DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say the bodies of two adults have been discovered inside the charred remains of a home on the north side of Des Moines. A Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release said Wednesday the identity and sex of both adult bodies are unknown. Firetrucks were dispatched after a 911 call was received around 4:20 a.m. Wednesday. Crews were still on the scene late this (Wednesday) morning.

Only minor injuries were reported following an accident that involved four vehicles, Tuesday afternoon, in Sidney. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened on the Square in Sidney, at around 2:50-p.m.. Authorities say a 2011 Ford Escape driven by Patricia Mintle was backing out of a parking stall on the west side of the square, when her foot, which was slippery from the road conditions, slipped off of the brake and hit the gas pedal. Her SUV backed from the parking stall and struck right rear corner of a 2014 Buick Encore, driven by Twilia Larson, of Sidney.

Photo courtesy Fremont County Sheriff’s Office

Mintle’s SUV then hit the passenger side of a 2013 Chrysler 200 that was parked on the east side of the street, and owned by Donna Nenneman, of Hamburg. The Mintle vehicle then proceeded to strike a parked 2019 Toyota Camry on the passenger side. The Camry was registered to Patricia Freer, of Shenandoah. Mintle refused treatment at the scene and no one else was injured during the incident. Mintle was cited for unsafe backing.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by Sidney Rescue.

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling nearly 1.5 million pickup trucks in North America because the transmissions can suddenly downshift into first gear. The recall covers F-150 trucks from the 2011 through 2013 model years with six-speed automatic transmissions. The company says a glitch in sending a signal from the transmission speed sensor is the cause. Ford has five reports of accidents including one that caused a whiplash injury from a sudden downshift. Owners will be notified by letter starting March 4. Dealers will update the powertrain control software to fix the problem.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Loras College in Dubuque has announced receiving its largest one-time cash gift ever: $5 million. Officials at the Roman Catholic liberal arts college say the gift from Bill Miller, of Camarillo, California, will help the school complete campus upgrades. “Today is a transformational day for Loras,” said college Vice President for Advancement/Treasurer Mike Doyle in a news release.

Loras will rename its Academic Resource Center as the Bill and JoAnne Miller Academic Resource Center in recognition of the gift. Miller was a 1952 graduate of Loras Academy, which then was an all-boys Roman Catholic high school.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report 33-year old Troy Edward Grindle, of Glenwood, was arrested at around 1:45-a.m. today (Wednesday), following a traffic stop. Grindle was charged with Posession of Drug Paraphernalia, the bond for which was set at $300.

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — A jury is expected to resume its deliberations Wednesday on a murder charge against a Dubuque man. Jackson County District Court records say Drew Mangler is accused of killing 59-year-old James Remakel. Police found Remakel’s body after being called to a house in Bellevue on Dec. 25, 2016. An autopsy showed Remakel had been stabbed nearly three dozen times in his upper body, neck and head. He was believed to have been dead for several days before police found him.

The Telegraph Herald reports that defense attorney Derek Jones said in his closing arguments Tuesday that investigators ignored other potential suspects. Prosecutor Andrew Prosser said Mangler had “the means, the motive and the opportunity to commit this crime.” Investigators say they found a shoe with Remakel’s blood on it during a search of Mangler’s house.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa man faces two heroin charges connected to the overdose death of another man. Scott County court records say 38-year-old Bettendorf resident Michal Spencer is charged with distribution of heroin and conspiracy. Spencer is scheduled to be arraigned March 7. He remained in Scott County Jail on Wednesday, pending $10,000 bail.

The Quad-City Times reports that Spencer prepared two syringes of heroin on April 7 that he’d bought with money given him by 23-year-old Tyler Ekstrand. A court document says Spencer injected the contents of one of the syringes to one of Ekstrand’s hands. The document says Ekstrand soon overdosed and died on the floor of Spencer’s apartment.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston report the arrest Tuesday afternoon of a man on an assault charge. 39-year old Aaron James Riepe, of Afton, was taken into custody for Domestic Abuse Assault. Riepe was later released from the Union County Jail on a $700 bond.