CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Charles City man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a 9-year-old Sioux City boy. The Sioux City Journal reports that 30-year-old Jesse Blade was sentenced Monday after pleading in September to vehicular homicide while intoxicated, second-offense operating while intoxicated and three counts of serious injury by vehicle. Prosecutors say Blade was drunk and had cocaine in his system on Oct. 26, 2019, when he ran a stop sign at a rural intersection near Rudd, hitting a minivan and killing 9-year-old Royce Fisher. Three other people in the minivan also were injured.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — A new state auditor’s report has confirmed problems with the integrity of the evidence room of the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office in northwestern Iowa. State Auditor Rob Sand said in a special investigation report released Tuesday that record logs of evidence did not match the actual evidence in inventory in at least six cases. That included 49 pills of both over-the-counter medicines and unknown substances missing from the evidence room.

Investigators also found that some evidence bags had been tampered with and 18 instances in which the sheriff’s department failed to keep sufficient records to determine whether something was missing from the evident room.

TIFFIN, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in eastern Iowa say a man died in a bicycle crash over the weekend. The Gazette in Cedar Rapids reports the crash happened Sunday afternoon when 39-year-old Steven Towne, of Tiffin, lost control of the electric bike he was riding. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says Towne’s bike hit a bridge railing at Tiffin City Park. Investigators say Towne was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and suffered fatal head injuries. Officials say he died at the scene.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Tuesday, said new rules will be in effect due to the spread of COVID-19 and the record numbers of hospitalizations and positive tests. (See the summary below) Reynolds said the trends of record setting hospitalizations cannot continue. There is no specific age group or type of activity that’s driving the rapid increase in positive cases. Because of the high level of community spread, the Governor said she is “dialing-up” measure to mitigate the spread of the virus. That includes signing a new proclamation that continues the Public Health Emergency for another 30-days. The proclamation imposes a number of additional health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

There are new rules that apply to indoor youth or high school sporting events as well.

The new eight-person rule also apply to bars and restaurants. Distancing of six-feet between groups will continue to be enforced, and patrons must be seated to consume food and/or drink.

Bowling alleys, pool and bingo halls, arcades and indoor playgrounds and children’s play centers, are limited to groups of eight, unless from the same household. Reynolds also ordered all employers to re-evaluate whether or not more of their employees can work remotely and/or from home whenever possible. The governor says hospital staffing is becoming a challenge and it may soon impact Iowans who need care, for COVID or otherwise. She urges Iowans to rethink any planned gatherings and how their actions could impact their own lives and the lives of others.

The CAM School Board Monday evening, approved bids for snow removal at the Massena campus, and for the purchase of a truck. Superintendent Paul Croghan told KJAN News the Board approved a bid from Brian Bauer for snow removal, and a bid from Travis Dorsey, of Massena, for the truck. In other business, the CAM School Board voted to send the Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS) to a Special Election on March 2nd, 2021.

The CAM School Board also discussed and decided to hold facilities talks with the community after the March 2nd election, both face-to-face and/or virtual, depending on what happens with COVID.

A collision Monday afternoon in Pottawattamie County resulted in five persons injured and transported to a hospital. The accident happened at around 1:20-p.m. near Carson, at the intersection of Highways 92 and 59. According to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Brandi Wood, of Marne, was driving a 2003 Lincoln Towncar southbound on Highway 59 and in was making a left turn, across the northbound traffic lanes, to the ramp to Highway 92.

David Deren, of Brooker, Florida, was driving a 2020 Ford F350 northbound on Highway 59, when his vehicle struck the passenger side of Wood’s car. Wood told investigators she was following a semi and road spray from recent light rains was covering her windshield. As a result, she didn’t see the Deren’s pickup heading toward her before she made the turn. Deren told Deputies that Wood turned in front of him, and he had not enough time to react.

Wood was transported to Mercy Hospital by Macedonia Rescue. Her passenger Cam Jahnke, of Council Bluffs, was transported to UNMC by Carson and Council Bluffs Rescue. Another passenger, Gregory Wood of Marne, was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital by Treynor Rescue. David Deren and a passenger, Adam Ryan of Stuart, Florida, were transported to the hospital by private vehicle.

Wood was cited for No Insurance and Failure to Yield Upon Making a Left Turn.

(Radio Iowa) — Drug maker Pfizer says early results of its COVID-19 vaccine trial show it’s more than 90-percent effective, but University of Iowa experts say it could be awhile before it’s widely distributed. Carver College of Medicine executive dean Pat Winokur says the F-D-A likely won’t approve the vaccine for emergency use until at least December. “It’s really important to continue with the face masks and social distancing and hand washing,” Winokur says. “It’s because it’s going to take us a while to get as many people vaccinated as we need to start controlling the spread of this disease.”

The ongoing national trial consists of 44-thousand participants, including 270 people enrolled through the U-I. Winokur, who oversees the Iowa City trial, says while the early results are promising, it will likely be several weeks before we’re rolling up our sleeves, as Pfizer still needs to submit its final safety data to the F-D-A. “They have to see the data for safety, when at least half the people have gotten their second dose and have been followed for two months,” she says.

The Iowa Department of Public Health along with local public health departments are working on vaccine distribution plans. Winokur says health officials need to determine who gets priority for the vaccine as it will take awhile for the company to ramp up production.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

An accident at around 3:40-a.m. Tuesday (Today) in southern Iowa’s Decatur County had claimed the life of a 35-year old male. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2002 Ford SUV driven by 32-year old Ashley Jean Rice-Tetley, of Des Moines, was traveling south on Highway 169, just north of County Road J-14, when she struck Cornelius Andrew Zolicoffer, of Des Moines, who was  in the middle of the southbound roadway.

The man was pronounced dead at the Decatur County Hospital. The incident remains under investigation.