Iowans who are hosting Halloween costume parties can expect to see a lot of super heroes, zombies and cartoon characters. Veronica Dietrick, who works at a costume shop in West Des Moines, says a particular Sesame Street character is very popular this year. “We’ve sold a lot of Big Bird costumes, in fact, we’ve sold out of them and had to re-order them,” Dietrick says. Her store is also selling a lot of political masks, both in the likenesses of President Obama and Mitt Romney. Jeremy Lubash, who helps manage a costume shop in Omaha-Council Bluffs, says women are snapping up a particular type of disguise this season.

A new type of monster outfit incorporates a mini dress with a fuzzy monster hood with googly eyeballs on top — they’ve been a big hit, Lubash says. For kids who will be trick-or-treating and for many adults, Lubash says their costume choices are all about what’s on the big screen this year. “The Avengers has been extremely popular for us, Black Widow for the women and girls and Thor has been the biggest one out of all the male characters in the movie,” he says, while Batman and Catwoman are both big sellers. A poll finds nearly 70-percent of all adults will take part in some type of Halloween festivity this year. A survey from the National Retail Federation found the popularity of Halloween is growing annually, with consumer spending this year expected to pass eight-billion dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Most teachers’ aides hire by Iowa’s public schools aren’t required by state law to undergo background checks and even when districts do run checks, the process is often less rigorous as the one required for licensed educators.  The Des Moines Register  says federal checks were added as part of the teacher licensing process in 2002. Iowa law was changed in 2007 to require state and national checks on those licensed by the state.  But most teacher aides aren’t licensed.

Experts and parents say the case of a woman who spent time in an Indiana prison on manslaughter charges and was hired as a teacher aide in Iowa shows there are gaps in the system.  Rep. Josh Byrnes of Osage says the issue may surface in the upcoming legislative session.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest today (Tuesday), of a Cass County man. 55-year old Devin Allen McDermott, of Atlantic, was arrested at around 10:30-a.m., on an outstanding Audubon County warrant charging him with Theft in the 5th degree, and Trespassing. The charges are the result of an investigation into the April 14th theft of scrap metal from property near 330th Street and Jay Avenue. McDermott was being held in the Audubon County Jail on $300 bond. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office assisted Audubon County authorities, in conducting the investigation.

An Historic Landmark in Shelby County has been purchased by Myrtue Medical Center. In a board of trustees meeting this (Tuesday) morning, Myrtue Medical Center approved to purchase Mickel’s Family Restaurant. Following a closed session by the hospital board of trustees, Myrtue Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Barry Jacobsen told the board he had a conversation with the owner of the restaurant Sue Kobold.

Jacobsen said he was contacted by Kobold about 3 months ago, with regard to her desire to sell the restaurant. He said following discussions, an agreement was reached that was contingent on the board’s approval. The purchase price would be $375,000. $175,000 would be paid at closing, one hundred thousand on July 15th, 2013 and $100,000 July 15th, 2014.

Jacobsen said there is another contingency before the Hospital can go through the process, and that is the conducting of a phase 1 environmental assessment at Myrtue’s expense with the results showing no contamination. Jacobsen says the property would be used for further expansion of the hospital. More specifically, the physicians clinic, lab and emergency room.

He said they would obviously work with Sue Kobold on the details of the purchase agreement and anything she wants to do on closing the restaurant down.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

w/ Ric Hanson

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A group of American Red Cross members from Iowa are preparing to assist the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Tammie Pech, with the Sioux City office of the American Red Cross says they are send five emergency response vehicles east. “We’ve got 10 volunteers on those five trucks and we also have another group of volunteers that are helping out in a leadership fashion…so currently we have 14 of the Iowa volunteers over there and many on standby to obviously go in as soon as the airports reopen and we can assess where the need is the greatest,” Pech says.

She says the Red Cross members will be scattered all over the eastern part of the country.
“We will be all up and down the eastern seaboard at this time, obviously New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Viginia …Baltimore, Maryland, I know we had a crew going there. There’s just going to be a lot of areas where people are going to be in need,” Pech says. If you want to help out, Pech says the best way is to make a donation to the Red Cross effort.

“A financial donation goes so far, just two dollars will provide snacks to kids who are in the shelters. Ten dollars provides a warm hot meal to shelter residents as they are waiting out the storm or until they get power restored to their homes. A financial donation is the best way to do that,” Pech explains. “They can do that by going to Red-Cross-dot-org (www.RedCross.org), texting the word ‘Red Cross’ to nine-zero-nine-nine-nine (9099) or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. Just be aware that the 1-800-RedCross is also our emergency line, so that may be tied up right now.” Reports say as many as 17 people have died in the storm.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say a Pottawattamie County man was arrested Monday afternoon. 37-year old Terry Warren Haffner, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a Pott. County warrant for Domestic Abuse. His bond was set at $300.

The Mills County Sheriff’s office reports a Pottawattamie County man was injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident Monday morning, about a mile north of Glenwood. 52-year old Eric Parsons, of Council Bluffs, was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, after the 1988 Honda he was driving crashed at around 10:45-a.m.

Parsons was traveling south on 221st Street when his vehicle went off the road to the right. When he over corrected, his actions caused the vehicle to cross the center line of the road and exit to the right, where it hit a large pine tree at 56325 221st Street, and rolled onto its driver’s side.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Hastings woman was injured this (Tuesday) morning, during an accident one-mile north of Silver City. 26-year old Sheena Winchel was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs following the crash, which happened at around 12:30-a.m., on 287th Street.

Officials say Winchel was traveling south on 287th, about one-half mile north of Cary Avenue, when the 2001 Dodge van she was driving crossed into the northbound lane and then onto the east shoulder for about 110-feet. When Winchel over corrected, the van went out of control and skidded 43-feet into the west embankment before it stood on-end, and came to rest facing north, without having rolled over.