Thanks to a generous donation by the Red Oak Kiwanis Club, and the help of several volunteers, Montgomery County 4-H youth will enjoy a new activity at the 2016 Montgomery County Fair. A Gaga Ball Pit was permanently installed on Friday, July 1st at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on the south side of the 4-H Exhibit Building. A Gaga Pit is wood octagon, made up of eight sides with a 20 foot diameter court for play.

The object of the game is to use a lightweight ball to hit another player below the knees to eliminate them from the “pit”. The last person in the pit is declared the winner. “We are excited to offer a game that youth have enjoyed playing at 4-H camp for several years and now it’s right here at the Montgomery County Fair,” stated Chelsea Cousins, County Youth Coordinator at ISU Extension and Outreach Montgomery County.

“Kids of all ages, sizes and athletic ability can take part in this activity – it is an easy to catch on, face-paced game with many opportunities to be the last one standing.” The Montgomery County 4-H Youth Council plans to host a 4-H Club Tournament on Saturday, July 16 at 4:00 PM. The public is welcome attend. Pickup games will also be played throughout the week of Fair.

This project would not have been completed without the collaboration of several community players. The Red Oak Kiwanis Club fully funded the project. Thanks to Brian Carlson at the Do It Center for cutting the materials and prepping the construction site at no cost.

Thank you to 4-H parents Bob Peterson, Roger Vial and Beth Vial for coordinating and constructing the project. Thank you 4-H youth Kate Carlson, Hayden VanMeter, Colin Bruce, Alec Selberg and others for helping complete the construction of this project.

(Press Release/Montgomery County Extension)

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says it’s assisting the Iowa Lottery in reviewing a possible fraudulent claim of a $250,000 winning lottery ticket. Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer says an individual attempted to cash the ticket in Storm Lake on June 17. But the back of the ticket was covered with ink scribbles, making it difficult to read the signature and raising suspicions. The prize hasn’t been paid.

The instant-scratch ticket is part of the “$250,000 Riches” game the lottery began selling in March. Players scratch off a film covering a column of numbers on the front of the ticket. If a number matches a separate scratched-off section, players can win up to $250,000. Iowa Lottery officials require every winning ticket to be signed, legally purchased, possessed and presented.

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Sioux City, Iowa, man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting two men with his sport utility vehicle in Nebraska, causing one man to lose part of his left leg. The Sioux City Journal reports 47-year-old Ruben Vela entered the plea Thursday at his arraignment in Dakota County District Court. He’s been charged with first- and second-degree assault, failure to stop at the scene of an injury accident and two counts of criminal mischief.

Prosecutors say Vela argued with other men on June 6 at a South Sioux City hotel. Authorities say he then drove his SUV into a parked car, forcing it against a hotel wall and pinning two men standing behind the car. One of the men had to have his lower left leg amputated.

The Iowa State Patrol has released details of an early morning collision between two semi-tractor trailers that shut down a portion of Interstate 80 for about 4 hours Thursday. At 5:16am a 2015 Volvo Tractor-Trailer driven by 31-year-old Amit Chahal of Bakersfield, CA was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 at approximately the 86 mile-marker when his trailer began to sway and he lost control due to the rain.  The tractor-trailer jack-knifed and rolled onto the passenger side blocking all lanes of traffic as it came to rest facing north.

Due to the trailer being on it’s side an approaching 1999 Freightliner driven by 54-year-old Jeffrey Figgens of Omaha was unable to see any lights or reflectors and struck the undercarriage of the trailer.  The Freightliner came to rest on the shoulder after the collision.

Figgins was transported to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines with unknown injuries by Stuart EMS.

No further details have been released at this time.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Massena resident after a traffic stop on Thursday.  At 10:30am deputies arrested 54-year-old Kelly Erickson of Massena after a traffic stop for a passenger with no seat belt.  Erickson was the driver and was charged with having no valid drivers license, no interlock device, and failure to file SR-22 insurance.  Bond was set at $2,050.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Mega Millions jackpot has increased to $540 million, as brisk ticket sales fuel the estimated jackpot for Friday’s drawing. Paula Otto is executive director of the Virginia Lottery and lead director for Mega Million. She says sales leading up to Friday’s drawing have exceeded expectations resulting in the jackpot adjustment.

Friday’s drawing will be the 35th since Mega Millions had a winner – the longest rollover stretch in the game’s history. Otto says that since the last winner in March, Mega Million tickets sales have exceeded $1 billion. Sales prior to the last drawing on Tuesday night also were higher than expected, at around $107 million. Sales were anticipated to hit $80 million.

Tickets are sold in 45 jurisdictions including 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U. S. Virgin Islands.

Police in Council Bluffs say a domestic disturbance this (Thursday) morning resulted a man being sent to the hospital and his wife arrested on two charges. 35-year old Jennifer Evens, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Aggravated Domestic Abuse and Willful Injury, and was brought to the Pottawattamie County Jail.

Officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of N. 36th Street at around 5:30-a.m. Upon arrival, they made contact with 29-year old Christopher Evans,  his wife, Jennifer Evens. Officers determined the couple had been involved in an argument, that had ended with Jennifer allegedly striking Christopher in the back of the head with some type of blunt object and then striking him in the face with a “snow globe”, which broke on impact.

Jennifer then allegedly struck Christopher on the left side of his body with the broken snow globe, causing some superficial lacerations. Christopher Evens was transported to Creighton Medical Center for treatment of his injuries, which were not life threatening.

The Office of U.S. Joni Ernst (R-IA) today (Thursday) announced upcoming traveling office hours in all 99 counties across Iowa for the month of July. Representatives from Senator Ernst’s office will be available in counties throughout the state to assist Iowans with problems or questions about eligibility involving issues like Social Security, veterans benefits, military affairs, passports, immigration issues, and other federal programs. Senator Ernst will not be at the traveling office hours.

U-S Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

If residents are unable to attend the traveling office hours and are seeking assistance with federal agencies, please visit Ernst.Senate.Gov  A complete list of all upcoming dates can be found here http://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/traveling-office-hours

Area Office visit sites/date and times:

Adair County:

Friday, July 22, 2016 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Adair County Courthouse

Meeting Room 400 Public Square Greenfield.

Adams County:

Thursday July 21, 2016 10:45-11:45 AM Corning Public Library 603 9th Street Corning.

Audubon County:

Tuesday July 26, 2016 10:00-11:00 AM Audubon Public Library 401 North Park Place Audubon.

Cass County:

Tuesday July 26, 2016 12:00-1:00 PM Atlantic Public Library Meeting Room B 507 Poplar Street Atlantic.

Guthrie County:

Friday, July 22, 2016 9:00-10:00 AM Guthrie County Courthouse Public Meeting Room 200 North 5th Street Guthrie Center.

Montgomery County:

Tuesday July 26, 2016 2:00-3:00 PM Montgomery County Extension Office 400 Bridge Street, Suite 2 Red Oak.

Pottawattamie County:

Monday July 25, 2016 2:00-3:00 PM Eckels Memorial Library 207 South Highway Oakland

Shelby County:

Wednesday July 20, 2016 9:30-10:30 AM Harlan Public Library 718 Court St Harlan.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says states are taking action to address the risk of lead in drinking water but more needs to be done to share key information with the public. EPA urged states in letters sent Thursday to post individual lead sampling results on public websites. That practice will allow residents to see which homes and buildings have been tested and what level of lead was identified.

The EPA said a “substantial number” of states were already posting such information but others haven’t, citing information technology hurdles and privacy concerns. The agency’s push comes after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where residents were exposed to high lead levels when the city switched to a more corrosive water source that wasn’t properly treated.

The Iowa Department of Transportation reports one-lane of Interstate 80 eastbound near the Highway 25 overpass (in Adair County), is open, following a crash that took place earlier this morning. The accident involved two semi-tractor trailers, and reportedly occurred at around 6-a.m. Both lanes had been blocked for about 3 1/2 hours. As of the latest report, only the right lane remained closed while crews clean-up the scene and remove the semis. Eastbound traffic near Casey was moving slow on I-80, and motorists should expect some delays.

Additional information is not currently available.