(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was injured during an accident today (Monday). The Adams County Communications Center took a report about a semi-tractor trailer in the ditch between Highway 34 and Prescott. An investigation determined the semi, driven by Sydney Damewood, of Prescott, was traveling south in a 1999 Kenworth semi, when for reasons unknown, the vehicle left the road and entered the east ditch before it came to rest. Damewood was transported to a local hospital by Prescott Fire and Rescue. The semi sustained about $20,000 worth of damage.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports also, four-people were arrested recently.

• 19-year-old Mya Squibbs, of Corning, was arrested today (Dec. 2nd) for Driving While License Suspended, No SR-22 Insurance, and Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Correctional Facility. Squibbs was being held on $5,600 cash only bond.
• 61-year-old Dennis Nekuda, of Corning, was arrested Sunday for Violation of a Protection Order. Nekuda was later released after posting $300 bond; Adams County Deputies also arrested 50-year-old Cherokie Davis, of Corning, on Sunday for Violation of a Protection Order/Aiding and Abetting. Davis was released from the Adams County Jail on a promise to appear in court.
• And, 21-year-old Brianna Long, of Anita, was arrested Monday on an active Ringgold County warrant for Driving While Suspended. Long posted the $300 cash only bond and was released.

(McClelland, Iowa) – The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), released information with regard to a fatality accident that occurred Sunday night, near McClelland. Authorities say deputies were dispatched at around 7-p.m. to the area of 22834 265th Street, along with the Underwood and McClelland Fire Departments.

A vehicle occupied by four juveniles had crashed. First responders administered aid to the juveniles, one of whom was transported to Mercy Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries. Due to the seriousness of the crash, Pott. County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Accident Investigators responded to the scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The names of the juveniles were not officially released while the accident remains under investigation, but officials with the Underwood Community Schools posted on social media they were “Saddened by the news regarding [the] accident,” and to “please keep the Jastoroff family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this difficult time.” The family identified the accident victim who died, as 14-year-old Liam Jastorff.

The school announced also that tonight’s (Monday night’s) home basketball games (JH and HS) have been postponed. Make-up dates will be communicated once they are set.

(Radio Iowa) – Wolf Carbon Solutions has withdrawn its application for a state permit to build a carbon pipeline in eastern Iowa. Developers had plans for a 95-mile pipeline to capture carbon emissions from A-D-M plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton — and ship the liquefied carbon to underground storage in Illinois. The company withdrew its permit request in Illinois last year. Emma Schmit is director of Pipeline Fighters, which is part of a group called BOLD Alliance which works on land and water use issues in rural states.

“Talking with landowners, it’s been months and months since they’ve even heard from Wolf, so they’ve seen the writing on the wall,” Schmit says. “…We tend to see these companies withdraw their applications and then never resubmit, so as far as I’m concerned, things are basically kaput.” The company’s withdrawal notice did not say whether it would revise its plans and submit a new permit request to the Iowa Utilities Commission. A spokesperson for Wolf Carbon Solutions has not replied to Radio Iowa’s request for comment.

Wolf had been seeking voluntary access to land along its proposed pipeline route. In early 2023, the company announced it would not ask Iowa utility regulators for eminent domain authority to seize land from unwilling property owners.  “That’s what they said in Illinois as well and I think that was one of their major problems both in terms of finding space for storage and the support from the community wasn’t there,” Scmit said. “…If they’re not going to basically, in my opinion, abuse eminent domain powers, they’re kind of stuck with no other option but to cancel the project.”

By early 2022, three pipeline companies — Wolf, Navigator and Summit Carbon Solutions — had announced plans to build carbon pipelines in Iowa. A year ago, Navigator cancelled its project. Summit hopes to extend its proposed pipeline route to ethanol plants that had signed up for Navigator’s pipeline. Schmit doubts the A-D-M plants involved in Wolf’s project will try to connect to Summit’s proposed pipeline. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if a different corporation came along,” Schmit says, “or if they even tried exploring carbon sequestration on site.”

The University of Iowa is leading a more than 11 MILLION dollar project to see if carbon can be successfully stored underground in Iowa, in what’s called basalt rock. The Iowa Utilities Commission has voted to give Summit authority to seize land along its Iowa pipeline route from owners who have refused to sign easements to their properties — but only if regulators in two neighboring states approve the pipeline project. Last month, North Dakota’s Public Service Commission granted Summit’s permit and Summit resubmitted its request form a permit in South Dakota.

(Creston, Iowa) – One person complained of pain/possible injury, following an accident Friday afternoon in Union County. The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a 2017 Dodge pickup driven by 39-year-old Jeremiah Swietlik, of Kellerton, was traveling south on Highway 169 near Nuthatch Avenue at around 1:55-p.m., when, according to Swietlik, he looked down for something. As he did so, his pickup crossed the center line of the road and sideswiped a northbound 2006 GMC pickup that was pulling a car trailer, and driven by 43-year-old Ryan Still, of Mount Ayr.

The Dodge pickup went out of control after it contacted the GMC pickup, and entered the east ditch before rolling over twice and coming to rest on its wheels. The car trailer became detached from Still’s pickup after being hit as well. The trailer came to rest in the east ditch. Authorities say the trailer was destroyed by the collision with the Dodge pickup. The total amount of damage was estimated at $13,500.

No citations were issued, but the report stated Swietlik failed to maintain the proper lane.

(Radio Iowa) – Dubuque is unveiling a first-in-Iowa initiative aimed at reducing fines and fees for low-income residents. The Equitable Fines and Fees Program will meet those residents where they live and connect them with area networks and resources to alleviate utility fines for missed payments. Antonio Mouzon heads Dubuque’s Office of Community Impact and he created the program. He’s hopeful residents will be more likely to ask for help where they’re comfortable, instead of at a city office.

“We really hope to find success in building relationships between our local government and our residents, meeting people at their homes, having them see our smiling faces, us see theirs,” Mouzon says. “We’re learning their names and building that trust so residents are more likely to invest in these programs.” Mouzon says the initiative is rooted in trying to correct inequity in the criminal justice system.

“Residents who are standing in front of that judge can only serve in our community at a rate of $7.25 an hour. That is not equitable,” he says. “If you have a $1,500 or even a $1,000 fine, you’re going to have to serve for quite some time.”

The program is scheduled to launch on New Year’s Day and could eventually be expanded to include legal fees.

(Radio Iowa) – The new “State of Lung Cancer” report from the American Lung Association ranks Iowa number-39 out of 49 states for new rates of lung cancer. Iowa also ranked worse than the national average on lung cancer survival rates and early diagnosis. Kristina Hamilton, spokeswoman for the state chapter of the American Lung Association, says one recommendation is that policymakers increase the state tax on cigarettes.

“The cigarette tax hasn’t been raised in Iowa since 2007,” Hamilton says, “so of course, the economy has changed so much since 2007, it’s really past time for Iowa to increase cigarette taxes.” Hamilton says cigarette smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer in the state.

Another area that needs attention from policymakers is Iowa’s high radon rates, as she says policies could help to reduce radon exposure, and to encourage the building of radon-resistant buildings.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – A man from Dallas County escaped injury last week, after his pickup left the road and struck a light pole. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports 57-year-old William B. Clauson, of Dexter, was driving a 2017 Chevy pickup truck eastbound on 330th Street at around 8:25-a.m., Thursday (Nov. 26th), when he became blinded by the rising sun.

The pickup went off the right side of the road, entered the east ditch and struck a Guthrie County REC electric pole, before coming to rest. Damage to the pickup was estimated to be around $14,000. The vehicle was declared a total loss. A fence owned by Doud Martin, of Dexter, sustained $1,000 damage, and damage to the light pole was estimated at $2,000.

No citations were issued.

(Washington, Iowa) – Three people died and another was injured during an eastern Iowa crash this (Monday) morning. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the crash happened on Iowa Highway 1 near 170th Street, south of Kalona. According to the report, a car was traveling southbound at around 8:50-a.m., at the same time an SUV was traveling northbound. The driver of the car attempted to pass a snowplow that was traveling southbound, when the car crossed over the center line of the road into the northbound lane, and struck the SUV. Both drivers and a front seat passenger in the  SUV died in the crash. Another person was injured and transported by Washington County EMS to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.

The State Patrol was withholding the names of the crash victims, pending notification of family.

(Radio Iowa) – State Climatologist Justin Glisan says this fall is going down among the warmest we’ve ever seen in Iowa. “Over four degrees above average for meteorological fall, September, October, November, so with 152 years of records looking like in the top 10 warmest falls on record,” Glisan says. The fall was on course to be one of the driest on record through the first two months.

“The driest September, on record, 51st driest October, and then we get into a wet November. So kind of a balancing act there, but overall, we were drier than average, and that’s where we did see some drought conditions reemerge across the state. Recently we’ve had improvements with a wetter November,” he says. He says rains late in November kept it from a dry overall outcome.

“Not too much snow. We had a few flakes flying through the month, some rainfall, though we were about three inches, three and a quarter inches across the state, and that’s almost an inch-and-a-half above average,” Glisan says. Glisan says November was wet enough to push it up the record chart. “Overall for November, this looks like it will be in the top 20 wettest November is on record,” he says.

November also saw temperatures about three degrees above average.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports a Bridgewater woman was arrested last week on felony Theft and Burglary charges. 43-year-old Kiley Marie Hannan was arrested Nov. 26th on an Adair County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree against an older individual, after she alleged stole jewelry valued at $4, 150 from the home of an elderly female, and a related warrant for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. Hannan was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

And, on November 30th, 41-year-old James Edwin Lee, Jr., of Fontanelle, was arrested following a traffic stop. Lee was charged with Possession of Marijuana/1st offense, and Possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released a short-time later on a $1,300 bond.