SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say heavy snow is hampering travel in parts of Iowa, particularly near Sioux City. National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Heitkamp said Thursday morning that the powerful winter storm that struck Wednesday left 12 to 14 inches of snow in and northeast of Sioux City.

The snowfall has ended, and Heitkamp says he doesn’t expect many problems from drifting or blowing snow because it fell wet and heavy – typical of wintry storms in the spring. The Iowa Transportation Department advises against travel in northwest Iowa because many roadways north and east of Sioux City are covered with snow or are blocked by disabled vehicles.  The department also says snow is covering some stretches of Interstate 35 north of Ames.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s 511ia.org website is reporting two accidents have occurred on Interstate 80, between Adair and Casey. In one of the crashes, a straight truck was in the ditch between Exit 76: County Road N54 and Exit 75: County Road G30 (Adair).

Another accident was reported between Exit 86: IA 25 and Exit 83: Antique Country Drive (near Casey). A 5th Wheel was reported to be on its side. No other details are currently available.

The DOT says also, between Exit 57: County Road N16 (4 miles west of the Brayton area) and Exit 97: County Road P48 (Stuart), the roadway is completely covered with ice. Look out for icy bridges.

Officials with the American Red Cross’ Midwest Blood Services Region in Omaha, say there is a significant need for residents in the area to donate type O negative blood. Type O negative blood can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is often used in emergency situations. While less than 7 percent of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, hospitals depend on frequent O negative donations to ensure it’s always available for patients in need.

Eligible donors with type O negative blood are encouraged to make a whole blood or double red cell donation, where available, through the Red Cross. During a double red cell donation, two units of red blood cells are collected while most of the plasma and platelets are returned to the donor.

Blood donation appointments can be quickly and easily scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who come to donate now through May 15, 2016, will be entered to win four single-day tickets to any of 10 Cedar Fair theme parks in the U.S, including Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. For a full list of participating parks, visit redcross.cedarfair.com

The Red Cross must collect approximately 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide. Blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.

Blood donation opportunities March 24-31:

Audubon County: Exira, March 28: noon to 6 p.m., Exira Recreational Center, 106 N. Jefferson

Cass County: Atlantic, March 24: noon to 6 p.m., Atlantic Catholic Parish Center, 105  W. 5th St.; March 31: 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Atlantic High School, 1201 E. 14th St.

Harrison County: Dunlap, March 30: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Boyer Valley High School, 1102 Iowa Ave.; Logan, March 29: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Logan Magnolia High School, 1200 N. 2nd Ave.

Mills County: Glenwood, March 30: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m., Glenwood High School, 504 E. Sharp St.

Page County: Shenandoah, March 25: noon to 6 p.m., Special blood drive in memory of Issac at Shenandoah Assembly of God, 705 6th Ave.

How to donate blood All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

 Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

Police in Creston report two people have been arrested on drug charges. Early this (Thursday) morning, police arrested 20-year old Jacob Davis, of Creston, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and for Driving While Suspended. He later posted a $1,000 bond.

Wednesday morning, 18-year old Dakota Williams, of Creston, was arrested on an Adams County warrant for Possession of Marijuana. He was later released to the custody of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

(7-a.m. News)

An event at the Vietnam War Memorial at the Iowa State Capitol, Wednesday, marked the first “Veterans Black Arm Band Day for P-T-S-D” in remembrance of an Iowa veteran who died in a Des Moines park. Senator Mark Segebart, a Republican from Vail, talked about the issue on the Senate floor. He read from the program for the event:”Nothing has changed since P-T-S-D combat veteran Richard Miles was laid to rest on March 23 — one year ago today. Today, the date of his birthday he would have been 42 years old,” Segebart read. “He froze to death in a public park as his P-T-S-D terror worsened. Six years ago there were 90 psychiatric beds dedicated to veteran mental health in Iowa. Today there are just 10.”

Segebart says Miles joined the military after the September 11th attacks. “He served proudly and with distinction for four years, earning the Army Commendation Medal for Leadership and Duty During Combat Operations, the Army Commendation Medal for Leadership at Fort Riley, and a U-S Army Good Conduct Medal for service from 2002-2005. And the Combat Action Badge from Operation Iraqi Freedom Two.”

Segebart said also “This ceremony today is to mourn those who have been left on the battlefield missing and unaccounted for in the eyes of their countrymen,” Segebart says, “those who will always see what we never see. Those with P-T-S-D, T-B-I and M-S-T. Richard Miles should not have died in vain.”

He said 22 veterans take their own life every day in the United States. “That’s on every 65 minutes, which is very alarming statistics.”  Segebart says the problem involves more than the veterans who most recently returned home. “The other part that I found interesting was that it spikes at age 60. What does that mean? It means that Vietnam veterans are the bulk of the suicides that are still going on. So, you see how long P-T-S-D can last in a veteran.”

Information from the organizers of Black Arm Band Day shows there are some 500-thousand veterans in the U-S with P-T-S-D, and at least five-thousand living in Iowa. The information also says there should be at least 15-hundred psychiatric beds in a state the size of Iowa, but now there are likely fewer than 600.

(Radio Iowa)