(Guthrie County, Iowa) – A teenager suffered suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries, during a rollover accident this (Thursday) morning, in Guthrie County. According to the sheriff’s office, a 2008 Chevy Colorado pickup driven by 16-year-old Colby T. Waltz, of Bagley, was traveling north on County Road P-28, south of 230th, when the vehicle went out of control. The pickup entered the southbound ditch, and rolled. The accident happened at around 8:17-a.m.

Colby Waltz – who was wearing a seat belt -was transported from the scene to the Guthrie County Hospital by his parent. Authorities said the road was covered with a sheet of ice/frost, and that the teen was driving too fast for conditions. No citations were issued. Damage to the pickup was estimated at $10,000.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Justice Department is asking a judge to sentence an Iowa man to more than five years in prison for his role in the U-S Capitol riot. Video showed Doug Jensen of Des Moines leading a group of rioters toward the U-S Senate chamber. In September, a jury found Jensen guilty of five felonies. His sentencing is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday). In a letter to the court, a Capitol Police inspector said there would have been tremendous bloodshed if an officer hadn’t diverted Jensen away from the chamber where senators were meeting.

In another January 6th case, a woman from Des Moines who was scheduled to go on trial yesterday (Wednesday) has pleaded guilty to illegally entering the Capitol. The trial for Deborah Sandoval’s son is underway. Salvador Sandoval of Ankeny faces a dozen charges. Prosecutors say he assaulted four D-C police officers during the 15 minutes he was inside the Capitol.

(Radio Iowa) – The odds of most Iowans having a white Christmas are increasing by the minute. While the holiday is still ten days away, the snow falling across much of the state today (Thursday) will be followed by very cold weather, so whatever falls now will likely stick around at least until December 25th. Meteorologist Jim Lee, at the National Weather Service, says the expected snow accumulation amounts vary across the state. “The highest amounts will be up in northern Iowa, where we’re looking at probably in the range of about three or four inches, give or take a little bit,” Lee says. “Down towards central Iowa, we are expecting, depending on where you are, probably in the one-to-three inch range, with the higher amounts, of course, being a little bit further north.”

Almost all of Iowa will see at least some snow today, though the southern few tiers of counties may only get flying flurries. “We’ll probably have some lingering snow into tomorrow and tomorrow night in northern Iowa, but any additional amounts look pretty light,” Lee says. “As far as temperatures, unfortunately, it’s not going to get warm again for quite some time. The daily high temperatures for the next several days range in the teens north to mostly 20s south, and then once we get into next week, it could get even colder.”

I-80 WB / I-29 NB (Near South Expressway) 12/15/22

When put on the spot, Lee was hesitant to make a prediction about what percentages of the state may, indeed, have a white Christmas. “Ha! Now that’s a question I can’t quite answer today, certainly in terms of percentages, but it does look like whatever snow we get out of this system is going to have a hard time melting,” Lee says. “Certainly, anywhere that gets a couple inches or more today stands a pretty decent chance of having it hold out for next week, especially up in the north.”

According to the Iowa Storm Chasing Network, Iowans who live along and north of Highway 20 have a 61-to-75% chance of having snow on the ground on December 25th, based on climatology, while areas between Highway 20 and Highway 30 have a white Christmas probability between 51-to-60%. ISCN says, based on historical data, from Highway 30 to Highway 34, there’s a 41-to-50% chance, while from Highway 34 to the Missouri border, there is only a 26-to-40% probability of a white Christmas.

(Omaha, Nebraska) – Officials with the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations have announced that applications are now being accepted from organizations providing charitable services in Cass or Audubon County. As part of this spring grant cycle, approximately $130,000 in each county is available to support Cass and Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects. The deadline to apply for funds through the online application process is February 1, 2023.

Beginning today (December 15), application details, a fact sheet, and a link to the application form can be found online by selecting Audubon County or Cass County, under the County Listing at www.swiowafoundations.org. Applications will only be accepted through the online system.

This cycle of grants is made possible through the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license. Only organizations providing services in Cass or Audubon County are eligible to apply in their respective counties only. They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support and be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity, a local municipality, or a fiscally sponsored project.

The Community Foundations in Cass and Audubon Counties aim to improve the quality of life in those counties, by supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. The objective of the grant program is to fund projects that will have a lasting impact in the counties. Both Community Foundations will entertain requests for capital and program support. General operating support will only be considered for one-time, non-recurring circumstances that improve the capacity of the organization to fulfill its mission.

Please contact Sunni Kamp (sunni@omahafoundation.org) or Sydney Calcagno (sydney@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458 with application-related questions. All completed grant applications will be considered at the March board meeting, with applicants being notified of funding decisions by the end of March.

Advisory board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are: Chair, Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair, Gaylord Schelling of Atlantic; Secretary/Treasurer, Sue Hunt of Atlantic; Sandy Bierbaum of Griswold; Justin D. Hockenberry of Anita; and Mike Tibken of Anita. Advisory board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are: Chair, Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; Vice Chair, Pat Kaiser of Audubon; Secretary/Treasurer, Megan Wagner of Audubon; Gina Benton of Exira; Dr. Bob Blomme, DVM of Audubon; Travis Nelson of Exira; and Donna Olson of Kimballton.

Polk County, Iowa — A Johnston day care provider charged in the 2019 death of a child, was sentenced Wednesday to 10-year in prison. 51-year-old Trina Mazza had earlier pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent person. Her defense attorney had asked for a deferred judgment.

According to court documents, Mazza admitted to leaving a child in a Pack ‘n Play crib in her unlicensed, in-home day care center. Later, while she was upstairs, the child attempted to climb out of his crib and got caught between another crib close by. The child was asphyxiated within minutes.

The child died a few days later. The cause of death was determined to be accidental traumatic asphyxia. Mazza is also facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber, Wednesday, reported the District has an internal team that has worked extensively to get a registered apprenticeship in the area of welding.

The on-the-job training aspect is for 2,000 hours. There are interests internally, he said, from instructors, business partners, and students.

Students will be mentored by persons in the respective businesses. Once students complete the apprenticeship program, they will receive national credentials. Five prospective business partners are scheduled to meet with Administrators this afternoon, to discuss the program and offer additional, professional input.

(Radio Iowa) –  Today (Thursday) marks one year since an extremely rare, very powerful December derecho swept across Iowa, killing one person and causing widespread destruction. Meteorologist Mike Fowle, at the National Weather Service, says the massive, long-duration storm is cemented in state history and will, hopefully, never be matched. Forty-nine of Iowa’s 99 counties were declared disaster areas and the storm spun off 63 tornadoes, the most Iowa’s ever seen in a single day.

It was the second derecho to hit Iowa in two years, following another on August 10th of 2020, which placed the term “derecho” into the vocabulary of everyone in the state. The 2020 storm packed extremely powerful winds, peaking at 140-miles an hour near Cedar Rapids. Coincidentally, Iowa had a derecho earlier this year, in July, but it was nowhere near as destructive as the previous two.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Police report two separate arrests took place Wednesday night (12/14/22). Authorities say at around 10:50-p.m., 31-year-old Jeffrey Dwayne Currie, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested on a Red Oak Police Department warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $1,000 bond.

And, at around 6:20-p.m., Wednesday, Red Oak Police arrested 28-year-old Sheyenne Linn Eilers, of Red Oak, was arrested, also on a Red Oak P-D warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. She was also being held on a $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The amount of taxes collected that go to fund road projects in the state has remained strong despite some decreases in travel brought on by higher gas prices. The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Shawn Majors says 95 percent of the road use tax fund comes from the fuel tax, registration fees and taxes on the sale of new and used vehicle sales. “One of the reasons we’ve seen favorable numbers as far as our revenue has been, our fee for new registration numbers that have come in this year this year so far. And I would say that based on the initial numbers we’re seeing for the November receipts, that will continue next month, Majors says.

Majors says the registration revenue is not as much as it was prior to COVID. “But definitely higher than we anticipated, given all the impacts of COVID and inflation. I guess that’s one thing I have been a little surprised about that we still continue to see really good numbers for the fees for new registration,” he says. A chip shortage has cut the number of new car sales — which has in turn driven up the cost of used cars — an new registration fees are based on the cost of the vehicle.

“That’s the biggest thing as far as how we’ve made up that balance of not having as much inventory out there for new vehicles — is those increased costs for used vehicles,” Major says. Majors made his comments in a report to the state Transportation Commission.