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(Updated to include Lenox Snow Ordinance)

With the chance of a significant snowfall to occur in southwest Iowa the Clarinda Police Department would like to remind the citizens of Clarinda about the emergency snow ordinance.  Chief Keith Brothers says the ordinance states that no person shall park any motor vehicle or other apparatus upon any street of the city that will obstruct the removal of snow when there has been an accumulation of two (2) inches or more. Any vehicle left parked on any street in violation of this ordinance may be impounded and subject to a traffic citation.

And, the Lenox Police Department reports The City of Lenox snow ordinance will be in effect beginning at 6-PM Wednesday. The ordinance will remain in effect until snow plowing operations have ceased. During snow removal operations, there is NO on street parking permitted. Vehicles in violation of the ordinance will be issued a $20.00 citation and may be subject to tow.

With the anticipation of a busy holiday travel weekend approaching, the Iowa Department of Transportation is cautioning drivers that the first major winter storm of the season may hamper some travel plans. The storm’s severity will vary depending on location. The National Weather Service is predicting 5 to 8 inches of snow along a line from Atlantic through Boone to Waterloo, with isolated instances of 10 inches possible. Rain is expected in southern Iowa along a line from Bedford to Oskaloosa. In between, a rain/snow mix is expected. All precipitation is expected to change to snow overnight Wednesday before ending Thursday morning.

Winds are expected to become very strong Wednesday night from the north/northwest. Sustained winds of 25 to 33 mph are expected, with gusts of 45 mph or more possible. The strongest winds are expected a few hours prior to daybreak through noon Thursday. Blizzard or near blizzard conditions may occur with visibilities reduced below one-quarter of a mile from time to time.

The Iowa DOT is offering several tips for safe winter travel during the impending storm. First, they say to ask yourself  “Is the trip necessary?” Often, delaying a trip by a few hours can give snow removal crews time to get the roads back to normal winter driving conditions. For traveler information, now available via the web, Twitter, Facebook or on your mobile phone, visit http://511ia.org/. Or simply call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide). Before you leave, let someone know your departure and expected arrival times, along with your intended route. Allow extra time to reach your destination.

Second, prepare your vehicle and passengers: Make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition and its gas tank is nearly full. Turn on your vehicle’s headlights so you can see and be seen. Ensure all passengers are wearing their seat belts or are in child safety seats.

Another tip, is be prepared to use your winter driving skills: Do not use cruise control. Allow extra stopping distance by maintaining adequate distance between your vehicle and the one ahead. Avoid abrupt steering maneuvers. Lower your vehicle’s speed, accelerate more slowly and apply the brakes in a controlled manner.

Carry an emergency survival kit and other supplies.Carry a mobile phone for making an emergency call, but  don’t use it while driving unless absolutely necessary. Your vehicle’s winter survival  kit should contain items to help sustain your life and the lives of your passengers should your vehicle become stranded. Those items can include: booster cables, candles and matches, a flashlight with fresh batteries, extra blankets and warm clothes, nonperishable food items, a can for melting water, and a snow shovel. Sufficient supplies should be in the kit for all persons traveling in the vehicle.

And remember: Use caution when approaching, following or passing a snowplow.  Remember the slogans, “Ice and Snow … Take it Slow” and “Don’t crowd the plow.”

Authorities in Cass County were trying to determine who owned a cow that was hit Monday evening, south of Cumberland. According to the Sheriff’s Department, at around 6:40-p.m., a single-vehicle accident occurred on Richland Road, about one-quarter of a mile east of the intersection with 690th Street.

Officials say 60-year old Douglas James White, of Red Oak, was traveling west on Richland Road when the vehicle he was driving struck a cow standing in the roadway. White was not injured. Damage to the vehicle was  estimated at $10,000.

w/ Ric Hanson

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HOSPERS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in northwest Iowa say they have arrested a man after he made a threat on Facebook about shooting people. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office arrested the man Monday afternoon after receiving a report that he had threatened to shoot people in Hospers, which is located about 50 miles north of Sioux City. The threat caused a precautionary lockdown of schools in the MOC-Floyd Valley school district. It was lifted less than an hour later. Authorities did not release the man’s name Monday afternoon.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Residents across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa should prepare for the season’s first significant snow later this week, with weather forecasters calling for up to half a foot of snow and gusty winds. The National Weather Service says a large winter storm is expected to hit Nebraska midday Wednesday and move into Iowa by Wednesday afternoon.

Service meteorologist Van DeWald, based in Valley just east of Omaha, says heavy snow coupled with 15 to 30 mile per hour winds could make travel in those areas dangerous. DeWald says eastern Nebraska can expect several inches of snow, while western Iowa could see up to six inches of snow.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board Monday evening received a check from local developer Don Sonntag.

Developer Don Sonntag addresses the Atlantic Parks & Rec Board.

The check, in the amount of $2,500 was part of Sonntag’s commitment to develop the East Ridge Park area over the course of 10-years. The City committed to maintaining the park through mowing and other activities. Sonntag said in the future, he’d like to see a source of water for the park, for the planting and annual maintenance of flowers.

In other business, Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring provided the Board with an update on the development of the Schildberg Recreation Area Campground.  He said the City’s Street Department has been hard at work grading and prepping the area for a gravel roadway and camping pads. He said also, the crews have done as much as they can do for now, with four-inches of gravel laid-down for the roadway and 12 out 18 camping pads. Work will resume on that activity, in the Spring.

In addition, Herring says talks have been underway with Atlantic Municipal Utilities to have water and electric installed for the camping pads sometime next Spring, and a local manufacturer has expressed interest in that part of the project. Herring says Owner Revolution/Plastic Professionals is working on plans to install camp-pad pods, which are roto-molded plastic structures designed to house water and electricity for each of the camping pads.

He says also, plans for a dog park at the Schildberg Recreation Area are continuing. The Board approved a request from Herring to ask the Atlantic City Council on Wednesday, for permission to release a section of City-owned land near the park. The site across Buck Creek Road next to the recreation area is City property which has not been identified as a park. The Park Board also approved the Dog Park Committee’s request to begin a fundraising program that would help pay for development of the dog park, primarily for fencing, which is expected to run about $10,500, but also for benches and other amenities at the dog park, such as equipment for the dogs to play on. Herring says while the focus currently is on a dog park at the Schildberg Recreation Area, it doesn’t exclude the possibility of one being located in-town, perhaps at the Sunnyside Park.