Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that Sunday evening, the Fremont County K9 Unit stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation in the 3200 block of Highway 2. During the course of the stop two people were taken into custody for drug possession. 56 year old Scott Blackman and his wife, 55 year old Brenda Blackman both of Sioux City,IA, were found to be in possession of Methamphetamine and Marijuana.

Scott Blackman

Brenda Blackman

Scott Blackman was arrested for felony Possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana 3rd or subsequent, possession of drug paraphernalia, and Driving Revoked. Brenda Blackman was arrested for Possesssion of Methamphetamine and marijuana. Both parties were transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center. Scott Blackman’s bond was placed at just over $7,866, while Brenda’s was placed at $2,000.

A woman from eastern Iowa died Sunday evening, when a deer struck by an SUV crashed through the passenger side windshield of the vehicle and struck her. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Toyota RAV4 driven by 24-year old Amy Kathleen Smith, of West Des Moines, was traveling eastbound on Highway 30 at Q Avenue, in Tama County, when the vehicle hit a deer at around 5:20-p.m..

The animal went through the windshield and struck a passenger, 57-year old Donna Kathleen Smith, of Walford, causing fatal injuries. Smith died at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has pleaded guilty to four charges related to the starvation death of his 16-year-old adopted daughter. The Des Moines Register reported 43-year-old Marc Ray pleaded guilty Friday to child endangerment resulting in death and three counts of third-degree kidnapping. The kidnapping charges were for the three children in his care whom he illegally confined in their Perry home.

Ray reached the deal with prosecutors. He’d previously been charged with first-degree murder and other offenses. The charges stem from the May 2017 death of Sabrina Ray, who weighed only 56 pounds when she died. A trial for Ray’s wife, 40-year-old Misty Bousman-Ray, is scheduled for Feb. 4 in Sioux City. The trial was moved to Woodbury County because of pretrial publicity.

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Saturday evening, of 42-year old James Teague, Jr., of Benton. Teague was arrested at his home on a Dallas County warrant for two counts of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd degree/Forcible Rape – a Class B felony. He was being held without bond  in the Dallas County Jail.

James Teague, Jr. (Dallas County S/O photo)

Additional details concerning his arrest were not released.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota-based poultry producer is recalling more than 164,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products that may be contaminated with salmonella. The Jennie-O Turkey Store products have markings saying to use or freeze by Nov. 12 or 13. The recall includes plain ground turkey and turkey with taco or Italian seasonings. The products were shipped to 17 states, including Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Food safety officials are worried that some contaminated turkey may be in people’s freezers. The recalled products have the tag P-579 marked on the lower left corner of the front of the package .
The USDA says the recall was part of an investigation into a November salmonella outbreak that involved 216 patients in 38 states.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — School districts throughout the U.S. are struggling to find school bus drivers, a challenge that has worsened with low unemployment and a strong economy. The problem has become so severe that some districts are offering sign-up bonuses for new drivers, while others rely on mechanics, custodians and other school employees to fill the gap. For parents and students, the shortage can mean longer waits for a ride to school and more crowded buses.

The shortage stems from a variety of factors, including limited work hours and high barriers to entry. Drivers generally need a commercial driver’s license, which requires training, sometimes without pay, said Mike Martin, executive director of the National Association of Pupil Transportation. “Unless you have something to fill in the gaps (between drives), you can’t make the money you need to support your family,” Martin said. “These days, most people are looking for some kind of regular, full-time hours.”  He said also, many districts require split morning and afternoon shifts for their drivers, which some consider a hassle. Keeping an eye on noisy children while facing away from them can be difficult as well.

In Iowa’s Southeast Polk Community School District, transportation director Daniel Schultz said the persistent shortage has grown worse in the suburban Des Moines district because there aren’t as many retired farmers, a group that commonly took the job for extra income. Now, the district relies on 51 drivers — mostly retirees and stay-at-home parents — to transport roughly 3,400 students to and from school each day. Even with administrators and bus mechanics filling in, the shortage has also resulted in fewer routes, more children waiting at each stop, and crowded buses. The district needs to hire six to eight more drivers, according to Schultz.

Pay starts at $19.10 an hour, followed by a $2-an-hour raise after six months, Schultz said, but the district struggles to fill open jobs. Schultz said he’s now considering a “monthly rodeo” where potential drivers could test-drive a bus in a school parking lot.