POWESHIEK COUNTY – Two different fatal crashes occurred just under an hour apart in Poweshiek County on Thursday. The first occurred just after 7 a.m. on Interstate 80. The Iowa State Patrol reports a semi with an oversized load blue a trailer and parked on the shoulder with a pilot vehicle behind it. A third vehicle driven by 48-year-old Christian Marie Leeth of Texas collided with both vehicles, including the semi, and struck the driver of the pilot car, 55-year-old Brenton Fergia, who was outside fixing the tire. He died from his injuries. Less than an hour later, two cars collided on Highway V18 in a head-on crash. A Hyundai driven by 37-year-old Joshua Allen Klein of Brooklyn, Iowa, hit a Pontiac operated by 70-year-old James John Jacobi of Belle Plaine after crossing the center line. Jacobi died from his injuries.

DES MOINES – A Wyoming man is in custody after entering the stage area during the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Des Moines. KCCI-TV reports 22-year-old Jayden Michael Roccaforte was charged with disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance. The man is accused of entering the stage and prompted an evacuation based on his behavior, according to event organizers. The competition will resume today.

DES MOINES – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.6 percent in May, up from 3.5 percent in April. The number did include 3,900 Iowans joining the labor force. The participation rate rose to 67.3 percent, up from 67.2 percent in April. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.2 percent. The total number of unemployed Iowans increased to 62,400 in May from 60,700 in April.