(Radio Iowa) — A businessman in southwest Iowa is seeking a special gift this holiday — a kidney. Zac Denton, who manages the Sapp Brothers Travel Center in Percival, has stage 3 kidney disease. Doctors say only two things will keep him alive: dialysis or a transplant. Denton is on a waiting list for a kidney transplant and estimates about 150-thousand other people are on that same list.

“There’s that many people who are waiting for a kidney,” Denton says. “So, I’m one of many that are in a particular situation. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough organs to go around. Every year, I have to re-up on the list and make sure I’m physically capable of going through with that sort of surgery and that I continue to qualify to be on that list.” About a year ago, Denton entered the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s transplant evaluation process, in the hopes of finding a donor.

“On any given moment, between now and when a kidney is found for me, a phone call could be made,” Denton says. “At that point, from my understanding, I have 15 minutes to decide if I choose to take that kidney that’s available for me at that time, and then I have an hour to make it into Omaha to be prepared for surgery.” While dialysis will keep him alive, Denton’s kidney function is down to less than five-percent. That’s why Denton, who lives in Papillion, Nebraska, urges people to consider organ donations — not only for him, but for others in need, as well.

“I was in fairly good health prior to this,” he says. “It can effect anybody. Get checked out. Don’t be stubborn. Most guys typically don’t like going to see the doctor. If there’s signs you’re not feeling well and there’s something wrong, you should probably get it checked out.” Anyone can join the hospital’s Living Donor Team. Fill out a questionnaire at https://secure.nebraskamed.com/livingdonor.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, reported at on November 18th at approximately 10:05-p.m., a traffic stop on Highway 2 near the intersection of F Avenue resulted in the arrest of 22-year old Lynde Ranae Herold, of Shenandoah.

Herold was arrested for OWI 1^st Offense, Possession of a controlled substance, and Possession of drug paraphernalia.  She was transported to the Page County Jail and later bonded out.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — As if getting a parking ticket wasn’t bad enough, the city of Ames is informing those who recently paid parking fines that their private information — including credit and debit card numbers — may have been stolen.

The city said in a news release Friday that a data breach may have affected 4,600 people who paid parking tickets using the online system between Aug. 10 and Nov. 19. Data that may have been revealed includes names, mailing and email addresses and credit and debit card numbers.

The city says it learned of the compromise on Nov. 18, took the system offline and replaced the web server. The system was brought back online Nov. 20. Ames Finance Director Duane Pitcher apologized for the breach and said the city is “confident we’ve addressed the vulnerability and corrected it.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an 18-year-old Drake University student who reported being the target of racist notes is responsible for four of five of the notes recently left in residence halls. The Des Moines Register reports that the female student, whose name was not released Friday, faces criminal harassment charges. Drake spokesman Jarad Bernstein also says the student will be subject to discipline, including possible expulsion.

School officials say the student admitted writing one of the notes. Officials say they are confident she is responsible for four notes described as “copycat hoaxes” of an initial racist letter slipped under the door of a different student in early November. Authorities say that first note is not connected to the other four notes.

The notes and subsequent racist robocalls to students and staff from a white supremacist group prompted a campus anti-racism rally Nov. 14.

A collision in Monona County early this (Friday) morning east of Mapleton, has claimed the life of a Crawford County woman. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2007 Nissan Maxima driven by 26-year old Luis Perez Campos, of Denison, was traveling westbound on Monona County Road E-16, just west of Sumac Avenue, when the vehicle struck an eastbound 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup that was having mechanical problems and appears to have been partially in the westbound lane.

A passenger in the Campos car, 36-year old Rosa Garcia Villagomez, of Denison, who was wearing her seat belt, was transported to Mercy Hospital in Sioux City by Mapleton Rescue. She died from her injuries at the hospital. Campos, who was also wearing his seat belt, was also transported to Mercy by Mapleton Rescue.

The driver of the pickup, 46-year old Linda Baker, of Kiron, wasn’t hurt. The accident remains under investigation.

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former Sioux Center teacher has pleaded guilty to having sexual contact with at least six young boys. The Sioux City Journal reports that 37-year-old Curtis Van Dam pleaded guilty Friday to one count of second-degree sexual abuse, five counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of sexual exploitation by a school employee. Van Dam will be sentenced later. He could face up to 80 years in prison, but that will depend on whether a judge lets him serve some terms at the same time.

Van Dam was separately sentenced in September to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child after being charged in cases involving other victims. Until being fired, Van Dam taught at Sioux Center Christian School. He was implicated in dozens of incidents involving boys under age 12 or 13.

Rob & Sonya Clausen have been named the 2018″ Scrooges” for the City of Atlantic. The Clausen’s earned their title by collecting the largest amount of donations for the Atlantic Area Chamber’s 16th Annual Scrooge Contest, sponsored by Hockenberry Family and Atlantic News Telegraph. All contributions are donated to the Atlantic Food Pantry. The Clausen’s raised a total of 11,233 ½ points, surpassing any amount since the contest began in 2002. Total, all 5 contestants raised $14,853.82 and collected a total of 6,286 food items, making 2018 the most successful year yet.

Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said “This year, contestants raised a record-breaking amount of money and non-perishable food items. The Food Pantry benefits a lot of people in our community, so being able to have a contest like this that benefits so many individuals and families is great.”  The 2018 candidates included: Rob & Sonya Clausen, McDermott & Son Roofing; Deb Schuler, Smith Land Service; Mark Smith, Principal; Brad Willrich, Deter Motor Company and Brett Altman, Cass County Health System. Two non-perishable food items equal one point and every dollar collected equals a point. The contestants will all serve as Grand Marshal in the Lighted Parade tomorrow evening beginning at 6 PM.

The Atlantic Area Chamber would like to thank everyone who donated.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana mayor who has been selected to speak at an Iowa political event alongside potential 2020 presidential candidates says he won’t reveal his political plans until the end of the year. The South Bend Tribune reports that liberal political group Progress Iowa announced Thursday that South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will speak at its annual holiday party in Des Moines on Dec. 20.

Buttigieg said Thursday that he’ll decide by the end of the year if he’ll run for president in 2020. He says he’s in talks with several people in the community. Buttigieg must decide early next year whether to seek a third term as mayor. The filing period for Indiana candidates running in the 2019 municipal primary elections is Jan. 9 through Feb. 8.