Thanks to a generous donation by the Red Oak Kiwanis Club, and the help of several volunteers, Montgomery County 4-H youth will enjoy a new activity at the 2016 Montgomery County Fair. A Gaga Ball Pit was permanently installed on Friday, July 1st at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on the south side of the 4-H Exhibit Building. A Gaga Pit is wood octagon, made up of eight sides with a 20 foot diameter court for play.

The object of the game is to use a lightweight ball to hit another player below the knees to eliminate them from the “pit”. The last person in the pit is declared the winner. “We are excited to offer a game that youth have enjoyed playing at 4-H camp for several years and now it’s right here at the Montgomery County Fair,” stated Chelsea Cousins, County Youth Coordinator at ISU Extension and Outreach Montgomery County.

“Kids of all ages, sizes and athletic ability can take part in this activity – it is an easy to catch on, face-paced game with many opportunities to be the last one standing.” The Montgomery County 4-H Youth Council plans to host a 4-H Club Tournament on Saturday, July 16 at 4:00 PM. The public is welcome attend. Pickup games will also be played throughout the week of Fair.

This project would not have been completed without the collaboration of several community players. The Red Oak Kiwanis Club fully funded the project. Thanks to Brian Carlson at the Do It Center for cutting the materials and prepping the construction site at no cost.

Thank you to 4-H parents Bob Peterson, Roger Vial and Beth Vial for coordinating and constructing the project. Thank you 4-H youth Kate Carlson, Hayden VanMeter, Colin Bruce, Alec Selberg and others for helping complete the construction of this project.

(Press Release/Montgomery County Extension)

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says it’s assisting the Iowa Lottery in reviewing a possible fraudulent claim of a $250,000 winning lottery ticket. Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer says an individual attempted to cash the ticket in Storm Lake on June 17. But the back of the ticket was covered with ink scribbles, making it difficult to read the signature and raising suspicions. The prize hasn’t been paid.

The instant-scratch ticket is part of the “$250,000 Riches” game the lottery began selling in March. Players scratch off a film covering a column of numbers on the front of the ticket. If a number matches a separate scratched-off section, players can win up to $250,000. Iowa Lottery officials require every winning ticket to be signed, legally purchased, possessed and presented.

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Sioux City, Iowa, man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting two men with his sport utility vehicle in Nebraska, causing one man to lose part of his left leg. The Sioux City Journal reports 47-year-old Ruben Vela entered the plea Thursday at his arraignment in Dakota County District Court. He’s been charged with first- and second-degree assault, failure to stop at the scene of an injury accident and two counts of criminal mischief.

Prosecutors say Vela argued with other men on June 6 at a South Sioux City hotel. Authorities say he then drove his SUV into a parked car, forcing it against a hotel wall and pinning two men standing behind the car. One of the men had to have his lower left leg amputated.

The Iowa State Patrol has released details of an early morning collision between two semi-tractor trailers that shut down a portion of Interstate 80 for about 4 hours Thursday. At 5:16am a 2015 Volvo Tractor-Trailer driven by 31-year-old Amit Chahal of Bakersfield, CA was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 at approximately the 86 mile-marker when his trailer began to sway and he lost control due to the rain.  The tractor-trailer jack-knifed and rolled onto the passenger side blocking all lanes of traffic as it came to rest facing north.

Due to the trailer being on it’s side an approaching 1999 Freightliner driven by 54-year-old Jeffrey Figgens of Omaha was unable to see any lights or reflectors and struck the undercarriage of the trailer.  The Freightliner came to rest on the shoulder after the collision.

Figgins was transported to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines with unknown injuries by Stuart EMS.

No further details have been released at this time.