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Iowa early News Headlines: Thursday, 3/9/17

News

March 9th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

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

MONTICELLO, Iowa –  An eight-year old died after the tricycle they were riding collided with a van Wednesday afternoon, in Jones County. The Iowa State Patrol says the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan was traveling north on South Cedar Street in Monticello at around 3:50-p.m., when the tricycle, which was traveling west on W. Washington Street, collided with the front of the van. The child died at the scene. The driver and a passenger in the van were not injured. The accident remained under investigation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The testing scandal at Iowa’s fire academy is getting a lot bigger. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says that 739 more firefighters have been notified they were improperly issued nationally-recognized certifications despite failing their written exams. In January, the department said that 1,706 firefighters and emergency personnel were issued 2,300 improper certifications over a four-year period.

LAKE VIEW, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 47-year-old Lake View man who initially escaped a house fire with his wife later died after running back into the home. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that first responders were called to the house Tuesday afternoon for a fire. Investigators say Jerry Wayne Brauckman and his wife were upstairs when they smelled smoke and fled, but that Brauckman re-entered the home.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As Iowa lawmakers debate a voter identification bill, county auditors are questioning whether the plan would have adequate funding. The House was moving to vote on Secretary of State Paul Pate’s bill Wednesday amid criticism by Democrats that the proposal would suppress voting. Pate and Republican backers say they want to prevent fraudulent voting and enhance elections technology. For county auditors, another concern is whether there’s adequate funding for the plan.

EARLY, Iowa (AP) — An appeals court has upheld the murder conviction of an Iowa mother who shot and killed her 20-year-old neighbor in 2001. The Iowa Court of Appeals denied post-conviction relief to Tracey Richter, who’s serving life in prison in the slaying of 20-year-old Dustin Wehde. Richter claims she acted in self-defense, but the three-judge panel says there’s “overwhelming evidence” of her guilt.