DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lottery players could have a chance of winning the nation’s 10th largest lottery prize, as the Mega Millions estimated jackpot climbs to $502 million. The Friday night drawing will offer players a chance to spend $2 and dream of beating the staggering odds of 302.5 million to one and winning the big prize. Jackpot winners must match all six numbers in a drawing.

The $502 million prize is the annuity option, in which a sole winner is paid over 29 years. A winner opting for the cash prize would take home $301 million, minus state and federal taxes. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since January. Mega Millions is one of two national lottery games. It’s played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

An accident early this afternoon in Cass County has resulted in injuries to two people. According to dispatch reports, the accident occurred at around 12:25-p.m. on Interstate 80 eastbound, near mile-marker 64. One person suffered from a head laceration and complained of rib, knee and other pain. A second person suffered from knee, and other unknown injuries. Traffic in the area is running slow as of 12:45-p.m.

No other details were immediately available.

(CLARINDA) – A correctional officer was assaulted by an inmate at the Clarinda Correctional Facility in Clarinda, at approximately 5:00 p.m. in the evening on Tuesday, March 27th.  The correctional officer, along with another officer that was present, was attempting to gain compliance from an inmate that was failing to follow directives when the inmate unexpectedly kicked towards the officer. The officer deployed OC spray (pepper spray) towards the inmate at this time, but the inmate was able to strike the officer in the face with a closed fist. After the officer delivered another application of OC spray, the inmate wrestled the officer to the ground where the officer then used a restraining technique to gain control of the inmate until additional officers responded to assist.

The correctional officer was seen by facility health services and was found to have sustained scratches and bruises from the incident. The officer stayed on duty and completed his shift. The incident remains under investigation.

A semi tractor-trailer driver from northwest Iowa was injured during an accident this (Wednesday) morning, in Monona County. The Iowa State Patrol says 48-year old Kenneth Patton, of Milford, was transported by Onawa EMS to Burgess Hospital in Onawa, after the 2019 Volvo he was driving rolled onto its right side. Officials say the rig was traveling south on I-29 at around 5:45-a.m., when for reasons unknown, it left the southbound lanes and crossed the median before entering the northbound lanes traveling south, and then rolling onto its passenger side. The semi came to rest blocking both northbound lanes.

The State Patrol was assisted at the scene by Onawa Fire And Rescue, Whiting Police, the Monona County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officers.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office report 58-year old Michael Wayne Kemery, of Clearfield, was arrested Tuesday afternoon following a traffic stop on Highway 169. He wascharged with 1st offense OWI. Kemery was released from the Union County Jail on $1, 000 bond.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge says Iowa’s new “stand your ground” law is too vague in rejecting an appeal by a man convicted of manslaughter. The law says a person is immune from legal liability if they’re justified in their use of reasonable force against someone threatening them. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that Johnson County Judge Paul Miller ruled Tuesday that 24-year-old Lamar Wilson doesn’t qualify for immunity because evidence doesn’t show he was justified when shooting his gun.

A trial jury in February found Wilson guilty of voluntary manslaughter and other charges for a shooting in the Iowa City pedestrian mall last year that killed one and injured two others. Wilson’s lawyers filed a motion for a new trial last week, citing issues with potential witnesses and the jury selection.

A new partnership provides community college students who transfer to one of the three state-supported universities another way to take advantage of the college credits they’ve earned. Iowa Department of Education community college bureau chief Jeremy Varner says the partnership with the National Student Clearinghouse allows students to do what’s called a reverse credit transfer. “They can take credits that they earn at the university and transfer them back to community college they came from to earn an associate degree,” Varner explains. “So essentially these students have already earned a two-year degree — but historically they haven’t received that on the way. This reverse credit transfer process provides a vehicle for them to earn that.”

Varner says the two-year degrees can be beneficial to students in several ways. “Associate degrees have labor market value. So a student if they don’t complete a four-year degree or they stop out on their way, we know the research shows that an associate degree provides them a benefit in the labor market. Employers are looking for students with college degrees,” Varner says. He is not concerned a student might get their two-year degree and then think they don’t need to complete all the work for the four-year degree. He says students who transfer expect to get a four-year degree, and he says the two-year degree could help them get a job that helps support them as they complete the four-year degree.

Varner says studies show individuals who earn associate degrees finish four-year degrees at higher rates and earn more money. He says this program supports the Future Ready Iowa initiative, which calls for 70 percent of Iowa workers to have education or training beyond high school by 2025.”Employers are very thirsty for skilled labor and this helps meet their needs in terms of finding employees with college degrees,” Varner says.

Students can take advantage of the program by agreeing to have their university transcripts sent back to their community colleges, which will determine whether the students’ university courses have met requirements for degrees or other credentials. The state’s three public universities are encouraging students who have transferred in with 30 or more community college credits to participate.
For more information, visit Iowa’s Reverse Credit Transfer website.
<http://www.transferiniowa.org

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A trial has been delayed several months for a man accused of killing an Iowa City cab driver. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that attorneys for Curtis Jones asked a judge for more time to prepare. Jones had been scheduled to begin trial April 9. The new starting date is Nov. 5. The trial has been moved to Davenport because of pretrial publicity in the Iowa City area.
Jones also has pleaded not guilty to the April 2017 fatal shooting of Iowa City bail bondsman Jonathan Wieseler. The trial in that case is set to begin July 16.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 32-year old Troy Edward Grindle, of Glenwood, was arrested Tuesday afternoon for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $300.

And, at around 6-a.m. today (Wednesday), 23-year old Jacob William Avery, of Red Oak, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and Failure to Maintain Control, following an accident on Morton Avenue. Sheriff’s officials say Avery was eastbound on Morton, driving a 2001 Ford in a careless manner. The vehicle went out of control and spun out. It then left the road and went into a yard at 501 Morton Avenue and struck a mailbox before coming to rest against a tree. Avery and his passenger fled the scene. Both were located a short time later. No injuries were reported.