BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man and 5-year-old girl have died in an eastern Iowa house fire that also injured two others. The Quad-City Times reports the fire broke out early Thursday morning in Bettendorf house. Arriving firefighters found an 18-year-old man outside the home who had escaped with minor injuries. Firefighters learned three others were inside the burning home and pulled them from the flames. Officials say 66-year-old Robert Wickham and 5-year-old Taylor Treanton died at a hospital from smoke inhalation. Another person, 63-year-old Mary Wickham, remained hospitalized Friday in critical condition. The 18-year-old man, Jodd Wickham, was treated and released from the hospital. Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire.

The National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C., has requested approximately 265 Soldiers and Airmen in total from the Iowa Army and Air National Guard to assist federal, state, and local agencies with supporting missions for the 59th Presidential Inauguration, to be held Wednesday, Jan. 20. The Iowa National Guard has mobilized Airmen from the 185th Air Refueling Wing based in Sioux City and the 132nd Wing in Des Moines, plus Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.

Duties will include logistical support of military personnel by the 185th ARW and 132nd Wing, plus support to civil authorities by the 2nd-IBCT. It’s anticipated these Soldiers and Airmen will serve in support of the inauguration for approximately eight days, which includes personnel readiness processing and travel.

In total, more than 21,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from 44 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia will be providing support during the inauguration. As a whole, National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will augment the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police forces on a range of support, including traffic control, crowd management, logistics and communication.

(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of snowplows are fanned out across the state, doing their best to clear the drifts and keep the roads passable, but some of them are losing the fight in this blizzard. Craig Bargfrede, winter operations administrator for the Iowa Department of Transportation, says the heavy snow and high winds are knocking visibility down to almost zero in some areas, making for what he calls a “challenging day.” Bargfrede says, “Currently, we’ve got somewhere in the neighborhood of 625 plows that are active out on the system, plowing and treating and trying to get the system back to near-normal condition.”

DOT Snowplow cam

State troopers are warning motorists not to venture out onto hundreds of miles of roads in the southwest corner of the state, though Bargrede says as yet, his plow drivers haven’t encountered any insurmountable problems. “So far, I’m not aware of any issues that have caused us to pull plows off the roadways,” Bargfrede says. “As far as I know, plows are still out and about. You’re correct, down in the southwest portion of the state, we’re showing on 511, travel not advised at this point in time.”

The Blizzard Warning will continue to be in place for much of the state’s western half through 6 o’clock tonight and the snowplow drivers are working to stay ahead of the blowing and drifting snow, though it’s a difficult chore. “They’ve already planned shifts accordingly,” he says. “I anticipate a lot of our crews continuing on throughout the day and into tonight and probably a fair number of them will be out again tomorrow once the winds do die down so that we can hit all of those trouble spots and make sure the system is back to near normal.”

The pandemic has pushed many Iowans to work from home and it’s hoped many of them can remain in their homes for the duration of this storm. “We’re suggesting to the public that if you do not need to travel today, especially in the central and southern part of the state, put those travel plans off until tomorrow,” Bargfrede says. “It will allow us to get out there, get the plows working and the snow cleared off.” For those who feel they have to travel, before you head out, consult: 511ia.org.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — It could be a profitable weekend for lucky lottery players as two of the largest jackpots in U.S. history will be on the line. Numbers will be drawn Friday night for the $750 million Mega Millions prize, the fifth-largest jackpot ever. On Saturday, players will have a chance at a $640 million Powerball prize, the eighth-largest jackpot. The listed jackpot amounts refer to winners who opt for an annuity, paid over 30 years.

A lottery customer purchases lottery tickets at Conjelko’s Dairy Store in Windber, Pa., as the Mega Millions grew to $750 million and the PowerBall to $ 640 Million on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (Todd Berkey/The Tribune-Democrat via AP)

Most winners choose cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be an estimated $550.6 million. For Powerball it would be $478.7 million. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is offered in Puerto Rico.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer today (Friday), released information about an accident that took place at around 10:45-a.m. Monday, in Shambaugh. The collision between two pickup trucks happened at the intersection of West and 4th Streets. Sheriff Palmer says 66-year-old Ruby Pearl Hanson, of Shambaugh, was driving a 2002 Dodge pickup northbound on West Street south of the intersection with 4th Street.  The driver of a 2007 Dodge pickup, 79-year-old Paul Melvyn Dow, of College Springs, was traveling eastbound on 4th Street west of the intersection with West Street. Following the collision, a passenger in Dow’s pickup, 77-year-old Joetta Ruth Dow, also of College Springs, was transported to the Clarinda Regional Health Center by private vehicle, for treatment of unknown injuries.

Damage from the collision amounted to $3,600, with the Dow pickup sustaining most of the damage. No citations were issued.

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Thursday, arrested a man on a Page Country warrant for Harassment in the 1st Degree. 43-year-old Jeremy Lynn Martin was arrested at an apartment in Clarinda.

Jeremy L. Martin

He was transported to the Page County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond, pending further court proceedings. Clarinda Police assisted in the arrest.

A man from Council Bluffs was arrested Thursday on a Page County warrant. 31-year-old David – John Kalani Kaneal / Kaua was arrested by Page County Deputies, at the Pottawattamie County Jail.

David-John Kaneal-Kaua

Kaneal / Kaua was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation. He was transported to the Page County Jail where he was being held on $10,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

The City of Exira has declared a snow emergency. The related Ordinance states “No person shall park, abandon, or leave unattended any vehicle on any public street, alley, or City-owned off-street parking area during any snow emergency proclaimed by the Mayor unless the snow has been removed or plowed from the street, alley, or parking area and the snow has ceased to fall. During such an emergency, parking shall specifically be prohibited on the even-numbered side of the streets between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and noon.

And on the odd-numbered side of the streets from 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Parking is allowed after the snow has ceased to fall and cleaning operations have been completed.”

Tow bans are in-place for a handful of western Iowa counties. No towing is allowed (except if a vehicle is blocking the roadway), in Adair, Cass, Harrison, Montgomery and Pottawattamie Counties. The restrictions will be in-place until the snow/blowing snow subsides and tow truck operators can safely remove vehicles from ditches and the median.