(Radio Iowa) – The Mega Millions jackpot has grown again after no one won in Tuesday’s drawing. Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, says this drawing comes on a day that is superstitious for some. “And obviously, we human beings have all sorts of beliefs about Friday the 13th. So, we’ll have to see you know, where things come down on the on the luck spectrum right? With all of that in play,” Neubauer says. the one-point-three-five BILLION dollar jackpot is the second largest in history. Neubauer says one thing they watch are the combinations that are covered in a drawing.

“Right now it’s looking at somewhere between 40 and 45 percent for the next drawing,” Neubauer says. “That’s a pretty good amount, there have been times when it’s been higher. But and the higher the coverage estimate, the more likely it can be that there will be a winner. It’s not a given.” While Friday the 13th is considered superstitious by some, Neubauer says the big jackpot drawings have their own myths. “People believe that the odds change as the jackpot gets higher. That’s not the case. If that were the case, we wouldn’t ever be able to tell you what the odds are,” she says.

She says the odds are the same for every ticket in the game because it’s based upon the numbers available to play and whether or not the numbers on your ticket will match the winning numbers that are selected. Someone came very close to winning the jackpot Tuesday night. “There was one ticket here in Iowa on two for Tuesday night’s drawing that was just one number away. That ticket ended up winning a 30-thousand dollar prize. Somebody in Chariton is very happy with that ticket,” Neubauer says. She says that’s a good example of why you should always check your ticket for other prizes.

“Don’t just check to see if you won the jackpot. There are nine prize levels in the Mega Millions game ranging from two dollars all the way up to the jackpot. So please, please check for anything you may have won,” Neubauer says. You must buy a ticket in Iowa by 8:59 p-m to be eligible for the jackpot. Tickets purchased after that time will be for the next drawing.

(Persia, Iowa) – Law enforcement agencies are responding to a reported robbery at the Community Bank (107 Main. St.), in Persia. The incident occurred sometime between 9:50-and 10:05-a.m.  The suspect was said to have been wearing a black face mask, brown Carhart pants and brown shoes. It’s believed he left the scene in a white Chevy car, unknown direction of travel. Check back for additional information.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports a man from Pacific Junction was arrested this (Friday) morning. Officials say 21-year-old Nathan Richardson was arrested on charges that include Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct. His total bond (Cash or surety) was set at $600.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Nebraska was arrested Wednesday night on Bunge Avenue, for Assault with Bodily Injury. 38-year-old Kristopher Ray Night, of Bellevue, NE, was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Atlantic & Audubon, Iowa) – The Cass County Community Foundation reminds Cass County nonprofits that the deadline to apply for grant funds is Wednesday, February 1. The same message is going out of nonprofits in Audubon County, from the (separate) Audubon County Community Foundation. Applications are currently being accepted online for the spring grant cycle with approximately $130,000 available in each county, to support Cass and Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects.

Full application details, a fact sheet, and a link to the application form can be found online by selecting Cass County or Audubon County (depending on which county your nonprofit operates in) under County Listing at www.swiowafoundations.org. Applications will only be accepted through the online system.

This cycle of grants is made possible through the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license. Only organizations providing services in Cass County or Audubon County, respectively, are eligible to apply in their separate counties. Organizations may not request funds for counties other than their own, and they must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support and be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity, a local municipality, or a fiscally sponsored project.

For Spring 2023, the Cass County and Audubon County Community Foundations will entertain requests for capital and program support. General operating support will only be considered for one-time, non-recurring circumstances that improve the capacity of the organization to fulfill its mission.

Please contact Sunni Kamp (sunni@omahafoundation.org) or Sydney Calcagno (sydney@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458 with application-related questions. All completed grant applications will be considered at the March board meeting, with applicants being notified of funding decisions by the end of March.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report two women were arrested Thursday night on Assault charges. 24-year-old Kimberlyn Callie Bakerink, of Bridgewater, and 21-year-old Georjia Rain Alizabeth McKown, of Creston, were arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Assault with the Intent to inflict Serious Injury. They were taken into custody at around 7:30-p.m., and transported to the Union County Jail. Bakerink and McKown have since posted bond, and were released.

(Waterloo, Iowa) – (Update 8:05-p.m., 1/13/23: A woman from Cedar Rapids died and a man from Williamsburg was hurt, during a collision Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 80, in eastern Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol reports Troopers responded at around 1-p.m. to a multi-vehicle accident on I-80 eastbound, at mile marker 213 (west of Waterloo). An investigation determined a 2019 Jeep Cherokee driven by 64-year-old Joyce Renee Baumgarten, of Cedar Rapids, struck a 2013 International Iowa DOT plow truck that was on the left shoulder of the road, conducting a slow-moving Interstate maintenance project.

The driver of the DOT vehicle was identified as 52-year-old David Dellamuth, of Williamsburg. He was transported to the hospital in Marengo by Iowa County EMS.

The Patrol says Baumgarten died at the scene. She was wearing a seat belt. Other vehicles and drivers involved in the incident include a 2021 Hyundai Sonata, driven by 47-year-old Michael Razo, of Topeka, KS, and a 2013 Ford Edge driven by 23-year-old Alexis Sands, of Solon. Neither was injured in the collision.

The crash remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The State Board of Education has denied the challenge of a new student club at Johnston High School. Three parents appealed the school board’s decision to approve a chapter of the conservative Turning Point USA group. Andrea McIlwee spoke to the board members during their meeting Thursday, and says their concern is the process that was used — not the group’s philosophy. The lawyer for the Johnston school district, Carrie Weber, told the Board this not whether this was a good decision — it is whether it was supported by reason whether the board followed its policy and adopting this decision, and it cannot be overturned unless it’s unreasonable and contrary to the best interests of education.

The Board of Education voted unanimously to deny the challenge and uphold the club. The parents must now decide if they will pursue action in court.

(Radio Iowa) –  When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, and when it’s the dead of winter in Iowa, you make ice sculptures. Davenport hosts its annual Icestravaganza this weekend on the Mississippi riverfront. The fest features six expert ice carvers who will be using some 36-thousand pounds of ice to create glimmering, frozen visions under the theme Famous Monuments — everything from pyramids and the Statue of Liberty to the Eiffel Tower.

Each block of ice weighs around 300 pounds and they’re trucking in 120 blocks for the event. Plus, a lighting director will illuminate each completed ice sculpture with a series of colored L-E-Ds, switching them on nightly at dusk. The free event runs Friday through Sunday.

(Ida County, Iowa) – One person died during a collision early Wednesday afternoon between a semi tractor-trailer and a car in northwest Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu had stopped at the controlled intersection of Highways 59 & 20, near Holstein.

When the driver failed to yield to oncoming traffic and proceeded into the intersection, their vehicle was struck by a westbound Highway 20 semi. The unidentified driver of the Malibu died at the scene. The driver of the semi was uninjured.

The crash, which occurred at around 12:06-p.m., remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.