(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Attorney General says a fatal shooting by a Toledo police officer was justified. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.

(Sac City, Iowa) – One person died in a single-vehicle accident Thursday night, in Sac County. According to the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, 27-year-old Samantha Ann Nissen was driving a 2018 Chevy Equinox in the area of Perkins Avenue/M-68 and 340th Street at around 10:50-p.m., when for reasons unknown the vehicle left the road and entered a ditch before striking a tree. Nissen died at the scene. Her body was being sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death, but authorities say there was no indication of foul play.

A preliminary investigation determined the direction of travel from the tire patterns indicated there was no sudden braking or changing of direction before the vehicle left the road. The crash remains under investigation by the Sac County Sheriff’s Office.

Additional details are currently not available.

(Radio Iowa) – A replica of the Iowa State Fair’s iconic butter cow is part of an exhibit that’s opened today (Friday) at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Iowa State Fair C-E-O Jeremy Parsons will travel to D-C in mid-September to attend a celebration of the exhibit — which has 240 works of art from State Fairs around the country.

(as said) “We’re just excited to have the Iowa State Fair represented at the Smithsonian,” Parsons says, “and obviously Sarah’s butter cow being the centerpiece of that.”

Sarah Pratt has been the lead sculptor of the Iowa State Fair butter cow since 2006. The Smithsonian staff reached out to her two years ago as they were planning the exhibit.

(as said) “Through a lot of problem solving, decided it was going to be the easiest to go and sculpt it on site,” she said. “…It was just over the moon, more than you could ever dream would ever occur, right? To be able to be invited to come to the Smithsonian to sculpt in a custom cooler in a beautiful building.”

Iowa State Fair entries from 73-year-old Rod Zeitler of Coralville are featured in the exhibit, too. The Smithsonian calls him a “canning superstar.” Over 700 glass jars of the preserved fruits and vegetables he’s won State Fair blue ribbons for in canning competitions are stacked in a pyramid in the museum.

(Radio Iowa) – Seven people have died on A-T-Vs and U-T-Vs in Iowa so far this year, with dozens hurt, prompting a healthcare professional to offer some safety reminders about the powerful machines. Megan Anderson, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Emplify Health by Gundersen, says the vehicles can be unstable on pavement or concrete, as they’re designed primarily for off-road use.

(As above) “We want people to stick to the trails or off-road when they can,” Anderson says. “Wearing a helmet and a seat belt helps a lot. Being sober when you’re operating, and then following appropriate speeds, and if you can, take a rider safety course that can help with that hands-on component. That might be really helpful.”

Iowa DNR photo

A University of Iowa study finds the state’s averaging more than 200 A-T-V and U-T-V crashes every year, with a total of 20 deaths in Iowa last year. Anderson says it’s especially tragic when children are killed.

(As above) “We really want to think about safety for them in terms of wearing the appropriate gear and then operating an ATV or UTV that’s the appropriate size for them, for their age and their development,” Anderson says. “And following those manufacturer recommendations, lots of them are printed right on the machine — the safe age for operation.”

Utility terrain vehicles are rapidly gaining in popularity in Iowa. The D-N-R says there were about 39-thousand U-T-Vs registered in the state in 2022, while last year, that number rocketed above 57-thousand, an increase of almost 50-percent. Anderson says the machines can be a lot of fun, but they can also become dangerous if they’re overloaded.

(As above) “Many of them are made just for one operator,” she says, “and that increases the risk of injury when we have multiple passengers on those single rider machines.”

The Iowa D-N-R offers what it calls the Off-highway Vehicle Reference Guide, available free online, along with an online safety course. Riders between 12 and 17 are required to complete an A-T-V safety course and carry their certificate with them while riding on public land.

Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) today (Friday) announced the launch of its redesigned Sex Offender Registry (SOR) website. The updated site enhances user experience, improves functionality, and continues to provide Iowans with critical tools and resources to access information on registered sex offenders. The site remains accessible at the same web address:

https://www.iowasexoffender.gov/

The website introduces new features aimed at making it easier and more efficient for users to find the information they need. Updates include:

– Homepage links to active registrants and most wanted registrants

– Enhanced search functions that include a wider range of options and helpful tips

– Interactive maps that display the number of registrants in specific areas of the state

– Personalized notifications

– Links to helpful crime prevention and safety information aimed at fostering community safety and awareness

“Our goal with this redesign is to provide Iowans with an updated, intuitive, and accessible platform to access vital information,” said Hunter Bellon, Special Agent in Charge of the SOR. “We are committed to transparency and safety, and this new website will help ensure that critical information about sex offender registrants remains readily available to the public.”

The SOR website continues to serve as a trusted resource for law enforcement, community members, and organizations across the state. DPS encourages residents to explore the new website and use its many features.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A woman from Cass County (IA) was arrested in Red Oak on a Cass County warrant, this (Friday) morning. According to the Red Oak Police Department, 45-year-old Crystal Dawn Branch, of Griswold, was arrested at around 10:30-a.m. in the 1400 block of N. Broadway Street.

Branch was taken into custody on a valid Cass County warrant for Interference with Official Acts. She was transported to the Cass County line and then into the custody of Cass County deputies. Her bond was set at $1,000.

(Radio Iowa) – Tens of thousands of aviation lovers are expected to line the runways in Davenport for the Quad City Air Show this weekend. This 34th annual air show is billed as a Festival in the Sky, with the headliners including the Air Force Thunderbirds flying their trademark red, white and blue F-16 Falcons, and the Army Golden Knights parachute team.

Radio Iowa file photo of the Blue Angels over Davenport

The air show performance group Tora, Tora, Tora is also on the schedule, honoring those lost during in the Pearl Harbor attack. There’s a host of flyovers and static displays of historic and modern aircraft, from World War Two-era Mustangs and Corsairs through today’s Hornets, Harriers and Apache attack helicopters.

The airshow runs Saturday and Sunday at the Davenport Municipal Airport.

(Radio Iowa) – A special election in northwest will determine whether Republicans keep their “supermajority” of 34 seats in the Iowa Senate. The state senate district had been represented by Republican Rocky De Witt of Lawton, a former Woodbury County Supervisor who died of pancreatic cancer in June. The Republican candidate in Tuesday’s special election is Christopher Prosch, who owns a media consulting firm in Sioux City. Prosch says his priority issues are eliminating the state income tax, creating jobs and protecting the rights of property owners against eminent domain.*

(as said) “If I do win, I would still be a vocal supporter of working across the aisle,” Prosch said. “…That’s the great thing about a constitutional republic, the fact that every voice– no matter how big or small — still matters and we still need to work with both parties to get things done.”

Iowa Senate Chamber on 2nd floor of Iowa Capitol (RI file photo)

The Democratic candidate is Catelin Drey of Sioux City, who works for an advertising company. She’s the founder of “Moms of Iowa,” a group that helps Iowans contact their elected officials.

(as said) “We have an affordability crisis in Iowa — in our child care, in our health care and in our housing,” she said. “And now, with the federal policies that have come down, it’s also at the grocery store.”

Woodbury County’s auditor — the top election official in the county — predicts this race will draw higher than normal turnout for a special election. Over two-thousand ballots have already been cast during the early voting period. Republicans have a sizable voter registration edge in the district.

(Radio Iowa) – A Marshalltown man who’s accused of stealing a vehicle is now jailed after a pursuit in Mason City on Thursday night. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office says at about 7:25 P.M., a deputy located the vehicle stolen earlier on Thursday from Marshalltown. An attempted traffic stop led to a pursuit, with a passenger during the pursuit jumping from the vehicle and fleeing on foot.

The driver continued but eventually was stopped a few blocks later. Thirty-two-year-old Alexander Kew, formerly from Mason City but currently residing in Marshalltown, was arrested and charged with first-degree theft, second-offense eluding and driving while barred.

He’s being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on a total of $14,000 bond. The passenger has not been located.