Officials with DuPont, and the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE), announced today (Wednesday), that DuPont Pioneer awarded more than $45,000 through multiple grants to agriscience educators in Iowa. The grants will fund training and classroom resources to help implement advanced agriculture curriculum.

Teachers who received a grant are implementing Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) in their classrooms and will attend training in 2015. Iowa teachers receiving grants include (locally): Kristen Rutherford, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton High School; Susie Catanzareti, Mount Ayr Community School District, and Molly Heintz, West Central Valley High School.

Michelle Gowdy, director of Community & Academic Relations for DuPont Pioneer, said “Ensuring there is enough safe, affordable and nutritious food for all will require that more students understand agriculture and become future leaders in food production.” She added, “We are proud to be working with others in agriculture and education to give teachers the best resources to encourage children to learn more about agriculture and consider careers in the industry.”

CASE is a multiyear approach to agriscience education with rigorous educator training requirements and hands-on, inquiry-focused learning activities. The collaboration between DuPont Pioneer and CASE is a special project of the National FFA Foundation. This is the third year of involvement for DuPont Pioneer. Learn more about the program and grant schedule on the CASE grant website.

Police in Clarinda, Tuesday, arrested a man wanted on a federal warrant. 22-year old Devin Ray Wallace, of Clarinda, was taken into custody at around 7-p.m. without incident, at his home. Officials say Wallace was wanted on a felony bench warrant issued out of Page County, for violation of probation on an original charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.

Wallace was remanded to Page County authorities and was being held at the jail in Clarinda on $10,000 cash bond.

(8-a.m. News)

The 8-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported following a collision early Tuesday afternoon, at 4th and east Joy Streets. Officials say a 2005 Buick LeSabre driven by 16-year old Lucas Mellott, of Emerson, and a 2007 Ford Focus driven by 16-year old Tyler McMann, of Red Oak, collided at around 1:40-p.m., when McMann failed to obey the yield sign and entered the intersection, where his vehicle was struck on the passenger side. McMann was subsequently cited for Failure To Yield. Damage from the accident amounted to $13,000.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A Red Oak man was cited early this (Wednesday) morning on a drug-related charge. Police say 50-year old Matthew Wayne Westover was cited in the 100 block of west Oak Street at around 4:25-a.m., for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Westover was released on the citation.

The family of an Atlantic couple killed in a gas explosion and fire last week is holding a fund raising event.  57-year old’s Paul and Denise McDaniel, who operated a small taxi company in Atlantic, were killed after a fire broke out Feb. 4th in their home. The Omaha World-Herald reports donations to the McDaniel Benefit fund can be made at either the Atlantic or Creston locations of the Nishna Valley Credit Union. Checks also can be mailed to Nishna Valley Credit Union, P.O. Box 350, Atlantic, IA 50022, Attention: McDaniel Benefit.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $485 million, making Wednesday night’s drawing the fifth largest prize in U.S. history. It’s been more than two months since someone won the Powerball jackpot, so the prize has been gradually growing from its $40 million starting point. The last time Powerball grew nearly so large was February 2014.

Because of strong sales, lottery officials Tuesday raised the estimated jackpot from $450 million to $485 million. Lottery officials are quick to point out that the game is for fun and a chance to dream. They note the chance of winning a Powerball jackpot is about 1 in 175 million.

Powerball revenue has been down slightly during a drought of jackpots, but officials say this big prize has caused sales to surge.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The newly appointed acting chief of Iowa’s corrections system says the department will keep employing some workers at state mental health institutions in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant that have been ordered to close.

Jerry Bartruff, who recently took over corrections, told a legislative panel Tuesday that about $2 million will be transferred from the state Department of Health and Human Services to corrections to continue administrative staffing and other jobs that had been shared between the agencies at both facilities.

The state Department of Corrections currently has operations at Clarinda and Mount Pleasant, which houses two of the state’s four mental health institutions. Gov. Terry Branstad has proposed phasing out state health services at the two facilities later this year, though corrections will continue to operate.

A traffic stop early this (Wednesday) morning east of Villisca, in Montgomery County, led to a high-speed chase, a crash, and a foot pursuit. Sheriff’s officials say 30-year old Joshua Dean Cooney, of Villisca, was arrested on eluding, OWI/1st offense, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Interference with Officials Acts, charges, following the incident that began at around 12:30-a.m. He was also cited for Speeding, along with multiple Stop sign violations.

When a sheriff’s deputy tried to stop a Dodge Dakota pickup running without a license plate near Vine Avenue and 260th Street, the vehicle driven by Cooney fled south on Vine Avenue in excess of 90-miles per hour, before going out of control and rolling over multiple times near 140th & Willow Avenue, in Page County.

Cooney got out of the vehicle and took off on foot, but was apprehended by the Montgomery County K9 Unit about 150-yards away from the crash site. The k9 team located narcotics near where Cooney was arrested.

Cooney was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $5,000 bond. The sheriff’s office was assisted during the incident, by deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office’ Drug Recognition expert, Clarinda EMS, along with Villisca Fire and Rescue personnel.