(Radio Iowa/KJAN weather data) — State Climatologist Justin Glissan says November was below normal in a couple of areas. “Temperature wise — we were at 32-point-four degrees Fahrenheit — which is four degrees below average,” according to Glissan. “Looking at the precipitation side of things, we were at one-point-four inches. Which is about six-tenths below average.

In Atlantic, our average High for the month was 45, the average Low was 23, and we received just .85” (eighty-five one-hundredths) of an inch of precipitation (including both liquid and frozen forms), which was one-inch below normal. Statewide, Glissan says snowfall was the one area that was above normal for November. “We had four-point-four inches statewide — which is about two inches above average. And a majority of that fell in the northern part of the state,” Glissan says.

Atlantic was on the low side of the snow, however, at just 1.1 inches for the month. We entered the winter season on Sunday and Glissan says the outlook calls for more precipitation than normal in the coming months. “We’re looking at December, January, February. We do have a precipitation signal in the climate outlook that show us an elevated change of wetter than normal conditions all across the upper Midwest. In fact stretching from Seattle all the way to the east coast and down to Missouri,” Glissan says. “So yes, we’re in that higher probability of wetter than average conditions.”

He says there isn’t a clear read on what the temperatures will be like. He says we are in what’s called an E-C or equal chance of above, below or average temperatures moving into winter. Glissan says December is normally the third driest month of the year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa is proposing to settle a lawsuit filed by three men who worked at the Department of Revenue and claimed they were harassed by another male coworker who followed them into the restroom and secretly videotaped them. The lawsuit was filed by Daniel Wagner, Lloyd Lofton and Joshua Bates, who claim when they reported Kenneth Neal Kerr’s intrusive behavior to supervisors they failed to appropriately act, and it continued for several years.

Kerr was investigated and fired in 2015. He was charged and pleaded guilty in 2016 to invasion of privacy and sexually motivated stalking. The three men sued their supervisors and the state in 2017. The State Appeal Board will consider a recommendation by the state solicitor general to settle the lawsuit for $900,000 at a meeting Monday.

A traffic stop Nov. 28th in Page County resulted in the arrest of 20-year old Cody Dale Sleep, of Bedford. He was taken into custody for O.W.I. 1st Offense and transported to the Page County Sheriff’s Office where his bond was set at $1,000.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a Clarinda man was arrested sometime over the past couple of weeks on felony Election Misconduct and Perjury charges. On November 19th, the Page County Attorney presented a complaint to the Page County Sheriff, alleging 29-year old Bradley Aeron Haley, of Clarinda, committed the offenses, following a complaint filed by the Page County Auditor. The Page County Sheriff’s Office then began an investigation into the complaints. Haley was arrested in Clarinda, and was being held in the Page County Jail on $10,000 bond pending future court appearances.

Authorities in Red Oak say Red Oak Police and Red Oak EMS/Fire took a report Saturday evening of a vehicle versus pedestrian accident in the alleyway of 108 W. Elm Street. Upon further investigation, it was discovered 64-year old Russell Duane Tyler, of Shenandoah, was backing his van, when he struck Wanda M. Olson, pinning her between his van and a van owned by a woman from St. Joseph, MO.

Olsen was transported by EMS to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for medical evaluation. Officials say the accident happened on private property. Damage to the second van was estimated at $400.

In other news, Red Oak Police are investigating a vehicle hit-and-run property damage accident. Officials say sometime between 9:30-p.m. and 11:50-p.m. Friday, someone sideswiped two legally parked vehicles on Eastern Avenue. Damage to a 2014 Chrysler 200 owned by Ricky Behrens, of Red Oak, and a 2007 Town and Country Van owned by Dale Fish, of Red Oak, amounted to $5,500 altogether. The incident remains under investigation.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of business leaders suggests the economy is slowing down in nine Midwest and Plains states as the U.S. trade war with China continues. The overall index for the region slipped into negative territory at 48.6 in November from October’s 52.6. The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says the ongoing trade war and slow global growth is hurting manufacturers in the region. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests over the past week. Sunday afternoon, 45-year old Dorothy Marie Thompson was arrested following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs, for Driving While Revoked or suspended for OWI test failure. Sunday morning, 40-year old Marlon D. Nelson, of Omaha, was arrested in Council Bluffs on a nationwide warrant out of Arkansas for being a Fugitive from Justice on an original Parole Violation charge. He was taken into custody following a traffic stop. At around 4:38-a.m. Sunday, 51-year old Gerald Thomas Tapp, Jr., of Washta, IA, was arrested for Driving While license suspended or revoked, after a deputy on routine patrol saw a truck on the side of the road, and conducted a welfare check.

Saturday evening, 68-year old Walter C. Mummey was arrested for OWI/1st offense, after his vehicle was found in the water near 145th and Rosewood. Mummey was transported to Jennie Edmundsen Hospital for treatment before being placed under arrest. Saturday morning, 39-year old Nicholas M. Gaer, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in rural Crescent for Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Theft in the 2nd Degree, after he allegedly broke into and burglarized a residence in the 19,200 block of Badger Avenue. His bond was set at $10,000.

Friday night, 50-year old Richard Allen Sullivan, of Treynor, who was being held in the Pott. County Jail, was charged with Violation of a No Contact or Protective Order, after allegedly having committed the same offense on multiple, different occasions, by leaving numerous voice mails. Thursday morning, 38-year old Damian Allen Govig was arrested following a traffic stop in Shelby, and charged with Theft in the 2nd Degree – Possession of Stolen Property. He was taken into custody after law enforcement saw a man pushing a motorcycle on the shoulder of Tamarack Road and 400th Street. The cycle came back as stolen out of Omaha.

An investigation Thursday into a disturbance at a residence on Wilshire Avenue in Pott. County, resulted in the arrest of 42-year old Jeff Riemenschneider. He was taken into custody on two counts of Child Endangerment with Substantial Risk, and Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense, causing bodily injury. And, Last Wednesday a 15-year old female from Treynor was arrested for Theft in the 4th Degree/Possession of Stolen Property. The teen was referred to the Juvenile Court System.

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — A fire in the Des Moines suburb of Clive has destroyed the home of a firefighter who was at work when the blaze broke out. The fire was reported early Saturday while Lt. Gerrit Foreman was at work at the Windsor Heights Fire Department. Foreman, a firefighter and paramedic, splits his time between Clive and Windsor Heights.

Foreman’s wife and two of their children escaped the fire but the blaze destroyed their home, leaving only the chimney standing. A third child was away when the fire started. Foreman told The Des Moines Register “I’ve spent a majority of my time protecting other people, and I couldn’t protect my family.”

Clive Fire Chief Rick Roe says a GoFundMe account to aid in the family’s recovery has already raised more than $20,000.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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