(Monroe County, Iowa) – A crash between two pickups in southern Iowa Friday afternoon left one of the drivers dead, the other injured. Both men were from Albia. The Iowa State Patrol reports a pickup driven by 22-year-old Cody Christopher Kosman was traveling south on 655th Avenue (a gravel road) north of Albia at around 2:45-p.m. A pickup driven by 26-year-old Jonathan Michael Bedell was traveling north 655th, following a truck that was kicking up gravel dust.

The dust created a low visibility situation. The 2004 Chevy Silverado driven by Kosman passed by the truck and entered the dust on the front driver’s corner. The vehicle collided with a 2011 Silverado, driven by Bedell. Kosman died at the scene. Bedell was transported to the Monroe County Hospital by ambulance. Neither man was wearing a seat belt.

(Radio Iowa) – A rural Merrill man who was convicted last month of first-degree murder in the death of his stepson was sentenced this (Friday) afternoon to life in prison. Eighty-four-year-old Thomas Knapp, was found guilty of the shooting death of 51-year-old Kevin Juzek in May, 2020, at Knapp’s home near Merrill.

Knapp was also sentenced to up to ten years for willful injury in Juzek’s death. He was ordered to pay 150-thousand dollars in restitution to Juzek’s estate. Charges against Knapp for injuring his wife, Darlene, in the same incident, brought a sentence of five years in prison.

Knapp was given the opportunity to speak before sentence was handed down. He declined to do so.

(Radio Iowa) – The Republican candidate for state treasurer says if elected, he’ll be an advocate for more state tax cuts. Republican Roby  Smith of Davenport has served in the state senate for the past 12 years. “Most people don’t realize this, but at the Capitol, the treasurer’s office can actually go in and for each bill, they can register for or against the bill,” Smith said. “The largest tax cut in the history of Iowa in this year, 2022, the treasurer’s office didn’t register — didn’t register for that.”

The Democratic incumbent says his responsibility as state treasurer is managing the state’s money and keeping it safe. Democrat Michael Fitzgerald has been state treasurer since 1983. “Now if the legislators and the governor want to increase taxes or decrease taxes, that’s their decision,” Fitzgerald says. “It’s not something that directly affects programs we run in the state treasurer’s office.” Smith is accusing Fitzgerald of mismanaging “College Savings Iowa” — a so-called five-29 (529) program which lets parents and grandparents set aside money tax-free for a child’s education.

Smith cites a recent report from an agency that rates investments like mutual funds. “Morningstar rating agency out of Chicago rated the 529s all throughout the country and Iowa’s was downgraded. It was downgraded from a C to a D,” Smith says. “It is one step away from failing.” Fitzgerald says Morningstar analysts misunderstood some of the investment options in College Savings Iowa.

“Our program has been solid for 24 years,” Fitzgerald says. “We explained it to them just a couple of weeks ago. I think you’re going to see an upgrade in another couple of weeks.”

The candidates made their comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.