GREELEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an eastern Iowa woman was killed when a homemade cannon exploded at a backyard gathering. Davenport television station KWQC-TV reports that 55-year-old Lori L. Heims of Edgewood was flown to an Iowa City hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Department says Heims was injured at the gathering with friends in Greeley around 11:40 p.m. Saturday.

Investigators say the cannon was loaded and fired, and when it went off, the rear portion of the barrel blew out and sent fragments toward Heims. One of the fragments struck Heims in the head. Heims was taken to a hospital in Manchester before being flown to Iowa City, but doctors were unable to save her.

Greeley is about 80 miles north of Iowa City.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — The number of people killed or injured in accidents caused by use of electronic devices doubled in Iowa last year. The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports 14 people were killed in 2015, compared to seven the previous year.

The Iowa Department of Transportation says 601 people were injured in those types of accidents last year, up from 270 in 2014. The overall number of accidents caused by distracted driving rose to 1,100 last year, a 43 percent increase from 2014.

Pat Hoye, bureau chief for the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says one reason for the increase is the growing use of cellphones.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office received a call Sunday night about a black Ford F-150 pickup that was running off the road on Corning-Carl Road. Deputies stopped the vehicle on 210th Street just after 11-p.m., and subsequently arrested 54-year old Guy David Matson, of Lenox. Matson was charged with OWI for refusing to give a sample of his breath. His bond was set at $2,000.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s top news at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Police in Red Oak report the arrest of a Louisiana man on an alcohol charge, Sunday night. 18-year old Caleb Ross Patten, of Harrisonburg, LA., was arrested for Possession of alcohol under the legal age, at around 8:10-p.m.  Patten was later released on $360 bond, with his case set to appear in court.

The latest data shows there are more than 639-thousand registered Republican voters in Iowa and nearly 611-thousand Democrats. A new national survey indicates those partisans have a pretty negative view of people who’re in the opposing party. Carroll Doherty is political research director for the Pew Research Center.

“We knew that people had grown to increasingly dislike the opposing party. The question we had was: ‘Is it getting personal?'” Doherty says. “And, to a degree, it is.”
The Pew Center’s new research shows 70 percent of Democrats consider Republicans “closed minded” — while 46 percent of Republicans think Democrats are “lazier” than Republicans. Doherty says fear of what the other party might do with power is a big motivator.

“The bottom line is that negativity is kind of more powerful than positive feelings and negativity is driving a lot of political engagement these days,” Doherty says. “And the people who are the most negative are the most highly engaged, so there’s a real connection there.”

So-called “independent” voters are the largest segment of Iowa adults who are registered to cast a ballot in November. More than 670-thousand Iowans have checked “no party” on their registration, but Doherty says most of those independents tend to favor candidates of one party over the other. “They are more or less closet partisans and they feel very negatively about the opposing party,” Doherty says. “In other words, if they lean towards a party as most independents do — either lean towards the Republican or the Democratic Party — they don’t want to affiliate because they don’t have a particularly fond view of that party, but they also dislike the other side even more.”

The center’s latest survey found 47 percent of Republicans consider Democrats to be “more immoral” — and 55 percent of Democrats say the Republican Party makes them “afraid.” The Pew Research Center survey released last month found 68 percent of Democrats give Trump a “zero” rating — the very end of the negative scale, while 59 percent of Republicans rate Clinton a zero.

(Radio Iowa)

You might see a sign posted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at your favorite state park beach this summer.  Testing coordinator Mary Skopec says they will post of sign if their weekly tests show issues with blue-green algae and bacteria. “And if it is a bacterial impairment, normally what I have been telling people is very young children so babies, small toddlers, people with compromised immune systems  — people who are on chemotherapy drugs for example — should really avoid being in that water,” Skopec says.

Even if you are healthy, you should take some precautions if the beach is posted for a high level of bacteria. She says anyone with an open cut should avoid the water and everyone should avoid swallowing the water.  The recommendation involving algae is stronger. “When that advisory is due to the blue-green toxin, really people should stay out of that water because even contact with it for a healthy person can cause a pretty nasty skin rash,” Skopec says. “We can’t tell for sure always if everyone is going to get sick. The levels of toxin vary quite rapidly from day-to-day.”

She says the blue-green algae can also cause pets to get sick. Skopec says with the toxin advisory for the algae they recommend that people stay out of the water until it is clear and the advisory goes away. You can go online to see the results of the weekly testing. Go to www.iowadnr.gov/beaches to find the advisories. You can also call the hotline at: 515-725-3434.

Skopec says the levels of bacteria can change quickly if there is rain.  The blue-green algae tend to flourish when it is sunny and hot.

(Radio Iowa)

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

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer, Sunday, released a report on arrests dating back to mid-June. On June 18th, 60-year old Cleo Ray Barrett, of Audubon, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine – 2nd offense. Barrett was transported to the Audubon County Jail and posted bond the next day. He is currently awaiting further court proceedings.

On June 20th, 59-year old Karla Jo Andersen, of Audubon, was arrested on an active warrant out of Woodbury County for Probation Violation. Andersen was transported to the Audubon County Jail and later released to Woodbury County authorities. A hearing on the matter was set for July 26th in Woodbury County. Andersen’s bond was set at $5,000.

On June 23rd, Audubon Police arrested 30-year old Ryan Michael Schleis, of Audubon, on an active warrant out of Polk County for failure to appear at a Probation Hearing. Schleis was transported to the Audubon County Jail and later released to Polk County Authorities.His next hearing was set for July 20th.

On June 27th, 37-year old Jason Arthur Malloy, of Audubon, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. Malloy was transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate. On June 28th, 30-year old Spencer Gordon Heuton, of Audubon, was arrested by Audubon Police for Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication – 3rd or more offenses. Heuton was transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate. And, on June 29th, 30-year old Amanda Rae Campbell, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving While Revoked, No Insurance, and Failure to File SR-22. Campbell was cited and released on promise to appear.