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Iowa early News Headlines: Saturday, 11/17/18

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November 17th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

CLARKE COUNTY – A pregnant woman and her 2-year old step son have died after the small SUV they were in was struck broadside by a full-size pickup, after the vehicle left its lane on Highway 69, in Clarke County. The Iowa State Patrol has identified the victims as 22-year old Bethannie Rene Kennedy, and Michael Dohrn, Jr., both of Osceola. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. The accident happened a little after 6-p.m., Friday.WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa is giving up the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress. Instead, he will chair the Senate Finance Committee. That means Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina will take over the chairmanship of the Judiciary panel. Graham has become a close Trump ally and was a vocal supporter of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.

SOLON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified two people killed in an eastern Iowa collision. The crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. Thursday on Iowa Highway 1, just south of Solon in Johnson County. The Courier cites the Iowa State Patrol in reporting that 30-year-old Tori Sabin Smith, of Mediapolis, was driving a minivan southbound on Highway 1 when she crossed the center line and hit a northbound car driven by 50-year-old Kirk Flom, of Solon. Smith and Flom were both pronounced dead at the scene.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — DuPont has agreed to repay Iowa $10.5 million in incentives it received. The news of the settlement come a year after the company announced it was seeking a buyer for its 30-million gallon, $400 million cellulosic ethanol plant in central Iowa. he Des Moines Register reports that the settlement repays all but about $3.7 million it received in incentives in 2011 for the plant in Nevada, Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Supreme Court Justice Daryl Hecht, who has been receiving treatment for skin cancer, has announced he will resign from the high court. The court made the announcement in a news release Friday. Hecht’s resignation is effective Dec. 13. Hecht resumed hearing cases for the latest term that began Sept. 4 after being absent several months as he sought treatment. But he was unable to sit for oral arguments held Nov. 13-14 due to side effects of the treatment.