WALNUT, Iowa (AP) – Residents hope streetscape work and building renovations will help return their small town of Walnut to its former glory. The Pottawattamie County community of around 775 residents has long been known as the Antique City for its many antique shops. Mayor Gene Larsen told The Daily Nonpareil that the project is part of the community’s effort “to maintain the vitality of the antique trade.”

Construction started in November on facade upgrades on 16 storefronts. The work should be finished in time for the 35th annual Walnut Antique Show Father’s Day weekend, June 16-18. The streetscape work includes upgrades to sidewalks, curbs and gutters as well as straightening and leveling the cobblestone roadway downtown.

The $1.09 million project is funded in part by $700,000 in grants.

Ice-covered tree limbs are snapping across a wide section of Iowa, causing hundreds of power outages. An Ice Storm Warning is posted for much of western and central Iowa, stretching as far east as Waterloo. Meteorologist Brad Small, at the National Weather Service bureau in Johnston, says that layer of ice is making travel very slow-going.

State and local crews are spreading sand, salt and brine on the roads, feverishly working to make those thoroughfares passable, but the elements aren’t cooperating. “Air and road temperatures are hovering right around the freezing mark, plus or minus a degree or two,” Small says. “There will be some melting today but unfortunately, with this additional rain, we could see additional accumulations of ice. Temperatures for highs will only be the mid-30s at best and that’s only over southern Iowa.”

Sometimes, even the road crews get into trouble. Earlier this (Monday) morning, two Adair County snowplows and a County truck spun off White Pole Road into the ditch south of Interstate 80. No injuries were reported.

(Photo submitted)

Tuesday morning’s commute should be much better, Small says, as the road crews will have had a full day or more to combat the sheets of ice. “Tomorrow, there could be some minor melting but the good news is, we don’t have any precipitation in the forecast into mid-week,” Small says. “We may actually see highs in the 30s and 40s and possibly even 50 or more by Thursday.”

In southwest Iowa, about 62 customers of the Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative were without power in Taylor and Ringgold Counties, combined, and minor, scattered outages were reported by Mid-American Energy in Pottawattamie County. The few customers affected in Pott. County had their power restored by 9-a.m. or so. As of 9:30-a.m., Alliant Energy reported 64 customers were affected by an outage in Adair County, 90 in Madison County, and 27 were affected in Union County.

Power outages were worst in the Des Moines metro as MidAmerican Energy reported nearly 24-hundred customers had no electricity earlier today, though the utility say most are now back online.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN)

Sheriff’s officials in Union County report the arrest Sunday evening, of 19-year old Mikhail Matthew Smith, of Maryville, MO.   Smith was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center for theft 1^st degree.  His bond was set at $10,000.

Saturday evening, 56-year old Tommy Allen Green, Jr., of Lorimor, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Union County warrant for failure to appear on the original charge of dominion/control of firearm/offensive weapon by felon.  Green was being held in the Union County Jail without bond pending a decision  by a Judge.

Sheriff’s officials said also, a Lorimor man reported Friday morning, that sometime in the past week, someone broke in to his garage and took a salamander heater and 5 gallons of gasoline.  Estimated value of the items taken is $665.

Conditions across Shelby County and western Iowa are expected to remain treacherous today.  Shelby County Sheriff Neil Gross is not recommending travel at this time.  Also, a tow ban is in effect until further notice.  Shelby County Emergency Management will post up to date information on their facebook page (Shelby County Emergency Management), and through local media outlets, including KJAN.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A few states in the Midwest again are on alert for icy conditions, while strong storms are moving through the Houston area. While the weekend’s storm caused travel issues in parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, some meteorologists acknowledged it fell short of dire forecasts. Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa are expected to see a mix of rain and freezing rain today (Monday).

Strong storms moved through Houston on Monday morning, following a night of storms.  There was at least one tornado in Texas on Sunday evening, and severe weather kept some fans, the Packers and a few Cowboys inside Dallas’ AT&T Stadium for more than hour after the NFL divisional playoff game on Sunday night.

In southwest Iowa, only scattered power outages were reported this morning, due to icing.

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

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The Creston Police Department reports four arrests over the past few days.Early Sunday morning, 31-year old Patricia McFail, of Creston, was arrested at the Law Enforcement Center on the charges of Driving While Suspended and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug or Device. She was released from the Union County Jail on a $1000 bond.

Saturday morning, 31-year old Joshua Coulter, of Creston, was arrested at Sumner/Mills on the charges of Public Intoxication. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

Friday night, 20-year old Destany Degonia, of Creston, was arrested on the 800 Block of W Adams on the charges of Interference of Official Acts, and Accessory After the Fact. Degonia was released from the Union County Jail on a $2000 bond.

Friday afternoon, 38-year old Erik Witt, of Ellston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Union County Warrant for the charge of Possession of Controlled Substance – 2nd Offense. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $1000.

Creston Police said also, a resident in the 500 block of S. Chestnut Street, in Creston, reported Sunday afternoon, that someone stole a generator out of a
customers vehicle that was parked on their property sometime between 1-a.m. and
1:15-a.m., Sunday. The loss was estimated at $2000.

The Iowa Democratic Party organized rallies in four of the state’s cities Sunday afternoon. The events were billed as a “first stand” against G-O-P efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Matt Tapscott of Decorah runs a child care business and Tapscott says he hadn’t been able to afford insurance until the law. “My elected representative said we’re working to ensure that you have access to health care,” Tapscott said during a rally in Des Moines. “It makes no difference that we have access if I can’t afford what I have access to. The Affordable Care Act made it possible that I could actually afford my health care.”

Rick Smith of Urbandale says the law hasn’t just helped people with pre-existing conditions, it bans insurance companies from setting a yearly limit on spending on covered benefits.  “We’ve got to remind all of our friends…that everybody has benefitted from this and will continue to benefit,” he said.

Rallies were held in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Des Moines and Sioux City. Both of Iowa’s Republican U.S. Senators and the three Republicans who serve in the U.S. House voted last week on legislation to start the process of repealing “ObamaCare.”

(Radio Iowa)

Slippery road conditions contributed to an accident that involved three vehicles in Creston, Sunday night, near the intersection of E. Irving and N. Birch Streets. The Creston Police Department says a 2007 Dodge pickup driven by 25-year old Cortney Sandeman, of Creston, was driving too fast for conditions at around 10:55-p.m., when he lost control and collided with a parked 2004 Ford pickup. His vehicle also struck a 2017 Chevy driven by 32-year old Elizabeth Loomis-Montoya, of Creston.

Loomis-Montoya’s car had slid into the north curb and was trying to get out, with three people trying to push the vehicle up hill at the time the accident occurred. No injuries were reported. Damage from the collision amounted to $1,900. No citations were issued.