Authorities says no injuries were reported following two recent accidents in the listening area. One of the incidents happened Thursday afternoon, in Red Oak. Officials say a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 75-year old Joseph Hale, of Red Oak, was backing out of a parking stall in front of the U-S Bank on E. Reed Street, when, due to the angle and height of his truck, he was unable to see a 1996 Ford Contour driven by 20-year old Brooke Carpenter of Red Oak, as she was coming around the square. The pickup backed into the car, causing a little more than $1,500 in damage altogether. The accident happened at around 2:10-p.m. No citations were issued.

The other accident happened just before midnight, Wednesday, in Page County. Sheriff’s officials say a 1999 Ford Escort driven by 31-year old Karly Jean Glidden, of Braddyville, was traveling south in the 2800 block of  T Avenue at around 11:55-p.m., when the woman swerved to miss a deer. Her car went into the west ditch, causing damage to the front end, and resulted in both the driver’s and passenger’s side airbags deploying. The car sustained $4,500 damage. Glidden was cited for Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Businessman Mark Jacobs focused today on proposals for jobs, energy and education instead of jabs at front-runner state Senator Joni Ernst in the final debate of the 2014 GOP U.S. Senate primary. Jacobs didn’t repeat the criticisms he’s stuffed into mailboxes and aired in ads. Instead, he touted “concrete plans to create jobs”.

JEFFERSON, Iowa (AP) — A plan to build a $40 million casino in the Green County city of Jefferson drew hundreds of people to a public hearing before the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The Carroll Daily Times Herald reports about 500 people attended the five-hour hearing today, and most of the 70 speakers favored the proposal. They pointed to the estimated 325 jobs the casino would bring to the western Iowa community.

WEVER, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in southeast Iowa have arrested 12 workers at the construction site of a fertilizer plant on suspicion of identity fraud. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tells the Fort Madison Daily Democrat officers arrested the employees this afternoon as they were bused to a safety meeting for the Iowa Fertilizer Company.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a woman was receiving a driving lesson before she accidentally drove her vehicle into a Des Moines pond. Crews from the local Fire Department responded today to a pond at Water Works Park and found a white minivan partially submerged in the water. The driver and a passenger were able to escape without injury.

Iowa parents are being warned to watch for a new fad among teenagers which can have a harmful impact. It’s called “beezin” (BEE-zin) and it involves using the brand-name Burt’s Bees mint lip balm in a place where the product wasn’t designed to go. Tammy Noble is a registered nurse and spokeswoman for the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center. “Kids are applying a lip balm that contains peppermint oil and they’re applying it to their eyelids,” Noble says. “What they are thinking it’s doing is causing a drunken feeling, while other kids are claiming it helps them to stay awake.” Noble says beezin is a risky thing to do.

“The concern is that if it gets in the eye, it can be a strong irritant to the eye, so it’s going to really burn and sting like heck,” Noble says, “but also some of the problems that can be associated with the absorption of the peppermint oil.” There may also be a risk of causing a bacterial infection if the balm was also used on the lips. Knowledge is power and Noble says she wants parents to know about this sort of oddball fad.

“What I would recommend is, always be aware of what’s out there and what teens may be susceptible to trying,” Noble says, “and make sure you are talking with your kids to make sure they know the risks and the dangers of doing these types of things.” Another dangerous teen fad in recent years involves trying to eat a teaspoon full of cinnamon, which can result in a trip to the emergency room if the spice is inhaled into the lungs. The hotline for the Sioux City-based Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center is 800-222-1222.

(Radio Iowa)