(Rock Rapids, Iowa) – A collision between a semi and a car Thursday afternoon east of Rock Rapids in northwest Iowa’s Lyon County, resulted in the death of a woman from Sioux County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 71-year-old Carol Jo Fliear, of Matlock, Iowa, died from her injuries at a hospital, after the 2016 Ford Taurus she was driving – for unknown reasons – crossed the center line of eastbound Highway 9 and struck a 2007 Freightliner semi, head-on, at the intersection withK60/Indian Avenue. The accident happened at around 12:37-p.m.

The driver of the semi, 64-year-old Gregory Marvin Krieger, of Sibley, declined treatment at the scene. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – With school letting out soon, thousands of Iowa teenagers are starting to apply for their first-ever summer jobs and they may need to be aware of some common scams. Consumer advocate Michael Domke says one con that’s been making the rounds is to have a new employee cash a check and then pay back some of the money.  “To take that money and pay a vendor who they need for training or IT resources,” Domke says, “and in essence, that check was fake and then they’re taking out of their own account.”

Teens of various ages are only allowed to work a certain number of hours per week, so new workers will need to know those rules and make sure they’re not being asked to work too much. Mystery shopping might sound like an ideal job for some Iowa teens, but Domke says you need to do a little research first.  “In reality, very, very few of those mystery shopping jobs are legitimate,” he says, “and how the scam works there is they get you to pay upfront, whether it be $20 or $40, and that is kind of your enlistment fee.”

Domke says no legitimate job will require you to pay to sign up or to apply for a position.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University student who’s graduating with a psychology degree this weekend is also leaving Ames with a new title, Steak Cookoff Association World Champion. Marissa Ouverson grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where barbecuing meat is something of an art form. During the pandemic, she decided to try her own skills at the grill, going on the road for six months and entering 54 competitions. “I got four first place, I had 26 or 24 Top 10s, and I finished 12th in the world in the points chase, and then I had the 2022 Worlds and I won the whole thing!” Ouverson says. “So, I was the youngest to ever win it and then I was also the first female. Knowing that I made history in multiple ways is awesome.”

When she was younger, Ouverson accompanied her father and older brother as they traveled to barbecue competitions, so she was a natural. Ouverson says her mother took time off from her flight attendant job to accompany her to steak grilling competitions across the country, all the while staying current with her I-S-U studies. “Her and I pretty much just packed up the car and we were on the road for six months,” Ouverson says. “It was because I was able to do everything online. I had her and my dad to really take me around everywhere and go with me so that I wasn’t alone the whole time. I got so close to my family. We have always been super close, but I mean, we got to do everything together.”

Marissa Ouverson (Photo from bbqnewsletter.com)

Her victory at the world competition in Texas led to sponsorships, prize money, and even her own online cooking class. “Here we are now and I haul a giant trailer around everywhere now,” she says. “What it turned into was wild. It’s mind blowing.” As she preps for graduation, Ourverson is focusing on the next stage of her life, using her degree to help people struggling with mental health. “I wanted to do psychology,” she says. “I wanted to help people and so I am focusing on suicide counseling, specifically for teens, and then I might end up actually going over to veterans.”

While the competition circuit may be on the back burner, Ouverson says she wants to continue improving her grilling craft — even though she’s already tops in the world and has a trophy and a ring to prove it.

A man from Harlan was struck by a vehicle Thursday evening in Montgomery County, and later died. The accident occurred at around 6:45-p.m. in a construction area. . The Sheriff’s Office reports Brian Kelly Parker was treated by First Responders at the scene of the incident on Highway 34 at Evergreen Avenue. After being treated, Parker was transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The vehicle that struck Parker was traveling east on Highway 34 and approaching the lane transition area in the construction zone. Shawn Dale Kammerer, of Red Oak, failed to obey the traffic control sign before the accident occurred. The incident remains under investigation.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Red Oak Police, Red Oak Fire & EMS, the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, Montgomery County Dispatch, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol.

A report of a suspicious person walking on Highway 71 in Montgomery County at around 6:50-a.m., Thursday, resulted the suspect taken into custody after he fled on foot into a field.  The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Dylan J, Hanson, of Red Oak, was being approached for questioning by a Deputy, when he took off. Hanson was apprehended without further incident and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and Interference with Official Acts. He was being held without bond, pending an initial appearance before a magistrate.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by personnel with the Iowa State Patrol and Montgomery County Emergency Management.