CHICAGO (AP) — Travel conditions remain hazardous across much of the northern Great Plains as a winter storm continues to sweep across the region. The combination of freezing rain, snow and high winds that forced the shutdown Sunday of vast stretches of highways in the Dakotas was forecast to continue into Monday morning. The storm has also caused widespread power outages in the Dakotas, Nebraska and western Iowa.

As of 1 a.m. Monday, the South Dakota Rural Electric Association was reporting 10,231 “member-consumer-owners” were without power. In Nebraska, high winds were cited for hundreds of power outages in central and eastern portions of the state.

The weather service office in Bismarck, North Dakota, predicted snow accumulations of 8 to 15 inches in western parts of the state and thunderstorms in the central region.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 1:40 a.m. CST

CHICAGO (AP) — Heavy snow, freezing rain and high winds have halted travel in parts of the northern plains and left thousands without power. Authorities closed vast stretches of Interstates 90 and 94 as the Christmas Day storm bore down, and hazardous conditions were forecast to continue into Monday morning.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A man charged in the shooting death of an eastern Iowa man has been returned to the state for court proceedings. The Hawk Eye in Burlington reports that 23-year-old Earl Riley Booth-Harris was charged in July with first-degree murder. He’s accused of killing Deonte “Tae” Carter in February 2015, but had been in Illinois.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing a new Missouri River habitat for the endangered pallid sturgeon fish and sandbar construction for two endangered bird species. The Sioux City Journal reports that the plan comes after three years of study by scientists, hydrologists and other specialists. It seeks to use the latest scientific data to help the recovery of the pallid sturgeon, least tern and piping plover over the next 15 years.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say this year’s deer harvest is slightly down this year with a little more than two weeks left in the season. The Quad-City Times reports that Iowa’s second shotgun season ended Sunday. Hunters have until midnight Monday to report their harvests. Between both shotgun seasons, hunters reported 5 percent fewer deer than last year’s seasons

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County say a Cass County woman was arrested following a traffic stop this (Christmas) morning. 54-year old Kelly Marie Erickson, of Massena, was taken into custody at around 8:50-a.m. following a traffic stop near the intersection of Highway 148 and 183rd Street, in Adams County. Erickson faces a charge of Driving While License Denied or Revoked for OWI.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Online retailer Amazon says it plans to start collecting sales taxes on purchases in Nebraska next year, a decision that could generate millions for the state. An Amazon spokesman says the company will start collecting the taxes on Jan. 1.

State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton says the announcement will help ensure Nebraska consumers comply with existing laws. Consumers are already legally required to report and pay the tax through their annual tax returns, but few ever do.

Fulton says Amazon’s move is a good example of “responsible corporate citizenship” and a chance to educate Nebraska residents about the law. The announcement follows a similar announcement by Amazon in Iowa.

The 7:30-a.m. report on the latest area and state news, as well as area funeral announcements, from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:30 a.m. CST

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say this year’s deer harvest is slightly down this year with a little more than two weeks left in the season. The Quad-City Times reports that Iowa’s second shotgun season ended Sunday. Hunters have until midnight Monday to report their harvests. Between both shotgun seasons, hunters reported 5 percent fewer deer than last year’s seasons

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A vaccine that an Iowa company helped develop is expected to stop one of the world’s deadliest viruses. The Des Moines Register reports that a study published Thursday shows the vaccine is 100 percent effective in protecting people against Ebola, an infectious virus that has killed thousands and traumatized millions. Ames-based NewLink Genetics helped test and refine an Ebola vaccine that was invented by Canadian scientists.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Cedar Rapids brain and spine surgeon who was accused of gross malpractice has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and refrain from performing surgery. The Des Moines Register reports that David Segal reached a settlement with the Iowa Board of Medicine. The board, which licenses physicians, filed administrative charges against him in 2015 alleging that he failed to prevent excessive infections among his patients.

BLAIRSBURG, Iowa (AP) — A Clarion woman was killed in a in a car crash two days after she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. Authorities say 24-year-old Andrea Urrutia Matul was driving north on Highway 69 on Monday when she crossed the center line and hit a southbound vehicle near Blairsburg, in Hamilton County.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports one person was arrested on an OWI charge late Christmas Eve night, following an investigation into a single-vehicle accident near Randolph. 32-year old Justin Guy Bodfield was taken into custody for OWI. His Blood Alcohol Content (Or, B.A.C), was found to be nearly four-times the legal limit of .08 for intoxication. Bodfield was being held in the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center on $1,000 bond.

Justin G. Bodfield

Sheriff Aistrope says Deputies located Bodfield in his vehicle, which was in the north ditch off 120th Street, in the 3000 block of 120th. Their investigation determined he was driving eastbound on 120th, when he lost control of the vehicle.

Dense fog was partly to blame for several accidents in a portion of Fremont County, Saturday. The Sheriff’s Office says at around 11:50-a.m., they received a call about a feed truck on fire in the 1100 block of Highway 275, just south of the Fremont-Mills School. Before emergency crews could arrive on the scene, the Sheriff’s Office received word a head-on crash had occurred at the same location.

Moments after a deputy arrived, another, rear-end crash occurred at the same location. Poor visibility because of fog and smoke, along with slick roads made the accident scene treacherous, according to authorities.

Officials said a 2016 Dodge Charger driven by Brandi Beem, of Tabor, was traveling northbound and came upon the burning feed truck. Fearing she would be rear-ended in the dense fog and slick roads, Beem tried to go around the truck. Her car hit a southbound 2013 Hyundai Accent head-on. That vehicle was driven by Keri Hawhee, of Omaha. Shortly after that crash, a 2017 Hyundai driven by Kaylee Bartholomew, of Essex, that was also northbound on Highway 275, was struck by a 2005 Ford F-150 driven by Alex Donnelly, of Shenandoah. Amazingly, no injuries were reported from any of the collisions.

The accident remains under investigation by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and authorities say citations may be issued at a later date. Deputies were assisted at the scene by Tabor Police, and the Iowa State Patrol, along with Rescue crews from Tabor and Sidney Fire and Rescue.

Police in Creston are investigating a hit-and-run property damage accident that occurred at around 12:45-a.m., Thursday, in a parking lot near the intersection of E. Montgomery and N. Pine Streets. Officials say a 1988 Dodge Caravan was facing south in the parking. After it was struck it ended-up facing east. A 2008 Dodge Caliber was also parked in the lot and facing south, when it was struck in the rear.

The vehicle that struck the other vehicles is believed to be a white Chevy truck, but the driver and a further description of the vehicle is not available. Damage from the incident amounted to $1,800.

A crash involving four vehicles Saturday morning in northwest Iowa’s Sac County resulted in one person dead and five others injured. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened at around 8:24-a.m., about one and one-quarter miles west of Lake View, on Highway 175.

According to the report, a semi-tractor trailer was traveling west on Highway 175 when it attempted to pass a car in front of it. As it was passing the car, the semi collided head-on with a pick-up that was traveling eastbound. A passenger car following the pickup rear-ended the pickup.

The driver of the pickup and two persons in the car, along with the driver and a passenger in the semi were transported to Loring Hospital in Sac City. Two of the five transported to Loring suffered critical injuries, and were later transferred to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. A female passenger in the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene. Names of those involved were being withheld pending notification of family members.

The car that has been passed by the semi sustained damage subsequent to the collision, but the driver was not injured. At the time of the crash, visibility was reported as being near zero because of fog.

The accident is under investigation by the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and Officers with the Iowa Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division. Lake View Police, Lake View Fire, Wall Lake Fire and ambulances from Lake View and Sac City all responded to the scene.