AMES, Iowa – Dec. 23, 2022: 3 p.m. – Road conditions have become extremely hazardous in northern portions of the state making travel in some areas impossible.

 Closure of a portion of I-35 near Ames to Clear Lake

The Iowa Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Iowa State Patrol, has closed north- and south-bound I-35 at Exit 111 (U.S. 30) in Ames to Exit 194 (U.S. 18) at Clear Lake.

If you are headed northbound, barriers have been activated at the U.S. 30/I-35N interchange. I-35 travelers must exit at U.S. 30. Traveler services are available at the nearby U.S. 30 exits into Ames.

If you are headed southbound, barriers have been activated at the I-35S/U.S. 18 interchange. Southbound I-35 travelers must exit at U.S. 18. Traveler services are available at the nearby U.S. 18 exits into Clear Lake and Mason City.

 The roadway will remain closed through the overnight hours. Officials will re-evaluate the ability to reopen Saturday morning based on conditions at that time.

Plows being pulled in northern Iowa

Due to the dangerous conditions, Iowa DOT snowplow operations are being suspended in many areas on Iowa and U.S. Highways in northern Iowa and plows will be returning to local maintenance garages before dark. The Iowa DOT has been advised that many counties will begin pulling plows from county roads as well.

Until plowing operations resume, you should expect conditions to worsen quickly into the afternoon and evening, with many roads becoming impassable. Travel is already not advised in large portions of the area.

 At this time, Interstate 29 in Iowa will remain open.

Iowa DOT snowplows will resume plowing operations in areas where plows have been pulled once it is safe to do so.

You are strongly urged to evaluate the need to travel in extreme conditions. Remember, if you become stranded it could quickly become a life-threatening situation, especially in these extreme temperatures. It may be very difficult, if not impossible, for emergency crews to reach you.

 If you must travel, be sure to monitor road conditions and Iowa DOT snow plow cameras at www.511ia.org or on the 511 app and be sure to travel with a full tank of gas and pack a winter survival kit. If you do become stranded, it is safest to remain with your vehicle.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says the national opioid-related settlements a half dozen businesses have agreed to pay must be spent to address the opioid crisis.

Opioid makers and distributors have so far agreed to pay states and local governments around 50 BILLION dollars to settle lawsuits over the marketing and sale of opioids. In 1998, tobacco companies agreed to pay 246 BILLION over 25 years in a national settlement, but much of that money has been spent on initiatives that have nothing to do with smoking.

Miller was among the attorneys general who negotiated the settlement with cigarette makers. He also worked more recently on national settlements with mortgage lenders and the anti-trust case against Microsoft. Miller, who has been Iowa’s attorney general for nearly 40 years, lost his campaign for an 11th term and will be leaving office at the end of the year.

DES MOINES — Governor Kim Reynolds, today (Friday), issued a proclamation to ease restrictions for transportation of and access to fuel used for heat during the extremely frigid temperatures during the blizzard.

The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through 11:59 p.m. on January 1, 2023. The proclamation suspends the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code pertaining to hours of service for crews and drivers delivering propane, diesel, natural gas, and other fuels used for residential, agricultural, and commercial heating purposes during the duration of the blizzard.

See the proclamation here. 

(Radio Iowa) – Cabin fever may already be setting in with kids home from school for the holiday break, but a developmental psychologist recommends Iowa parents avoid giving them rewards and bribes. Dr. Christi Bergin says if you want your children to have positive social behavior and self-esteem, don’t pay them for being good. Bergin says kids don’t learn to govern their own behavior if they’re given treats.

Bergin says giving a reward or bribe highlights the power you have over the child.

Bergin says if you want your kids to have good social graces, don’t pay them for being good. She says giving your kids an allowance is okay if it’s a specific amount of money each week or month for certain expenses, like gas for a car or their own clothing. She says being compensated for doing routine chores is not a good idea because they need to learn to contribute to a team without always asking “What’s in it for me?”