(Radio Iowa) – The number of people who are predicted to be traveling this week is up 13-percent from last year and it’s almost back to pre-pandemic levels, according to a Triple-A survey. Meredith Mitts, spokeswoman for the auto club in Iowa, says almost one-in-five people across the region will be taking a journey over the Thanksgiving holiday and most of them will be traveling by car. “Road trips are the favored way to travel. It is the most easily accessible whether it’s a pandemic year or not,” Mitts says. “You have control over where you go and how to get there, what time you’re leaving and then you don’t have to deal with the hassle of a rental car or catching rides. We did see a dramatic increase in airfares as well. That’s almost back up to normal.”

Compared to last Thanksgiving, gasoline prices in Iowa are up a dollar-20 a gallon, but Mitts says it’s due to much more than just supply-and-demand. “Last year we had no one traveling. Everyone was staying home and doing their best to protect family and friends,” Mitts says. “This year, we are seeing increased confidence in the vaccine. It is readily accessible. People haven’t been seeing their family and friends for a year, and for some people two years, so there is a lot of factors going into the gas prices.”

The higher gas prices are -not- expected to deter most drivers from hitting the holiday road. Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, is predicted to be one of the busiest travel days of the year, followed closely by Sunday, so motorists should prepare accordingly. “Just make sure you are planning extra time in your schedule for unexpected delays or traffic stops,” Mitts says. “You never know what’s going to happen to the vehicles around you or what the weather’s going to be like. Leave yourself plenty of time, that way you don’t have to speed and rush and you can take your time and be calm as you’re driving.”

The national average for gasoline is three-41 a gallon, while in Iowa, the average is three-17. A year ago, the statewide average was a dollar-98, the lowest since 2013.

(Radio Iowa) – There are a lot of ways to cook a turkey and but the director of the Iowa Culinary Institute at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) says every method has one goal. Chef John Andres says that’s to keep the meat moist. “You are always kind of in a battle between getting the outside of your turkey nice and caramelized and roasted — and at the same time, you want to retain moisture in the meat. And you’re literally cooking it from the outside inward, not overcooking the outside while getting the inside to a safe internal temperature,” he says.

Andres started cooking at country clubs where they may’ve had as many as 80 birds going at once. He says regardless of how many you cook — two things figure in for continued success. “Careful timing and taking good notes from year to year, I guess from a professional chef’s perspective,” Andres says. There’s one thing he likes to do at the start. “A lot of the advice you’ll hear for home cooks is to make sure you brine your bird,” Andres says. “And I think even if you purchase a bird that has already been brined, it doesn’t hurt to do your own brine on top of that. Because usually, it’s a small percentage of salt solution that they have already used. But that is something to keep an eye on that kind of affects the meat and might show something different in the meat as you cook your bird.”

Most people cook their bird the traditional way — but there is one trendy technique that’s hot right now. “You hear a lot about Sous Vide, and that’s kind of a fun technique where you seal up the meat up in a bag — the French translation from Sous Vide would be under vacuum,” according to Andres. “And you can infuse different flavors –whether it is herbs, garlic, things like that, butter in the bag with your meat. And then you cook it slowly.” Another technique is called Roulade. “Cut the breast meat off the turkey. In fact, if you do it carefully, you can even keep the skin on it. And then you can open that up a bit and maybe pound that meat down so you’ve got a nice even thickness, and you can stuff it with really anything,” he explains.

He says the stuffing you wrap the meat around can include some of the traditional stuffing, or apples and other fruits, and even your favorite vegetable. Andres says he likes the traditional sides to go with his Thanksgiving turkey. But, he has a fresh take on the old standby green bean casserole and makes it without canned mushroom soup. “I’ll make a mushroom soup, a cream of mushroom soup myself with extra mushrooms. Really caramelize those mushrooms and concentrate the mushroom flavor, add some thickened cream sauce to that and then blanch some fresh green beans, or fresh French cut green beans to mix all together.”

He says to add caramelized fresh onion on top. Andres says there are a lot of different recipes available online. “I tell people to be careful when you are looking out on the internet — because there is some junk out there too,” But if you find some good videos that show the process, that show the outcome — really your goal then as a home cook is to just the seasoning as you go…and as long as it is not too far off the wall, you’ll end up with a good product.”

Andres says now that he is teaching he enjoys being home to make his own Thanksgiving dinner for his family instead of having to be away and cooking for others.

Police in Red Oak report two women were arrested on separate charges, Sunday night. A little before 7-p.m., Red Oak Police conducted a traffic stop at W. 4th and Coolbaugh Streets, on a vehicle with a registration violation. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the driver, 31-year-old Meredith Morgan Mayberry, of Sidney, had a suspended license through the State of Iowa. Mayberry was taken into custody for Driving Under Suspension. She was also cited for the Registration Violation. Bond at the Montgomery Countyt Jail was set at $495.25.

And, at around 9-p.m., 37-year-old Chandra Christine Baggett, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 200 block of E. Maple Street, in Red Oak, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond.

A fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says Iowa’s fourth largest natural lake went through a number of changes this past year. Ben Wallace says last spring the water in Storm Lake was exceptionally clear.

The water in Storm Lake was green for several weeks, according to Wallace.

Wallace says the water levels in Storm Lake were lower due to the drought and that exacerbated algae growth.

Wallace made his comments during a presentation to the Storm Lake City Council.

(Radio Iowa) – U.S. Marshals arrested a man in Waterloo who has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting in a Minnesota parking garage. Police say a 37-year-old man was shot to death in late August as he fought back while being robbed by four men in St. Paul, Minnesota. A team led by U.S. Marshals in Minnesota and Iowa tracked one of the suspects to Waterloo. According to a news release from the agency, officers saw 30-year-old Franklin Spriggs leaving a house in Waterloo at about noon Friday, they followed him and arrested him in a residential area in Waterloo.

Spriggs faces a charge of second degree murder. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Spriggs has three prior felony convictions for assault and a felony charge related to a crime committed for the benefit of a gang.

(Creston, Iowa) – The owner of a vehicle in Creston reported to Police Friday afternoon, that their vehicle had sustained damage while the owner was out of town. Authorities say the 2015 Chevy Equinox was legally parked in a parking lot at 105 W. Adams Street (Iowa Focus). When the owner returned, she found her vehicle had been struck on the rear left side. The damage was estimated at $1,500.

(Boone, Iowa) – An off-duty Boone Police Officer has died in a traffic accident. The Boone Police Department said on a social media post Officer Mario Gonzalez died in a crash that took place Saturday.

Gonzalez had served as a full-time officer from August 2016 to October of 2019. He has served as a part-time officer since then, and a member of the Iowa Army National Guard.

A memorial fund for the husband, and father of two small children, will be established on Monday through Vision Bank. All funds will go directly to the wife of Mario Gonzalez to use as needed.

Boone Police Officer Mario Gonzalez

(Creston, Iowa) – Two people in a Pontiac Grand Prix were injured when the vehicle they were in crashed into a house early this (Sunday) morning, in Creston. (In an update to our earlier report), the Iowa State Patrol says the car, driven by 34-year-old Matthew Ryan Cross, of Creston, was traveling southbound on Lincoln Street at around 2:05-a.m., at an excessive rate of speed.

When the vehicle crossed Mills Street, it went out of control, passed though a yard, and into a house at 926 Mills Street, before coming to rest on its top. Cross, and his passenger, 25-year-old Shawn M. Wesbrook, of Litchfield, IL., were trapped in the vehicle for a time. Neither was wearing a seat belt.

Cross was transported by Mercy  One helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Wesbrook was transported to the Greater Regional Hospital in Creston by Union County EMS. While charges are pending completion of an investigation into the crash, authorities said alcohol appears to be a contributing factor.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around 9:10-p.m. Saturday, of 37-year-old Cory Rose Smith, of Elliott.  Smith was taken into custody on two Pottawattamie County warrants for failure to appear on original charges of Driving While Barred. Smith was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. And, a Cass County woman was arrested once again in Montgomery County.

Red Oak Police report 65-year-old Marcia Elaine Lehman, of Griswold, was arrested at around 6:45-p.m., Saturday, for Violation of a Protection Order. Her cash bond was set at $300. Lehman was also arrested last Monday in Red Oak, on a warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree, and in June, on the same charge.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two people were trapped for a time when a vehicle struck a house in Creston early this (Sunday) morning. The accident happened at around 2:25-a.m., at 926 W. Mills Street.

Additional details on injuries, etc. are currently not available.