Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County say a Hamburg man was arrested recently in connection with an assault that took place Dec. 16th at the Cubby’s gas station, located near the intersection of Highway 2 and Interstate 29. After an investigation, 62-year old John Moyer was arrested for Assault Causing Bodily Injury in Violation of Individual Rights. Moyer was later released on a $2000 cash only bond.

The incident that resulted in his arrest began after deputies made contact with 49-year old Cleo Henry, of Jonesboro, Arkansas who advised that he was parked at the diesel fuel pumps when a male approached him and began arguing with him. He stated the male (later identified as Moyer) used a racial slur and then sprayed him with diesel fuel.

(12:40-p.m. News)

Des Moines, IOWA – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reminds Iowans heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths during the winter months. Almost half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.

Safety Tips

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, such as the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable heater.

• Only use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

• Never use your oven for heating.

• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.

• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

• For fuel burning space heaters, always use the proper fuel as specified by the manufacturer.

• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room and burn only dry, seasoned wood. Allow ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container, which is kept a safe distance from the home.

• If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not attempt to light the appliance. Turn off all the controls and open doors and windows. Call a gas service person.

• Test smoke alarms at least monthly.

If you have questions about heating safety, contact the State Fire Marshal Division at 515-725-6145 or e-mail at fminfo@dps.state.ia.us.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The estimated jackpot for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing has soared to $450 million thanks to strong sales. Multi-State Lottery Association officials on Tuesday increased the expected prize from $400 million because of fast sales for the largest lottery jackpot in nearly a year.

No one has won Powerball’s biggest prize since Nov. 4. The jackpot now is the sixth-largest ever in North America, and if there is no winner after Wednesday night’s drawing, the prize will keep climbing. The biggest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions prize won in 2012. The last time Powerball had grown this large was in February 2015, when three winners split a $564.1 million prize.

Powerball is played in 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Water quality funding is among the topics legislative leaders are talking about in the week before the Iowa Legislature convenes. Gov. Terry Branstad is considering a proposal to fund water quality efforts by diverting a portion of a sales tax designed to help schools pay for repairs and updated technology. Some lawmakers oppose the idea that would pit the needs of schools against the need for clean water.

More attention has been focused on water quality as Des Moines Water Works had to spend $1.5 million last year to operate a system that removed record levels of nitrate from the drinking water to remain in compliance with federal regulations. The utility filed a federal lawsuit last year seeking monetary damages and clean water permits for agriculture drainage districts.