number of the last 402 prefixes were assigned this spring when a phone company started offering new services. The new 531 area code will be overlaid on top of the 402 area, so current 402 customers won’t be forced to switch phone numbers.

But all calls in the area will require the area code plus the seven-digit telephone number.

Sheriff’s officials in Audubon County report three arrests over the holiday weekend. 18-year old Tyler Ray Osborn, of Walnut, was arrested at around 2-a.m. Saturday on charges that include Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The charges stem from a traffic stop on Main Street, in Exira. Osborn was cited and released. He’s set to appear in court Thursday morning.

Also arrested Saturday in Audubon County, was 22-year old Dilan Seth Olesen, of Audubon. OIesen was taken into custody at around 10-p.m. following a traffic stop in Exira. He’s been charged with OWI/3rd offense, Driving While Revoked and Open Container. Olesen later appeared before the magistrate and was released, with a preliminary hearing set for July 24th.

And on Sunday, deputies in Audubon County arrested 19-yearold Jesse James Svoboda, of Audubon. The young man was charged with OWI/1st offense, and Possession of Alcohol. He was later released for custody after appearing before a magistrate. Olesen is set to appear for his preliminary hearing on July 24th.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) – A meteorologist at a Detroit-area television station has been injured in a fireworks accident in Iowa. WXYZ-TV says its chief meteorologist, Dave Rexroth, on Wednesday is to undergo surgery that will begin the process of implanting a prosthetic eye.

According to the station, Rexroth lost sight in his left eye during a fireworks mishap Friday night that occurred while he was vacationing with his family in Iowa City. In response to a request for information on the incident, an Iowa City police spokesman said he doesn’t have a report that lists Rexroth’s name.

WXYZ says Rexroth is expected to recover by September. General manager Ed Fernandez says Rexroth and his family have the station’s “full support during this difficult time,” and he looks forward to Rexroth’s return.

Police in Atlantic arrested a local man Sunday. Officials say 36-year old Richard Smith, of Atlantic, was taken into custody on a warrant charging him with Domestic Abuse. Smith was booked into the Cass County Jail.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will meet this (Tuesday) morning in Greenfield. During their 9-a.m. session, the Board will discuss and possible act on: Township clerk wages; A Township Clerk/Trustee Questions Resolution, and a Courtyard Use Permit.

At 9:15, Sheriff Brad Newton is expected to present information with regard to the hiring of Jeff Vandewater as deputy, and at 9:30, a public hearing will be held with regard to the proposed plans, specifications, form of contract and cost estimate for a Secondary Roads Department Office Building.

Bids for the proposed 3,500 square foot building have reportedly come in much higher than estimated, with $646,656 being the lowest bid. The County bonded $600,000 for the project, which was estimated to cost $450,000. The Board is expected to reject all bids and find ways to reduce the cost of the building.

(Updated 10-a.m.)

A fireworks accident in a subdivision on the southeast side of Council Bluffs Friday night caused serious injuries to an adult male. Pottawattamie County Jeff Danker told KJAN News the incident happened at a party at around 10:30-p.m. at a party located at 13660 220th Street.

Danker says a man in his 30’s had an M-80 firecracker explode in his hand as he attempted to light it. The device severed the hand at the wrist. The victim was flown by helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for treatment of “Very severe injuries.”

The victim was later identified as 30-year old Cole Mayer, of Council Bluffs. Bystanders placed tourniquets on Mayer’s arm to try and stop the bleeding. Crews with Lewis Township Fire and Rescue responded to the scene to treat Mayer as well, before he was loaded onto the chopper. The incident remains under investigation.

M-80’s are illegal to possess in Iowa. Danker says he hasn’t seen any here in quite a while. They’re about 2 inches long and cylindrical. When they go off they create a very loud “bang,” and Danker says they are obviously very dangerous, as evidenced by the incident Friday night.