(Radio Iowa) — A Prairie City man was killed Monday morning in a crash on Highway 163 in Jasper County. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Nate Ludwig says 50-year-old Rex Chickering was driving a van that slammed into the back of a slow-moving pickup pulling farm machinery. Chickering died at the scene. The driver of the pickup, 53-year-old Curtis Kaisand of Monroe, was injured and taken by ambulance to a hospital in Pella. The crash happened around 8 a.m. in the eastbound lanes and bright conditions may’ve been a factor. “That was just briefly mentioned to me by one of the troopers who was on the scene, that the sunlight happened to be right in your eyes as you’re driving down the road,” Ludwig said. “But, as far as why (Chickering) drove right into the back of that farm machinery, we may never know…but, it’s under investigation.”

Pics courtesy ISP

Shortly after that crash, an Iowa State Patrol car was blasted by a passing motorist. The Patrol cruiser was parked on the side of the highway with its lights flashing. It was NOT occupied at the time. “It was a semi that partially side-swiped and hit the back end of the cruiser,” Ludwig said. “It sent the cruiser about 100 to 150 yards off (the road) and that semi continued on, down into the median.” The trooper who’d been driving the patrol vehicle was not injured. He was directing traffic to a detour away from the initial crash. “Stuff like this happens far too often where our patrol car is lit up like a Christmas tree – there’s no reason why people can’t see it when they’re paying attention. So, we’re still seeing distracted driving at its worst,” Ludwig said.

Charges are pending against the driver of the semi, according to Ludwig.

Two people who were passengers in a 2002 Chevy Impala, were injured Monday when the car they were riding in was broadsided, in Creston. Police say the Impala was driven by 19-year old Tyson William Hunter, of Orient. Hunter was westbound on Fremont Street in Creston a little before 2-p.m., when his car was hit by a 2008 Cadillac Escalade being driven by 46-year old Maria De Lourdes Lepe-Rodriguez, of Creston. Lepe-Rodriguez was traveling south on Division Street and had stopped at the intersection, looked, but did not see the approaching Impala before her SUV proceeded into the intersection, striking the car.

18-year old Corbin Loudermilk and 17-year old Jeremiah Whitney, both of Creston, suffered minor/non-incapacitating injuries, and transported by ambulance to the hospital in Creston for treatment.  Lepe-Rodriguez was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign and Yield the Right of Way. Damage from the crash amounted to $4,000.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections late Monday night, reported that a Corrections Officer at the Clarinda Corrections Facility, was assaulted by an inmate at approximately 6:37-p.m., Monday.

The officer was performing his routine duties at his station when he was confronted by an inmate. After a verbal exchange, the inmate unexpectedly began striking the officer with closed fists. The officer, while attempting to block the strikes, was able to utilize his oleoresin capsicum spray (pepper spray) on his attacker. After approximately 20 seconds, the officer was able to gain control of the aggressive inmate, and additional officers arrived to assist in taking control of the situation.

The officer was taken to the Clarinda Regional Health Center to be evaluated and treated, and was released later that evening. The incident remains under investigation.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon reports a lengthy bridge replacement project on the U.S. Highway 71 bridge over Lone Tree Creek…about three-miles south of Atlantic, or one-tenth of a mile south of Cass County Road G-35…is now complete, and the road is open to normal traffic.

That section of the highway has been closed since April 23. It was re-opened late Sunday evening, according to some social media posts.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — Library officials in northwest Iowa are deciding how to respond after a religious activist burned four LGBTQ children’s books. Orange City library director Amanda Vazquez tells The Sioux City Journal that officials aren’t sure if they’ll replace the destroyed books, which include David Levithan’s “Two Boys Kissing.” Paul Dorr released a video earlier this month on Facebook Live where he denounced the library for having the LGBTQ books and threw them in a burning barrel.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa election officials in each of the state’s 99 counties will hand count votes in one randomly selected precinct for the general election as an added security measure. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says the manual vote count process was added to Iowa’s election security process in a 2017 law and will be used for the first time in Iowa this year.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — A judge has rejected a challenge to a jury pool for a man charged in the death of his infant son. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Judge Richard Stochl ruled Monday there weren’t systematic problems with how the pool was assembled and that it was a representative cross-section of Henry County. Lawyers had objected to the potential makeup of the jury for Zachary Koehn, who is charged with murder and child endangerment in the death of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A woman accused of stealing from her mother has pleaded not guilty in eastern Iowa. The Telegraph Herald reports that 50-year-old Corenna Marshall, of Sherrill, was arraigned last week on charges of fraudulent practices and of dependent adult abuse-exploitation. Her trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 18. Investigators say bank records show that more than $21,000 was transferred to Corenna Marshall’s account from her mother’s account.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Page County man was arrested Saturday night on a Willful Injury causing Serious Injury charge. 45-year old Jody Lee Michaelsen, of Clarinda, was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $10,000 bond following his arrest at around 10-p.m. Saturday.

Early Sunday morning, 31-year old Kyle Clifford Weber, of Red Oak, was arrested by Mills County Deputies, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

And, early Sunday afternoon, 32-year old Claire Ashly Thalken, of Emerson, was arrested on a Montgomery County warrant for Probation Violation. Her bond was set at $2,500.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — A judge has rejected a challenge to a jury pool for a man charged in the death of his infant son. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Judge Richard Stochl ruled Monday there weren’t systematic problems with how the pool was assembled and that it was a representative cross-section of Henry County.

Lawyers had objected to the potential makeup of the jury for Zachary Koehn, who is charged with murder and child endangerment. Police say officers found the maggot-infested body of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn in an infant swing on Aug. 30 last year at the couple’s Alta Vista apartment. The baby’s mother, Cheyanne Harris, is having a separate trial.

Koehn’s trial was moved to Mount Pleasant in Henry County because of pretrial publicity in Chickasaw County. Defense attorney Steven Drahozal asked the court last week to reconsider the jury pool because of an under-representation of Hispanic people. Drahozal says Koehn has a Hispanic background and is entitled to a jury drawn from a cross-section of the community.