The effects of a hot, dry and windy summer are finally coming to an end, it appears. Three more counties in the KJAN listening are rescinding their bans on open burning, as a result. Effective at Noon today (Friday, Oct. 19th), the Burn Ban in Page and Audubon Counties will no longer be in effect. Those bans had been in-place since July 19th. And, Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman announced on his department’s Facebook page, that the Burn Ban which had been in place since July 18th, will be rescinded effective at 5-p.m. today (Friday). After today’s bans expire, only Cass, Crawford and Mills Counties will remain in a Burn Ban.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reminds residents that even though the ban on open burning is rescinded in Page County, the City of Clarinda’s Recreational Fire Ordinance and other burn related laws, remain in effect.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency said today (Friday), that the Fire Danger Index in Shelby County will remain in the “Moderate” category, through Monday morning, Oct. 22nd. The field and grassland fire danger conditions will be reassessed at that time, and another report issued accordingly.

A 45-year old auctioneer from Atlantic arrested last weekend on a Class-D Felony charge of Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, and a Serious Misdemeanor charge of Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury/Mental Illness, was released from the Cass County Jail Thursday, on $6,000 bond. According to online court records, Rex Dean McDermott is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing, on October 23^rd.

McDermott was arrested October 15^th, following an incident which allegedly occurred at R&B Feeds in Atlantic.

Another County in southwest Iowa is seeing a ban on open burning instituted over the summer, rescinded. Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says the burn ban in Page County is being lifted effective at Noon today (Friday, October 19th). Brothers reminds residents that the City of Clarinda’s Recreational Fire Ordinance and other burn related laws, remain in effect.

Forecasters are projecting Iowa could be in for another mild winter. Meteorologist Kevin Skow, at the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, says the long-range forecast for December through February calls for a season ahead that echoes last winter. Skow says, “It looks like we could see temperatures that are near-normal or slightly above-normal and precipitation also below-normal so after last year’s low snowfall, it looks like there might be a chance for a repeat of last year.”

While the forecast says rainfall and snowfall will likely be below-normal across the entire state during the upcoming winter months, but Skow says one part of Iowa could face an especially dry season. “The better chance looks to be across northern Iowa but it’s a broad outlook so this could easily change over the next couple of months,” Skow says.

The report says the only part of the country that’s expected to see below-normal temperatures this winter is Florida, while the Gulf Coast is the only area expected to see above-normal precipitation. See the complete maps at: www.cpc.noaa.gov

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with Travel Iowa say the Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of Iowa presented 12 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry during the 2012 Iowa Tourism Conference Thursday night. Among the award recipients, was the Manning Hausbarn/Heritage Park in Manning, which won for having an “Outstanding Niche Marketing Campaign,” and, the Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau, which picked up the “People’s Choice Award,” during a vote by the conference attendees.

The annual Iowa Tourism Conference brings together more than 250 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends.

Tourism in Iowa generates more than $7 billion in expenditures, employs 63,400 people statewide and generates $328 million in state taxes. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. For more information about Iowa tourism, visit www.traveliowa.com, call 800.345.IOWA or stop at any Iowa Welcome Center.

A new report from a motor club finds teen drivers in Iowa are much more likely to be involved in deadly crashes if they have another teen riding along in the car. Rose White, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says the statistics from 2005 to 2010 are startling and emphasize the need for more training and discipline for younger drivers. “The prevalence of risky behaviors generally grew for 16 and 17-year-old drivers as the number of teen passengers increased,” White says. “Among 16 and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes, it showed the prevalence of speeding increased from 30% to 44% just with another additional passenger in the vehicle.”

The study found the risk of death doubled with two teen passengers and quadrupled with three or more passengers. White says about one-third of all fatal crashes are caused by speeding, but for teen drivers, it’s nearly half. “Drivers aged 16 to 17 are involved in about seven times as many crashes per mile driven compared to drivers in their 40s, 50s or 60s,” she says.

In Iowa, teens between the ages of 14 and 19 have a higher death rate in crashes than any other age group. White urges Iowa parents to get involved in the driving process, especially during the early driving years, and to restrict the number of passengers allowed inside the vehicle. “In 2011, teenage drivers were involved in 21-percent of all crashes while only representing 7.3-percent of the driving population,” White says.

The study found teen drivers were also involved in 25-percent of all nighttime crashes, while in accidents where speeding was a factor, they were involved in 33-percent of all crashes. This is National Teen Driver Safety Week.

(Radio Iowa)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – An index of economic conditions in 10 Midwest and Western states jumped this month after three months of drought-induced doldrums.  The Rural Mainstreet survey of rural bankers rose to 56.6 for October from 48.3 in September. It was the first time since June that the index rose above growth neutral 50.  Survey organizers say any score above 50 on the 100-point scale suggests the economy will grow in the months ahead.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the effects of the drought are being more than offset by high incomes from high agriculture and energy prices. The survey covers Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

w/ Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Parts of drought-stricken Iowa, Nebraska and much of the Midwest are expected to be warmer and drier than normal in early winter.  The Des Moines Register reports that National Weather Service forecast maps issued Thursday show higher-than-normal temperatures are expected over the next three months for the western third of Iowa and all of Nebraska. But lower-than-normal moisture is expected for the eastern third of Nebraska and all of Iowa.

Mike Halpert, of the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center, says the predictions “are the weather service’s best guess, based on a variety of computer models. ”  Iowa state climatologist Harry Hillaker says “the clock is ticking” on refilling Iowa’s soil with moisture before the winter freeze.