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

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The Harlan Police Department is reporting two, recent arrests. Officials say 30-year old Eugene Cardine, of Harlan, was arrested Saturday on an active Shelby County warrant charging him with violation of probation. And, last Friday, 49-year old Jeffrey Rowland, of Harlan, was arrested for Theft in the 5th degree, after he allegedly drove-off without paying for gas at the Taylor Quik Pik. Both men were brought to the Shelby County Jail.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – An early morning fire at a Dubuque college severely damaged a residence hall. The fire early Wednesday at Visitation Hall on the Loras College campus sent flames high into the air. Dubuque Fire Chief Rick Steines tells the Telegraph Herald that a police officer noticed sparks on the building’s cupola about 5 a.m., leading the building to be evacuated. No injuries have been reported.

The building was significantly damaged, with much of the roof collapsed. Steines says it’s likely the fire was caused by a lightning strike. Loras is a Catholic college with an enrollment of about 1,600 students.

Police in Creston are looking for the driver of a van who fled the scene of an accident Tuesday night. Authorities say a 1999 Pontiac Montana was traveling south on Oak Street at around 10:10-p.m., when the vehicle struck a 2005 Chevy Silverado pickup that was legally parked on street. The driver of the van attempted to flee the scene, but the van was disabled. They left the van and took off on foot. Officials say the driver had not been located as of late Tuesday night. Damage from the accident was estimated at $6,500.

St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the deadliest holidays due to the number of drunk drivers on the roadways. That’s why the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) warns Iowans to not drink and drive this St. Patrick’s Day. Extra law enforcement officers will be on the roads March 16 – 19, 2016, to keep Iowa motorists safe.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2014, 28-percent of all crash fatalities during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend involved drunk drivers, and that number rose to nearly half in the post-party hours of midnight – 6:00 a.m., of March 18, 2014.

Pedestrians walking while intoxicated are also at risk as lack of attention risks getting hit by a vehicle. In 2014, 35-percent of the pedestrians killed in crashes had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.

There is some good news, however. The number of fatalities over this holiday period decreased nationally from 32 in 2013 to 29 in 2014. Likewise, the number of fatalities involving drunk drivers declined from more than one-third to one-fourth. The bad news is that every one of those deaths could have been prevented.

Don’t let your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations end in tragedy. The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau encourages Iowans to plan ahead by identifying a designated driver or utilize another form of safe transportation if you choose to drink this St. Patrick’s Day. The relatively small fee for a safe ride home is much cheaper than the thousands of dollars it will cost for a drunk driving arrest.

Let’s make this St. Patrick’s Day safer this year!  Whether you’re buzzed or drunk, it doesn’t matter. Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving – drive sober and remember to buckle up!

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Less than three-months after the Superintendent of the Griswold Community School District was arrested in Carroll County for OWI/1st Offense, another Griswold District Administrator is in trouble with the law. Authorities in Union County say 41-year old Thomas “T-J” Dunphy, Principal at the Griswold High School, faces a charge of OWI/2nd offense, and Carrying a weapon while intoxicated. The charges were the result of a traffic stop for speeding in Creston, that took place at around 3-a.m. Sunday.

Iowa online court records show Dunphy pleaded guilty to drunken driving in 2010 and served two days in jail for the crime. Since his latest incident, Dunphy has posted bond and had his preliminary hearing set for March 29th. School officials say Dunphy was placed on administrative leave. The Griswold School Board is expected to meet Monday to discuss the matter and Dunphy’s future with the district.

In December, 2015, Griswold Superintendent Dana Kunze was arrested in Carroll County for OWI/1st offense. In a plea bargain, Kunze plead guilty to the charge on Feb. 25th. He was given a 60-day jail sentence, with all but two days suspended and credit given for time served. Kunze was also ordered to pay a $1,250 fine and given two-years probation.

City leaders in Council Bluffs, Monday, approved a special election to place a bond issue before the voters, for a new police headquarters. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the vote, which takes place May 3rd, will determine if the city should issue up to $20 million in bonds for a new headquarters for the Council Bluffs Police Department.