SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa man has pleaded guilty in another marijuana case. The Sioux City Journal reports that 35-year-old Keegan Cross entered the plea Wednesday in Sac County District Court. The charge: manufacturing a controlled substance. His sentencing is scheduled for July 18. Cross and his mother, 58-year-old Glenda Turnquist, were arrested in February after Sac County deputies found marijuana plants and equipment used for growing them in the Schaller home Turnquist and Cross shared. She’s pleaded not guilty, and her trial is scheduled to begin July 17.

The two were given probation after pleading guilty in an earlier case. They were arrested in March 2017 after deputies found a similar growing operation and 80 marijuana plants in the same house.

The National Weather Service says severe storms bringing damaging wind, hail and areas of moderate to locally heavy rainfall,  is anticipated this afternoon into tonight. Total rainfall amounts are forecast to average from a half an inch to one inch, with over two inches locally possible in some locations. The storms will follow a similar pattern to Wednesday, where development begins late in the afternoon and continues into the night-time hours. The heaviest rain is expected to fall from Highway 20 in the north, to Highway 34 in the south. One-half to one-inch of rain can be expected in most areas, with isolated amounts of two-inches or higher in some storms. There is the potential for Flash Flooding tonight, as well. Be prepared to take shelter if you plan on being outdoors, and to seek higher ground, should flash flooding develop.

Keep up-to-date with the latest forecasts and weather bulletins on KJAN, our mobile apps and social media.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A man who was granted a new trial in the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend has been sentenced to prison for life. Nicholas Luerkens was sentenced Tuesday in Linn County District Court. Luerkens was in court May 17 for a hearing on a motion before his second trial but unexpectedly changed his plea to guilty of first-degree murder.

Luerkens admitted stabbing 29-year-old Lynnsey Donald to death on April 21, 2015, in front of Donald’s son in a Marion grocery store parking lot. Luerkens then injured himself. The Iowa Court of Appeals last year ordered a new trial for Luerkens after ruling the trial court erred in denying his request to submit an insanity defense instruction to the jury.

This is the last day of a special program conducted by the D-O-T’s Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement to check the big rigs that roll across Iowa’s highways. Sergeant Blake Wittrock says it’s an international event called “Roadcheck.” “They’re checking brake components, cargo securement, equipment with the truck and the trailer of the vehicles, as well as the paperwork with the driver. So, it’s the complete inspection, the most comprehensive one that we do,” Wittrock says. There is a special emphasis on making sure the drivers are following the regulations for the amount of time they can be on the road. That involves a check of what’s called the E-L-D. “It’s electronic logging device. So it’s the electronic system that’ sin the truck that’s hooked into the engine components, the brains of the truck. They are going to be using that as their log book,” Wittrock says. “And it will record their hours, their mileage, different documents if you will for the trip.”

Wittrock says the electronic devices make it easier for truckers to keep track of their driving — and makes it easier to check on them to be sure they follow the rules. He says commercial drivers can drive 11 hours of driving with three hours to do other tasks in a day, and then at there is a 10 hours off duty in what’s known as the sleeper or rest period.  Another part of the Roadcheck is to work with drivers to educate them on how to spot and report human trafficking. “When we do our inspections or conduct our safety inspections we are advising them what to look for when they are out there because they are in the trucks stops, they are on the road and they see things that we don’t always get to see, and we just encourage their assistance,” according to Wittrock.

Wittrock says drivers are willing to help out and he says it helps build a little camaraderie between the officers and truckers. “When people get inspected they kind of think it’s a bad thing. We’re just looking for compliance,” Wittrock says, “then we can also ask them to help us and work together as a team to combat this issue that’s out there, that’s moving up and down the roadways every day.”  Each driver will be given a Truckers Against Trafficking wallet card which provides them with the Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline 888-3737-888 and some guidelines on what information to report. Wittrock says officers do routine checks of trucks every day, but this is a little more concentrated over a 72-hour period along the major highways.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak, Wednesday night, arrested 37-year old Christopher Michael Lowrance, of Red Oak. Lowrance was taken into custody at around 10:23-p.m. in the 400 block of E. Market Street, for violation of a No Contact Order. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

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

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A city in Iowa has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a woman who was mistakenly shot and killed by a police officer. Attorneys for the city of Burlington and the estate of Autumn Steele notified a federal court of the settlement, but details haven’t been released. Steele was shot in 2015 by a police officer who had intended to fire his weapon at a growling family dog.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A five-way Republican primary race for Iowa agriculture secretary remains too close to call with the incumbent apparently just shy of the threshold needed to secure the nomination. Unofficial results indicate Mike Naig is just short of the 35 percent threshold needed to become the GOP’s nominee. However, provisional and absentee ballots still being counted could potentially allow Naig to make up the difference. If he doesn’t, the nomination decision will be made at the state convention June 16.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Democratic congressional campaign took responsibility for erroneous text messages sent to voters directing them to incorrect polling places. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Wednesday that Abby Finkenauer’s campaign was the source of the texts, which an investigation found to have been sent in error. Finkenauer’s campaign manager apologized and said they never intended to misdirect voters. Finkenauer is the Democratic U.S. House candidate for the 1st District.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say the Miller Riverview Park and its campground in eastern Iowa’s Dubuque will reopen after being closed for weeks due to flooding threats. City officials tell the Telegraph Herald that the park and campground will open Friday morning. The area has been closed for about a month because of high water levels on the Mississippi River.

UPDATE 9:43-p.m.: There were no injuries. the semi was trying to turn around in the median and became stuck.

(Original report) — Another accident was reported on Interstate 80 in Cass County at around 9:35-p.m., Wednesday. The accident involved a semi, and was between the 67- and 68-mile markers eastbound. The semi was said to have been in the median. Unknown injuries or other details late Wed. night.

Firefighters from Minden, Shelby, Neola, Avoca and Harlan Fire and Rescue Departments were called to a residential structure fire at around 2-p.m. Wednesday. According to the Minden Fire Department’s social media post, heavy smoke was observed on approach, and additional resources were requested.  Despite hard and aggressive work by all agencies, the structure experienced heavy fire damage.

Photo from the Minden Fire and Rescue Dept.’s Facebook page.

Fire officials extended their thanks to all the volunteers who gave of their time and work in the hot and humid conditions, and for those who made sure everyone stayed hydrated on the grounds. Additional information about the fire was not immediately available.

The Council Bluffs Police Department reports a man was arrested Wednesday afternoon following a high speed pursuit and a crash. Authorities say 31-year old TJ Lebaugh, of Council Bluffs, was charged locally with eluding, reckless driving, and no proof of insurance. He was also wanted on Federal charges. The incident leading to his arrest began at around 3-p.m., Wednesday, as officers with Iowa Adult Probation and the U-S Marshall’s Service (USMS) began to follow Lebaugh near the Walgreens Store on Madison Avenue and Bennett Street. They followed him for a short time before he fled in a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville at a high rate of speed on Interstate 80 westbound, from Madison Avenue.

TJ Lebaugh

Lebaugh left I-80 at the South Espressway and turned north. Council Bluffs Police attempted to deploy stop sticks in an attempt to deflate the car’s tires, but Lebaugh evaded the device at 23rd Avenue and the South Expressway. He headed north on the Expressway at a high rate of speed. As an officer deployed stops sticks and 19th and the South Expressway, Lebaugh slammed on his brakes and slid into the back of a 2017 Dodge Durango driven by 50-year old Julia Santon, of Council Bluffs. Her pickup was pushed into the back of a 2001 Chrysler mini-van, driven by 74-year old Carolyn Brown, of Council Bluffs.

Lebaugh’s vehicle also struck the mini-van. He then fled to the west but was quickly apprehended by officers. No injuries were reported to Lebaugh or Santon. Brown was transported by Council Bluffs Fire to Mercy Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Labaugh was booked into the Pott. County Jail by the US-MS.

Rescue crews in Cass County were called to an accident on eastbound Interstate 80 at the 69.5 mile marker, Wednesday night. According to dispatch reports, a car was pinned under a semi partially in the median. Anita Rescue, Wiota 1st Responders and Medivac Ambulance, along with Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies and Iowa State Patrol were on the scene. The accident was reported at around 8:15-p.m.  One male subject was reported to be trapped in the vehicle and injured. A medical helicopter (Midwest Air) was requested and arrived on the scene to transported the victim to an undisclosed hospital in Omaha. Traffic was stopped and temporarily re-routed while the helicopter was on the scene. Emergency crews were at the crash site until about 9:20-p.m. Traffic began to flow eastbound on the shoulder of the road, at around 9:25-p.m.

No other information was immediately available.