The Creston Police Department reports a couple of minor accidents on Friday morning.

At 8:12am officers were called to an accident at the intersection of North Cherry Street and Townline Street.  A 2013 Chevy Silverado driven by 42-year-old Heather Senora Beck of Lenox was eastbound on Townline Street and went through a stop sign and hit a 2014 Chevy Cruze driven by 63-year-old Terrance Lee Borrall of Shannon City. Borrall complained of some pain and possible injury while Beck was uninjured. Beck was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.  Damage was estimated at $5,000 to each vehicle.

A little more than an hour later at 9:50am Creston Police were called to an accident at Sumner Avenue and Highway 34. A 2000 Chrysler Sebring driven by 25-year-old  Robert Dean Surrell of Corning was Eastbound on Highway 34 and according to witnesses ran a red light. Surrell struck a 2016 Buick Encore driven by 89-year-old Ethyl Jean Mikkelsen of Creston that was traveling south on Sumner through the green light at the intersection with Highway 34. Mikkelsen received minor injuries and Surrell was uninjured. Surrell was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device along with Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability and No Valid Drivers License. Damage to the Buick was estimated at $6,500 and damage to the Chrysler was estimated at $3,000.

The National Education Association is holding its annual meeting and representative assembly June 25th through July 2nd in Boston. Tammy Wawro, President of the Iowa State Education Association, told KJAN News that a large group will represent the State of Iowa at the meeting.

Wawro said one of the big takeaways from the event is being able to hear from other educators across the country about what is working well for them and what issues they are facing. Wawro said one of the big topics of discussion will be the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Another big point of emphasis will be the large influx of new educators that will be entering the workforce in the next few years and how to prepare them for success.

Wawro said the Iowa State Education Association is working to make sure Iowa educators feel supported and respected. Even though a lot of the discussion at the NEA assembly will be talking about problems educators are facing, Wawro says there are a lot of positives the State of Iowa can share.

You can find out more about the National Education Association at www.nea.org or the Iowa State Education Association at www.isea.org. You can also follow the ISEA on Facebook or Twitter.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a lottery security expert charged with attempting to claim a $16.5 million Iowa jackpot that he rigged.

Friday’s ruling ordering a retrial for Eddie Tipton in the 2010 Hot Lotto jackpot is a victory for his defense but might have little practical impact.

Iowa prosecutors already agreed this month to vacate the conviction under a plea agreement, which requires Tipton to plead guilty to ongoing criminal conduct for his efforts to claim rigged jackpots in several states.

Tipton signed the plea deal but has yet to plead guilty in Iowa. He faces up to 25 years.

The court ruled Friday that the statute of limitations expired on one of two counts in the first Iowa case, and the verdict on the other was flawed.

Officials with the FBI report an arrest was made Tuesday, in connection with the June 12th robbery of a bank in Pottawattamie County. Authorities said Thursday, 31-year old Davon Leander Williams was arrested Tuesday night, for his alleged role in the robbery of the Underwood branch of the US Bank.

Officials say they believe Williams and at least one other person who was armed, entered the bank and robbed it, taking an undisclosed amount of cash. A vehicle the suspects allegedly used in the robbery, had reportedly been carjacked at gunpoint, from a woman in Omaha a few hours prior to the robbery.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a lottery security expert charged with attempting to claim a $16.5 million Iowa jackpot that he rigged. Friday’s ruling ordering a retrial for Eddie Tipton in the 2010 Hot Lotto jackpot is a victory for his defense but might have little practical impact.

Iowa prosecutors already agreed this month to vacate the conviction under a plea agreement, which requires Tipton to plead guilty to ongoing criminal conduct for his efforts to claim rigged jackpots in several states. Tipton signed the plea deal but has yet to plead guilty in Iowa. He faces up to 25 years.

The court ruled Friday that the statute of limitations expired on one of two counts in the first Iowa case, and the verdict on the other was flawed.

The Iowa Supreme Court has nullified an Oct. 2016 Appeals Court ruling in the case of a Pottawattamie County man convicted of willful injury and criminal trespass, after the Appeals Court reversed the District Court’s verdict, based on an error in a speedy trial ruling.The Supreme Court (With two justices dissenting), affirmed the District Court ruling in the case of Christopher Clay McNeal, of Council Bluffs.

McNeal was initially charged with attempt to commit murder, first-degree burglary, willful injury, and two assaults, following an investigation into an incident that took place Feb. 22nd, 2015, at an auto repair shop in Council Bluffs. He was ultimately convicted of assault with intent to inflict serious injury on his victim, Matthew Browning, by striking him with a hammer. He was also convicted of criminal trespass and willful injury causing serious injury. He was sentenced to a total of 10-years in prison.

In short, the Appeals Court reviewed McNeal’s claim that the State failed to meet its burden to bring him to trial within ninety days for the correction of legal error, and ordered the case be dismissed. The Iowa Supreme Court, in over-ruling the Appeals Court, found the District Court was within reason to schedule McNeal’s trial when it did, and its discretion was not abused.

(For more detailed information: http://www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Supreme_Court/Supreme_Court_Opinions/Recent_Opinions/20170623/15-1606.pdf)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An August trial is scheduled for a Sioux City man accused of biting his baby daughter on the face. Court records say 23-year-old Edward Valdez has pleaded not guilty to child endangerment resulting in injury. His trial is set to begin Aug. 22.

A court document says the child was bitten on March 24, when Valdez was alone with her. He told an officer that the girl had been sick and wouldn’t stop crying. Valdez said he became frustrated and bit her right cheek. The document says the bite left a white mark that lasted several days.

Police in Creston report two arrests took place Thursday. At around 12:30-a.m., 55-year old Robert Edward McCrory, of Greenfield, was arrested at 210 N. Oak St, in Creston. He was taken into custody on a Probation Violation Warrant. McCrory was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 and a $2,000 cash or surety
bond.

And, at around 845-p.m., Thursday, Creston Police arrested 29-year old Lisa Joanne Squibbs, at her home in Creston, for Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication. She was released from the Union County Jail upon paying a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

w/Chris Parks.

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(Washington, DC, June 22, 2017) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the suspension of all imports of fresh beef from Brazil because of recurring concerns about the safety of the products intended for the American market.  The suspension of shipments will remain in place until the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture takes corrective action which the USDA finds satisfactory.

Since March, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has been inspecting 100 percent of all meat products arriving in the United States from Brazil.  FSIS has refused entry to 11 percent of Brazilian fresh beef products.   That figure is substantially higher than the rejection rate of one percent of shipments from the rest of the world.  Since implementation of the increased inspection, FSIS has refused entry to 106 lots (approximately 1.9 million pounds) of Brazilian beef products due to public health concerns, sanitary conditions, and animal health issues. It is important to note that none of the rejected lots made it into the U.S. market.

The Brazilian government had pledged to address those concerns, including by self-suspending five facilities from shipping beef to the United States.  Today’s action to suspend all fresh beef shipments from Brazil supersedes the self-suspension.

Secretary Perdue issued the following statement:

“Ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply is one of our critical missions, and it’s one we undertake with great seriousness.  Although international trade is an important part of what we do at USDA, and Brazil has long been one of our partners, my first priority is to protect American consumers. That’s what we’ve done by halting the import of Brazilian fresh beef.  I commend the work of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service for painstakingly safeguarding the food we serve our families.”