OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The Nebraska nuclear plant that sat idle for nearly three years while regulators evaluated problems should reach full power sometime on Christmas Day. The Omaha Public Power District received permission on Dec. 17 from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to restart Fort Calhoun.  OPPD spokesman Jeff Hanson says the restart process that began last week has gone smoothly.

Fort Calhoun initially shut down for routine maintenance in April 2011, but significant flooding that summer, a small fire and a series of safety violations forced it to remain closed for an extended period. The utility has spent more than $180 million as it addressed more than 450 concerns at the plant, and federal inspectors double-checked the work.

The repair bill may grow because that cost estimate just runs through November.

No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle collision Monday afternoon, in Villisca. Sheriff’s officials say a 2011 Hyundai Sonata owned and driven by 63-year old Gale Arvin Premer, Sr., of Villisca, was traveling east on east 1st Street at around 2:10-p.m., when he tried to stop at the intersection with north 4th Avenue. Due to the icy road conditions, the car skidded through the intersection and hit the right rear of a 2012 Dodge Ram truck, owned and operated by 23-year old John Dale Beem, of Villisca.

Damage from the collision amounted to $6,500.  No citations were issued.

The 64 Rotary Clubs in the southern half of Iowa are helping finance a shipment of food to the Philippines. One-and-a-half million meals were made by the “Outreach” organization a couple from Union, Iowa, founded to feed the hungry. Jackie Matt is the executive director of business development for the non-profit. “Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton, who are the co-founders of Outreach, when the typhoon hit the Philippines just knew they needed to do something,” Matt says.

Meal-packaging events were held in Minnesota and Missouri. “And Rotary stepped up to the plate to help with the funding to actually ship the meals over to the Philippines,” Matt says. The meals were being loaded into huge shipping containers Monday, in Des Moines. “It’s pretty costly to be able to send things over to the Philippines because it does have to go by rail and then also by actual freight,” Matt says, “and it takes about 45-60 days to get to the Philippines.”

Rotarians in Manilla plan to meet the containers and monitor distribution, to ensure the meals get to disaster victims. Matt says this project fits with Rotary’s core mission, and that’s why Rotary Clubs in southern Iowa and in other parts of the country are helping to pay to ship these meals to typhoon victims.

(Radio Iowa)

EARLY, Iowa (AP) — The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says two men who died in a minivan crash were on their way to work at a construction site. The sheriff’s office on Monday identified the men as 43-year-old Ignacio Zuleta-Soto, the driver, and 30-year old Jeronimo Piox-Zuleta, a passenger. Another passenger in the minivan, 23-year old Gabino Piox-Zuleta, was treated at a Sioux City hospital and released.

The crash happened just before 5 a.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 20 west of Early when the driver of a minivan lost control and the vehicle entered the median and rolled. The sheriff’s office says the men, who were from Guatemala, lived in Eagle Grove. They were working as insulators at a construction site.

The two men who died each were married and had children in Guatemala.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Several upper Midwestern states are dealing with higher propane prices because of supply problems in recent weeks. Farmers used more propane than usual to dry the late harvest of grain that came out of the fields too wet. Rural households not served by natural gas lines dipped into propane supplies early due to colder than normal temperatures. And the Cochin pipeline that carries propane to the Midwest from Canada closed for several weeks, stalling supply to the region.

The supply problem has driven prices 14 percent higher since mid-November in Iowa, where customers pay $1.88 a gallon. That’s 34 percent higher than last year. Propane’s up 15 percent in Illinois in the last month, 13 percent in Wisconsin and Minnesota and 12 percent in Nebraska.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

AMES, Iowa (AP) — An assistant Iowa State University professor has resigned after admitting he faked research to make it appear an AIDS vaccine under development was working better than expected. The Des Moines Register reports an Iowa State spokesman confirmed Monday that Dong-Pyou Han resigned in October after admitting he’d added human blood components to rabbit blood to make it appear a vaccine was spurring animals to build defenses against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council has voted to put $750,000 toward a fundraising effort to save a downtown bridge. That’s the amount officials estimated would be needed to remove the Southwest Fifth Street bridge, which needs repairs of between $1.75 million and $3.75 million. The bridge, which spans the Raccoon River, was built in 1898. It has recently been used by pedestrians and bicyclists as part of the trail system along the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers.

EARLY, Iowa (AP) — Two men who died in a minivan crash were Guatemalan immigrants on their way to work at a construction site. The Sac County Sheriff’s office on Monday identified the men as 43-year-old Ignacio Zuleta-Soto, the driver, and 30-year old Jeronimo Piox-Zuleta, a passenger. Another passenger in the minivan was treated at a Sioux City hospital and released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State police have issued arrest warrants in connection with a burglary that occurred in Iowa’s locker room during a football game against the Cyclones. The Des Moines Register reports that warrants for second-degree theft and second-degree burglary were issued on Dec. 12 for 23-year-old Nicholas Beary. Beary’s last known residence was West Des Moines, but police said they believe Beary may have fled the country.

Authorities in Page County say one person suffered possible, unknown injuries during a single-vehicle accident Sunday night north of College Springs. 36-year old Jason Eugene Long, of Shenandoah, was traveling southeast on 270th Street at around 7:35-p.m., when he lost control of the 2002 Chevy Equinox he was driving on the slick road surface. The SUV left the road to the right before traveling down an embankment and coming to rest on a creek bed.

Long was transported by ambulance to the Clarinda Regional Hospital for examination and treatment. The SUV sustained $5,000 damage. No citations were issued.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following an accident late last Wednesday morning. At around 11:50-a.m.,deputies responded to a report of a two-vehicle accident on Wichita Road,about ¼ mile west of 680th Street.

Officials say a2004 Dodge 2500 pickup owned and driven by 22-year old Dayton Michael Amdor, of Cumberland, was traveling eastbound on Wichita Road, while a 2007 GMC Sierra driven by 17-year old Dylan Thomas Amdor, also of Cumberland, was heading westbound. The vehicles collided at the crest of a hill, causing a total of $45,000 damage. In addition, a fence which was struck during the accident sustained $300 damage. There were no citations issued.

(12-p.m. News)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests occurred over the past week. Authorities say as the result of a traffic stop on Sunday (Dec. 22nd), deputies arrested 30-year old Jeffery Leroy Carpenter, of Atlantic, and 28-year old Wayne Riviera Shelby Jr., of Miami, OK. Both were taken into custody on charges of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver. They were brought to the Cass County Jail, and released Monday. Carpenter was released on his own recognizance, while Shelby was released on $1,000 bond.

On Saturday, deputies in Cass County arrested 34-year old Corey Linn Swain, of Griswold. Swain was charged with OWI 1st Offense, and brought to the Cass County Jail. He was released later that day on his own recognizance. On Friday, 39-year old Troy Allen Gene McCurdy, of Atlantic, was arrested on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Simple Assault. McCurdy was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $300 bond.

Last Thursday, 23-year old Justin Dale Hardisty, of Cumberland, was arrested in Cass County on charges of OWI 3rd Offense, Driving While Barred, Driving Under Suspension, and No SR-22 Insurance. Hardisty was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on $8,000 bond.

And, on Tuesday, Dec.17th,  36-year old Adrian Duane Hansen, of Atlantic, turned himself in to the Cass County Jail on a Department of Corrections warrant for Parole Violation. Hansen was booked in and later released on his own recognizance.

(12-p.m. News)

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say a man from Malvern was arrested Sunday afternoon for Domestic Abuse Assault. 38-year old Mark Jarecki was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. And, 41-year old Ryon Wood, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested Friday afternoon on a warrant out of Madison County, for Failure to Appear. He was also being held in the jail, without bond.

The Sheriff’s office reports also, no injuries were reported when a vehicle driven by Kerick Moyers, of Red Oak, went out of control on an ice-covered Highway 34 Thursday night. The vehicle partially rolled into the south ditch. That same night, a collision involving vehicles driven by Bret Sheppard, of Malvern, and Charles Edwards, of Shenandoah, occurred. Authorities say both vehicle were traveling east on Highway 34 under freezing rain and black ice conditions, when Edwards’ 2002 Dodge was unable to slow in time due to the weather conditions, and collided with rear of Sheppard’s 2012 Chevy. No injuries were reported.