The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports four people were injured during a single vehicle accident Sunday evening, north of Exira. Officials say the driver of a 2006 Chevy Equinox, 49-year old Julieanne Marie Knutsen, of Audubon, along with her passengers, 26-year old Micheal Todd Cooley, of Emmetsburg, 19-year old Tanner Lynn Knutsen and 16-year old Taylor Marie Knutsen, both of Audubon, were transported to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital by Exira Fire and Rescue.

The accident happened at around 5:15-p.m., as Knutsen was traveling north on Highway 71. The SUV left the pavement onto the shoulder. When Knutsen attempted to steer back onto the pavement, she overcorrected, sending the SUV out of control. It rolled three-times before landing on its wheels facing south, in the east ditch. The vehicle sustained $10,000 damage in the crash. Knutsen was charged with Failure to Maintain Control.

A former teacher for the Anita Community School District today (Tuesday) entered a voluntary plea of guilty to two-counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by a School Employee, Counselor or Therapist, with the intent to arouse, in violation of Iowa Law. 65-year old William Glenn Foulkes appeared in Cass County District Court in Atlantic, along with his Attorney, F. Montgomery Brown.

Brown told Fourth District Court Judge Richard H. Davidson, that he and Cass County Prosecutor Dan Feistner has reached a plea agreement in Foulkes’ case, which stipulates Foulkes would plead guilty to Counts 2 and 3 (Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee/Aggravated Misdemeanor), in exchange for a felony charge of Sexual Exploitation, and the remaining Aggravated Misdemeanor charges (Counts 4-thru 50) being dropped at Foulkes’ cost.

Foulkes admitted to kissing a juvenile female on numerous occasions while teaching the student in a math program, from August 2009 until November 11th, 2010. He resigned from his teaching position in November 2010.

Foulkes has agreed to waive his Pre-Sentence Investigation, or PSI. His sentencing was set for October 1st, 2012.  He will remain free on $50,000 bond pending his sentencing date. As part of his pending sentence, he will be required to complete a Sex Offender Treatment Program in a residential correctional facility, pay restitution to the State and Victim, and have no contact with the victim.  Foulkes will likely be required to serve two, two-year terms of supervised probation for the combined counts, with the time to be served consecutively, or back-to-back. He had faced a maximum of 103-years in prison and fines of more than $300,000. He’ll also be required to pay fines for each count ranging from $625 to $6,250, plus court costs and surcharges. Foulkes will have to register as a sex offender after his sentencing.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation are reminding campaigners of the statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the placement of political campaign signs in the state. A section of the Iowa DOT’s website is devoted to answering the most frequently asked questions about legal posting of such signs – www.iowadot.gov/iowaroadsigns/pol_sign_info.html

Iowa DOT spokeswoman Dena Gray-Fisher says “We realize that most sign violations are the result of efforts of ardent campaign supporters who are unfamiliar with the laws. Therefore, the Iowa DOT has prepared information to be used as a guide for political candidates, party chairs, campaign workers and election officials, to help them become acquainted with the laws before this year’s signs are posted.”

The Iowa DOT is urging individuals to visit the website or speak to their political headquarters to insure campaign signs are properly placed and to avoid having signs removed from the public right of way.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a Villisca man, 21-year-old Steven Lee Fitzwater, was arrested late Monday night on a Possession of Marijuana charge. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,300 bond.

The arrest of one person on a warrant late Monday night in Shenandoah, led to the arrest of another person who was also wanted on a warrant, and now faces drug charges. According to Shenandoah Police, 19-year-old Jaylenne Shepherd, of Shenandoah, was taken into custody on a warrant out of Page County for OWI first offense. At the same time, officers located and arrested 19-year-old Kevyn Koschack, of Shenandoah. He was wanted on a Page County warrant for burglary in the third degree. Both arrests occurred at around 11-p.m., in the 600 block of West Thomas Street.

In addition to the burglary warrant, Koschack also faces Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charges. He was being held in the Page County Jail on $5,000 bond. Shepherd was unable to post $1,000 bond and was also being held in the Page County Jail.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly survey suggests that the continuing drought and lessening export demand for U.S. products are among the drains on the economy in nine Midwest and Plains.  A report released Tuesday says August’s Mid-America Business Conditions Index remained below growth neutral for a second month. It rose to 49.7 from 48.7 in July. June’s figure was 57.2.

The survey of business leaders and supply managers uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor.  Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says supply managers remain pessimistic about future economic conditions. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Police in Council Bluffs are on the lookout for a man who robbed a convenience store early this (Monday) morning. Officials say at around 2:15-a.m., a black male wearing a black ski mask, black sweatshirt, black gloves and blue pants, entered Bucky’s store at 1759 Madison Avenue. The man pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. The man left with an undisclosed amount of cash.