(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say high temperatures today (Friday) and tomorrow won’t get out of the single digits, and wind chills may hit 30-below tonight, so frostbite is a serious risk as Iowans clear the latest snowfall from their driveways.

Jolyn Schneider, nurse manager of the University of Iowa Burn Treatment Center, says they’ve received dozens of calls about frostbite in recent days, and she says Iowans need to take precautions to keep their fingers and toes covered while outdoors.

Schneider says if you think you have frostbite, you should get medical care right away, as the longer you wait, the greater the risk of needing to have a finger or toe amputated.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department has issued reports on two separate accidents. At around 3-p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18th, a 2017 Chevy Traverse driven by 36-year-old Colby R. Giza, of Creston, was backing out of a driveway in the 700 block of W. Mills Street. Giza didn’t notice a 2024 Ford Taurus was approaching from the west on W. Mills Street, because a parked car obstructed his vision.

When he finally saw the car, Giza tried to stop, but slid into the road due to the freshly fallen snow. The car, driven by 65-year-old Lynette Hudson, of Creston, couldn’t stop either, because of the road conditions, and collided with the right rear side of the SUV. Neither driver was injured. Damage from the accident amounted to $6,000. No citations were issued.

And, no injuries were reported following an accident this (Friday) afternoon, in Creston. Authorities say a 1998 Ford pickup driven by 17-year-old Zoey Vandevender, of Prescott, was traveling south on Sumner Street at around 1:34-p.m., when her truck started accelerating without her having stepped on the gas pedal. The teen pulled the vehicle off the road into Lucky’s Carwash but was unable to get the pickup stopped before it hit the building.

The pickup sustained $500 damage. The carwash, owned by a company out of Corning, sustained $1,000 damage. No citations were issued.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Rock Island man was sentenced on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, to 67 months in federal prison for felon in possession of ammunition.

According to public court documents at the time of his plea hearing, George Harper, Jr., 34, was involved in a shooting incident located at the Kwik Star on 1650 West Kimberly Road in Davenport, Iowa. During the shooting, Harper fired multiple rounds from a firearm possessed unlawfully. Prior to his possession of the ammunition, Harper had been convicted of felon in possession of a firearm in Scott County, Iowa.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Harper, Jr. is required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on January 16, 2024, to 100 years in federal prison for Producing, Distributing, and Possessing Child Pornography. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, David Michael Woods, 51, sexually abused two children in his care, allowed other adult men to sexually abuse the children, produced recordings of the abuse and other sexual images of the children, and distributed the images he produced to others. Woods was convicted after a jury trial in September 2023.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

(Atlantic, Iowa)  – Cass Health in Atlantic reports Grace McAfee has been hired as the new Community Wellness Coordinator for Cass County. She began her role on Monday, January 15th. McAfee’s primary focus area will be promoting and communicating wellness initiatives for individuals and groups around Cass County. She will collaborate closely with other local groups focused on community health and wellness.

The Cass County Wellness Coordinator position is housed out of Cass Health but is uniquely funded by Cass County Extension, Cass Health, Cass County Board of Supervisors, and the Nishna Valley Family YMCA. Grace will spend her first few months meeting with local organizations to see where she can be of assistance.

Beth Olsen, Director of Cass County Public Health states, “Grace will be a huge asset to our community as we tackle the biggest needs in Cass County, as identified on our 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.” Olsen noted that the top needs from the public survey included mental health, childcare, housing, older adult services and support, physical fitness and outdoor recreation, healthy food access and awareness, and substance misuse and addiction.

Grace is a Cass County Native who grew up just outside of Wiota. After high school, she attended Iowa State University to obtain her degree in Agriculture and Life Sciences Education. Following graduation, Grace and her husband, Tyler McAfee, moved back to the area and now live on an acreage just outside of Anita with their son. Previously, Grace taught at CAM Community School District for three years.

McAfee said “I am excited to collaborate with local groups and provide them support to further improve health and wellness opportunities across Cass County,” and noted that the role is truly designed to focus on connection and expanding opportunities for all residents.

The wellness coordinator role was created to maintain and expand collaboration with key community partners, including those in education, healthcare, social services, mental health, local and state government, extension, public health, and economic development, developing and implementing sustainable strategies to address high-priority community health issues.

If you have an upcoming meeting or event that you would like Grace to attend, she can be reached at (712) 250-8170 or mcage@casshealth.org.

(West Des Moines, Iowa)  – Low inventory and high interest rates proved to be the driving forces in a slower-than-typical Iowa housing market in 2023. Nearly every metric tracked by the Iowa Association of REALTORS® (IAR) saw a decline this year. These issues weren’t unique to Iowa, however, they mimicked the housing market nationwide, as buyers and sellers took their time jumping into the market. IAR President Shaner Magalhães said “The past year saw a number of challenges for the housing market across the country, and Iowa wasn’t immune. But we’ve also seen glimmers of progress in the market. Just this month, inventory increased, a sign that 2024 will prove to be a bit more robust in the Iowa housing market.”

Home sales in Iowa declined 15.2% this year with 32,441 homes sold, compared to the 38,266 sold in 2022.  Similarly pending sales were down 13.9% with 33,159 homes recorded, compared to the 38,504 pending in 2022.  As for inventory, there were several months in 2023 that saw declines in active listings, including the typically robust summer market months. In all new listings declined 9.1% with 39,218 homes listed, compared to the 43,133 of 2022.  Days on the market increased throughout the year. In 2023, homes averaged 40 days on the market, a 25% increase from the 32 day average of 2022.  Home prices also grew in 2023. The median sales price of a home increased 6.8% last year coming to $220,000 compared to the $206,000 of the year prior.

December Housing Stats

The December housing stats mirrored much of the year, with a few swinging spots, including long-awaited boosts to inventory.  Sales in December fell 4.2% with 2,308 homes sold, compared to the 2,409 sold last year. Conversely, pending sales jumped 2% to 1,766 homes sold, a slight improvement on the 1,731 sold in December 2022.  New listings saw a refreshing boost of 11% with 1,814 homes on the market, compared to the 1,634 of December 2022. Days on the market continued to increase, this time 10.5% to 42 days, compared to the 38 of last year. Median sales price also jumped 13.2% to $215,000 versus the $190,000 of one year ago.

Statewide Market Report for December

View the Detailed PDF Report on Statewide Statistics

Housing Market Reports by Iowa County

View Reports on Single-Family homes

View Reports on Townhouse-Condo homes