(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa State Patrol is unveiling a squadron of drones which can help minimize highway disruptions and provide quicker clearances of crash scenes. Troopers are incorporating a new Small Unmanned Aircraft System into their technical crash investigation program. State Patrol Sergeant Alex Dinkla says their current technology does a good job of documenting a crash scene, but the drone system can do it faster.  “Sometimes, it could take several hours to investigate a crash scene,” Dinkla says. “So as we are out there, if we’re out there on the interstate and we have maybe the interstate shut down for several hours, we know that there’s a lot of people that are affected by that. This new technology, once we become fully proficient with that, our hope is to maybe be able to map a crash scene in 20 to 30 minutes.”

Dinkla says the pictures the drones take are all meshed together to create a 3-D rendering of the crash scene to scale. “This takes only still pictures and the still pictures are all activated by the pilot as they are flying it taking the still pictures,” Dinkla says. “Then all of those images, once they are loaded into our program behind the scenes, then all of those images are what we call stitched together, and so then they make kind of a big plot where they can be able to see all those images.”

Trooper Mark Anderson, of the patrol’s Fort Dodge office, is one of eight full-time collision reconstructionists who are assigned to use the new technology. He says once he arrives at a crash scene, he can start documenting things.  “If I can get deploy it right away, I can take photographs while they’re still working at the scene, it doesn’t have to be emptied with the emergency personnel or anything to that effect,” Anderson says. “I can fly the scene, take my photographs from the air, we can get the vehicles removed, and clear the roadway and open it up to the public, which is our main goal, to get everything back to normal as quick as possible.”

Anderson says crash scene investigations have come a long ways from using tape measures to now using drones.  “Technology is awesome. The end product is just spot-on. Measurements we can do on the computer are just phenomenal,” Anderson says. “What we can do with the 3-D model to show our county attorneys and their juries in a criminal setting what it looks like from drivers’ perspectives, it’s just that much better to help in court purposes.”  Two of the new drones will be implemented in each quadrant in the state.

DAVENPORT – The Iowa Dept. of Corrections, Wednesday, said 20-year old Kendall Markell Lundrigan, who was convicted of Burglary 1st Degree and other crimes in Clinton County, failed to report back to the Davenport Work Release Center as required, Wednesday.

Kendall Markell Lundrigan (IA DOC photo)

Lundrigan is a black male, 5-feet 11 inches tall. He weighs about 195 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on September 16, 2019.  Persons with information on Lundrigan’s whereabouts should contact local police.

MUSKEGON, Mi (AP)- An Iowa man accused of stealing several artifacts from a western Michigan museum that’s housed on a World War II-era warship, has pleaded guilty to trespassing and won’t face any jail time. Sixty-two-year-old John Zaputil had been charged with felony theft for allegedly taking about a dozen items, including medals and lapel pins, from the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum in Muskegon last August. But The Muskegon Chronicle reports that he pleaded guilty Wednesday to trespassing, a misdemeanor. Zaputil’s plea states that won’t face jail time when he’s sentenced March 25. All of the stolen items have been returned.

Zaputil is a licensed osteopathic physician in Michigan and a licensed anesthesiologist in Iowa, according to the states’ records. He previously worked for the University of Iowa. Zaputil was identified by a number of medical professionals from the hospital, who saw surveillance video and photos in news reports.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man has been convicted of child sex trafficking, gun and drug charges. Federal prosecutors say 52-year-old Andrew Streb, of Hills, was found guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines of three counts of child sex trafficking, two counts of distributing methamphetamine to children, and of other crimes. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

Prosecutors say Streb trafficked three teenagers in Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Iowa City from November 2018 to February 2019. He paid the girls cash and methamphetamine in exchange for sex acts.

(Radio Iowa) — An 11-year-old boy is charged in connection with a social media threat that forced Waterloo School District officials to cancel classes on Wednesday. Authorities have charged the boy with threats and intimidation for allegedly writing a post on social media, threatening to blow up four schools. Waterloo police issued a statement Wednesday saying their investigation determined the threats against East High School, West High School, George Washington Carver Academy and Central Middle School “did not appear credible.” According to district spokeswoman Tara Thomas, the decision Wednesday to cancel classes was due to safety concerns while the investigation was in progress. She says Waterloo Schools are resuming normal operations today (Thursday), with students returning to their classrooms.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – Police are investigating the fatal stabbing of a man at a Davenport motel. Officers sent a little before 8 p.m. Wednesday to check a disturbance at the Relax Inn found Daniel Bradley, 46. Police say he was treated at the scene but died there. No arrests have been reported.

(Radio Iowa) – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has been swinging back at Iowa Senator Joni Ernst on the campaign trail this week. On Monday, Ernst suggested to reporters in Washington, D.C. that Iowa Democrats might be influenced by the arguments President Trump’s lawyers are making about the Bidens. Biden has been asking Iowa audiences if they heard those remarks. “She spilled the beans, didn’t she?” Biden said last night in Sioux City. Biden says Ernst and other Republicans are smearing him because he’s a threat to President Trump’s reelection.

“So now all caucus-goers can have a two-fer,” Biden said in Sioux City. “One, you cannot only ruin Donald Trump’s night if I win the caucus. You can ruin Joni Ernst’s night as well.” Biden has campaign stops scheduled in Waukee, Newton and Ottumwa today (Thursday). President Trump is scheduled to fly to Des Moines for a rally at Drake University this evening.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)

SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP)- Polaris Industries plans to close its plant in western South Dakota and move the work to Iowa. The plant in Spearfish, S.D., specializes in painting parts for Indian Motorcycle. The Minneapolis-based Polaris will consolidate the paint operations in Spirit Lake, home of Indian Motorcycle. Polaris spokeswoman Jessica Rogers says it will cut down on logistics costs and lead times to better serve customers. The company says the 33 Spearfish employees will have the opportunity to transfer to available positions at other Polaris facilities.

(Radio Iowa) — With four days remaining in the Iowa Caucus campaign, Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson presents another Democratic presidential candidate’s closing argument for voters:

Earlier this week, Radio Iowa listeners heard the closing arguments of Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. Tomorrow’s focus will be on Pete Buttigieg’s message.