The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Thomas More Society set up a nativity scene in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol for the first time ever Monday. Martin Concannon is with the Omaha chapter of the society and says setting up a nativity scene at the capitol raises lots of questions. “The first question I get is, ‘is that legal?’,” Concannon says. “And of course the answer is ‘yes’.  The public sidewalk is the quintessential public forum and this is the quintessential public sidewalk right here.”

Concannon says he was also asked if putting up the nativity scene in the rotunda is confrontational or provocative. “And that is a more interesting question. It somewhat answers itself,” according to Concannon. “The private display or private expression of faith has been somewhat frozen out of the public square for long enough now that people are not accustomed to seeing it. And it seems like there must be something combative when somebody shows up to engage in it.”

Concannon says the Thomas Moore Society isn’t trying to be confrontational. “The reason we are here is really simpler than that.  The creator of Satan himself has defeated evil and has invited us into his protection. That is the good news of the season and we are commanded to share it,” Concannon explains. He says the Iowa State Capitol is the perfect place for the nativity. “This building is the heart of our civic discourse and its rotundas are its hearthstone. So, of course we wont to be here, just to express the joy that we have,” Concannon says.

Concannon says they will have a sign up letting people know the nativity scene is not sponsored by the state of Iowa. “It’s not the state of Iowa, they haven’t funded it, they haven’t authorized it, they don’t promote it. They are simply allowing us to put it here as they might allow Cancer awareness week,” Concannon says. Concannon says they put a nativity scene in the State Capitol Building in Nebraska and that did draw some protest.

“The people who run the capitol in Nebraska didn’t give us any difficulty,” Concannon says, “but  people get very excited and complain about it, object to it, threaten lawsuits and stuff. Those never go anywhere because it is a settled issue. That’s why I can tell the people of Iowa that they are not stepping into a problem by doing this.”

Concannon says they want to put up nativity scenes in a couple of other capitol buildings too. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Bishop Richard Pates of the Des Moines Catholic Diocese were on hand Monday for the unveiling of the nativity scene, which will be in the capitol rotunda through Christmas.

(Radio Iowa)

A child who died in a Mason City house fire on Saturday night has been identified. Mason City fire officials say three-year-old Vicente Gonzalez died after he was found in the bedroom of the fire-damaged home at 118 13th Northeast. Fire officials say the fire broke out in the living room of the house at about 10:55 PM, but heavy damage to the home prevented investigators from pinpointing the exact cause of the fire. The fire has been ruled as accidental. Firefighters did not find any working smoke detectors in the home, as they say the family recently moved into the house.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:53 a.m. CST

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — The board that governs Iowa’s public universities is letting Iowa State University President Steven Leath keep his job after he admitted mistakes in using university airplanes. Iowa Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter is commending Leath for taking responsibility for problems identified in an audit of his use of planes. Rastetter says that he’s disappointed in the actions that required the audit and that “we can and must do better.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel that meets periodically has lowered Iowa’s revenue projection for the current budget year by roughly $96 million. The three-member group known as the Revenue Estimating Conference said Monday that Iowa is expected to take in about $7.21 billion during the budget year that began in July. That’s down from a projection in October of $7.31 billion.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the shipping of guns to Lebanon. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says 31-year-old Bassem Afif Herz of Cedar Rapids was given the punishment Monday in federal court in Cedar Rapids. He pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to deal in firearms without a license and illegally shipping guns.

TAMA, Iowa (AP) — A former eastern Iowa police chief faces federal charges for allegedly stealing and selling guns from his department. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Jeffrey Filloon is also accused of pocketing money from the sale of unclaimed vehicles the police department had impounded. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Filloon with two counts each of making false statements and selling a stolen firearm.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel has lowered Iowa’s revenue projections for the current budget year by roughly $96 million. The three-member group known as the Revenue Estimating Conference said Monday that Iowa will take in about $7.21 billion during the budget year that began in July. That’s down from a $7.31 billion projection in October.

Iowa Department of Management Director David Roederer said the state’s revenue is growing but not at the expected rate. He pointed to a range of issues but not one key reason. Roederer said the state will need to plug in the deficit when the GOP-controlled Legislature convenes in January.

Ben Hammes, Gov. Terry Branstad’s spokesman, declined to provide details on how that would be achieved. Hammes emphasized that K-12 school funding would not be cut.

xtremely cold weather is moving into Iowa over the next day or so and forecasters say it’ll stick around at least through the weekend. Auto mechanic Jeff Johnson, in Omaha/Council Bluffs, says now is the time to go through the checklist to make sure your vehicle is ready for the winter ahead. “Look at all your tires and make sure they’re aired up to manufacturer’s specifications,” Johnson says. “Check your wiper blades, check your coolant, make sure all your headlights and brake lights are ready to go. Also, make sure all your belts and hoses are all going to be prepared for any weather condition.”

He adds, you won’t get far if you don’t have good tires, and if you need snow tires, get them on, pronto. “Make sure your tires are properly aired up and that they have a decent amount of tread,” he says. “Winter tires are very important if your vehicle isn’t the safest, maybe a rear-wheel drive and even some front-wheel drive vehicles, it’s a great thing to add to your vehicle.” For some Iowans, the deep freeze will mean their cars won’t start as the frigid weather was too much for the old battery. Johnson says have your battery tested to make sure it has enough cold cranking amps to keep your car starting, even when the wind chill is far below zero.

(Radio Iowa)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest today (Monday), of 37-year old Aaron Michael Greene. Greene, who’s from Glenwood, was arrested at around 12:20-p.m. at the Mills County Jail, and charged with being a Fugitive from Justice. He remained held in the jail without bond. And, 26-year old Guillermo Torres Jr., of Omaha, was arrested Saturday night on a charge of OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

First Whitney Bank in partnership with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will be giving 14 lucky shoppers a total of $600 between now and Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas Drawings will run December 13th – December 23rd. There will be 12 winners taking home $25 AtlantiCash, one runner up winning $100 AtlantiCash and a Grand Prize of $200 AtlantiCash.

“We are pleased to be a premier partner of the Shop Local campaign and love to be able to give back to the community members that choose Atlantic first,” Paul Gude, CEO, First Whitney Bank.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Shop Local partners are: First Whitney Bank, Hy-Vee, Akin Building Center, Atlantic Motor Supply, NAPA, Brymons Interiors, Olsen Fuel, Brown’s Shoe Fit Co., Complementary Care and Wellness, Fajen Lumber, Hanson’s Fine Jewelry, Howard’s Clothing, McCunn Specialty Firearms, Picker’s Parlor, Something for You, Steffens Cycle Shop, The TV Store and Weitzel’s Restaurant and Bar. The chamber and these businesses launched the Shop, Scratch and Win promotion and The Twelve Days of Christmas Drawing. These seventeen businesses have offered prizes and discount on over 6,400 scratch off tickets that have been distributed over the past four weeks to people shopping local.

“The scratch off tickets with prizes and discounts offered brought a lot of customers into our store and they were all excited for the fun promotion. Who doesn’t love a scratch off ticket?” Kelly Schlake, Atlantic Motor Supply, NAPA said.

All the scratch off tickets are eligible for a second chance prize in The Twelve Days of Christmas Drawings. Winners will be called and announced on the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook Page. If you have a Shop, Scratch and Win ticket, be sure to submit it to the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce or participating businesses for a second chance in The Twelve Days of Christmas Drawings. The last drawing will be on December 23rd.

“This year’s Holiday Shopping Incentive has been a lot of fun and we are excited to be able to give away $600 in AtlantiCash as a “Thank You” to all those who are choosing to shop local first,” Ouida Hargens, Executive Director, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

For more details go to www.atlanticiowa.com or contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce 712-243.3017.

Students and staff with the Audubon Community School District today (Monday), have the chance to meet with counselors and members of the local ministerial organization, to grieve over two students whose lives were tragically cut short in a crash, Saturday. Audubon Superintendent Brett Gibbs told KJAN News the day started out a bit somber, as expected, but they’re trying to get back to a normal routine while still allowing the healing and grieving process to continue. (click on the sound bar to hear his comments)

Jamison Steckler, an 8th grader and his brother Gavin Steckler, a 5th grader died as the result of a car accident [Saturday] on Interstate 80. Gibbs said because the accident happened Saturday, many of the district’s 500 or so students had a chance to attend church and seek solace in their church families as well as each other.

Gibbs said their Crisis Management Team at the school has been in-place for about the past four or five years. They received extensive training from Cheri Love, a nationally recognized leader in crisis intervention and grief counseling.

The staff filled the hallways greeting the kids this morning, and spent the first period of classes talking with students about grieving and that it’s okay to do so. The only changes to the schedule as a result of the tragedy, was that the Vocal Music Performance scheduled for tonight has been postponed to a later date.

Audubon State Bank has a fund set up to help the Steckler family deal with the loss and expense.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports a northwest Iowa man was arrested Friday afternoon on drug charges, following a traffic stop on Lark Avenue, near 200th Street. 19-year old Mason McClean Meitzenheimer, of Cherokee, was brought to the Audubon County Jail and charged with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Interference with Official Acts. He was later released after appearing before a magistrate. The Audubon County K-9 “Axel” and Audubon Police assisted in making the arrest.

And, 25-year old Devin Allen Foote, of Griswold, was arrested Friday night in Audubon, on an outstanding warrant. Foote was charged with two counts of Violation of a Protective Order, as the result of an incident that occurred with an Exira resident. He was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later released after appearing before a magistrate.