The Iowa State Patrol reports a total of five people were injured and three others were killed, when two vehicles ran into an overturned semi in southeast Iowa’ Henry County, early Sunday morning. The chain-reaction crash happened on Highway 34 at around 3:26-a.m.  Authorities say a 1995 Freightliner tractor trailer driven by 68-year old Wayne Salo, of Sioux City, was traveling east on Highway 34 near mile marker 230, when the semi went out of control, entered the left shoulder, and jack-knifed, coming to rest on the driver’s side blocking both lanes of eastbound travel. Soon after the semi crashed, an eastbound 2010 Mazda M3 driven by 31-year old Guylain Landa, of Cedar Rapids, and a 2011 Chrysler Town and Country van driven by 74-year old Vicki J. Morrow, of Ottumwa, both crashed into the overturned semi.

Morrow, and her passengers, 44-year old Daniel Yutzy, along with 44-year old Kathryn Yutzy, both of Bloomfield, died in the crash. Only Morrow was wearing a seat belt. 48-year old Suzanne Mast and 48-year old Henry Mast, both of Bloomfield, were injured, along with the drivers of the semi and Mazda, were transported to the hospital. Another passenger in one of the vehicles, 27-year old Shelda Florestal, of Ottumwa, was also injured.

Salo, Florestal, Landa and Henry Mast were all transported to the Henry County Health Center. Suzanne Mast, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The accident remains under investigation.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The recent extreme cold weather will kill some but not all of the insects in the area. The Quad-City Times reports area residents will still have to deal with Japanese beetles and emerald ash borers next summer.

Iowa State University entomologist Donald Lewis says the cold temperatures always kill some insects, but enough survive to repopulate the area in the next breeding cycle. Lewis says the Japanese beetles known for their voracious appetites already have grubs about 4-to-6 inches underground, so those won’t be affected by the cold air temperatures.

Lee Frelich with the University of Minnesota has done research to show that Emerald ash borers are unlikely to die off in extreme cold, but their numbers might be reduced.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Some Omaha-area school districts are installing bleeding control kits inside schools to give staff and students quick access to resources in case of an emergency, including a shooting. The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency has led the effort to get the kits into school districts, including Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska and Council Bluffs Community Schools in Iowa, The Omaha World-Herald reported. Southwest Iowa Preparedness Partners provided the funding.

The kits cost about $56 each and contain an instruction card, gauze, rubber gloves, scissors and a tourniquet that can be used to stop bleeding. The supplies could be used to address a range of injuries, from accidents in shop class or emergencies such as a school shooting, school officials said. Emergency responders typically respond quickly, but having supplies on hand can make a difference in cases with intense bleeding, said Tim Hamilton, the executive director of student and family services at the Council Bluffs district.

“The idea is if we can stop the bleed, we’re going to save a life,” he said. The Council Bluffs district has trained its health staff, teachers, support staff and some students on how to use the kits, Hamilton said. Sarpy County Sheriff Lt. Jacob Betsworth has been collaborating with CHI Health and the Gretna Community Foundation to install kits at Gretna Public Schools.

Betsworth said training people on how to stop bleeding is similar to training people in CPR.
“At some point in our history, CPR wasn’t a thing,” he said. “Now, almost everybody at some point has been exposed to it. We’re kind of going down that path here.”

A traffic stop at around 1:11-a.m. today (Sunday), in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of a man from Nebraska. Red Oak Police report 24-year old DeMarco Torrez Clayton, of Nebraska City, NE., was taken into custody for Driving While Suspended, with three withdrawals in effect. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a slightly more than $566 bond.

Police in Red Oak say three people were cited and then released, following an investigation into a reported beer party involving minors, Saturday night. Officers went to the 1200 block of N.3rd Street at around 8:25-p.m. and subsequently cited into Juvenile Court, a 16-year old for Minor in Possession of Alcohol. The teen was then released to the custody of his parents. 18-year old Addison James Bull, of Corning,along with 18-year old Jacob Christopher Cashatt, of Red Oak, were also cited for Minor in Possession. Bull was also cited for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Red Oak Police during the investigation.

At least two people were transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, Saturday morning, following a collision between a pickup and a van that was blamed on dense fog in the area. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says at the accident happened at around 11-a.m. on Highway 34 near Avenue A. A 2019 Dodge Ram pickup owned & driven by 41-year old Joshua Weston, of Red Oak, and a 2014 Chrysler van owned and driven by 29-year old Kassandra Houdek, of Stanton, were both traveling west on Highway 34. Houdek told authorities in appeared that the pickup was preparing to pass when it struck the van in the rear, center area. Weston said he observed an eastbound semi that was across the center line, and when he looked back into his lane, saw Houdek’s van directly in front of him. He was unable to avoid striking the van, and causing a  total of $8,000 damage. A passenger in the Houdek van confirmed an eastbound semi had crossed the center line.

Following the collision, both vehicles stopped on the north shoulder of Highway 34, just west of Avenue A. Red Oak Fire and Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and administered aid to the occupants of the van, who had complained of pain. Houdek and a juvenile passenger in the rear seat were transported to MCMH for treatment of possible, minor injuries. Authorities say heavy fog conditions resulting in limited range of view, are believed to have been a factor in the collision.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Red Oak Police along with Red Oak Fire and Rescue.