Volunteers with the Red Cross have been busy in recent weeks helping dozens of families across the state knocked out of their homes due to fires. The agency relies heavily on donations to provide those families with temporary housing and money for clothes and food. Kara Kelly is a spokesperson for the Greater Iowa American Red Cross.

“The reason the Red Cross is able to respond to disasters as frequently as we do, and mostly it’s home fires, is because of donations from the American people,” Kelly said. “In order to keep going, we’ll need donations to Red Cross Disaster Relief and the best way to do so is to go to RedCross.org or to call 1-800-RED-CROSS.” ‘Tis the season for year-end giving and Kelly is hoping Iowans will consider a tax-deductible donation to the Red Cross.

“Certainly, we are very busy around the holiday season and the winter months, so making sure we have the resources we need in order to respond is incredibly important,” Kelly said. Red Cross volunteers from Iowa are also sent to help victims of disasters around the country and world. In August, for example, Pat Burch of Norwalk — a retired nurse — traveled to Saipan in the aftermath of a typhoon. In September, four Red Cross volunteers from Iowa were in California to help those affected by a series of wildfires.

(Radio Iowa)

The 7:05-a.m. report from KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson.

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The state health department is reviewing information from the first year of a cooperative project with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that surveys new mothers in Iowa. The state co-ordinator of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Survey or PRAMS, Sarah Mauch says it shows some mixed results when it comes to breastfeeding. “Quite honestly, Iowa is doing well at our breastfeeding initiation. What we struggle with — and what I think most states struggle with — is that continuation of breastfeeding. Only about half of our babies are still being breastfed at 12 weeks,” Mauch says.

She says the survey gives them some specific information on who is and who isn’t breastfeeding. “Our young and low-income moms are our least likely to continue breastfeeding,” Mauch says. “And so that’s an area that our department is very specifically looking at to see how we can increase support for moms to continue breastfeeding.” Part of the issue is the six to 12 week mark is when many mothers go back to work.

“How do we continue to support them in having access to a secure, clean space to pump or breastfeed. And what types of issues are they experiencing that causes them to stop breastfeeding,” Mauch says. Mauch says there are other issues that impact whether or not a mother breastfeeds her baby.

“Some of those are just not knowing much about breastfeeding because it is something that I think is still not extremely common in our culture to see,” Mauch says. Mauch says they will continue working to educate mothers about the health benefits of breastfeeding for babies.

(Radio Iowa)

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says a significant winter storm is expected to impact much of Iowa on Monday into early Tuesday. Officials say a  strong low pressure system will bring widespread precipitation in the form of a wintry mix to central and southern Iowa Monday morning before gradually switching to snow during the afternoon hours.

Ice accumulations greater than one quarter inch may occur before the precipitation switches to all snow. Heavy snowfall is possible especially west of Interstate 35 with accumulations greater than 6 inches possible. These conditions in addition to strong and gusty will lead to treacherous travel conditions Monday afternoon and night.

Stay tuned to KJAN for future updates regarding this potentially significant winter storm.

AREA COUNTIES:SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE–
320 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2015

…LIGHT WINTRY MIX RESULTING IN SLICK ROADS...

A LIGHT MIX OF SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. ANY ICE AND SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE VERY LIGHT…BUT WILL RESULT IN SOME SLICK ROADS AND HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS AT TIME. PLEASE ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR TRAVEL. ACCUMULATING PRECIPITATION WILL LARGELY END BY SUNRISE AND TEMPERATURES WILL THEN RISE ABOVE FREEZING AS WELL.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Dubuque Community School District administrators want to expand the district interpreter program to keep up with the growing demand. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports the number of students in the district with limited English proficiency has increased by 170 percent over the past 10 years. Students in the English language learners program speak more than 20 different languages, including Tagalog, Russian, Arabic and Marshallese.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Two former Iowa National Guardsmen have been honored for valorous conduct while serving in Afghanistan. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports former Sergeant Justin Schmitt of Nashua, and former Specialist Brian Swedberg, formerly of Prairie City, were awarded Army Commendation Medals for valor on Wednesday at the National Guard Readiness Center in Waterloo.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo church has surprised firefighters and police officers with holiday treats, including hundreds of homemade cookies. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that members of Our Savior Lutheran Church’s youth and evangelism boards spent three days this week baking 904 cookies, 820 pretzels, 166 miniature popcorn balls and 20 pounds of fudge. The groups delivered the goodies Thursday to each Waterloo fire station and the police station.

HONOLULU (AP) — Chase Fischer scored 26 points to lead BYU to an 84-76 win over Northern Iowa in the fifth-place game of the Diamond Head Classic Friday. Matt Bohannon scored 21 points and Jeremy Morgan had 19 to lead the Panthers in Honolulu.

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

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

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Red Oak Police report a multi-agency operation conducted Christmas morning in Clarinda resulted in the arrest of six people on drug charges. Red Oak Police, Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and officers with the Clarinda Police Department converged on a residence at 515 S. 10th Street, Lot 26, in Clarinda.

A search warrant executed at the home resulted in the arrest of the following individuals:

• 20-year old Jeffery Whitt, of Clarinda, who faces charges that include: Possession with the Intent to Deliver Marijuana; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Drug Tax Stamp Violation and Gathering where illegal substances are used.
• 25-year old Charles Mace, Jr., of Clarinda, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Gathering where illegal substances are used.
• And, 33-year old Jonathon Wasson, of Villisca; 22-year old Skye James, of Clarinda; 21-year old Starla Holmes, of Clarinda, and 18-year old Jason Sarabia, Jr. of Red Oak, were all charged with Gathering where illegal substances are used.

Each of those subjects were transported to the Page County Jail and held pending an appearance in front of the magistrate.

NEWELL, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the names of two people who were killed and one of the two people who were injured in a northwest Iowa highway collision.  The accident occurred around 1:10 p.m. Wednesday on Iowa Highway 7 west of Newell.  Authorities say two adults in the same vehicle were found dead at the scene. The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office identified them as 19-year-old Juan Yobani Lopez Hurtado and 46-year-old Maria Leticia Hurtado Gaitan, both of Fonda.

The Sheriff’s Office says 27-year-old Alex Spielman and a 7-year-old child were in the other vehicle. They were taken to a Storm Lake hospital.  Authorities have not released details about the collision.