(Radio Iowa) – One Iowa Christmas tree grower says supplies are already getting short as we enter the first weekend of December. Robin Miller of rural Hawarden owns of T & S Christmas tree farm in Plymouth County. She says the demand for real trees has continued to be high. Because of the high demand in the last few years, I will be closed after this weekend,” Miller says. Miller says a new generation wanting to make family memories has led to an increase in demand for real Christmas trees in recent years. Miller says most people prefer to pick a tree that stands around seven feet tall. She says it takes between eight and ten years to grow a tree at that height.

“The scotch pine is really popular and any of the firs are really popular for a couple of reasons. The Scotch pines have that really full conical look, and the firs are really well known for holding their needles,” she explains.Mill er has a gift shop and says another product has been very popular. “Boy this year we’ve had incredible wreath sales — I think we are up to 700 wreaths we’ve made — probably a 120 left, maybe not even that many,” according to Miller. “And you know, that’s also affected by the shortage of trees that we are seeing. I have a shortage of foliage. I wish I could have all the products I normally do, but I just don’t, due to the lack of access to the foliage.” Miller says the warm weather hasn’t kept people from being in the Christmas spirit, and sales of trees have not suffered.

“Doesn’t hurt me at all. A lot of times I hear people say ‘wow this weather is amazing, I remember that year with four feet of snow, a giant mudhole’, it’s kind of nostalgic in a way when people are reminded of other years when it was not so nice,” according to Miller. The T & S Christmas tree farm is located about 20 miles northwest of Le Mars, and 25 miles north of Sioux City.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Friday, said two Council Bluffs men were arrested Thursday afternoon on warrants. 34-year-old Clayton Shane Clark was arrested in Sarpy County, NE, on two warrants for Domestic Abuse Assault (No Bond), and Violation of Probation ($10,000 bond). And, 25-year-old Devin Brandon Jackson was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on two warrants for Violation of Probation, with bond set at $40,000. Both men were taken into custody at around 4:30-p.m.

(Radio Iowa – There’s been a nearly six percent increase in state tax receipts in the past five months compared to the same period a year ago. Jeff Robinson of the Legislative Services Agency provides a monthly report to lawmakers. “Gains in sales and use tax as well as corporate income tax remain significant,” Robinson says, “while individual income tax growth for the year has been flat.” Corporate income tax payments to the state rose more than 19 percent from July 1st through the end of November. State sales tax collections were up two-and-a-half percent during the period.

“Federal economic stimulus and direct payments continue to support consumer spending,” Robinson says, “while Iowa and national employment levels remain well below pre-pandemic levels.” The Legislative Services Agency estimates nine-point-three BILLION dollars additional federal funding flowed into Iowa through enhanced unemployment benefits, loans and other pandemic-related spending approved during the Trump and Biden Administrations. A three-member panel of financial experts will meet on December 13th to review state tax receipts and give Iowa lawmakers a new estimate of total state tax revenue.

(Radio Iowa) The National Climate Prediction Center is issuing a La Nina advisory, indicating Iowa’s winter weather -will- be influenced by the cooling surface of the southern Pacific Ocean. Doug Kluck, the Central Region’s climate service director at the National Weather Service, says this La Nina pattern is predicted to be fairly weak.There is the potential for it to edge up into the strong category,” Kluck says. “One of the things that’s different about this year as opposed to last year is that the atmosphere and the ocean, in the equatorial Pacific, are interacting together — as you would think they should — very well in a La Nina year.” Kluck, who’s based in Kansas City, says forecasters are hoping the La Nina follows its predicted path.

“From a prediction point of view, that’s good because you rely more on that than influencing North America at some point in the future,” he says. While there are some indications the La Nina may gain strength during the approaching winter, Kluck says it’s still unclear how strong it may get.

“We try to put labels, we try to quantify strength of La Nina and El Nino all the time,” Kluck says. “If we could put 100% of prediction into La Nina, that’s the way it would look, more or less, across the U.S.” The winter prediction calls for near-normal temperatures and precipitation across the northern plains, with a chance of colder conditions and more snow in February and March.

(Radio Iowa) – The two southeast Iowa teenagers charged with killing an educator likely will not be released on bail before trial. Judge Joel Yates has denied the request of two Fairfield teens accused in the November 2nd murder of Nohema Graber, the Fairfield High Spanish teacher. Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, both 16, asked that their $1 million bond be reduced due to their age and lack of criminal history.

The two teens remain in the Jefferson County Jail. A trial date of April 19th has been set in the case.