The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has released additional details concerning two accidents which occurred during icy driving conditions, Thursday. Officials say at around 12:25-p.m., a two-vehicle road-condition-related accident occurred on Interstate 80 at the 60 mile marker. A 2002 Toyota owned and driven by 34-year old Lillian Phillips, of Lincoln, NE, was eastbound on I-80 when the vehicle went out of control on the icy bridge and slid across the median just past the bridge, striking a westbound 2001 Peterbilt semi driven by 33-year old Donald Nichols,  of Nebraska.Phillips was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Medivac ambulance. Her 20-month-old son was also transferred to CCMH by Medivac and subsequently transferred to Children’s Hospital in Omaha. Nichols was not injured. Damage from the crash amounted to $18,000.

The second accident happened moments later (12:30-p.m.), on the Marne Road (Highway 83).  Officials say a 1999 Ford Ranger owned and driven by 66-year old Dennis Holtz, of Walnut, was westbound on Marne Road when his vehicle slid off the roadway and went into the south ditch. Holtz was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital via Medivac. Damage to his vehicle is estimated at $5000.

Many Iowans have a four-day weekend coming up with plans to pack up the car and take a road trip to visit far-away family for a Thanksgiving feast. Gail Weinholzer, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says the single busiest day to be on the road is next Wednesday, as it’ll be one of the most crowded days of the year on our highways and interstates.  “That’s the most heavily traveled day of the Thanksgiving holiday,” Weinholzer says. “We’ll have at least 43.4-million Americans traveling at least 50 miles or more and the majority of those folks, 39-million, will be traveling by personal automobile.”

The predicted number of travelers is down by about 600-thousand from last Thanksgiving, according to the motor club’s survey, and that’s following a year-long trend. “Memorial Day was down 1%, 4th of July was down 1%, Thanksgiving is down 1.5%,” Weinholzer says. “The exception was Labor Day as the only holiday that was actually up and that was up about 4.2%.” While gasoline prices are relatively low in Iowa compared to the rest of the nation, she says the travel forecast is still down, slightly.

“People are just a little concerned about the sluggish economy, it’s not recovering as quickly or as well as they’d hoped,” Weinholzer says. “They’re just backing off a bit of some of their holiday travel plans.” Triple-A says gas prices in Iowa are averaging three-oh-seven a gallon, well below the national average of three-22. Both averages are the cheapest of the year and they’re expected to continue falling for the next several weeks. Davenport has Iowa’s cheapest gas, averaging two-92 a gallon.

(Radio Iowa)

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ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say three firefighters have suffered minor injuries while putting out a house fire in northwest Iowa.  Sioux County authorities say the fire was reported about 2:05 p.m. Thursday in Orange City.

Investigators suspect the fire was started by a malfunction in a radiant heat system. The blaze was difficult to battle because it was burning in the house attic.  The residents weren’t home. The three firefighters were taken to Orange City Hospital for treatment and then released.

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A head-on crash Thursday night in Harrison County has claimed the life of a Dunlap man. The Iowa State Patrol says 75-year old Rex Rains, of Dunlap, was wearing his seat belt but died from injuries he suffered, at the scene of the crash on Highway 30, about two and one-half miles southwest of Woodbine. Officials say Rains’ 2003 Dodge Neon was traveling west on Highway 30 at around 9:40-p.m., when the car left to the center of the 100-percent ice and snow covered road and into the path of an eastbound 2014 Mack semi, driven by 47-year old Scott Grandstaff, of Omaha. The truck was registered to Farner Bocken, out of Carroll.

After the car and semi collided head-on, both vehicles came to rest in the south ditch of Highway 30. The accident remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol and Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.

No injuries were reported following two separate accidents Thursday afternoon, in Audubon County. The Sheriff’s Department says the first happened at around 12:40-p.m. on Pheasant Avenue, just south of 210th Street, when a 1995 Ford tandem truck pulling a 1976 Puma tandem axle trailer and driven by 59-year old Russell William Murray, of Audubon, went out of control on the ice covered road. The trailer jackknifed and rolled into the west ditch. The trailer broke its hitch and became separated from the truck. Both vehicles were loaded with lime. Damage was estimated at $5,000.

The second accident happened at around 1:30-p.m. and involved vehicles driven by 18-year old David Raymond Ratigan, of Panama and 34-year old Bret James Hildebrand, of Coon Rapids. Sheriff’s officials say both drivers were traveling west on Littlefield Drive, with Hildebrand traveling slowly due to the icy conditions. Ratigan’s 2002 Dodge rear-ended the 2013 Hino van driven by Hildebrand near the intersection with Goldfinch Avenue, causing $4,000 damage altogether.  The van was registered to Prenger Furniture Inc., of Carroll.

Winter weather advisories were issued for southwest and western Iowa between 11:30-a.m. and Noon on Thursday, just before the accident reports starting piling up. Area school districts, including CAM, Griswold,  Council Bluffs, Lewis Central, Treynor, Underwood and Riverside dismissed classes early or  canceled some or all their after-school activities..

The Iowa Department of Roads said it is important for motorists to evaluate whether trips during poor driving conditions are necessary before heading out on the roads.

An informal, end-of-this-week deadline to get a Farm Bill draft approved by a team of congressional negotiators will not be met, throwing into question whether the Farm Bill can be be passed in the House by year’s end. U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says congress can act quickly “when there’s a will and there’s a way.” “We have to have a clear indication from congress that this is going to get done,” Vilsack says. “Obviously there are some who are skeptical about that given the fact that we have already seen one year with inaction.”

A Farm Bill was due to be passed by this time last year, but congress passed a one-year extension. Vilsack says inaction again this year means his agency will begin instituting the federal farm policies of the 1940s — which are far more costly.”No one wants to do that,” Vilsack says, “and the best and simplest way to avoid it having to be done — at whatever point in time — is to have congress finish its work by the end of the year.” After this week, congress will be in recess for the Thanksgiving holiday. In December, the House will be in session for just two weeks and the Senate for slightly longer before adjourning for the year. Without passage of a five-year Farm Bill, Vilsack says farmers and ranchers are delaying key decisions.

“Doesn’t know how to decide whether to expand, to buy an additional piece of equipment because he or she does not know what the programs are going to be,” Vilsack says. “There is no question that farmers have taken a ‘wait and see’ attitude to further decisions that could help spur not only their own operation, but spur the economy generally.” According to a report released Thursday by the White House Council on Economic Advisors, agriculture accounts for nearly five percent of the Gross Domestic Product and one in 12 jobs in the U.S. are in agriculture.

“A compelling report that makes the argument on a multitude of levels why it’s important for the rest of the country and all of America to see congress finish its work (on the Farm Bill),” Vilsack says. The chairman of the House Ag Committee emerged from a meeting on Thursday saying anything is possible, but it “will be challenging” for Farm Bill negotiators to wrap up their work and have a bill ready for a vote in the House by December 13th.

There are no plans for the House-Senate conference commitee working out the details of a hoped-for Farm Bill compromise to meet today (Friday). Senator Tom Harkin and Congressman Steve King serve on the committee, but neither was involved in this week’s negotiations between the four top lawmakers on the panel.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from the Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials are investigating a wastewater discharge into an unnamed tributary of the Raccoon River in central Iowa. The state Department of Natural Resources says the discharge was verified Thursday following a report the day before. It’s unknown how long the discharge has been going on. DNR officials say the discharge is less than two miles from where the stream enters the Raccoon River. That’s also close to Des Moines Water Works. The property owners have been instructed to hire a contractor to the stop the discharge, which DNR officials estimate is between 5 to 10 gallons per minute.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A judge has dismissed exploitation charges against a former Waterloo teacher accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior with students. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports a short trial this week for 56-year-old Larry Twigg concluded Thursday after Judge James Coil ruled that the alleged actions did not amount to a criminal offense. He dismissed one charge Wednesday and another Thursday. The charges were in connection with Twigg’s conduct with a student in 2009.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Council Bluffs man set his house on fire while his mother and 12-year-old brother were inside. The Council Bluffs Police Department says 21-year-old Jacob Rolfe is in custody following the early Thursday fire. The woman and child escaped the house uninjured. Rolfe is being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail. He faces two counts of attempted murder and a count of arson.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines man has been accused of breaking his 3-month-old son’s arm. Des Moines police say 26-year-old David Ronald Vargason was arrested after the incident Wednesday. The infant was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Vargason told police he grabbed the boy’s arm with too much force and heard the arm break. Vargason has been charged with child endangerment causing serious bodily injury. He remains at the Polk County Jail.