Police in Council Bluffs say a medical condition apparently caused a crash that sent a total of five people to the hospital Thursday afternoon. Witnesses told police a green, Ford F-350 pickup was traveling west on Interstate 80 near the Mall of the Bluffs, when the vehicle swerved across the median and into oncoming traffic. The truck, driven by Rodney Schueman, of Oakland, struck a Hyundai Sante Fe Sport, driven by Kyel Moo, of Omaha, Nebraska. The accident happened just before 2-p.m.

Authorities suspect Schueman had a medical issue, because the investigation revealed he was slumped over the wheel when his truck drove across the median into oncoming traffic. The pickup sideswiped the SUV. The driver of the SUV and three of his passengers, all of whom are from Omaha, suffered minor injuries and were transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital. Schueman was also transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital, where he was being treated for the initial medical issues and minor injuries sustained from this accident.

The Red Oak Police department reports the arrest on Thursday of a Red Oak woman on a drug charge.  At 2:37pm officers arrested 32-year-old Mandy Marie Knapp of Red Oak in the 600 block of East Ohio Street.  Knapp was charged with Delivery of a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine. The charges stem from an earlier incident and Knapp is being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $50,000 cash bond.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports three men were arrested recently on warrants stemming from a burglary investigation. 34-year old Justin P. Parker, of Adair, and 35-year old Ian R. Patterson, of Stuart, were arrested Jan. 8th, and 24-year old Joshua E. Subbert, of Stuart, was arrested Jan. 12th, on warrants for Burglary 3rd Degree and Theft 5th Degree.

An investigation into their alleged activities began December 16th, after a homeowner on Walnut Trail reported her residence had been broken into. Parker has since posted a $5,000 cash bond, and will have his initial appearance on January 14th. Patterson was released on his own recognizance following an appearance before the magistrate, and Subbert was being held on bond in the Guthrie County Jail. 

Authorities in Shenandoah have released the name of an infant who died after being found unresponsive at a daycare center in Shenandoah. Police Chief Kris Grebert identified the child as three-month old Lily McKeever, the daughter of Nichole McKeever, from Thurman.

The incident occurred in the 200 block of West Lowell on Wednesday. Grebert says a caller to 911 said the infant was unresponsive. Lily was taken by ambulance to the Shenandoah Medical Center, where she later died. Chief Grebert says the Iowa Department of Human Services and the State Medical Examiner’s Office are involved in the investigation.

“We did make a call to DHS and to the state because this is a state-licensed daycare where this happened,” he says. “We are ongoing in our investigation on the cause. The coroner was notified and we’re working with them on the cause of the death.”

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Tuesday of 52-year old Kim Lavere Hester. The Casey man was taken into custody on a felony charge of OWI 3rd Offense, a Serious Misdemeanor Possession of a Controlled Substance charge, and Simple Misdemeanor charges that include Driving Under Suspension and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Hester was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following Wednesday, on $5,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office said also, that on Monday, January 18th, they will be closed due to plumbing repair. They anticipate being open again on Tuesday, January 19th.

One person was injured during a rollover accident this (Thursday) morning, in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials say Tiffany Meier, of Emerson, suffered minor injuries, and was transported by Red Oak Rescue to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, after the 2001 Dodge pickup she was driving hit a patch of frost and went out of control before rolling over and landing on its top, west of Red Oak.

The accident happened at around 8:40-a.m. in the 1400 block of 200th Street. The pickup was totaled in the crash. A county road sign was also damaged.

(12:40-p.m. News)

Representative Tom Moore, a Republican from Griswold, was sworn-in to the Iowa Legislature Monday, during a ceremony in the Iowa House chamber. He took the oath of office just as the second session of the 86th General Assembly kicked off at the Capitol in Des Moines. Moore won a special election for House District 21 in December. He replaced Jack Drake, who died suddenly in October, at the age of 81.

The 2016 Iowa legislative session kicked off this week amid the traditional pomp and circumstance including speeches by legislative leaders, Governor Branstad’s Condition of the State address and the Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court’s Condition of the Judiciary speech.

Rep. Moore taking the oath of office.

Rep. Moore says that balancing the state’s budget and quickly setting education funding are among his top priorities: “The state needs to budget just like Iowa families and businesses do,” said Rep. Moore. “That means we must continue to spend less than the state collects, and fight against using one-time money to fund ongoing expenses.

Additionally, the House will look to set school funding as quickly as possible. It is important to our local school districts that we get this done early, but it is equally important that they can depend on the commitments the Legislature makes.”

The legislative session is slated to last 100 days, ending April 19th. Last session the Iowa House approved a state aid increase just two weeks into the session only to see it languish in the Iowa Senate until spring.

During the current session, Rep. Moore can be reached at tom.moore@legis.iowa.gov or through the House switchboard at (515) 281-3221.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Wednesday night, of 36-year old Michael Wayne England, of Emerson. England was taken into custody under the authority of a Page County warrant charging him with Failure to Appear in court on an original charge of assault, that allegedly took place Nov. 15th.  England was being held in the Mills County Jail on $300 bond.

Officials with the Iowa Lottery said Thursday, a $2-million winning Powerball ticket was purchased in western Iowa. Lottery spokesperson Mary Neubauer says a total of seven tickets purchased in Iowa came within one number of having at least a share of the jackpot. One of those tickets purchased at the Casey’s General Store in Onawa, won $2-million. The ticket matched the first 5 numbers but missed the Powerball. However, the person who bought the ticket also selected the Power Play option, which doubled the prize to $2-million. The Onawa ticket was one of eight across the country that each won a $2-million prize.

Because the Onawa Casey’s Store sold the winning ticket, it will receive a $2,000 bonus. Six other Iowa tickets were also one number away from the jackpot. One of the tickets, worth $100,000, was sold at the B-W Gas and Convenience Store, in Walnut. The winners had not yet stepped forward, as of late Thursday morning.

Lottery officials say people bought more than $12 million in Powerball tickets in Iowa for Wednesday’s drawing. The buyers of tickets sold in California, Florida and Tennessee will share the estimated $1.6 billion jackpot or the $983.5 million cash option. The odds of winning the jackpot were about 1 in 292.2 million.