Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa-based electric and natural gas utility has snagged the naming rights to a proposed West Des Moines indoor sports complex. The Des Moines Register reports that the complex will be known as the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, thanks to a $5 million pledge from the company. The massive complex will feature two ice rinks, three indoor soccer fields, three indoor basketball courts, six volleyball courts, and five outdoor soccer fields.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Someone could match all six numbers and win the Mega Millions jackpot, which is now at $900 million, as soon as Friday night when the next drawing is held. And it could happen despite terrible odds:  one in 302.5 million. Lottery officials have advice for whoever holds the prized lottery ticket. They recommend winners put their winning ticket in a safe spot and consult with a financial planner before showing up at lottery headquarters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot is now up to $900 million. Lottery officials raised the estimated prize Wednesday, less than a day after another drawing without a winner increased the prize to $868 million. Officials say no tickets matched all six numbers to claim the Mega Millions prize Tuesday night. The numbers were 3, 45, 49, 61, 69 and Mega Ball 9. The next drawing will be Friday. The estimated jackpot for that drawing would be the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Grundy County has settled for $500,000 a lawsuit that says a man who died after tying a bedsheet around his neck was left hanging for 13 minutes while a jailer stood outside. The lawsuit by relatives of Jared Slinker says any chance for lifesaving efforts was delayed because the county staffed just one employee to work as both communications dispatcher and jail supervisor. The lawsuit says safety rules prohibited the employee from entering Slinker’s cell until another employee arrived.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports 34-year old Casey Dean Freemyer, Jr., of Tabor, was arrested this (Wednesday) morning at around 7:50, after deputies with the Fremont County K9 Unit observed Freemyer in the 700 block of Main Street in Tabor.  Freemyer had an active Fremont County warrant for his arrest for Theft 2^nd, a Class D Felony.

In August of 2018 the Tabor Police Department received a call of a suspicious disassembled vehicle located at a residence in Tabor.  The vehicle was found to be reported stolen out of Council Bluffs, Iowa and an investigation led to a warrant being issued for Freemyer by the Tabor Police Department.

Freemyer is being held on a $5,000 cash bond at the Fremont County Jail.

Freemyer

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said today (Wednesday), the body of a man missing since Oct. 16th was found in a creek. Authorities say at around 8:15-a.m., Officers Blake Westerhold and Trevor Mass located the body of 37-year old Justin Wright, of Glenwood.

His body was found in the Tinkle Branch Creek, by the City Maintenance yards, between S. Locust Street and Nuckolls Street. The cause of death remains under investigation.

A Shelby County man appeared this (Wednesday) morning in the Douglas County, NE., court and was formally charged in connection with a fatal weekend crash. 28-year old Tony Kenkel, of Earling, was charged with motor vehicle homicide and driving under the influence. The charges were combined, meaning if Kenkel is found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 23 years in prison. Bond was set at $100,000. Kenkel’s preliminary hearing is set for November 14th at 9 am.

The crash happened at around 7:30-p.m. Saturday, near Bennington, NE. Authorities said Kenkel was driving a pickup that crossed the median on Highway 36 near Lake Cunningham Road, and struck a car occupied by 21-year old Joseph Daniels, and 21-year old Thomas Griese, both of Council Bluffs.

Daniels died at the scene of the crash. Griese suffered from serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Investigators said Kenkel had been drinking.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot is now up to $900 million. Lottery officials raised the estimated prize Wednesday, less than a day after another drawing without a winner increased the prize to $868 million. Officials say no tickets matched all six numbers to claim the Mega Millions prize Tuesday night. The numbers were 3, 45, 49, 61, 69 and Mega Ball 9. The next drawing will be Friday. The estimated jackpot for that drawing would be the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

The largest lottery jackpot was a $1.6 billion Powerball prize won in January 2016. The jackpot has been growing since July, when some California office workers won $543 million.
The odds of winning the jackpot aren’t good, at one in 302.5 million. Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Elkhart Plastics, Inc. (EPI) has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of The Plastic Professionals (P2) and Connect-A-Dock (CAD), both located in Atlantic.  The divisions are subsidiaries of Owner Revolution, Inc., located in Adair. Officials said in a press release, that the transaction is expected to finalize within the next 30 days. EPI will then take ownership of Plastic Professionals and Connect-a-Dock.  Plastic Professionals is a 15-year-old custom rotational molder that primarily serves the marine recreation and point of purchase industries. CAD currently manufactures molded components for Connect-A-Dock, which was founded in 1995 and supplies modular floating docks and PWC docks to dealers across the U.S.

EPI CEO Jack Welter said in the news release, that “We’re excited that this acquisition will allow us to increase our U.S. footprint and give EPI greater capacity. We’re looking forward to increasing service to current and future customers with an additional manufacturing location.” EPI corporate headquarters are located in South Bend, Ind. Additional locations include Elkhart, Ind.; Littleton, Colo.; Middlebury, Ind.; and Ridgefield, Wash. Welter says EPI plans to transfer products to P2 from some of the current locations to better serve existing customers. Plastic Professionals has 10 rotational molding machines.

EPI creates rotationally-molded products in an almost endless variety of shapes, lengths, and thicknesses out of its factories. The company provides custom designs for clients in industries including recreational vehicles, marine, agriculture, commercial construction equipment, heavy truck equipment, material handling, and more. EPI also manufacturers Tuff Stack™ and Tuff Cube™ Intermediate Bulk Containers and KONG Coolers.

In April, 2017, Owner Revolution announced a permanent lay-off of employees at their Atlantic location. Reports at the time indicated the staff changes were due to the loss of a major contract with a company that produces portable coolers and drink wear.

The Cass County Democratic Party is once again asking for your donations for their food drive to benefit Cass County residents. Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle says “This will be our third consecutive food drive; however, we have had others in the past but just not in consecutive years. The Cass County community has been generous in their outpouring of support for our less advantaged citizens. I hope that they will continue to support this cause.”

Food donations as well as donations of paper goods and personal care items can be taken to the Cass County Democratic Party Headquarters at 511 Chestnut in Atlantic through November 8th. Toelle hopes to have drop boxes placed in other towns; questions can be directed to the HQ at 712-243-8683 (243-VOTE).

GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa county has settled for $500,000 a lawsuit that says a man who died after tying a bedsheet around his neck was left hanging for 13 minutes while a jailer who  discovered what happened stood outside. The lawsuit filed against Grundy County by relatives of 26-year-old Jared Slinker says any chance for lifesaving efforts was delayed because the county staffed just one employee to work as both communications dispatcher and jail supervisor. The lawsuit filed after the January 2016 incident says safety rules prohibited the employee from entering Slinker’s cell until another employee arrived.

The Des Moines Register reports that family members say they told jail staff about his suicidal behavior, but he was booked into jail as a general inmate — no suicide watch. Grundy County Sheriff Rick Penning told the newspaper that no major changes have been made since the January 2016 death to the jail’s staffing or intake policies.

A teenage female was injured during a rollover accident Tuesday afternoon, in Mills County. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 17-year old Hannah Leigh, of Red Oak, was transported to Mercy Hospital by Glenwood Rescue following the crash that happened at around 3:55-p.m. Leigh was driving a 2003 Ford that was towing another vehicle westbound on Highway 34, when the vehicle being towed began to sway back and forth and likely became unhitched. The incident caused the Ford to go out of control. The vehicle entered the north ditch and rolled an undetermined number of times.

And, there were two arrests in Mills County, Tuesday. 29-year old Levi Charles Daniels, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested on two warrants for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $20,000. 37-Year old Dustin Lee Mattox, of Shenandoah, was arrested in Fremont County on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $10,000.

Certified enrollment in the Griswold Community School District is down this year. Superintendent Dave Henrich’s said he spoke about the figures with the Griswold School Board during their meeting Monday evening. In Iowa, he said, there are two different counts. One is the Certified count which the number of students that reside in the district, regardless of where they attend classes. The other is the BEDS count, or the number of students served by the district, regardless of where they live. The certified enrollment in Griswold was 475.8, which is a decrease of 28.1 students from a year ago. Henrichs said the BEDS – or, Basic Educational Data Survey – enrollment is 444.9, which is a decrease of 31.8 students. He said they anticipated a decrease in enrollment of about 15 students which accounted for 46 graduating seniors and a kindergarten class of about 30, but they didn’t anticipate this many.

Henrichs said open enrollment had very little to do with the decline in numbers. The difference was only two from last year. There were two fewer kids who open-enrolled out, and four fewer students who open-enrolled in. More families moved out of out the district than moved in. The difference in funding from the State of $6,700 per student, will amount to a loss of $100,000-to $125,000, which will be made up through various methods, including the offering of Early Retirement. The more experienced, higher-paid teachers who apply for and are accepted for early retirement, will likely be replaced by younger, less-experienced teachers who are lower on the salary schedule. The early retirement package will be available for up to five teachers, on a first come first serve basis. Last year one teacher took advantage of the offer. Henrichs says a teacher must be at least 55-years of age, with ten-years service to the district. Teachers who are eligible, must notify the district by February 25, 2019, in order to receive the $18,000 incentive package to be paid over three years.

Another way the district expects to save money, is through reduced operating costs associated with their facilities, especially when work on the new building is complete. Henrichs says that should save around $250,000 per year.

He said also, the Griswold School Board took action during their meeting on some personnel changes. (click on the left side of the audio bar below, to listen)

And, he said the Board was updated on their facilities building project, which has been affected by swings in the weather. He says “We’re progressing nicely, and there’s no reason to believe that we won’t have the building enclosed by the middle of November.