No injuries were reported after a trailer being pulled by a pickup began to sway, causing the vehicle to go out of control Saturday morning, about a mile west of Red Oak. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year old Joshua Morrison, of Red Oak, was driving a 2000 Ford F-150 eastbound on Highway 34 from Evergreen Avenue, at around 10:50-a.m., when the 2011 Sandpiper dump trailer the pickup was pulling began to “fish tail”.

When Morrison was unable to control the action, the truck entered the south ditch about one-half mile south of G Avenue. The trailer, owned by Corning Rental, jackknifed and hit the passenger side of the pickup, causing $2,500 damage.

No citations were issued.

Authorities say no injuries were reported following a rollover accident involving a straight truck this (Saturday) morning, southwest of Atlantic. The accident happened between 9 and 10-a.m. on Highway 6 near the intersection with Lansing Road. Atlantic Fire and Rescue responded to the scene to clean-up a fuel spill that occurred when the truck tipped over.

photo by KJAN’s Chris Parks.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Atlantic Police also responded to the scene. No other details are currently available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More than 20,000 claims have been filed by parents seeking part of a $1.9 million class-action lawsuit settlement over food bidding at hundreds of Iowa schools, according to attorneys handling the case. The claims filed since the settlement was announced Sept. 2 cover more than 47,000 students, said Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney for parents who sued Martin Brothers Distributing Company, the Iowa Educators Corporation and the Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing.

Fegan called the surge in numbers within a two-week period, “exciting.” The Cedar Falls-based Martin Brothers was accused of conspiring with IEC and IAEP for years to monopolize the business of selling food at schools across Iowa. The lawsuit, filed in 2011, said the result was students being overcharged because there wasn’t healthy competition in the market to keep prices down.

The defendants maintain they did nothing wrong and that the process was fair. They reached the settlement to avoid costly litigation, according to one of their attorneys. “There was no admission of liability or wrongdoing,” said Deb Tharnish, an attorney representing Martin Brothers. “It made economic sense to get the case resolved.”

Attorneys for IEC said they had no comment because the case is still pending. IAEP representatives did not immediately respond to a message left Friday. Parents and others have until the end of September to file a claim to receive up to $3.50 per student per year. A judge is expected to finalize the settlement in early November.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CUMBERLAND, Iowa (KJAN) – Two people were injured during a crash Friday evening on Highway 92, west of Cumberland. Authorities say 44-year old Christopher Robert Tedford, of Cumberland and 43-year old Jason Vaughn Rieber, of Griswold, were injured in the crash that happened at around 5:50-p.m. near Schuler Mfg. Both men were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. Tedford, who was not wearing a seat belt, later flown from CCMH by LifeNet helicopter, to Creighton University Hospital, in Omaha.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in Council Bluffs on Friday said they were investigating the discovery of a body at a golf course. Police tell the Daily Nonpareil they were called to the Council Bluffs Country Club after a person on the golf course reported seeing a decomposed body.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — There is probable cause that a southwest Iowa school district violated the state’s open meetings law when it met privately to discuss the firing of a principal, according to a state investigation. The Iowa Public Information Board says the five-member board of the Red Oak Community School District failed to properly vote to close an April 10th meeting and broke the law on April 14th when it failed to appropriately apprise the public of an agenda item. The Des Moines Register reports each board member could face fines of up to $2,500 per violation.

EPWORTH, Iowa (AP) — The 24-year-old driver of a pickup truck has turned himself in to face a charge of vehicular homicide in the deaths of four teenage boys who were killed last month in a crash on a country road in eastern Iowa. The Telegraph Herald reports Joseph Conolly of Holy Cross is charged in connection with the August 2nd crash near the community of Epworth.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State is 0-2 and comes into today’s game at Iowa with low expectations. Today’s kickoff at a sold-out Kinnick Stadium is at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.

In an update to our earlier story on kjan.com, the Iowa State Patrol reports two people were injured during a crash near Schuler Manufacturing, Friday evening. Authorities say 44-year old Christopher Robert Tedford, of Cumberland and 43-year old Jason Vaughn Rieber, of Griswold, were injured in the crash that happened at around 5:50-p.m. near 63724 Highway 92 (Richland Road). Both men were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. Tedford, who was not wearing a seat belt, later flown from CCMH by LifeNet helicopter, to Creighton University Hospital, in Omaha.

A medical chopper arrives at CCMH to transport an accident victim Friday to Omaha, evening.

The initial accident investigation determined a 1996 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Rieber was traveling east on Highway 92, and had slowed to turn into Schuler Mfg.  Tedford, who was traveling behind Rieber in a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup, failed to slow down, and rear-ended the other pickup.

Following the collision, Tedford’s pickup left the road and crashed through a fence before coming to rest in a soybean field. Officials say a 2003 Nissan Altima, driven by 29-year old Rachel Powell, of Glenwood, was traveling westbound on the highway. Debris from the initial crash struck her car, causing damage to the vehicle. Powell was not hurt during the incident.

The accident remains under investigation.

The American Red Cross is offering a free application for smart phones that makes it easier and faster for Iowans to find a nearby blood drive. The agency’s spokeswoman Katie Marshall says it’s a free app. You can track your donations, you can learn more about your specific blood type,” Marshall says, “and if there’s a shortage of your blood type, you’re going to get an alert saying, ‘Hey, we really need you to come in.'” The app is available for both i-Phone and Droid users.

“You can look for where the closest blood drives are in your area, you can make an appointment right there,” she says, while making blood donation goals for yourself. Marshall says the Red Cross is the nation’s single-largest supplier of blood and now that summer vacation is over, supplies are up.

“We’re seeing those high school and college drives start to pick up again,” she says. “We’re not looking at a shortage of any sort right now but the need is constant. That doesn’t mean anyone is off the hook. We need people to be donating constantly.” Iowans who want the new Blood Donor App can download it free at redcrossblood.org.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Retiring Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin’s final steak fry fundraiser may provide some much-needed sizzle for Democrat Bruce Braley, who is locked in a close race to replace the liberal lawmaker. Thousands of Democrats will gather Sunday at the hot-air balloon grounds outside Indianola, south of Des Moines, for Harkin’s 37th and final steak fry. The event will serve as an emotional commemoration of his service, capped with tributes from Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

While the former secretary of state’s potential presidential aspirations are likely to capture headlines, the event is also expected to rally activists for Braley. The four-term congressman is running against Republican state Sen. Joni Ernst in one of the year’s most competitive Senate races. Republicans need a six-seat gain to take control of the Senate.

A woman from Lewis suffered possible, unknown injuries during an accident Wednesday morning on Highway 6, in Cass County. The Iowa State Patrol, Friday, said 67-year old Linda Lou South, of Lewis, was traveling north on Highway 6 at around 8:45-a.m., when she saw a Cass County gravel truck slowing ahead of her due to engine trouble. She stopped behind the truck and turned on her flashers to warn traffic behind her.

A 2006 Pontiac Grand Am driven by 37-year old Craig Lantz, of Atlantic, was also traveling north. He saw the stalled dump truck and South’s  vehicle with its flashers on, but was unable to stop before hitting the rear of South’s car.

Lantz was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and for Violation of Financial Liability – accident related. Damage from the crash amounted to $13,000.

Medivac Ambulance along crews from Cumberland and Massena Fire and Rescue were called to the scene of a reported multi-vehicle accident Friday evening, in front of Schuler Manufacturing, west of Cumberland, at 63724 Richland Road. Crews were dispatched just before 6-p.m.

A medical chopper arrives as CCMH to transport an accident victim Friday evening.

There were injuries, with at least one person, the driver of one of the vehicles, being flown by helicopter late Friday evening to a hospital in Council Bluffs. The Iowa State Patrol was handling the accident investigation…additional details will be released later.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in Council Bluffs on Friday said they were investigating the discovery of a body at a golf course, Friday. Police said they were called to the Council Bluffs Country Club near the intersection of Wright Road and Comanche, after a person on the golf course reported seeing a body in a pond.

Officials say the body was about75-feeet from the shore, and was retrieved by personnel with the Councl Bluffs Fire Department. The Iowa DCI was notified and began investigation into the matter. Authorities said the body was in a decomposed state and no positive identification could be made at the time of the initial investigation.

The subject was believed to be a man 30-to 40-years of age. There were no immediate indications of foul play. An autopsy is set to take place Sunday to try and determine the cause of death. The investigation continues.