Iowans are enduring extremely cold temperatures lately, but there’s encouraging news for those who use propane to heat their homes. Harold Hommes, a fuels analyst with the Iowa Department of Agriculture, says prices are falling. “So far, inventories look to be more than adquate, a completely different situation than what we encountered last year,” Hommes says. “Both U.S. supplies seem to be at the high end of the normal range and certainly here in the Midwest, we’re looking at very good supplies.” Hommes is hopeful the cost of propane will remain steady for the rest of the winter.

“Prices seem to be hanging in there,” he says. “We just did our weekly report on Monday and it showed $1.55 average in the state. It does show quite a wide range, as low as $1.20 and up into the $1.80s. It has been drifting downward, believe it or not.” A year ago, prices spiked within a matter of days, shooting from under two-dollars a gallon to nearly five-dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CRESTON, Iowa (AP) — The manager of a fertilizer plant in southern Iowa says an employee has died following an explosion at the facility. Bill Clem, plant manager of Green Valley Chemical in Creston, says the explosion yesterday morning killed an employee and injured at least two people. Lee Freeman with the Creston Fire Department says officials responded to a medical call from the plant around 11 a.m. Thursday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines Water Works board has voted unanimously to sue three northern Iowa counties, holding them responsible for the high nitrate levels the in rivers the utility uses for source water. The five-member board says it will file a notice of intent to sue Calhoun, Buena Vista and Sac counties, who oversee 10 drainage districts.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says he’s praying over whether to run for president in 2016 as he hires a senior adviser, plans a trip to Iowa in a couple weeks and expects to form an organization to raise and spend money. Walker says today that his hiring of experienced presidential adviser Rick Wiley doesn’t mean he’s decided to enter the race yet.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines Water Works board has voted unanimously to sue three northern Iowa counties, holding them responsible for the high nitrate levels the in rivers the utility uses for source water.

The five-member board says it will file a notice of intent to sue Calhoun, Buena Vista and Sac counties because they oversee 10 drainage districts that were designed to move water out of farm fields downstream. The suit will allege with water the drainage districts move contaminants like nitrate that Water Works must remove when the levels exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits.

A notice of intent will be Friday which informs the county supervisors and state officials that a lawsuit will be filed in 60 days. The process is laid out in the federal Clean Water Act.