OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – As a blast of wintry weather hits the Midwest, Union Pacific Railroad is reminding motorists to use caution at rail crossings during slick, cold-weather conditions.

The Omaha-based railroad says that with blowing and drifting snow, it could be difficult for motorists to see where crossing surfaces are located. When possible, motorists should use overpasses or underpasses to get to the other sides of railroad tracks.

The railroad also warns that those driving too fast for slick conditions could slide into the path or the side of a moving train at a crossing. It can take a mile or more for a moving train to come to a stop.

An elderly man who lost consciousness while driving Wednesday afternoon in Montgomery County, crashed his pickup into a tree, but was not injured. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 76-year old David Otto Berggren, of Red Oak, was traveling east on 230th Street at around 3-p.m., when he lost consciousness. Berggren’s 2002 Ford F-150 Supercab pickup left the road to the right and entered the south ditch before it hit a power pole, snapping it in two.

The pickup continued in the south ditch, finally coming to rest after striking a tree. Berggren was transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital by Red Oak Rescue, to be checked for injuries. Damage to his pickup was estimated at $25,000 (a projected, total loss).

No citations were issued. Sheriff’s deputies were assisted at the scene by Red Oak Police and members of the Red Oak Fire and Rescue Dept.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) says new data shows the expansion of the state’s Medicaid program is benefiting both hospitals and patients in the state. Scott McIntyre says an I-H-A study compares numbers between January and June of this year and to the same six month period a year ago. “In 2013, we saw about 8,000 patients who were uninsured and in 2014, during the same time period, it was only about 4,000 patients,” McIntyre says.

The IHA supported the expansion of the state’s Medicaid program, using federal money provided by the Affordable Care Act. Many states with Republican governors rejected such efforts, but Iowa Governor Terry Branstad agreed to an alternative proposal dubbed the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan. Federal officials granted a waiver for Iowa’s Medicaid expansion plan, which provided more than 100,000 low income Iowans with health care coverage.

McIntyre says the result is Iowa hospitals’ charity care costs fell 18.5 percent, or $32.5 million, in the first six months of this year. “Whenever we see an increase in people being covered, it’s not a surprise to see a decrease in the need for charity care. That helps hospitals be a little more prepared, flexible, and viable in terms of their finances,” McIntyre said. The decrease in charity care costs benefits all Iowans, according to McIntyre.

“Health care isn’t free and when people who aren’t insured come to the hospital and they can’t cover the cost of their care, part of that expense is passed along to people who are insured,” McIntyre said. “So, every time we insure someone, that helps everybody…that improves the situation for the entire state.” The analysis, based on data collected from 101 Iowa hospitals, also found overall inpatient admissions declined 4.4 percent over the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2013.

(Radio Iowa)

A report issued by the State Auditor’s Office finds some issues with oversight and the handling of fees in the county clerks in the district court offices across the state. Deputy State Auditor, Andy Nielson, says the report overall is a positive one. “Every year we do a review of all 99 county clerks of court as required by the Code of Iowa, and while this year there continues to be some comments regarding segregation of duties and some items with other accounting procedures, there has been improvement over the prior year,” according toe Nielson.

One of the ongoing issues is ensuring that the same person that takes in money for fines and fees isn’t the same person who is doing the bookwork and making deposits. Nielson says it’s usually an issue in the more rural counties. “Some of the clerk’s offices only have two or three people in them and it’s very difficult to segregate duties efficiently,” Nielson says. “They are taking steps to utilize other clerk’s offices to for such things as bank reconciliations and things like that.” The clerks can have their counterparts in a nearby county go over the records to ensure everything is being handled properly.

Nielson says it’s also getting easier with the use of electronic records to have a clerk in one county use another county’s employees to check their financial statements without any travel involved. The offices handle the civil, probate, criminal,juvenile, traffic, child support and small claims for the courts. They also collect and deposit and pay out all the fees and other monies for the district court. Nielson says the nature of the operations makes it important to have the proper oversight.

“Whenever there is a lot of cash being transacted as opposed to checks and credit cards, there’s obviously more risk there, and that’s where the segregation of duties is extremely important and that’s why we focus a lot on that,” Nielson says. The clerk of courts offices went through a period where they had reduced staffing and hours due to budget issues, and Nielson says they are now benefiting from more funding.

“I think they’ve been restored to a little bit closer to normal staffing and that will certainly help with the segregation of duties issues,” according to Nielson. Nielson says the State Auditors Office provides training to the clerks in handling these types of issues and it’s good to see fewer problems in this audit.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The city of Council Bluffs and school district are pursuing citywide free wireless Internet services. The school board of the Council Bluffs Community School District approved a partnership agreement with the city Monday. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports the partnership will last for at least five years.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An assistant chief for a tribal police department in Iowa has been fired after making inappropriate comments about the looks of teenage daughters of two subordinate officers. Documents released yesterday show Jason Dunagan, assistant chief of the Meswaki National Police Department, commented “nice belly button ring” and “nice tan” on a Snapchat photograph posted online by a lieutenant’s 16-year-old daughter. Dunagan said Wednesday he saw nothing inappropriate in his comments toward the teenage girls, saying he was friendly on social media with one and didn’t know the other was his colleague’s daughter.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Mason City man faces multiple charges after police say his car struck three vehicles, including a school bus. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports 23-year-old Eric Sombright was behind a school bus Tuesday morning when his car slid on ice and hit the bus. Sombright is accused of driving around the bus and fleeing the scene.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials say an aging giraffe at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines was euthanized due to health complications. The Des Moines Register reports 21-year-old Shani was euthanized earlier this month.